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"What's that?" cries Western. "Murder! hath he committed a murder, andis there any hopes of seeing him hanged?--Tol de rol, tol lol de rol."Here he fell a singing and capering about the room."Child," says Allworthy, "this unhappy passion of yours distresses mebeyond measure. I heartily pity you, and would do every fair thing topromote your success.""I desire no more," cries Blifil; "I am convinced my dear uncle hath abetter opinion of me than to think that I myself would accept ofmore.""Lookee," says Allworthy, "you have my leave to write, to visit, ifshe will permit it--but I insist on no thoughts of violence. I willhave no confinement, nothing of that kind attempted.""Well, well," cries the squire, "nothing of that kind shall beattempted; we will try a little longer what fair means will effect;and if this fellow be but hanged out of the way--Tol lol de rol! Inever heard better news in my life--I warrant everything goes to mymind.--Do, prithee, dear Allworthy, come and dine with me at theHercules Pillars: I have bespoke a shoulder of mutton roasted, and aspare-rib of pork, and a fowl and egg-sauce. There will be nobody butourselves, unless we have a mind to have the landlord; for I have sentParson Supple down to Basingstoke after my tobacco-box, which I leftat an inn there, and I would not lose it for the world; for it is anold acquaintance of above twenty years' standing. I can tell youlandlord is a vast comical bitch, you will like un hugely."Mr Allworthy at last agreed to this invitation, and soon after thesquire went off, singing and capering at the hopes of seeing thespeedy tragical end of poor Jones.When he was gone, Mr Allworthy resumed the aforesaid subject with muchgravity. He told his nephew, "He wished with all his heart he wouldendeavour to conquer a passion, in which I cannot," says he, "flatteryou with any hopes of succeeding. It is certainly a vulgar error, thataversion in a woman may be conquered by perseverance. Indifferencemay, perhaps, sometimes yield to it; but the usual triumphs gained byperseverance in a lover are over caprice, prudence, affectation, andoften an exorbitant degree of levity, which excites women notover-warm in their constitutions to indulge their vanity by prolongingthe time of courtship, even when they are well enough pleased with theobject, and resolve (if they ever resolve at all) to make him a verypitiful amends in the end. But a fixed dislike, as I am afraid thisis, will rather gather strength than be conquered by time. Besides, mydear, I have another apprehension which you must excuse. I am afraidthis passion which you have for this fine young creature hath herbeautiful person too much for its object, and is unworthy of the nameof that love which is the only foundation of matrimonial felicity. Toadmire, to like, and to long for the possession of a beautiful woman,without any regard to her sentiments towards us, is, I am afraid, toonatural; but love, I believe, is the child of love only; at least, Iam pretty confident that to love the creature who we are assured hatesus is not in human nature. Examine your heart, therefore, thoroughly,my good boy, and if, upon examination, you have but the leastsuspicion of this kind, I am sure your own virtue and religion willimpel you to drive so vicious a passion from your heart, and your goodsense will soon enable you to do it without pain."