the expedition of humphry clinker-第7部分

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begged　Win　to　throw　herself　in　his　way：　but　the　poor　girl　has
weak　nerves；　and　was　afraid　of　his　beard。　My　uncle；　having
occasion　for　new　glasses；　called　him　up　stairs；　and　was　trying　a
pair　of　spectacles；　when　the　man；　advancing　to　me；　said　in　a
whisper　　O　gracious！　what　d'ye　think　he　said？　　'I　am　Wilson！'
His　features　struck　me　that　very　moment　it　was　Wilson；　sure
enough！　but　so　disguised；　that　it　would　have　been　impossible　to
know　him；　if　my　heart　had　not　assisted　in　the　discovery。　I　was　so
surprised；　and　so　frightened　that　I　fainted　away；　but　soon
recovered；　and　found　myself　supported　by　him　on　the　chair；　while
my　uncle　was　running　about　the　room；　with　the　spectacles　on　his
nose；　calling　for　help。　I　had　no　opportunity　to　speak　to　him；　but
looks　were　sufficiently　expressive。　He　was　payed　for　his　glasses；
and　went　away。　Then　I　told　Win　who　he　was；　and　sent　her　after　him
to　the　Pump…room；　where　she　spoke　to　him；　and　begged　him　in　my
name　to　withdraw　from　the　place；　that　he　might　not　incur　the
suspicion　of　my　uncle　or　my　brother；　if　he　did　not　want　to　see　me
die　of　terror　and　vexation。　The　poor　youth　declared；　with　tears
in　his　eyes；　that　he　had　something　extraordinary　to　communicate；
and　asked；　if　she　would　deliver　a　letter　to　me：　but　this　she
absolutely　refused；　by　my　order。　　Finding　her　obstinate　in　her
refusal；　he　desired　she　would　tell　me　that　he　was　no　longer　a
player；　but　a　gentleman；　in　which　character　he　would　very　soon
avow　his　passion　for　me；　without　fear　of　censure　or　reproach　
Nay；　he　even　discovered　his　name　and　family；　which；　to　my　great
grief；　the　simple　girl　forgot；　in　the　confusion　occasioned　by　her
being　seen　talking　to　him　by　my　brother；　who　stopt　her　on　the
road；　and　asked　what　business　she　had　with　that　rascally　Jew。　She
pretended　she　was　cheapening　a　stay…hook；　but　was　thrown　into
such　a　quandary；　that　she　forgot　the　most　material　part　of　the
information；　and　when　she　came　home；　went　into　an　hysteric　fit　of
laughing。　This　transaction　happened　three　days　ago；　during　which
he　has　not　appeared；　so　that　I　suppose　he　has　gone。　Dear　Letty！
you　see　how　Fortune　takes　pleasure　in　persecuting　your　poor
friend。　If　you　should　see　him　at　Gloucester　　or　if　you　have
seen　him；　and　know　his　real　name　and　family；　pray　keep　me　no
longer　in　suspence　　And　yet；　if　he　is　under　no　obligation　to
keep　himself　longer　concealed；　and　has　a　real　affection　for　me；　I
should　hope　he　will；　in　a　little　time；　declare　himself　to　my
relations。　Sure；　if　there　is　nothing　unsuitable　in　the　match；
they　won't　be　so　cruel　as　to　thwart　my　inclinations　　O　what
happiness　would　then　be　my　portion！　I　can't　help　indulging　the
thought；　and　pleasing　my　fancy　with　such　agreeable　ideas；　which
after　all；　perhaps；　will　never　be　realized　　But；　why　should　I
despair？　who　knows　what　will　happen？　　We　set　out　for　Bath　to…morrow；
and　I　am　almost　sorry　for　it；　as　I　begin　to　be　in　love
with　solitude；　and　this　is　a　charming　romantic　place。　The　air　is
so　pure；　the　Downs　are　so　agreeable；　the　furz　in　full　blossom；
the　ground　enamelled　with　daisies；　and　primroses；　and　cowslips；
all　the　trees　bursting　into　leaves；　and　the　hedges　already
clothed　with　their　vernal　livery；　the　mountains　covered　with
flocks　of　sheep　and　tender　bleating　wanton　lambkins　playing；
frisking；　and　skipping　from　side　to　side；　the　groves　resound　with
the　notes　of　blackbird；　thrush；　and　linnet；　and　all　night　long
sweet　Philomel　pours　forth　her　ravishingly　delightful　song。　Then；
for　variety；　we　go　down　to　the　nymph　of　Bristol　spring；　where　the
company　is　assembled　before　dinner；　so　good　natured；　so　free；　so
easy；　and　there　we　drink　the　water　so　clear；　so　pure；　so　mild；　so
charmingly　maukish。　There　the　fun　is　so　chearful　and　reviving；
the　weather　so　soft；　the　walk　so　agreeable；　the　prospect　so
amusing；　and　the　ships　and　boats　going　up　and　down　the　river；
close　under　the　windows　of　the　Pump…room；　afford　such　an
enchanting　variety　of　Moving　Pictures；　as　require　a　much　abler
pen　than　mine　to　describe。　To　make　this　place　a　perfect　paradise
to　me；　nothing　is　wanting　but　an　agreeable　companion　and　sincere
friend；　such　as　my
dear　miss　Willis　hath　been；　and　I　hope　still　will　be；　to　her　ever
faithful。

