The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER 145
kept his word in this particular, he was not yet altogether in-
different to her affection; but solemnly promised, she would never
carry on any correspondence with him, or any other admirer, for
the future, without the privity and approbation of her brother
and me.
By this declaration, she made her own peace with Jery; but the
hot-headed boy is more than ever incensed against Wilson, whom
he now considers as an impostor, that harbours some infamous
design upon the honour of his family—As for Barton, he was not
a little mortified to find his present returned, and his addresses so
unfavourably received; but he is not a man to be deeply affected
by such disappointments; and I know not whether he is not as well
pleased with being discarded by Liddy, as he would have been
with a permission to prosecute his pretensions, at the risque of
being every day exposed to the revenge or machinations of Tabby,
who is not to be slighted with impunity.—I had not much time to
moralize on these occurrences; for the house was visited by a con-
stable and his gang, with a warrant from justice Buzzard, to search
the box of Humphry Clinker, my footman, who was just appre-
hended as a highwayman—This incident threw the whole family
into confusion. My sister scolded the constable for presuming to
enter the lodgings of a gentleman on such an errand, without
having first asked, and obtained permission; her maid was frightened
into fits, and Liddy shed tears of compassion for the unfortunate
Clinker, in whose box, however, nothing was found to confirm the
suspicion of robbery.
For my own part, I made no doubt of the fellow’s being mistaken
for some other person, and I went directly to the justice, in order
to procure his discharge; but there I found the matter much more
serious than I expected—Poor Clinker stood trembling at the bar,
surrounded by thief-takers; and at a little distance, a thick, squat
fellow, a postilion, his accuser, who had seized him in the street,
and swore positively to his person, that the said Clinker had, on the
15th day of March last, on Blackheath, robbed a gentleman in a
post-chaise, which he (the postilion) drove—This deposition was
sufficient to justify his commitment; and he was sent accordingly
to Clerkenwell prison, whither Jery accompanied him in the coach,
in order to recommend him properly to the keeper, that he may
want for no convenience which the place affords.
The spectators, who assembled to see this highwayman, were