and I hope we shall yet recover the past."-At which words, casting her eyes on the children, the tears burst from her eyes, and she cried "Heaven will, I hope, provide for us.'

A pathetic scene now ensued between the husband and wife, which would not perhaps please many readers to see drawn at too full a length. It is sufficient to say, that this excellent woman not only used her utmost endeavours to stifle and conceal her own concern, but said and did every thing in her power to allay that of her husband.

Booth was at this time to meet a person whom we have formerly mentioned in the course of our history. This gentleman had a place in the waroffice, and pretended to be a man of great interest and consequence; by which means he did not only receive great respect and court from the inferior officers, but actually bubbled several of their money, by undertaking to do them services, which, in reality, were not within his power. In truth, I have known few great men who have not been beset with one or more such fellows as these, through whom the inferior part of mankind are obliged to make their court to the great men themselves; by which means, I believe, principally, persons of real merit have been often deterred from the attempt; for these subaltern coxcombs ever assume an equal state with their masters, and look for an equal degree of respect to be paid to them; to which men of spirit, who are in every light their betters, are not easily brought to submit. These fellows, indeed, themselves have a jealous eye towards all great abilities, and are sure, to the utmost of their power, to keep all who are so endowed from the presence of their masters. They use their masters as bad ministers have sometimes used a prince; they keep all men of merit from his ears, and daily sacrifice his true honour and interest to their own profit, and their own vanity. As soon as Booth was gone to his appointment with this man, Amelia immediately betook her self to her business with the highest resolution. She packed up not only her own little trinkets, and those of the children, but the greatest part of her own poor clothes, (for she was but barely provided,) and then drove in a hackney-coach to the same pawnbroker's who had before been recommended to her by Mrs Atkinson, who advanced her the money she desired.

Being now provided with her sum, she returned well pleased home; and her husband coming in soon after, she, with much cheerfulness, delivered him all the money.

Booth was so overjoyed with the prospect of discharging his debt to Trent, that he did not perfectly reflect on the distress to which his family was now reduced. The good humour which appeared in the countenance of Amelia, was perhaps another help to stifle those reflections; but above all, were the assurances he had received from the great man, whom he had met

at a coffeehouse, and who had promised to do him all the service in his power; which several half-pay subaltern officers assured him was very considerable.

With this comfortable news he acquainted his wife, who either was, or seemed to be, extremely well pleased with it. And now he set out with the money in his pocket to pay his friend Trent, who unluckily for him happened not to be at home.

On his return home, he met his old friend the lieutenant, who thankfully paid him his crown, and insisted on his going with him, and taking part of a bottle. This invitation was so eager and pressing, that poor Booth, who could not resist much importunity, complied.

While they were over this bottle, Booth acquainted his friend with the promises he had received that afternoon at the coffeehouse, with which the old gentleman was very well pleased: "For I have heard,” says he, “ that gentleman hath very powerful interest;" but he informed him likewise, that he had heard that the great man must be touched; for that he never did any thing without touching. Of this, indeed, the great man himself had given some oblique hints, by saying, with great sagacity and slyness, that he knew where fifty pound might be deposited to much advantage.

Booth answered, that he would very readily advance a small sum, if he had it in his power, but that at present it was not so; for that he had no more in the world than the sum of fifty pounds, which he owed Trent, and which he intended to pay him the next morning.

"It is very right undoubtedly to pay your debts," says the old gentleman: "but sure, on such an occasion, any man but the rankest usurer would be contented to stay a little while for his money; and it will be only a little while, I am convinced; for if you deposit this sum in the great man's hand, I make no doubt but you will succeed immediately in getting your commission: and then I will help you to a method of taking up such a sum as this."-The old gentleman persisted in this advice, and backed it with every argument he could invent; declaring, as was indeed true, that he gave the same advice which he would pursue, was the case his own.

Booth long rejected the opinion of his friend; till, as they had not argued with dry lips, he became heated with wine, and then at last the old gentleman succeeded. Indeed, such was his love either for Booth, or for his own opinion, and perhaps for both, that he omitted nothing in his power. He even endeavoured to palliate the character of Trent, and unsaid half what he had before said of that gentleman. In the end he undertook to make Trent easy, and to go to him the very next morning for that purpose.

