Chapter iii.
Containing various matters.
Jones was no sooner alone than he eagerly broke open his letter, andread as follows:--
"Sir, it is impossible to express what I have suffered since you left this house; and as I have reason to think you intend coming here again, I have sent Honour, though so late at night, as she tells me she knows your lodgings, to prevent you. I charge you, by all the regard you have for me, not to think of visiting here; for it will certainly be discovered; nay, I almost doubt, from some things which have dropt from her ladyship, that she is not already without some suspicion. Something favourable perhaps may happen; we must wait with patience; but I once more entreat you, if you have any concern for my ease, do not think of returning hither."
This letter administered the same kind of consolation to poor Jones,which Job formerly received from his friends. Besides disappointingall the hopes which he promised to himself from seeing Sophia, he wasreduced to an unhappy dilemma, with regard to Lady Bellaston; forthere are some certain engagements, which, as he well knew, do verydifficultly admit of any excuse for the failure; and to go, after thestrict prohibition from Sophia, he was not to be forced by any humanpower. At length, after much deliberation, which during that nightsupplied the place of sleep, he determined to feign himself sick: forthis suggested itself as the only means of failing the appointedvisit, without incensing Lady Bellaston, which he had more than onereason of desiring to avoid.
The first thing, however, which he did in the morning, was, to writean answer to Sophia, which he inclosed in one to Honour. He thendespatched another to Lady Bellaston, containing the above-mentionedexcuse; and to this he soon received the following answer:--
"I am vexed that I cannot see you here this afternoon, but more concerned for the occasion; take great care of yourself, and have the best advice, and I hope there will be no danger.--I am so tormented all this morning with fools, that I have scarce a moment's time to write to you. Adieu.
"_P.S._--I will endeavour to call on you this evening, at nine.--Be sure to be alone."
Mr Jones now received a visit from Mrs Miller, who, after some formalintroduction, began the following speech:--"I am very sorry, sir, towait upon you on such an occasion; but I hope you will consider theill consequence which it must be to the reputation of my poor girls,if my house should once be talked of as a house of ill-fame. I hopeyou won't think me, therefore, guilty of impertinence, if I beg younot to bring any more ladies in at that time of night. The clock hadstruck two before one of them went away."--"I do assure you, madam,"said Jones, "the lady who was here last night, and who staid thelatest (for the other only brought me a letter), is a woman of verygreat fashion, and my near relation."--"I don't know what fashion sheis of," answered Mrs Miller; "but I am sure no woman of virtue, unlessa very near relation indeed, would visit a young gentleman at ten atnight, and stay four hours in his room with him alone; besides, sir,the behaviour of her chairmen shows what she was; for they did nothingbut make jests all the evening in the entry, and asked Mr Partridge,in the hearing of my own maid, if madam intended to stay with hismaster all night; with a great deal of stuff not proper to berepeated. I have really a great respect for you, Mr Jones, upon yourown account; nay, I have a very high obligation to you for yourgenerosity to my cousin. Indeed, I did not know how very good you hadbeen till lately. Little did I imagine to what dreadful courses thepoor man's distress had driven him. Little did I think, when you gaveme the ten guineas, that you had given them to a highwayman! Oheavens! what goodness have you shown! How have you preserved thisfamily!--The character which Mr Allworthy hath formerly given me ofyou was, I find, strictly true.--And indeed, if I had no obligation toyou, my obligations to him are such, that, on his account, I shouldshew you the utmost respect in my power.--Nay, believe me, dear MrJones, if my daughters' and my own reputation were out of the case, Ishould, for your own sake, be sorry that so pretty a young gentlemanshould converse with these women; but if you are resolved to do it, Imust beg you to take another lodging; for I do not myself like to havesuch things carried on under my roof; but more especially upon theaccount of my girls, who have little, heaven knows, besides theircharacters, to recommend them." Jones started and changed colour atthe name of Allworthy. "Indeed, Mrs Miller," answered he, a littlewarmly, "I do not take this at all kind. I will never bring anyslander on your house; but I must insist on seeing what company Iplease in my own room; and if that gives you any offence, I shall, assoon as I am able, look for another lodging."--"I am sorry we mustpart then, sir," said she; "but I am convinced Mr Allworthy himselfwould never come within my doors, if he had the least suspicion of mykeeping an ill house."--"Very well, madam," said Jones.--"I hope,sir," said she, "you are not angry; for I would not for the worldoffend any of Mr Allworthy's family. I have not slept a wink all nightabout this matter."--"I am sorry I have disturbed your rest, madam,"said Jones, "but I beg you will send Partridge up to me immediately;"which she promised to do, and then with a very low courtesy retired.
