But to draw this Adventure towards a Conclusion, our waiting Carter long expecting the return of the Brother, the Palfries and the Cargo, notwithstanding the Strength of powerful Ale, and his Sweet Land-Ladies diverting Company, began at last to be Impatient; sometimes he fancied the Loading was too heavy for the Poor Beasts, and he thought it his best way to walk out and see if he could meet them: But all Inquiry was in vain, Night at last drew on, and the best part of his Half-crown melted down; at last, though very Uneasie and Restless, he is perswaded by his kind Hostess to take a hard Nap till Morning. The Cock was not so soon awake as he, for to tell Truth, he ne're slept at all, though indeed he dreamt all Night, for he could not think less, than that some Retainers of the Family had undoubtedly followed the Cart, and Murder'd the Squire to run away with the Treasure, and what his poor Sister would suffer to be a Widow so early, was little less than a mortal Apprehension. Thereupon very betimes in the morning he pads to Sir William's, and very earnestly enquires, what was become of the Squire, the Knights Brother. Sir William's Brother, reply'd the Servants, we know none he has; 'tis true, he had one some years beyond Sea, but whether dead or alive, is more than any Man upon English Ground (God wott) can tell. How! no Brother-in-law Squire! No Sir William's Family! No Sister like to be a Lady, nor Brother a Gentleman! nor no Horses nor Cart neither! This staggering Account, put him into so doleful a Dumps, that he stood almost Thunderstruck. And truly the twelve Miles home agen, was so tedious a Journey, and the lamentable Narrative he must make 'em at home, so killing a Fancy, that it was a great Mercy he did not make a stay upon some convenient Twig in some Hedge in the Road, rather than live to be the Messenger of such a woful, sad Tale—But ill News at last must out. The Bird and the Beasts were all flown; the poor Bride sweetly brought to Bed, a Cart and two Horses to pay for, a Son-in-law to find when the Devil was blind, the Daughters sweet play thing lost, the Father and Mother dipt ten whole pounds in Chalk, and the whole Family under the suffering of a whole Chamberpot full of waylings and Tears for their Calamities and Misfortunes.
But to return to our Rover: By the sale of Cart and Team, ten pound in Cole the last lump, and the price of his Kine the other, his Pockets were pretty well lined; and considering this spot might soon grow too hot for him, he thinks it wisest to shift the Scene, and thereupon dismissing, for some time, his Man Tom, who had pretty well lick'd his Fingers in so profitable a Service, our Grasier now transmogrifies into a Spark, and very sprucely rigg'd, takes a ramble Westward, where meeting with no Adventure worth recital, in some small time he gets to Ludlow. There taking up the first Night at an Inn, his Garb (though unattended by Servants) soon made him good Reception; his first enquiry was to learn out the Eminentest People in the Town, of which being readily inform'd by the Drawers; he learnt, amongst other Relations, that there was a Substantial Wealthy Tradesman, had two pretty Marriageable Daughters: Being directed to the House, he addresses to the Father, telling him he was a Barkshire Gentleman, and intending to make some small abode in Ludlow, he did not think fit to continue in a Publick House, but would gladly gain admission to some private Family. The Tradesman (whose name we will not mention) being a Widower, and taken with the manner of his Discourse, kindly invited him to his own House, which our Travelling Gallant as kindly embracing, Accommodation was made, and he was lodged that very Night at this private Landlords.
His entrance here gave him the opportunity of daily conversing with no mean wit and charms in the two sweet Daughters of the Family; and our Gallant, very apt to take fire at but a small matter of Beauty, especially with a Portion at the Tail of it, felt no little wamblings at the extraordinary accomplishments of the elder, somewhat the sweeter Creature. But this new Adventure was not an enterprise so easie as the last; this Sire of some fashion, was so far above the Education and Extract of his former Father-in-Law, a Man of Mortar and Trowel; and his Daughters of a reach and understanding so much beyond the others humbler capacity; that measures must be quite alter'd here from those that he took before. Accordingly now his discourse was always upon Foreign subjects, himself and his own affairs the least part of his talk; and if any inquisitive question, either by Father or Daughters were made relating to his Family or Concerns, he answered with that Modesty, and almost silence to all demands of that kind, that he left their curiosity still in the dark; and which indeed was so much a heightning to the favourable imaginations they had conceived of him; that they doubted not in the least, but he was of eminent Quality; and what any boasting Vanity would have made 'em rather suspect, his Modesty on the contrary confirm'd. 'Twas some few days before they inquired his name, for which he had ready at his Tongue's end, the name of a very great Family in Barkshire; but not descending to particulars, the remoteness of the place did not gain 'em much intelligence of his Quality from only the bare name. All this while, at some little distance, he dropt a great many complaisant words to the elder Sister, which look'd very much like Love, and which he indeed desired should be so interpreted. In this Conversation, now of a Fortnights continuance, he had rendred himself so acceptable to the whole Family, that a great many favourable thoughts on all sides inclined towards him. The Address to the Daughter, at last looked a little more plain and barefac'd, and at that time a Fair happening at Ludlow, where he had been diverting himself with seeing of Fashions, he came home in much Concern, and some kind of Passion, much greater than hitherto they had at any time seen from him. "Certainly there is no place in the world (says he passionately) so retir'd, but some Devil or other will still find out and haunt me." The odness of this expression invited the elder Sister to ask him what he meant. "Why truly, Madam, (he replied) I have been hunted