Poor Booth at last yielded, though with the utmost difficulty. Indeed, had he known quite

as much of Trent as the reader doth, no motive whatsoever would have prevailed on him to have taken the old gentleman's advice.

CHAP. V.

Containing more wormwood, and other ingredients.

IN the morning Booth communicated the matter to Amelia, who told him she would not presume to advise him in an affair of which he was so much the better judge.

While Booth remained in a doubtful state what conduct to pursue, Bound came to make him a visit, and informed him that he had been at Trent's house, but found him not at home; adding, that he would pay him a second visit that very day, and would not rest till he found him.

Booth was ashamed to confess his wavering resolution, in an affair in which he had been so troublesome to his friend; he therefore dressed himself immediately, and together they both went to wait on the little great man, to whom Booth now hoped to pay his court in the most effectual manner.

Bound had been longer acquainted with the modern methods of business than Booth; he advised his friend, therefore, to begin with tipping (as it is called) the great man's servant. He did so, and by that means got speedy access

to the master.

The great man received the money, not as a gudgeon doth a bait, but as a pike receives a poor gudgeon into his maw. To say the truth, such fellows as these may be well likened to that voracious fish, who fattens himself by devouring all the little inhabitants of the river. As soon as the great man had pocketed the cash, he shook Booth by the hand, and told him he would be sure to slip no opportunity of serving him, and would send him word as soon as any offered.

Here I shall stop one moment, and so, perhaps, will my good-natured reader; for surely it must be a hard heart which is not affected with reflecting on the manner in which this poor little sum was raised, and on the manner in which it was bestowed. A worthy family, the wife and children of a man who had lost his blood abroad in the service of his country, parting with their little all, and exposed to cold and hunger, to pamper such a fellow as this!

And if any such reader as I mention should happen to be in reality a great man, and in power, perhaps the horror of this picture may induce him to put a final end to this abominable practice of touching, as it is called; by which indeed a set of leeches are permitted to suck the blood of the brave and the indigent, of the widow and the orphan.

Booth now returned home, where he found

his wife with Mrs James. Amelia had, before the arrival of her husband, absolutely refused Mrs James's invitation to dinner the next day; but when Booth came in, the lady renewed her application, and that in so pressing a manner, that Booth seconded her: for though he had enough of jealousy in his temper, yet such was his friendship to the Colonel, and such his gratitude for the obligations which he had received from him, that his own unwillingness to believe any thing of him, co-operating with Amelia's endeavours to put every thing in the fairest light, had brought him to acquit his friend of any ill design. To this, perhaps, the late affair concerning my lord had moreover contributed : for it seems to me, that the same passion cannot much energize on two different objects at one and the same time: an observation which I believe will hold as true with regard to the cruel passions of jealousy and anger, as to the gentle passion of love, in which one great and mighty object is sure to engage the whole passion.

When Booth grew importunate, Amelia answered, "My dear, I should not refuse you whatever was in my power; but this is absolutely out of my power; for, since I must declare the truth, I cannot dress myself."

"Why so?" said Mrs James, "I am sure you are in good health."

"Is there no other impediment to dressing but want of health, madam?" answered Amelia. "Upon my word, none that I know of," replied Mrs James.

"What do you think of want of clothes, madam?" said Amelia.

"Ridiculous!" cried Mrs James ; "what need have you to dress yourself out? You will see no body but our own family, and I promise you I don't expect it. A plain nightgown will do very well."

"But if I must be plain with you, madam,” said Amelia, "I have no other clothes but what I have now on my back. I have not even a clean shift in the world: for you must know, my dear," said she to Booth, " that little Betty is walked off this morning, and hath carried all my linen with her."

"How, my dear," cries Booth, "little Betty robbed you!"

"It is even so," answered Amelia. Indeed, she spoke truth; for little Betty having perceived the evening before that her mistress was moving her goods, was willing to lend all the assistance in her power, and had accordingly moved off early that morning, taking with her whatever she could lay her hands on.

Booth expressed himself with some passion on the occasion, and swore he would make an example of the girl. "If the little slut be above ground," cried he, "I will find her out and bring her to justice."

