advice, which I had been happy had I followed." "Indeed, madam," cries
Allworthy, "it gave me great concern when I first heard the contrary."
"Indeed, sir," says she, "I. was ruined by a very deep scheme of
villany, which if you knew, though I pretend not to think it would
justify me in your opinion, it would at least mitigate my offence, and
induce you to pity me: you are not now at leisure to hear my whole
story; but this I assure you, I was betrayed by the most solemn
promises of marriage; nay, in the eye of heaven I was married to
him; for, after much reading on the subject, I am convinced that
particular ceremonies are only requisite to give a legal sanction to
marriage, and have only a worldly use in giving a woman the privileges
of a wife; but that she who lives constant to one man, after a
solemn private affiance, whatever the world may call her, hath
little to charge on her own conscience." "I am sorry, madam," said
Allworthy, "you made so ill a use of your learning. Indeed, it would
have been well that you had been possessed of much more, or had
remained in a state of ignorance. And yet, madam, I am afraid you have
more than this sin to answer for." "During his life," answered she,
"which was above a dozen years, I most solemnly assure you I had
not. And consider, sir, on my behalf, what is in the power of a
woman stript of her reputation and left destitute; whether the
good-natured world will suffer such a stray sheep to return to the
road of virtue, even if she was never so desirous. I protest, then,
I would have chose it had it been in my power; but necessity drove
me into the arms of Captain Waters, with whom, though still unmarried,
I lived as a wife for many years, and went by his name. I parted
with this gentleman at Worcester, on his march against the rebels, and
it was then I accidentally met with Mr. Jones, who rescued me from the
hands of a villain. Indeed, he is the worthiest of men. No young
gentleman of his age is, I believe, freer from vice, and few have
the twentieth part of his virtues; nay, whatever vices he hath had,
I am firmly persuaded he hath now taken a resolution to abandon them."
"I hope he hath," cries Allworthy, "and I hope we will preserve that
resolution. I must say, I have still the same hopes with regard to
yourself. The world, I do agree, are apt to be too unmerciful on these
occasions; yet time and perseverance will get the better of this their
disinclination, as I may call it, to pity; for though they are not,
like heaven, ready to receive a penitent sinner; yet a continued
repentance will at length obtain mercy even with the world. This you
may be assured of, Mrs. Waters, that whenever I find you are sincere
in such good intentions, you shall want no assistance in my power to
make them effectual."
Mrs. Waters fell now upon her knees before him, and, in a flood of
tears, made him many most passionate acknowledgments of his
goodness, which, as she truly said, savoured more of the divine than
human nature.
Allworthy raised her up, and spoke in the most tender manner, making
use of every expression which his invention could suggest to comfort
her, when he was interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Dowling, who,
upon his first entrance, seeing Mrs. Waters, started, and appeared
in some confusion; from which he soon recovered himself as well as
he could, and then said he was in the utmost haste to attend counsel
at Mr. Western's lodgings; but, however, thought it his duty to call
and acquaint him with the opinion of counsel upon the case which he
had before told him, which was that the conversion of the moneys in
that case could not be questioned in a criminal cause, but that an
action of trover might be brought, and if it appeared to the jury to
be the moneys of plaintiff, that plaintiff would recover a verdict for
the value.
Allworthy, without making any answer to this, bolted the door, and
then, advancing with a stern look to Dowling, he said, "Whatever be
your haste, sir, I must first receive an answer to some questions.
Do you know this lady?"-- "That lady, sir!" answered Dowling, with
great hesitation. Allworthy then, with the most solemn voice, said,
"Look you, Mr. Dowling, as you value my favour, or your continuance a
moment longer in my service, do not hesitate nor prevaricate; but
answer faithfully and truly to every question I ask.-- Do you know
this lady?"-- "Yes, sir," said Dowling, "I have seen the lady."