LYDIA　MELFORD

Direct　for　me；　still　under　cover；　to　Win；　and　Jarvis　will　take
care　to　convey　it　safe。　Adieu。



To　Sir　WATKIN　PHILLIPS；　of　Jesus　college；　Oxon。

BATH；　April　24。

DEAR　PHILLIPS；

You　have；　indeed；　reason　to　be　surprised；　that　I　should　have
concealed　my　correspondence　with　miss　Blackerby　from　you；　to　whom
I　disclosed　all　my　other　connexions　of　that　nature；　but　the　truth
is；　I　never　dreamed　of　any　such　commerce；　till　your　last　informed
me；　that　it　had　produced　something　which　could　not　be　much　longer
concealed。　It　is　a　lucky　circumstance；　however；　that　her
reputation　will　not　suffer　any　detriment；　but　rather　derive
advantage　from　the　discovery；　which　will　prove；　at　least；　that　it
is　not　quite　so　rotten　as　most　people　imagined　　For　my　own
part；　I　declare　to　you；　in　all　the　sincerity　of　friendship；　that；
far　from　having　any　amorous　intercourse　with　the　object　in
question；　I　never　had　the　least　acquaintance　with　her　person；
but；　if　she　is　really　in　the　condition　you　describe；　I　suspect
Mansel　to　be　at　the　bottom　of　the　whole。　His　visits　to　that
shrine　were　no　secret；　and　this　attachment；　added　to　some　good
offices；　which　you　know　he　has　done　me；　since　I　left　Alma…mater；
give　me　a　right　to　believe　him　capable　of　saddling　me　with　this
scandal；　when　my　back　was　turned　　Nevertheless；　if　my　name　can
be　of　any　service　to　him；　he　is　welcome　to　make　use　of　it；　and　if
the　woman　should　be　abandoned　enough　to　swear　his　banding　to　me；
I　must　beg　the　favour　of　you　to　compound　with　the　parish：　I　shall
pay　the　penalty　without　repining；　and　you　will　be　so　good　as　to
draw　upon　me　immediately　for　the　sum　required　　On　this
occasion；　I　act　by　the　advice　of　my　uncle；　who　says　I　shall　have
good…luck　if　I　pass　through　life　without　being　obliged　to　make
many　more　compositions　of　the　same　kind。　The　old　gentleman　told
me　last　night；　with　great　good…humour；　that　betwixt　the　age　of
twenty　and　forty；　he　had　been　obliged　to　provide　for　nine
bastards；　sworn　to　him　by　women　whom　he　never　saw　　Mr　Bramble's
character；　which　seems　to　interest　you　greatly；　opens　and
improves　upon　me　every　day。　His　singularities　afford　a　rich　mine
of　　entertainment；　his　understanding；　so　far　as　I　can　judge；　is
well　cultivated；　his　observations　on　life　are　equally　just；
pertinent；　and　uncommon。　He　affects　misanthropy；　in　order　to
conceal　the　sensibility　of　a　heart；　which　is　tender；　even　to　a
degree　of　weakness。　This　delicacy　of　feeling；　or　soreness　of　the
mind；　makes　him　timorous　and　fearful；　but　then　he　is　afraid　of
nothing　so　much　as　of　dishonour；　and　although　he　is　exceedingly
cautious　of　giving　offence；　he　will　fire　at　the　least　hint　of
insolence　or　ill…breeding。　　Respectable　as　he　is；　upon　the
whole；　I　can't　help　being　sometimes　diverted　by　his　little
distresses；　which　provoke　him　to　let　fly　the　shafts　of　his
satire；　keen　and　penetrating　as　the　arrows　of　Teucer　　Our　aunt；
Tabitha；　acts　upon　him　as　a　perpetual　grind…stone　　She　is；　in
all　respects；　a　striking　contrast　to　her　brother　　But　I　reserve
her　portrait　for　another　occasion。