"I am really sorry for this accident," said Mrs James," and (though I know not how to

Amelia thanked Mrs James, but declined the favour, saying, she should do well enough at home; and that as she had no servant now to take care of her children, she could not, nor would not, leave them on any account.

"Then bring master and miss with you," said Mrs James. You shall positively dine with us to-morrow."

“I beg, madam, you will mention it no more," said Amelia; "for, besides the substantial reasons I have already given, I have some things on my mind at present which make me unfit for company; and I am resolved nothing shall prevail on me to stir from home."

Mrs James had carried her invitation already to the very utmost limits of good-breeding, if not beyond them. She desisted, therefore, from going any further, and, after some short stay longer, took her leave, with many expressions of concern, which, however, great as it was, left her heart and her mouth together, before she was out of the house.

Booth now declared that he would go in pursuit of little Betty, against whom he vowed so much vengeance, that Amelia endeavoured to moderate his anger by representing to him the girl's youth, and that this was the first fault she had ever been guilty of. "Indeed," says she, "I should be very glad to have my things again, and I would have the girl too punished in some degree, which might possibly be for her own good; but I tremble to think of taking away her life:" for Booth, in his rage, had sworn he would hang her.

"I know the tenderness of your heart, my dear," said Booth, " and I love you for it; but I must beg leave to dissent from your opinion. I do not think the girl in any light an object of mercy. She is not only guilty of dishonesty, but of cruelty: for she must know our situation, and the very little we had left. She is besides guilty of ingratitude to you, who have treated her with so much kindness, that you have rather acted the part of a mother than of a mistress; and so far from thinking her youth an excuse, I think it rather an aggravation. It is true, indeed, there are faults which the youth of the party very strongly recommends to our pardon; such are all those which proceed from carelessness and want of thought; but crimes of this black dye, which are committed with deliberation, and imply a bad mind, deserve a more severe punishment in a young person than in one of riper years: for what must the mind be in old age, which hath acquired such a degree of perfection in villainy so very early! Such persons as these it is really a charity to the public to put out of the society; and, indeed, a religious man would put them out of the world for the sake of themselves; for whoever

understands any thing of human nature, must know, that such people, the longer they live, the more they will accumulate vice and wickedness."

"Well, my dear," cries Amelia, "I cannot argue with you on these subjects. I shall always submit to your superior judgment; and I know you too well to think that you will ever do any thing cruel."

Booth then left Amelia to the care of her children, and went in pursuit of the thief.

CHAP. VI.

A scene of the tragic kind.

He had not been long gone, before a thundering knock was heard at the door of the house where Amelia lodged, and presently after a figure all pale, ghastly, and almost breathless, rushed into the room where she then was with her children.

This figure Amelia soon recognized to be Mrs Atkinson, though, indeed, she was so disguised, that at her first entrance Amelia scarce knew her. Her eyes were sunk in her head, her hair dishevelled, and not only her dress, but every feature in her face, was in the utmost disorder.

Amelia was greatly shocked at this sight, and the little girl was much frightened; as for the boy, he immediately knew her, and running to Amelia, he cried, "La! mamma, what is the matter with poor Mrs Atkinson ?"

As soon as Mrs Atkinson recovered her breath, she cried out-" O Mrs Booth, I am the most miserable of women; I have lost the best of husbands."

Amelia looking at her with all the tenderness imaginable, forgetting, I believe, that there had ever been any quarrel between them, said,— "Good Heavens, madam, what's the matter?"

"O Mrs Booth," answered she, "I fear I have lost my husband. The doctor says, there is but little hope of his life. O madam, however I have been in the wrong, I am sure you will forgive me and pity me. I am sure I am severely punished: for to that cursed affair I owe all my misery."

"Indeed, madam," cries Amelia, “ I am extremely concerned for your misfortune. Bu pray tell me, hath any thing happened to the serjeant?"

