Chapter viii.
Further continuation.
The gentleman who now arrived was no other than Mr Western. He nosooner saw Allworthy, than, without considering in the least thepresence of Mrs Waters, he began to vociferate in the followingmanner: "Fine doings at my house! A rare kettle of fish I havediscovered at last! who the devil would be plagued with a daughter?""What's the matter, neighbour?" said Allworthy. "Matter enough,"answered Western: "when I thought she was just a coming to; nay, whenshe had in a manner promised me to do as I would ha her, and when Iwas a hoped to have had nothing more to do than to have sent for thelawyer, and finished all; what do you think I have found out? that thelittle b-- hath bin playing tricks with me all the while, and carryingon a correspondence with that bastard of yours. Sister Western, whom Ihave quarrelled with upon her account, sent me word o't, and I orderedher pockets to be searched when she was asleep, and here I have got unsigned with the son of a whore's own name. I have not had patience toread half o't, for 'tis longer than one of parson Supple's sermons;but I find plainly it is all about love; and indeed what should it beelse? I have packed her up in chamber again, and to-morrow morningdown she goes into the country, unless she consents to be marrieddirectly, and there she shall live in a garret upon bread and waterall her days; and the sooner such a b-- breaks her heart the better,though, d--n her, that I believe is too tough. She will live longenough to plague me." "Mr Western," answered Allworthy, "you know Ihave always protested against force, and you yourself consented thatnone should be used." "Ay," cries he, "that was only upon conditionthat she would consent without. What the devil and doctor Faustus!shan't I do what I will with my own daughter, especially when I desirenothing but her own good?" "Well, neighbour," answered Allworthy, "ifyou will give me leave, I will undertake once to argue with the younglady." "Will you?" said Western; "why that is kind now, andneighbourly, and mayhap you will do more than I have been able to dowith her; for I promise you she hath a very good opinion of you.""Well, sir," said Allworthy, "if you will go home, and release theyoung lady from her captivity, I will wait upon her within thishalf-hour." "But suppose," said Western, "she should run away with unin the meantime? For lawyer Dowling tells me there is no hopes ofhanging the fellow at last; for that the man is alive, and like to dowell, and that he thinks Jones will be out of prison again presently.""How!" said Allworthy; "what, did you employ him then to enquire or todo anything in that matter?" "Not I," answered Western, "he mentionedit to me just now of his own accord." "Just now!" cries Allworthy,"why, where did you see him then? I want much to see Mr Dowling.""Why, you may see un an you will presently at my lodgings; for thereis to be a meeting of lawyers there this morning about a mortgage.'Icod! I shall lose two or dree thousand pounds, I believe, by thathonest gentleman, Mr Nightingale." "Well, sir," said Allworthy, "Iwill be with you within the half-hour." "And do for once," cries thesquire, "take a fool's advice; never think of dealing with her bygentle methods, take my word for it those will never do. I have tried'um long enough. She must be frightened into it, there is no otherway. Tell her I'm her father; and of the horrid sin of disobedience,and of the dreadful punishment of it in t'other world, and then tellher about being locked up all her life in a garret in this, and beingkept only on bread and water." "I will do all I can," said Allworthy;"for I promise you there is nothing I wish for more than an alliancewith this amiable creature." "Nay, the girl is well enough for mattero' that," cries the squire; "a man may go farther and meet with worsemeat; that I may declare o'her, thof she be my own daughter. And ifshe will but be obedient to me, there is narrow a father within ahundred miles o' the place, that loves a daughter better than I do;but I see you are busy with the lady here, so I will go huome andexpect you; and so your humble servant."
As soon as Mr Western was gone Mrs Waters said, "I see, sir, thesquire hath not the least remembrance of my face. I believe, MrAllworthy, you would not have known me neither. I am very considerablyaltered since that day when you so kindly gave me that advice, which Ihad been happy had I followed." "Indeed, madam," cries Allworthy, "itgave 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 youknew, though I pretend not to think it would justify me in youropinion, it would at least mitigate my offence, and induce you to pityme: you are not now at leisure to hear my whole story; but this Iassure you, I was betrayed by the most solemn promises of marriage;nay, in the eye of heaven I was married to him; for, after muchreading on the subject, I am convinced that particular ceremonies areonly requisite to give a legal sanction to marriage, and have only aworldly use in giving a woman the privileges of a wife; but that shewho lives constant to one man, after a solemn private affiance,whatever the world may call her, hath little to charge on her ownconscience." "I am sorry, madam," said Allworthy, "you made so ill ause of your learning. Indeed, it would have been well that you hadbeen 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 answerfor." "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 leftdestitute; whether the good-natured world will suffer such a straysheep to return to the road of virtue, even if she was never sodesirous. I protest, then, I would have chose it had it been in mypower; but necessity drove me into the arms of Captain Waters, withwhom, though still unmarried, I lived as a wife for many years, andwent by his name. I parted with this gentleman at Worcester, on hismarch against the rebels, and it was then I accidentally met with MrJones, who rescued me from the hands of a villain. Indeed, he is theworthiest of men. No young gentleman of his age is, I believe, freerfrom vice, and few have the twentieth part of his virtues; nay,whatever vices he hath had, I am firmly persuaded he hath now taken aresolution to abandon them." "I hope he hath," cries Allworthy, "and Ihope he will preserve that resolution. I must say, I have still thesame hopes with regard to yourself. The world, I do agree, are apt tobe too unmerciful on these occasions; yet time and perseverance willget the better of this their disinclination, as I may call it, topity; for though they are not, like heaven, ready to receive apenitent sinner; yet a continued repentance will at length obtainmercy even with the world. This you may be assured of, Mrs Waters,that whenever I find you are sincere in such good intentions, youshall want no assistance in my power to make them effectual."
