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soon as he had unlocked and opened the door, he found all pale andbreathless. The moment, however, that she saw her father, shecollected all her spirits, and, catching him hold by the hand, shecryed passionately, "O my dear sir, I am almost frightened to death! Ihope to heaven no harm hath happened to you." "No, no," cries thesquire, "no great harm. The rascal hath not hurt me much, but rat meif I don't ha the la o' un." "Pray, dear sir," says she, "tell mewhat's the matter; who is it that hath insulted you?" "I don't knowthe name o' un," answered Western; "some officer fellow, I suppose,that we are to pay for beating us; but I'll make him pay this bout, ifthe rascal hath got anything, which I suppose he hath not. For thof hewas drest out so vine, I question whether he had got a voot of land inthe world." "But, dear sir," cries she, "what was the occasion of yourquarrel?" "What should it be, Sophy," answered the squire, "but aboutyou, Sophy? All my misfortunes are about you; you will be the death ofyour poor father at last. Here's a varlet of a lord, the Lord knowswho, forsooth! who hath a taan a liking to you, and because I wouldnot gi un my consent, he sent me a kallenge. Come, do be a good girl,Sophy, and put an end to all your father's troubles; come, do consentto ha un; he will be in town within this day or two; do but promise meto marry un as soon as he comes, and you will make me the happiest manin the world, and I will make you the happiest woman; you shall havethe finest cloaths in London, and the finest jewels, and a coach andsix at your command. I promised Allworthy already to give up half myestate--od rabbet it! I should hardly stick at giving up the whole.""Will my papa be so kind," says she, "as to hear me speak?"--"Why woutask, Sophy?" cries he, "when dost know I had rather hear thy voicethan the musick of the best pack of dogs in England.--Hear thee, mydear little girl! I hope I shall hear thee as long as I live; for if Iwas ever to lose that pleasure, I would not gee a brass varden to livea moment longer. Indeed, Sophy, you do not know how I love you, indeedyou don't, or you never could have run away and left your poor father,who hath no other joy, no other comfort upon earth, but his littleSophy." At these words the tears stood in his eyes; and Sophia (withthe tears streaming from hers) answered, "Indeed, my dear papa, I knowyou have loved me tenderly, and heaven is my witness how sincerely Ihave returned your affection; nor could anything but an apprehensionof being forced into the arms of this man have driven me to run from afather whom I love so passionately, that I would, with pleasure,sacrifice my life to his happiness; nay, I have endeavoured to reasonmyself into doing more, and had almost worked up a resolution toendure the most miserable of all lives, to comply with yourinclination. It was that resolution alone to which I could not forcemy mind; nor can I ever." Here the squire began to look wild, and thefoam appeared at his lips, which Sophia, observing, begged to be heardout, and then proceeded: "If my father's life, his health, or any realhappiness of his was at stake, here stands your resolved daughter; mayheaven blast me if there is a misery I would not suffer to preserveyou!--No, that most detested, most loathsome of all lots would Iembrace. I would give my hand to Blifil for your sake."--"I tell thee,it will preserve me," answers the father; "it will give me health,happiness, life, everything.--Upon my soul I shall die if dost refuseme; I shall break my heart, I shall, upon my soul."--"Is it possible,"says she, "you can have such a desire to make me miserable?"--"I tellthee noa," answered he loudly, "d--n me if there is a thing upon earthI would not do to see thee happy."--"And will not my dear papa allowme to have the least knowledge of what will make me so? If it be truethat happiness consists in opinion, what must be my condition, when Ishall think myself the most miserable of all the wretches upon earth?""Better think yourself so," said he, "than know it by being married to