As soon as Partridge arrived, Jones fell upon him in the mostoutrageous manner. "How often," said he, "am I to suffer for yourfolly, or rather for my own in keeping you? is that tongue of yoursresolved upon my destruction?" "What have I done, sir?" answeredaffrighted Partridge. "Who was it gave you authority to mention thestory of the robbery, or that the man you saw here was the person?""I, sir?" cries Partridge. "Now don't be guilty of a falsehood indenying it," said Jones. "If I did mention such a matter," answersPartridge, "I am sure I thought no harm; for I should not have openedmy lips, if it had not been to his own friends and relations, who, Iimagined, would have let it go no farther." "But I have a much heaviercharge against you," cries Jones, "than this. How durst you, after allthe precautions I gave you, mention the name of Mr Allworthy in thishouse?" Partridge denied that he ever had, with many oaths. "Howelse," said Jones, "should Mrs Miller be acquainted that there was anyconnexion between him and me? And it is but this moment she told meshe respected me on his account." "O Lord, sir," said Partridge, "Idesire only to be heard out; and to be sure, never was anything sounfortunate: hear me but out, and you will own how wrongfully you haveaccused me. When Mrs Honour came downstairs last night she met me inthe entry, and asked me when my master had heard from Mr Allworthy;and to be sure Mrs Miller heard the very words; and the moment MadamHonour was gone, she called me into the parlour to her. `MrPartridge,' says she, `what Mr Allworthy is it that the gentlewomanmentioned? is it the great Mr Allworthy of Somersetshire?' `Upon myword, madam,' says I, `I know nothing of the matter.' `Sure,' saysshe, `your master is not the Mr Jones I have heard Mr Allworthy talkof?' `Upon my word, madam,' says I, `I know nothing of the matter.'`Then,' says she, turning to her daughter Nancy, says she, `as sure astenpence this is the very young gentleman, and he agrees exactly withthe squire's description.' The Lord above knows who it was told her:for I am the arrantest villain that ever walked upon two legs if everit came out of my mouth. I promise you, sir, I can keep a secret whenI am desired. Nay, sir, so far was I from telling her anything aboutMr Allworthy, that I told her the very direct contrary; for, though Idid not contradict it at that moment, yet, as second thoughts, theysay, are best, so when I came to consider that somebody must haveinformed her, thinks I to myself, I will put an end to the story; andso I went back again into the parlour some time afterwards, and saysI, upon my word, says I, whoever, says I, told you that this gentlemanwas Mr Jones; that is, says I, that this Mr Jones was that Mr Jones,told you a confounded lie: and I beg, says I, you will never mentionany such matter, says I; for my master, says I, will think I must havetold you so; and I defy anybody in the house ever to say I mentionedany such word. To be certain, sir, it is a wonderful thing, and I havebeen thinking with myself ever since, how it was she came to know it;not but I saw an old woman here t'other day a begging at the door, wholooked as like her we saw in Warwickshire, that caused all thatmischief to us. To be sure it is never good to pass by an old womanwithout g
iving her something, especially if she looks at you; for allthe world shall never persuade me but that they have a great power todo mischief, and to be sure I shall never see an old woman again, butI shall think to myself, _Infandum, regina, jubes renovare dolorem._"
The simplicity of Partridge set Jones a laughing, and put a final endto his anger, which had indeed seldom any long duration in his mind;and, instead of commenting on his defence, he told him he intendedpresently to leave those lodgings, and ordered him to go and endeavourto get him others.