Chapter ii.
The generous and grateful behaviour of Mrs Miller.
Mr Allworthy and Mrs Miller were just sat down to breakfast, whenBlifil, who had gone out very early that morning, returned to make oneof the company.
He had not been long seated before he began as follows: "Good Lord! mydear uncle, what do you think hath happened? I vow I am afraid oftelling it you, for fear of shocking you with the remembrance of everhaving shewn any kindness to such a villain." "What is the matter,child?" said the uncle. "I fear I have shewn kindness in my life tothe unworthy more than once. But charity doth not adopt the vices ofits objects." "O, sir!" returned Blifil, "it is not without the secretdirection of Providence that you mention the word adoption. Youradopted son, sir, that Jones, that wretch whom you nourished in yourbosom, hath proved one of the greatest villains upon earth." "By allthat's sacred 'tis false," cries Mrs Miller. "Mr Jones is no villain.He is one of the worthiest creatures breathing; and if any otherperson had called him villain, I would have thrown all this boilingwater in his face." Mr Allworthy looked very much amazed at thisbehaviour. But she did not give him leave to speak, before, turning tohim, she cried, "I hope you will not be angry with me; I would notoffend you, sir, for the world; but, indeed, I could not bear to hearhim called so." "I must own, madam," said Allworthy, very gravely, "Iam a little surprized to hear you so warmly defend a fellow you do notknow." "O! I do know him, Mr Allworthy," said she, "indeed I do; Ishould be the most ungrateful of all wretches if I denied it. O! hehath preserved me and my little family; we have all reason to blesshim while we live.--And I pray Heaven to bless him, and turn thehearts of his malicious enemies. I know, I find, I see, he hath such.""You surprize me, madam, still more," said Allworthy; "sure you mustmean some other. It is impossible you should have any such obligationsto the man my nephew mentions." "Too surely," answered she, "I haveobligations to him of the greatest and tenderest kind. He hath beenthe preserver of me and mine. Believe me, sir, he hath been abused,grossly abused to you; I know he hath, or you, whom I know to be allgoodness and honour, would not, after the many kind and tender thingsI have heard you say of this poor helpless child, have so disdainfullycalled him fellow.--Indeed, my best of friends, he deserves a kinderappellation from you, had you heard the good, the kind, the gratefulthings which I have heard him utter of you. He never mentions yourname but with a sort of adoration. In this very room I have seen himon his knees, imploring all the blessings of heaven upon your head. Ido not love that child there better than he loves you."
"I see, sir, now," said Blifil, with one of those grinning sneers withwhich the devil marks his best beloved, "Mrs Miller really doth knowhim. I suppose you will find she is not the only one of youracquaintance to whom he hath exposed you. As for my character, Iperceive, by some hints she hath thrown out, he hath been very freewith it, but I forgive him." "And the Lord forgive you, sir!" said MrsMiller; "we have all sins enough to stand in need of his forgiveness."
"Upon my word, Mrs Miller," said Allworthy, "I do not take thisbehaviour of yours to my nephew kindly; and I do assure you, as anyreflections which you cast upon him must come only from that wickedestof men, they would only serve, if that were possible, to heighten myresentment against him: for I must tell you, Mrs Miller, the young manwho now stands before you hath ever been the warmest advocate for theungrateful wretch whose cause you espouse. This, I think, when youhear it from my own mouth, will make you wonder at so much basenessand ingratitude."
"You are deceived, sir," answered Mrs Miller; "if they were the lastwords which were to issue from my lips, I would say you were deceived;and I once more repeat it, the Lord forgive those who have deceivedyou! I do not pretend to say the young man is without faults; but theyare all the faults of wildness and of youth; faults which he may, nay,which I am certain he will, relinquish, and, if he should not, theyare vastly overbalanced by one of the most humane, tender, honesthearts that ever man was blest with."
"Indeed, Mrs Miller," said Allworthy, "had this been related of you, Ishould not have believed it." "Indeed, sir," answered she, "you willbelieve everything I have said, I am sure you will: and when you haveheard the story which I shall tell you (for I will tell you all), youwill be so far from being offended, that you will own (I know yourjustice so well), that I must have been the most despicable and mostungrateful of wretches if I had acted any other part than I have."
"Well, madam," said Allworthy, "I shall be very glad to hear any goodexcuse for a behaviour which, I must confess, I think wants an excuse.And now, madam, will you be pleased to let my nephew proceed in hisstory without interruption. He would not have introduced a matter ofslight consequence with such a preface. Perhaps even this story willcure you of your mistake."
Mrs Miller gave tokens of submission, and then Mr Blifil began thus:"I am sure, sir, if you don't think proper to resent the ill-usage ofMrs Miller, I shall easily forgive what affects me only. I think yourgoodness hath not deserved this indignity at her hands." "Well,child," said Allworthy, "but what is this new instance? What hath hedone of late?" "What," cries Blifil, "notwithstanding all Mrs Millerhath said, I am very sorry to relate, and what you should never haveheard from me, had it not been a matter impossible to conceal from thewhole world. In short he hath killed a man; I will not saymurdered--for perhaps it may not be so construed in law, and I hopethe best for his sake."
Allworthy looked shocked, and blessed himself; and then, turning toMrs Miller, he cried, "Well, madam, what say you now?"
"Why, I say, sir," answered she, "that I never was more concerned atanything in my life; but, if the fact be true, I am convinced the man,whoever he is, was in fault. Heaven knows there are many villains inthis town who make it their business to provoke young gentlemen.Nothing but the greatest provocation could have tempted him; for ofall the gentlemen I ever had in my house, I never saw one so gentle orso sweet-tempered. He was beloved by every one in the house, and everyone who came near it."
While she was thus running on, a violent knocking at the doorinterrupted their conversation, and prevented her from proceedingfurther, or from receiving any answer; for, as she concluded this wasa visitor to Mr Allworthy, she hastily retired, taking with her herlittle girl, whose eyes were all over blubbered at the melancholy newsshe heard of Jones, who used to call her his little wife, and not onlygave her many playthings, but spent whole hours in playing with herhimself.
Some readers may, perhaps, be pleased with these minute circumstances,in relating of which we follow the example of Plutarch, one of thebest of our brother historians; and others, to whom they may appeartrivial, will, we hope, at least pardon them, as we are never prolixon such occasions.