Mrs Waters fell now upon her knees before him, and, in a flood oftears, made him many most passionate acknowledgments of his goodness,which, as she truly said, savoured more of the divine than humannature.
Allworthy raised her up, and spoke in the most tender manner, makinguse of every expression which his invention could suggest to comforther, when he was interrupted by the arrival of Mr Dowling, who, uponhis first entrance, seeing Mrs Waters, started, and appeared in someconfusion; from which he soon recovered himself as well as he could,and then said he was in the utmost haste to attend counsel at MrWestern's lodgings; but, however, thought it his duty to call andacquaint him with the opinion of counsel upon the case which he hadbefore told him, which was that the conversion of the moneys in thatcase could not be questioned in a criminal cause, but that an actionof trover might be brought, and if it appeared to the jury to be themoneys of plaintiff, that plaintiff would recover a verdict for thevalue.
Allworthy, without making any answer to this, bolted the door, andthen, advancing with a stern look to Dowling, he said, "Whatever beyour haste, sir, I must first receive an answer to some questions. Doyou know this lady?"--"That lady, sir!" answered Dowling, with greathesitation. Allworthy then, with the most solemn voice, said, "Lookyou, Mr Dowling, as you value my favour, or your continuance a momentlonger in my service, do not hesitate nor prevaricate; but answerfaithfully and truly to every question I ask.----Do you know thislady?"--"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 enquire, sir, about MrJones." "And who sent you to enquire about him?" "Who, sir? why, sir,Mr Blifil sent me." "And what did you say to the lady concerning thatmatter?" "Nay, sir, it is impossible to recollect every word." "Willyou please, madam, to assist the gentleman's memory?" "He told me,sir," said Mrs Waters, "that if Mr Jones had murdered my husband, Ishould 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 hadto deal with. These, I can safely swear, were the very words hespoke."--"Were these the words, sir?" said Allworthy. "I cannot chargemy memory exactly," cries Dowling, "but I believe I did speak to thatpurpose."--"And did Mr Blifil order you to say so?" "I am sure, sir, Ishould not have gone on my own accord, nor have willingly exceeded myauthority in matters of this kind. If I said so, I must have sounderstood Mr Blifil's instructions." "Look you, Mr Dowling," saidAllworthy; "I promise you before this lady, that whatever you havedone in this affair by Mr Blifil's order I will forgive, provided younow tell me strictly the truth; for I believe what you say, that youwould not have acted of your own accord and without authority in thismatter.----Mr Blifil then likewise sent you to examine the two fellowsat Aldersgate?"--"He did, sir." "Well, and what instructions did hethen give you? Recollect as well as you can, and tell me, as near aspossible, the very words he used."--"Why, sir, Mr Blifil sent me tofind out the persons who were eye-witnesses of this fight. He said, hefeared they might be tampered with by Mr Jones, or some of hisfriends. He said, blood required blood; and that not only all whoconcealed a murderer, but those who omitted anything in their power tobring him to justice, were sharers in his guilt. He said, he found youwas very desirous of having the villain brought to justice, though itwas not proper you should appear in it." "He did so?" saysAllworthy.--"Yes, sir," cries Dowling; "I should not, I am sure, haveproceeded such lengths for the sake of any other person living butyour worship."--"What lengths, sir?" said Allworthy.--"Nay, sir,"cries Dowling, "I would not have your worship think I would, on anyaccount, be guilty of subornation of perjury; but there are two waysof delivering evidence. I told them, therefore, that if any offersshould be made them on the other side, they should refuse them, andthat they might be assured they should lose nothing by being honestmen, and telling the truth. I said, we were told that Mr Jones hadassaulted the gentleman first, and that, if that was the truth, theyshould declare it; and I did give them some hints that they should beno losers."--"I think you went lengths indeed," criesAllworthy.--"Nay, sir," answered Dowling, "I am sure I did not desirethem to tell an untruth;----nor should I have said what I did, unlessit had been to oblige you."--"You would not have thought, I believe,"says Allworthy, "to have obliged me, had you known that this Mr Joneswas my own nephew."--"I am sure, sir," answered he, "it did not becomeme to take any notice of what I thought you desired toconceal."--"How!" cries Allworthy, "and did you know it then?"--"Nay,sir," answered Dowling, "if your worship bids me speak the truth, I amsure I shall do it.--Indeed, sir, I did know it; for they were almostthe last words which Madam Blifil ever spoke, which she mentioned tome as I stood alone by her bedside, when she delivered me the letter Ibrought your worship from her."--"What letter?" cries Allworthy.