Three　days　ago　we　came　hither　from　the　Hot　Well；　and　took
possession　of　the　first　floor　of　a　lodging…house；　on　the　South
Parade；　a　situation　which　my　uncle　chose；　for　its　being　near　the
Bath；　and　remote　from　the　noise　of　carriages。　He　was　scarce　warm
in　the　lodgings　when　he　called　for　his　night…cap；　his　wide　shoes；
and　flannel；　and　declared　himself　invested　with　the　gout　in　his
right　foot；　though；　I　believe　it　had　as　yet　reached　no　farther
than　his　imagination。　It　was　not　long　before　he　had　reason　to
repent　his　premature　declaration；　for　our　aunt　Tabitha　found
means　to　make　such　a　clamour　and　confusion；　before　the　flannels
could　be　produced　from　the　trunk；　that　one　would　have　imagined
the　house　was　on　fire。　All　this　time；　uncle　sat　boiling　with
impatience；　biting　his　fingers；　throwing　up　his　eyes；　and
muttering　ejaculations；　at　length　he　burst　into　a　kind　of
convulsive　laugh；　after　which　he　hummed　a　song；　and　when　the
hurricane　was　over；　exclaimed　'Blessed　be　God　for　all　things！'
This；　however；　was　but　the　beginning　of　his　troubles。　Mrs
Tabitha's　favourite　dog　Chowder；　having　paid　his　compliments　to　a
female　turnspit　of　his　own　species；　in　the　kitchen；　involved
himself　in　a　quarrel　with　no　fewer　than　five　rivals；　who　set　upon
him　at　once；　and　drove　him　up　stairs　to　the　dining　room　door；
with　hideous　noise：　there　our　aunt　and　her　woman；　taking　arms　in
his　defence；　joined　the　concert；　which　became　truly　diabolical。
This　fray　being　with　difficulty　suppressed；　by　the　intervention
of　our　own　footman　and　the　cook…maid　of　the　house；　the　squire　had
just　opened　his　mouth；　to　expostulate　with　Tabby；　when　the　town…waits；
in　the　passage　below；　struck　up　their　music　（if　music　it
may　be　called）　with　such　a　sudden　burst　of　sound；　as　made　him
start　and　stare；　with　marks　of　indignation　and　disquiet。　He　had
recollection　enough　to　send　his　servant　with　some　money　to
silence　those　noisy　intruders；　and　th