"O madam," cries she, "I have the greatest reason to fear I shall lose him. The doctor hath almost given him over. He says he hath scarce any hopes. O madam, that evening that the fatal quarrel happened between us, my dear Captain took it so much to heart, that he sat up all night, and drank a whole bottle of brandy. Indeed, he said, he wished to kill himself; for nothing could have hurt him so much in the world, he said, as to have any quarrel between

you and me. His concern, and what he drank together, threw him into a high fever. So that, when I came home from my lord's-(for indeed, madam, I have been, and set all to rights-your reputation is now in no danger)-when I came home, I say, I found the poor man in a raving delirious fit, and in that he hath continued ever since, till about an hour ago, when he came perfectly to his senses; but now he says he is sure he shall die, and begs for Heaven's sake to see you first. Would you, madam, would you have the goodness to grant my poor Captain's desire? consider he is a dying man, and neither he nor I shall ever ask you a second favour. He says he hath something to say to you that he can mention to no other person, and that he cannot die in peace unless he sees you."

"Upon my word, madam," cries Amelia, "I am extremely concerned at what you tell me. I knew the poor serjeant from his infancy, and always had an affection for him, as I think him to be one of the best-natured and honestest creatures upon earth. I am sure, if I could do him any service,-but of what use can my going

Upon my honour he did," answered she, " and much more than I have related."

"Well, I will go with you," cries Amelia. "I cannot guess what this should be; but I will go."

Mrs Atkinson then poured out a thousand blessings and thanksgivings; and taking hold of Amelia's hand, and eagerly kissing it, cried out,-"How could that fury, Passion, drive me to quarrel with such a creature?"

Amelia told her, she had forgiven and forgot it; and then calling up the mistress of the house, and committing to her the care of the children, she clothed herself as well as she could, and set out with Mrs Atkinson.

When they arrived at the house, Mrs Atkinson said she would go first and give the Captain some notice; for that if Amelia entered the room unexpectedly, the surprise might have an ill effect. She left therefore Amelia in the parlour, and proceeded directly up stairs.

Poor Atkinson, weak and bad as was his condition, no sooner heard that Amelia was come, than he discovered great joy in his countenance, and presently afterwards she was introduced to him.

Atkinson exerted his utmost strength to thank her for this goodness to a dying man, (for so he called himself.) He said, he should not have

presumed to give her this trouble, had he not had something, which he thought of conse quence, to say to her, and which he could not mention to any other person. He then desired his wife to give him a little box, of which he had always kept the key himself, and afterwards begged her to leave the room for a few minutes; at which neither she nor Amelia expressed any dissatisfaction.

When he was left alone with Amelia, he spoke as follows: "This, madam, is the last time my eyes will ever behold what-Do pardon me, madam, I will never offend you more."-Here he sunk down in his bed, and the tears gushed from his eyes.

"Why should you fear to offend me, Joe?" said Amelia. "I am sure you never did any thing willingly to offend me.'

66

No, madam," answered he, "I would die a thousand times, before I would have ventured it in the smallest matter. But-I cannot speak

and yet I must. You cannot pardon me; and yet, perhaps, as I am a dying man, and never shall see you more-Indeed, if I was to live after this discovery, I should never dare to look you in the face again-And yet, madam, to think I shall never see you more is worse than ten thousand deaths."

“Indeed, Mr Atkinson," cries Amelia, blushing, and looking down to the floor, “I must not hear you talk in this manner. If you . have any thing to say, tell it me, and do not be afraid of my anger; for I think I may promise to forgive whatever it was possible you should do."

"Here then, madam," said he, " is your picture; I stole it when I was eighteen years of age, and have kept it ever since. It is set in gold, with three little diamonds; and yet, I can truly say, it was not the gold nor the diamonds which I stole it was that face, which, if I had been the emperor of the world".

"I must not hear any more of this," said she; "comfort yourself, Joe, and think no more of this matter. Be assured I freely and heartily forgive you-But pray compose yourself; come, let me call in your wife."

"First, madam, let me beg one favour," cried he, "consider it is the last, and then I shall die in peace ;-let me kiss that hand before I die.

"Well, nay," says she, "I don't know what I am doing-well-there."-She then carelessly gave him her hand, which he put gently to his lips, and then presently let it drop, and fell back into the bed.

Amelia now summoned Mrs Atkinson, who was indeed no further off than just without the door. She then hasted down stairs, and called for a great glass of water, which having drunk off, she threw herself into a chair, and the tears ran plentifully from her eyes, with compassion for the poor wretch she had just left in his bed.

