6. CHAPTER VI.
By what means the squire came to discover his daughter
Though the reader, in many histories, is obliged to digest much more
unaccountable appearances than this of Mr. Western, without any
satisfaction at all; yet, as we dearly love to oblige him whenever
it is in our power, we shall now proceed to show by what method the
squire discovered where his daughter was.
In the third chapter, then, of the preceding book, we gave a hint
(for it is not our custom to unfold at any time more than is necessary
for the occasion) that Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who was very desirous of
reconciling her uncle and aunt Western, thought she had a probable
opportunity, by the service of preserving Sophia from committing the
same crime which had drawn on herself the anger of her family. After
much deliberation, therefore, she resolved to inform her aunt
Western where her cousin was, and accordingly she writ the following
letter, which we shall give the reader at length, for more reasons
than one.
"HONORED MADAM,
"The occasion of my writing this will perhaps make a letter of mine
agreeable to my dear aunt, for the sake of one of her nieces, though I
have little reason to hope it will be so on the account of another.
"Without more apology, as I was coming to throw my unhappy self at
your feet, I met, by the strangest accident in the world, my cousin
Sophy, whose history you are better acquainted with than myself,
though, alas! I know infinitely too much; enough indeed to satisfy me,
that unless she is immediately prevented, she is in danger of
running into the same fatal mischief which, by foolishly and
ignorantly refusing your most wise and prudent advice, I have
unfortunately brought on myself.
"In short, I have seen the man, nay, I was most Part of yesterday
in his company, and a charming young fellow I promise you he is. By
what accident he came acquainted with me is too tedious to tell you
now; but I have this morning changed my lodgings to avoid him, lest he
should by my means discover my cousin; for he doth not yet know
where she is, and it is adviseable he should not, till my uncle hath
secured her.-- No time therefore is to be lost; and I need only inform
you, that she is now with Lady Bellaston, whom I have seen, and who
hath, I find, a design of concealing her from her family. You know,
madam, she is a strange woman; but nothing could misbecome me more,
than to presume to give any hint to one of your great understanding
and great knowledge of the world, besides barely informing you of
the matter of fact.
"I hope, madam, the care which I have shewn on this occasion for
the good of my family, will recommend me again to the favour of a lady
who hath always exerted so much zeal for the honour and true
interest of us all; and that it may be a means of restoring me to your
friendship, which hath made so great a part of my former, and is so
necessary to my future happiness.
"I am,
with the utmost respect,
honoured madam, your most dutiful obliged niece,
and most obedient humble servant,
"HARRIET FITZPATRICK"
Mrs. Western was now at her brother's house, where she had resided
ever since the flight of Sophia, in order to administer comfort to the
poor squire in his affliction. Of this comfort, which she doled out to
him in daily portions, we have formerly given a specimen.
She was now standing with her back to the fire, and, with a pinch of
snuff in her hand, dealing forth this daily allowance of comfort to
the squire, while he smoaked his afternoon pipe, when she received the
above letter; which she had no sooner read than she delivered it to
him, saying, "There, sir, there is an account of your lost sheep.
Fortune hath again restored her to you, and if you will be governed by
my advice, it is possible you may yet preserve her."
The squire had no sooner read the letter than he leaped from his
chair, threw his pipe into the fire, and gave a loud huzza for joy. He
then summoned his servants, called for his boots, and ordered the
Chevalier and several other horses to be saddled, and that parson
Supple should be immediately sent for. Having done this, he turned
to his sister, caught her in his arms, and gave her a close embrace,
saying, "Zounds! you don't seem pleased; one would imagine you was
sorry I have found the girl."
"Brother," answered she, "the deepest politicians, who see to the
bottom, discover often a very different aspect of affairs, from what
swims on the surface. It is true, indeed, things do look rather less
desperate than they did formerly in Holland, when Lewis the Fourteenth
was at the gates of Amsterdam; but there is a delicacy required in
this matter, which you will pardon me, brother, if I suspect you want.