"Where, sir?" "At her own lodgings."- "Upon what business did you go
thither, sir; and who sent you?" "I went, sir, to inquire, sir, about
Mr. Jones." "And who sent you to inquire about him?" "Who, sir? why,
sir, Mr. Blifil sent me." "And what did you say to the lady concerning
that matter?" "Nay, sir, it is impossible to recollect every word."
"Will you please, madam, to assist the gentleman's memory?" "He told
me, sir," said Mrs. Waters, "that if Mr. Jones had murdered my
husband, I should be assisted by any money I wanted to carry on the
prosecution, by a very worthy gentleman, who was well apprized what
a villain I had to deal with. These, I can safely swear, were the very
words he spoke."- "Were these the words, sir?" said Allworthy. "I
cannot charge my memory exactly," cries Dowling, "but I believe I
did speak to that purpose."- "And did Mr. Blifil order you to say
so?" "I am sure, sir, I should not have gone on my own accord, nor
have willingly exceeded my authority in matters of this kind. If I
said so, I must have so understood Mr. Blifil's instructions." "Look
you, Mr. Dowling," said Allworthy; "I promise you before this lady,
that whatever you have done in this affair by Mr. Blifil's order I
will forgive, provided you now tell me strictly the truth; for I
believe what you say, that you would not have acted of your own
accord, and without authority in this matter.-- Mr. Blifil then
likewise sent you to examine the two fellows at Aldersgate?"- "He did,
sir." "Well, and what instructions did he then give you? Recollect as
well as you can, and tell me, as near as possible, the very words he
used."-- "Why, sir, Mr. Blifil sent me to find out the persons who
were eye-witnesses of this fight. He said, he feared they might be
tampered with by Mr. Jones, or some of his friends. He said, blood
required blood; and that not only all who concealed a murderer, but
those who omitted anything in their power to bring him to justice,
were sharers in his guilt. He said, he found you was very desirous
of having the villain brought to justice, though it was not proper you
should appear in it." "He did so?" says Allworthy.- "Yes, sir," cries
Dowling; "I should not, I am sure, have proceeded such lengths for the
sake of any other person living but your worship."- "What lengths,
sir?" said Allworthy.- "Nay, sir," cries Dowling, "I would not have
your worship think I would, on any account, be guilty of subornation
of perjury; but there are two ways of delivering evidence. I told
them, therefore, that if any offers should be made them on the other
side, they should refuse them, and that they might be assured they
should lose nothing by being honest men, and telling the truth. I
said, we were told that Mr. Jones had assaulted the gentleman first,
and that, if that was the truth, they should declare it; and I did
give them some hints that they should be no losers."- "I think you
went lengths indeed," cries Allworthy.-- "Nay, sir," answered Dowling,
"I am sure I did not desire them to tell an untruth;-- nor should I
have said what I did, unless it had been to oblige you."-- "You would
not have thought, I believe," says Allworthy, "to have obliged me, had
you known that this Mr. Jones was my own nephew."-- "I am sure, sir,"
answered he, "it did not become me to take any notice of what I
thought you desired to conceal."- "How!" cries Allworthy, "and did
you know it then?"- "Nay, sir," answered Dowling, "if your worship
bids me speak the truth, I am sure I shall do it.- Indeed, sir, I did
know it; for they were almost the last words which Madam Blifil ever
spoke, which she mentioned to me as I stood alone by her bedside, when
she delivered me the letter I brought your worship from her."- "What
letter?" cries Allworthy.- "The letter, sir," answered Dowling,
"which I brought from Salisbury, and which I delivered into the
hands of Mr. Blifil."-- "O heavens!" cries Allworthy: "Well, and what
were the words? What did my sister say to you?"- "She took me by the
hand," answered he, "and, as she delivered me the letter, said, 'I
scarce know what I have written. Tell my brother, Mr. Jones is his
nephew- He is my son.- Bless him,' says she, and then fell backward,
as if dying away. I presently called in the people, and she never
spoke more to me, and died within a few minutes afterwards."-
Allworthy stood a minute silent, lifting up his eyes; and then,
turning to Dowling, said, "How came you, sir, not to deliver me this
message?" "Your worship," answered he, "must remember that you was at
that time ill in bed; and, being in a violent hurry, as indeed I
always am, I delivered the letter and message to Mr. Blifil, who told
me he would carry them both to you, which he hath since told me he
did, and that your worship, partly out of friendship to Mr. Jones, and
partly out of regard to your sister, would never have it mentioned,
and did intend to conceal it from the world; and therefore, sir, if
you had not mentioned it to me first, I am certain I should never have
thought it belonged to me to say anything of the matter, either to
your worship or any other person."