To say the truth, without any injury to her chastity, that heart which had stood firm as a

rock to all the attacks of title and equipage, of finery and flattery, and which all the treasures of the universe could not have purchased, was yet a little softened by the plain, honest, modest, involuntary, delicate, heroic passion of this poor and humble swain; for whom, in spite of herself, she felt a momentary tenderness and complacency, at which Booth, if he had known it, would perhaps have been displeased.

Having staid some time in the parlour, and not finding Mrs Atkinson come down, (for indeed her husband was then so bad she could not quit him,) Amelia left a message with the maid of the house for her mistress, purporting, that she should be ready to do any thing in her power to serve her; and then left the house with a confusion on her mind that she had never felt before, and which any chastity that is not hewn out of marble must feel on so tender and delicate an occasion.

CHAP. VII.

In which Mr Booth meets with more than one adventure.

BOOTH having hunted about for two hours, at last saw a young lady in a tattered silk gown, stepping out of a shop in Monmouth-street into a hackney-coach. This lady, notwithstanding the disguise of her dress, he presently discovered to be no other than little Betty.

He instantly gave the alarm of stop thief, stop coach; upon which Mrs Betty was immediately stopped in her vehicle, and Booth and his myrmidons laid hold of her.

The girl no sooner found that she was seized by her master, than the consciousness of her guilt overpowered her; for she was not yet an experienced offender, and she immediately confessed her crime.

She was then carried before a justice of the peace, where she was searched, and there was found in her possession four shillings and sixpence in money, besides the silk gown, which was indeed proper furniture for Rag-fair, and scarce worth a single farthing, though the honest shop-keeper in Monmouth-street had sold it for a crown to this simple girl.

The girl being examined by the magistrate, spoke as follows: " Indeed, sir, an't please your worship, I am very sorry for what I have done; and to be sure, an't please your honour, my lord, it must have been the devil that put me upon it; for to be sure, please your majesty, I never thought upon such a thing in my whole life before, any more than I did of my dying day; but, indeed, sir, an't please your worship"

She was running on in this manner, when the Justice interrupted her, and desired her to give an account of what she had taken from her master, and what she had done with it,

Indeed, an't please your majesty," said she, "I took no more than two shifts of madam's, and I pawned them for five shillings, which I gave for the gown that's upon my back; and as for the money in my pocket, it is every farthing of it my own. I am sure I intended to carry back the shifts too as soon as ever I could get money to take them out."

The girl having told them where the pawnbroker lived, the Justice sent to him to produce the shifts, which he presently did; for he expected that a warrant to search his house would be the consequence of his refusal.

The shifts being produced, on which the honest pawnbroker had lent five shillings, appeared plainly to be worth above thirty, indeed, when new, they had cost much more; so that by their goodness, as well as by their size, it was certain they could not have belonged to the girl.

Booth grew very warm against the pawnbroker. "I hope, sir," said he to the Justice, "there is some punishment for this fellow likewise, who so plainly appears to have known that these goods were stolen. The shops of these fellows may indeed be called the fountains of theft; for it is in reality the encouragement which they meet with from these receivers of their goods that induces men very often to become thieves; so that these deserve equal, if not severer punishment than the thieves themselves."

The pawnbroker protested his innocence, and denied the taking in the shifts. Indeed, in this he spoke truth; for he had slipped into an inner room, as was always his custom on these occasions, and left a little boy to do the business; by which means he had carried on the trade of receiving stolen goods for many years with impunity, and had been twice acquitted at the OldBaily, though the juggle appeared upon the most manifest evidence.

As the Justice was going to speak, he was interrupted by the girl, who, falling on her knees to Booth, with many tears begged his forgiveness.

"Indeed, Betty," cries Booth, "you do not deserve forgiveness; for you know you had very good reasons why you should not have thought of robbing your mistress, particularly at this time. And what further aggravates your crime is, that you have robbed the best and kindes mistress in the world. Nay, you are not only guilty of felony, but of a felonious breach of trust; for you know very well every thing your mistress had was entrusted to your care."

Now it happened, by very great accident, that the Justice before whom the girl was brought understood the law. Turning therefore to Booth, he said, "Do you say, sir, that this girl was entrusted with the shifts ?"

"Yes, sir," said Booth, "she was entrusted with every thing."

"And will you swear that the goods stolen." said the Justice," are worth forty shillings?"