--"Theletter, sir," answered Dowling, "which I brought from Salisbury, andwhich I delivered into the hands of Mr Blifil."--"O heavens!" criesAllworthy: "Well, and what were the words? What did my sister say toyou?"--"She took me by the hand," answered he, "and, as she deliveredme the letter, said, `I scarce know what I have written. Tell mybrother, 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 thepeople, and she never spoke more to me, and died within a few minutesafterwards."--Allworthy stood a minute silent, lifting up his eyes;and then, turning to Dowling, said, "How came you, sir, not to deliverme this message?" "Your worship," answered he, "must remember that youwas at that time ill in bed; and, being in a violent hurry, as indeedI always am, I delivered the letter and message to Mr Blifil, who toldme he would carry them both to you, which he hath since told me hedid, and that your worship, partly out of friendship to Mr Jones, andpartly out of regard to your sister, would never have it mentioned,and did intend to conceal it from the world; and therefore, sir, ifyou had not mentioned it to me first, I am certain I should never havethought it belonged to me to say anything of the matter, either toyour worship or any other person."
We have remarked somewhere already, that it is possible for a man toconvey a lie in the words of truth; this was the case at present; forBlifil had, in fact, told Dowling what he now related, but had notimposed upon him, nor indeed had imagined he was able so to do. Inreality, the promises which Blifil had made to Dowling were themotives which had induced him to secrecy; and, as he now very plainlysaw Blifil would not be able to keep them, he thought proper now tomake this confession, which the promises of forgiveness, joined to thethreats, the voice, the looks of Allworthy, and the discoveries he hadmade before, extorted from him, who was besides taken unawares, andhad no time to consider of evasions.
Allworthy appeared well satisfied with this relation, and, havingenjoined on Dowling strict silence as to what had past, conducted thatgentleman himself to the door, lest he should see Blifil, who wasreturned to his chamber, where he exulted in the thoughts of his lastdeceit on his uncle, and little suspected what had since passedbelow-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, "O! sir, Ifind this wicked woman hath been with you, and you know all; yet donot on this account abandon the poor young man. Consider, sir, he wasignorant it was his own mother; and the discovery itself will mostprobably break his heart, without your unkindness."
"Madam," says Allworthy, "I am under such an astonishment at what Ihave heard, that I am really unable to satisfy you; but come with meinto 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 toMrs Waters, took her by the hand, and then, turning to Mrs Miller,said, "What reward shall I bestow upon this gentlewoman, for theservices she hath done me?--O! Mrs Miller, you have a thousand timesheard me call the young man to whom you are so faithful a friend, myson. Little did I then think he was indeed related to me at all.--Yourfriend, madam, is my nephew; he is the brother of that wicked viperwhich I have so long nourished in my bosom.--She will herself tell youthe 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 havebeen abused; abused by one whom you too justly suspected of being avillain. 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, hadnot a friendly shower of tears come seasonably to her relief. Atlength, 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 theson of this lady? And are your eyes opened to him at last? And shall Ilive 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 goodwoman, the person," cries she, "to whom all this discovery isowing?"--"She is indeed," says Allworthy.--"Why, then," cried MrsMiller, upon her knees, "may Heaven shower down its choicest blessingsupon 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 veryshortly be released; for that the surgeon was gone, in company with anobleman, to the justice who committed him, in order to certify thatMr Fitzpatrick was out of all manner of danger, and to procure hisprisoner his liberty.
Allworthy said he should be glad to find his nephew there at hisreturn home; but that he was then obliged to go on some business ofconsequence. He then called to a servant to fetch him a chair, andpresently left the two ladies together.
Mr Blifil, hearing the chair ord
ered, came downstairs to attend uponhis uncle; for he never was deficient in such acts of duty. He askedhis uncle if he was going out, which is a civil way of asking a manwhither he is going: to which the other making no answer, he againdesired to know when he would be pleased to return?--Allworthy made noanswer to this neither, till he was just going into his chair, andthen, turning about, he said--"Harkee, sir, do you find out, before myreturn, the letter which your mother sent me on her death-bed."Allworthy then departed, and left Blifil in a situation to be enviedonly by a man who is just going to be hanged.