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mind. There was in this scheme too much of fallacy to satisfy one whoutterly detested every species of falshood or dishonesty: nor wouldhe, indeed, have submitted to put it in practice, had he not beeninvolved in a distressful situation, where he was obliged to be guiltyof some dishonour, either to the one lady or the other; and surely thereader will allow, that every good principle, as well as love, pleadedstrongly in favour of Sophia.Nightingale highly exulted in the success of his stratagem, upon whichhe received many thanks and much applause from his friend. Heanswered, "Dear Tom, we have conferred very different obligations oneach other. To me you owe the regaining your liberty; to you I owe theloss of mine. But if you are as happy in the one instance as I am inthe other, I promise you we are the two happiest fellows in England."The two gentlemen were now summoned down to dinner, where Mrs Miller,who performed herself the office of cook, had exerted her best talentsto celebrate the wedding of her daughter. This joyful circumstance sheascribed principally to the friendly behaviour of Jones, her wholesoul was fired with gratitude towards him, and all her looks, words,and actions, were so busied in expressing it, that her daughter, andeven her new son-in-law, were very little objects of herconsideration.Dinner was just ended when Mrs Miller received a letter; but as wehave had letters enow in this chapter, we shall communicate itscontents in our next.Chapter x.Consisting partly of facts, and partly of observations upon them.The letter then which arrived at the end of the preceding chapter wasfrom Mr Allworthy, and the purport of it was, his intention to comeimmediately to town, with his nephew Blifil, and a desire to beaccommodated with his usual lodgings, which were the first floor forhimself, and the second for his nephew.The chearfulness which had before displayed itself in the countenanceof the poor woman was a little clouded on this occasion. This news didindeed a good deal disconcert her. To requite so disinterested a matchwith her daughter, by presently turning her new son-in-law out ofdoors, appeared to her very unjustifiable on the one hand; and on theother, she could scarce bear the thoughts of making any excuse to MrAllworthy, after all the obligations received from him, for deprivinghim of lodgings which were indeed strictly his due; for thatgentleman, in conferring all his numberless benefits on others, actedby a rule diametrically opposite to what is practised by most generouspeople. He contrived, on all occasions, to hide his beneficence, notonly from the world, but even from the object of it. He constantlyused the words Lend and Pay, instead of Give; and by every othermethod he could invent, always lessened with his tongue the favours heconferred, while he was heaping them with both his hands. When hesettled the annuity of L50 a year therefore on Mrs Miller, he toldher, "it was in consideration of always having her first-floor when hewas in town (which he scarce ever intended to be), but that she mightlet it at any other time, for that he would always send her a month's