ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

in his Night-Cap and Slippers, about eight of the Clock in the Morning, two Men came up to him, on Horseback; and taking him for the Landlord of the House, enquired of him if he had obferved any Time, very lately, a young Lady, and her Servant, in a blew Livery, either to call at, or to pass by that House: defcribing Narciffa and himself (as he firft fet out) and their Horses, exactly. Which John very readily ascertain❜d in the negative. And which fufficiently fatisfied these Inquifitors, for the prefent; but another Accident that immediately happen'd, had fuddenly liked to have raised them fresh Peril. For the Queftion being put by one of them, whether they should breakfast there; the other affented; and were both jumping off their Horfes for that Purpose, when John inftantly reflecting, that, if their Horses should be put into the Stable, his Lady's and his would doubtless, by that Mean's, be discover'd; he cry'd out (as by a fudden Recollection) Blefs my Heart! Gentlemen, I believe the People you enquired after, rode by the Door, about an Hour ago, upon a very fmart Gallop. Pray was not the Lady, a tall, flim Lady, drefs'd in a Scarlet Riding-Habit?-Yes, Sir, answer'd the Enquirers, and upon a neat Daple-grey-Gelding. O, then it was the fame Lady that you inquire for, faid John. But what made me not imme

immediately recollect her, was, that she had no Servant directly with her; but I remember, now I think of it, that there was a Servant rode by, a Minute or two afterwards, in much such a Livery as you have defcribed; and I do then fuppofe that he might poffibly belong to her.And pray what Kind of Man was the Servant? demanded one of them.-Why, return'd John, I think much fuch a Kind of made Man as myfelf: and about my Height, too.-That directly anfwers our Instructions, reply'd the Man; and therefore we must endeavour to overtake them, if poffible, and lofe no Time.-What, demands John, won't you stay then to breakfast, Gentleman? you may have either Tea, or Coffee ready, in half an Hour's Time, at furtheft.—Half an Hour! return'd one of them, we could not ftay five Minutes, for five hundred Guineas. So that, remounting their Horfes, immediately, away they rode, full fpeed; to the no fmall Joy of honeft John: who doubtless was much more pleased with their new Abfence, than he had been before with their late Company: For his poor flufter'd Heart, had not yet recover'd from the Palpitations they had put it into, when his Sifter Narciffa, being now iffued from her Appartment, required her Brother's Company to Breakfast.

СНАР

CHAP. VI.

Wherein is continued this remarkable Tale: the Termination of which is perhaps quite foreign from our Readers Expectation.

N

[ocr errors]

O fooner had John related the Particulars of this last Accident to the fair Narciffa, but fhe feem'd greatly alarm'd with very unpleasant Apprehenfions: and they were both almoft afraid, either to fally out, or to stay where they were. However, this Accident feem'd. to hurry on, if it did not abfolutely produce a very extraordinary Incident, that will greatly relieve the Impatience of our Reader, by very much forwarding the Conclufion of this their Hiftory: For, we must now observe, that the fair Narciffa inftantly conceived that this Purfuit might be carry'd on by the Heat and Vigour of her Lover, Mr. Vulpine: Whom fhe' imagin'd fhe might have thus rouzed by her late Letter to him. And which Conceit, contributed not a little to heighten her new contracted Diflike of him: And by fo much, as her Regard now leffen'd for him, in the fame Degree did it proportionably encrease for our good Friend John: As I have taken Notice be-

fore.

fore: And who, at the worft of Times, was a very fenfible, well behaved young Fellow; but now, he was upon his utmoft Guard, in his Expreffion of every Word, Look, or Action; and being alfo as obfervant of Narciffa, as she could poffibly be of him, or he of himfelf; he now found fome outward Tokens of an inward Struggle, within her Mind, that was labouring for a Difcovery. When he had ended his Relation (which he told her with a Kind of grave Concern) of the above Accident; her Cheeks grew pale, fhe figh'd! and fixing her Eyes (which with radiant Moisture fhone) full upon him; the exclaimed with a foft, tender, moving Accent, thus-What! is there no Way of avoiding, or fhaking off this double Danger? Muft I be forced to return to the Tyranny of an abfolute Disposer; or fall into the Perfecution of one, whom I despise and hate? Surely my prefent unhappy Situation, is worthy to be commiferated! O John! (continued fhe, with a Sigh) you are my only Guardian now ! I have none else, to rife in my Defense, or to affift me in any Peri!, but you! And, pray tell me; if I fhould fall into the ravenous Paws of those rude Tigers who are now in this diligent and hafty Search of me; would you tamely give me up, and fuffer them to tare me back VOL. IV.

C

again,

[ocr errors]

again, to bear the hard and heavy Reproach of every bufy Tougue that pleases to infult me? Surely you would not! certainly your good Understanding would produce fome warrantable Method, to protect me from fuch Vulgar Outrage? could you not?-Here her Speech fubfided; which John, rightly gueffing, was only to give him an Opportunity, to answer; was at no great Lofs inftantly to do; to Narciffa's entire Satisfaction. But, we having already been more particular in many Parts of this Hiftory, than we either intended, or may be agreeable to fome of our Readers, we shall pafs over John's Answer, and, inftead of his own Words, which, had we but fet them down, would have been perhaps the best Speech in the whole Work, we fhall endeavour to convey to our Readers the trueft Idea of it that we can, in a nearer Way.

First, then, O gentle Reader! imagine thy felf in fome fly Corner of the Room, an unperceived Spectator of this facred Scene. Suggeft, before thee, a youthfull! blooming! tender! beauteous Lady! The lovelieft Part of the whole Creation! enrich'd with all, that Time, Nature, and Inftruction could bestow upon her, (for those few Years we mean which they had held Poffeffion of her.) And add to these, an Affluence of Fortune, which bounteous Providence had flung into her Scale, to make the

Weight

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »