Chapter viii.
Schemes of Lady Bellaston for the ruin of Jones.
Love had taken too deep a root in the mind of Lord Fellamar to beplucked up by the rude hands of Mr Western. In the heat of resentmenthe had, indeed, given a commission to Captain Egglane, which thecaptain had far exceeded in the execution; nor had it been executed atall, had his lordship been able to find the captain after he had seenLady Bellaston, which was in the afternoon of the day after he hadreceived the affront; but so industrious was the captain in thedischarge of his duty, that, having after long enquiry found out thesquire's lodgings very late in the evening, he sat up all night at atavern, that he might not miss the squire in the morning, and by thatmeans missed the revocation which my lord had sent to his lodgings.
In the afternoon then next after the intended rape of Sophia, hislordship, as we have said, made a visit to Lady Bellaston, who laidopen so much of the character of the squire, that his lordship plainlysaw the absurdity he had been guilty of in taking any offence at hiswords, especially as he had those honourable designs on his daughter.He then unbosomed the violence of his passion to Lady Bellaston, whoreadily undertook the cause, and encouraged him with certain assuranceof a most favourable reception from all the elders of the family, andfrom the father himself when he should be sober, and should be madeacquainted with the nature of the offer made to his daughter. The onlydanger, she said, lay in the fellow she had formerly mentioned, who,though a beggar and a vagabond, had, by some means or other, she knewnot what, procured himself tolerable cloaths, and past for agentleman. "Now," says she, "as I have, for the sake of my cousin,made it my business to enquire after this fellow, I have luckily foundout his lodgings;" with which she then acquainted his lordship. "I amthinking, my lord," added she "(for this fellow is too mean for yourpersonal resentment), whether it would not be possible for yourlordship to contrive some method of having him pressed and sent onboard a ship. Neither law nor conscience forbid this project: for thefellow, I promise you, however well drest, is but a vagabond, and asproper as any fellow in the streets to be pressed into the service;and as for the conscientious part, surely the preservation of a younglady from such ruin is a most meritorious act; nay, with regard to thefellow himself, unless he could succeed (which Heaven forbid) with mycousin, it may probably be the means of preserving him from thegallows, and perhaps may make his fortune in an honest way."
Lord Fellamar very heartily thanked her ladyship for the part whichshe was pleased to take in the affair, upon the success of which hiswhole future happiness entirely depended. He said, he saw at presentno objection to the pressing scheme, and would consider of putting itin execution. He then most earnestly recommended to her ladyship to dohim the honour of immediately mentioning his proposals to the family;to whom he said he offered a _carte blanche_, and would settle hisfortune in almost any manner they should require. And after utteringmany ecstasies and raptures concerning Sophia, he took his leave anddeparted, but not before he had received the strongest charge tobeware of Jones, and to lose no time in securing his person, where heshould no longer be in a capacity of making any attempts to the ruinof the young lady.
The moment Mrs Western was arrived at her lodgings, a card wasdespatched with her compliments to Lady Bellaston; who no soonerreceived it than, with the impatience of a lover, she flew to hercousin, rejoiced at this fair opportunity, which beyond her hopesoffered itself, for she was much better pleased with the prospect ofmaking the proposals to a woman of sense, and who knew the world, thanto a gentleman whom she honoured with the appellation of Hottentot;though, indeed, from him she apprehended no danger of a refusal.
The two ladies being met, after very short previous ceremonials, fellto business, which was indeed almost as soon concluded as begun; forMrs Western no sooner heard the name of Lord Fellamar than her cheeksglowed with pleasure; but when she was acquainted with the eagernessof his passion, the earnestness of his proposals, and the generosityof his offer, she declared her full satisfaction in the most explicitterms.
In the progress of their conversation their discourse turned to Jones,and both cousins very pathetically lamented the unfortunate attachmentwhich both agreed Sophia had to that young fellow; and Mrs Westernentirely attributed it to the folly of her brother's management. Sheconcluded, however, at last, with declaring her confidence in the goodunderstanding of her niece, who, though she would not give up heraffection in favour of Blifil, will, I doubt not, says she, soon beprevailed upon to sacrifice a simple inclination to the addresses of afine gentleman, who brings her both a title and a large estate: "For,indeed," added she, "I must do Sophy the justice to confess thisBlifil is but a hideous kind of fellow, as you know, Bellaston, allcountry gentlemen are, and hath nothing but his fortune to recommendhim."
"Nay," said Lady Bellaston, "I don't then so much wonder at my cousin;for I promise you this Jones is a very agreeable fellow, and hath onevirtue, which the men say is a great recommendation to us. What do youthink, Mrs Western--I shall certainly make you laugh; nay, I canhardly tell you myself for laughing--will you believe that the fellowhath had the assurance to make love to me? But if you should beinclined to disbelieve it, here is evidence enough, his ownhandwriting, I assure you." She then delivered her cousin the letterwith the proposals of marriage, which, if the reader hath a desire tosee, he will find already on record in the XVth book of this history.
"Upon my word I am astonished," said Mrs Western; "this is, indeed, amasterpiece of assurance. With your leave I may possibly make some useof this letter." "You have my full liberty," cries Lady Bellaston, "toapply it to what purpose you please. However, I would not have itshewn to any but Miss Western, nor to her unless you find occasion.""Well, and how did you use the fellow?" returned Mrs Western. "Not asa husband," said the lady; "I am not married, I promise you, my dear.You know, Bell, I have tried the comforts once already; and once, Ithink, is enough for any reasonable woman."
This letter Lady Bellaston thought would certainly turn the balanceagainst Jones in the mind of Sophia, and she was emboldened to give itup, partly by her hopes of having him instantly dispatched out of theway, and partly by having secured the evidence of Honour, who, uponsounding her, she saw sufficient reason to imagine was prepared totestify whatever she pleased.
But perhaps the reader may wonder why Lady Bellaston, who in her hearthated Sophia, should be so desirous of promoting a match which was somuch to the interest of the young lady. Now, I would desire suchreaders to look carefully into human nature, page almost the last, andthere he will find, in scarce legible characters, that women,notwithstanding the preposterous behaviour of mothers, aunts, &c., inmatrimonial matters, do in reality think it so great a misfortune tohave their inclinations in love thwarted, that they imagine they oughtnever to carry enmity higher than upon these disappointments; again,he will find it written much about the same place, that a woman whohath once been pleased with the possession of a man, will go abovehalfway to the devil, to prevent any other woman from enjoying thesame.
If he will not be contented with these reasons, I freely confess I seeno other motive to the actions of that lady, unless we will conceiveshe was bribed by Lord Fellamar, which for my own part I see no causeto suspect.
Now this was the affair which Mrs Western was preparing to introduceto Sophia, by some prefatory discourse on the folly of love, and onthe wisdom of legal prostitution for hire, when her brother and Blifilbroke abruptly in upon her; and hence arose all that coldness in herbehaviour to Blifil, which, though the squire, as was usual with him,imputed to a wrong cause, infused into Blifil himself (he being a muchmore cunning man) a suspicion of the real truth.