There is a decorum to be used with a woman of figure, such as Lady
Bellaston, brother, which requires a knowledge of the world, superior,
I am afraid, to yours."
"Sister," cries the squire, "I know you have no opinion of my parts;
but I'll shew you on this occasion who is a fool. Knowledge, quotha! I
have not been in the country so long without having some knowledge
of warrants and the law of the land. I know I may take my own wherever
I can find it. Shew me my own daughter, and if I don't know how to
come at her, I'll suffer you to call me a fool as long as I live.
There be justices of peace in London, as well as in other places."
"I protest," cries she, "you make me tremble for the event of this
matter, which, if you will proceed by my advice, you may bring to so
good an issue. Do you really imagine, brother, that the house of a
woman of figure is to be attacked by warrants and brutal justices of
the peace? I will inform you how to proceed. As soon as you arrive
in town, and have got yourself into a decent dress (for indeed,
brother, you have none at present fit to appear in), you must send
your compliments to Lady Bellaston, and desire leave to wait on her.
When you are admitted to her presence, as you certainly will be, and
have told her your story, and have made proper use of my name (for I
think you just know one another only by sight, though you are
relations), I am confident she will withdraw her protection from my
niece, who hath certainly imposed upon her. This is the only
method.- Justices of peace, indeed! do you imagine any such event can
arrive to a woman of figure in a civilised nation?"
"D--n their figures," cries the squire; "a pretty civilised nation,
truly, where women are above the law. And what must I stand sending
a parcel of compliments to a confounded whore, that keeps away a
daughter from her own natural father? I tell you, sister, I am not
so ignorant as you think me-- I know you would have women above the
law, but it is all a lye; I heard his lordship say at size, that no
one is above the law. But this of yours is Hanover law, I suppose."
"Mr. Western," said she, "I think you daily improve in
ignorance.-- I protest you are grown an arrant bear."
"No more a bear than yourself, sister Western," said the
squire.- "Pox! you may talk of your civility an you will, I am sure
you never show any to me. I am no bear, no, nor no dog neither, though
I know somebody, that is something that begins with a b; but pox! I
will show you I have got more good manners than some folks."
"Mr. Western," answered the lady, "you may say what you please,
je vous mesprise de tout mon coeur. I shall not therefore be
angry.-- Besides, as my cousin, with that odious Irish name, justly
says, I have that regard for the honour and true interest of my
family, and that concern for my niece, who is a part of it, that I
have resolved to go to town myself upon this occasion; for indeed,
indeed, brother you are not a fit minister to be employed at a
polite court.- Greenland- Greenland should always be the scene of the
tramontane negociation."
"I thank Heaven," cries the squire, "I don't understand you now. You
are got to your Hanoverian linguo. However, I'll shew you I scorn to
be behindhand in civility with you; and as you are not angry for
what I have said, so I am not angry for what you have said. Indeed,
I have always thought it a folly for relations to quarrel; and if they
do now and then give a hasty word, why, people should give and take;
for my part, I never bear malice; and I take it very kind of you to go
up to London; for I never was there but twice in my life, and then I
did not stay above a fortnight at a time, and to be sure I can't be
expected to know much of the streets and the folks in that time. I
never denied that you know'd all these matters better than I. For me
to dispute that would be all as one as for you to dispute the
management of a pack of dogs, or the finding a hare sitting, with
me."- "Which I promise you," says she, "I never will."- "Well, and I
promise you," returned he, "that I never will dispute the t'other."
Here then a league was struck (to borrow a phrase from the lady)
between the contending parties; and now the parson arriving, and the
horses being ready, the squire departed, having promised his sister to
follow her advice, and she prepared to follow him the next day.
But having communicated these matters to the parson on the road,
they both agreed that the prescribed formalities might very well be
dispensed with; and the squire, having changed his mind, proceeded
in the manner we have already seen.