We have remarked somewhere already, that it is possible for a man to
convey a lie in the words of truth; this was the case at present;
for Blifil had, in fact, told Dowling what he now related, but had not
imposed upon him, nor indeed had imagined he was able so to do. In
reality, the promises which Blifil had made to Dowling, were the
motives which had induced him to secrecy; and, as he now very
plainly saw Blifil would not be able to keep them, he thought proper
now to make this confession, which the promises of forgiveness, joined
to the threats, the voice, the looks of Allworthy, and the discoveries
he had made before, extorted from him, who was besides taken unawares,
and had no time to consider of evasions.
Allworthy appeared well satisfied with this relation, and, having
enjoined on Dowling strict silence as to what had past, conducted that
gentleman himself to the door, lest he should see Blifil, who was
returned to his chamber, where he exulted in the thoughts of his
last deceit on his uncle, and little suspected what had since passed
below-stairs.
As Allworthy was returning to his room, he met Mrs. Miller in the
entry, who, with a face all pale and full of terror, said to him,
"Of sir, I find this wicked woman hath been with you, and you know
all; yet do not on this account abandon the poor young man.
Consider, sir, he was ignorant it was his own mother; and the
discovery itself will most probably break his heart, without your
unkindness."
"Madam," says Allworthy, "I am under such an astonishment at what
I have heard, that I am really unable to satisfy you; but come with me
into my room. Indeed, Mrs. Miller, I have made surprizing discoveries,
and you shall soon know them."
The poor woman followed him trembling; and now Allworthy, going up
to Mrs. Waters, took her by the hand, and then, turning to Mrs.
Miller, said, "What reward shall I bestow upon this gentlewoman, for
the services she hath done me?- O! Mrs. Miller, you have a thousand
times heard me call the young man to whom you are so faithful a
friend, my son. Little did I then think he was indeed related to me at
all.- Your friend, madam, is my nephew; he is the brother of that
wicked viper which I have so long nourished in my bosom.-- She will
herself tell you the whole story, and how the youth came to pass for
her son. Indeed, Mrs. Miller, I am convinced that he hath been
wronged, and that I have been abused; abused by one whom you too
justly suspected of being a villain. He is, in truth, the worst of
villains."
The joy which Mrs. Miller now felt, bereft her of the power of
speech, and might perhaps have deprived her of her senses, if not of
life, had not a friendly shower of tears come seasonably to her
relief. At length, recovering so far from her transport as to be
able to speak, she cried, "And is my dear Mr. Jones then your
nephew, sir, and not the son of this lady? And are your eyes opened to
him at last? And shall I live to see him as happy as he deserves?" "He
certainly is my nephew," says Allworthy, "and I hope all the
rest."- "And is this the dear good woman, the person," cries she, "to
whom all this discovery is owing?"- "She is indeed," says Allworthy.-
"Why, then," cried Mrs. Miller, upon her knees, "may Heaven shower
down its choicest blessings upon her head, and for this one good
action forgive her all her sins, be they never so many!"
Mrs. Waters then informed them that she believed Jones would very
shortly be released; for that the surgeon was gone, in company with
a nobleman, to the justice who committed him, in order to certify that
Mr. Fitzpatrick was out of all manner of danger, and to procure his
prisoner his liberty.
Allworthy said he should be glad to find his nephew there at his
return home; but that he was then obliged to go on some business of