from three or four Towns already, for in spight of all my resolutions of living incognito, some unlucky Person or other comes full in my mouth, and will betray me in spight of my Soul." This answer did but heighten her Curiosity, and having, as she thought, some little Interest in him as a profest Servant of hers, she was a little the bolder in pressing the Question; and therefore plainly ask'd him why he liv'd incognito, and what accident had now discovered him: To this at last, with a little more frankness than he had hitherto used, he replied, the reason of his Ramble from his Family, with his Living three or four Months past unknown to the whole World, was only to prevent the ruine of a Sister, who like a foolish Girl, was in much danger to be undone by a Beggerly Match she was too fond of; and her Portion being in his hands, he had absented himself from his home, left the softness of her tears, the importunities of several Advocate's in behalf of this indigent Lover, together with the weakness of his own tender heart, might at last be prevail'd upon to grant his consent to what he knew would be his shame and her undoing. And as ill luck would have it, he had unfortunately tumbled upon a Countryman of his, now at the Fair, who would infallibly run open mouth'd to his Sister and his Family, and tell 'em all where he was. This discovery gave a good occasion to the fair Examiner to be not only a Pleader for her own Sex in the Person and cause of his unknown Sister, but likewise to be a Champion for Love. For now she plainly told him, that a great many grains of allowance were to be made, where hearts were inseparable. If this Lover of his Sisters was a man of Sense and Quality (as neither of those he could deny him) it was a little barbarous in him to oppose the whole Repose and Contentment of so near a Relation as a Sister, for so sordid a consideration as a little Worldly Interest. Besides, there was a Providence always attended Faith and Truth in Love, and undoubtedly sooner or later would provide for their well-being, or else enable 'em to bear a meaner portion of Riches, which others perhaps might, less contentedly, possess. This argument was almost the daily discourse, in which she seem'd to gain some little ground, but not enough to perswade him to the unreasonable Grant of his Sisters desires.
About five days after comes a Letter directed to him at Ludlow, with the Post Mark upon it very authentically, which in a very legible Woman's hand contained these words.
Dear Brother,
What unhappy Star am I born under, to suffer all this miserable Persecution? Certainly, when my Father left me to your disposal, and tied my Portion to your liking of the man that must marry me, surely he could never have died reconciled to Heaven, could he have foreseen the Slavery he tied his poor Child to, in putting me into the power of so cruel a Brother. To run so many Months from your House, your Family, nay, your Honour too, (for what must the censuring world talk of you) and all to break a poor Sister's Heart. Oh shameful! to hide your self from the World, and run from Mankind, only to shut your Ears against Justice, and to be deaf to all Goodness and Humanity! Alas, what Capital Crime have I committed, who only loved a Gentleman, in Birth and Blood no ways my Inferiour; and what if an unfortunate Younger Brother's slender Patrimony of a Hundred a Year, is not answerable to a Portion of Two thousand Pounds. A wonderful Cause to make me the most unhappy Creature living, in refusing me the only Blessing the World has to give. How many fair steps to Preferment and Honour lye in the way of so accomplish'd and so well Related a Gentleman, notwithstanding his Elder Brother run away with the Estate; and what good Fortune have I not to hope for, if your Barbarous Aversion did not interpose between my Felicity and me. In short, resolve to return home, and be kind to your languishing, and almost despairing Sister, or else expect very speedily to be visited by her at your Bedside in her Winding-sheet. For if Ghosts can walk, and your Barbarity has sworn my Death, expect to be eternally haunted, as you shall deserve from——
Your Distracted——
The next Post four or five Letters more came after him; one from his Bayliff, to desire him, for God's sake to come home again; for the Devil a Farthing would his Tenants pay till they saw their Landlord. A second from one of his Tenants, complaining of his bad Crop, and the low price of Corn, and that unless he would bate him Twenty pound a Year Rent, he could never hold his Farm; earnestly desiring his Worship to come home, and take care of his poor Tenants, &c. A third condoling his Misfortune in the loss of his Eldest Son, and desiring to see his Sweet Worship's Face, that he might get him to put his Second Boy's Life into his Copy-hold; and others of the like Import.
These Letters our Spark left in his Closet Window, and one whole day going abroad, by a pretended Negligence, he shot the Bolt of his Closet Lock out of the Staple, and so left his Door a-jar, and his Letters expos'd to any body that would please to read 'em. This Stratagem succeeded to his Wish, for the Daughter, whom I may now call his Mistress, knowing him safe abroad, had dropt into his Chamber when the Maid was making the Bed, and finding the Closet Door open, made bold to peep, and spying his Letters there, tips the wink upon the Maid, whom she made of the Council, and read 'em all out. The Contents put her mightily upon the gog; for certainly she concluded he must be a Man of a mighty Estate, so many Tenants, and the Lord knows what; and if a Sister had Two thousand Pounds, what must an Elder Brother possess. After she had conjured the Maid to silence, she could not forbear running to her Father, and telling him all she had discover'd: The Father at first a little reprimanded her Curiosity, but considering he had found out a Love Intrigue between his Daughter and him, he thought it no unwelcome discovery. At last looking very stedfastly upon his Daughter's Face, with a sort of a kind fatherly leer, he cry'd, Ah Child, would he were a Bed with thee. How, Father, reply'd the Girl blushing. Nay no harm (quoth the Father) Chicken, that's all. Thou sayst he makes love to thee, and troth I must own it no small part of my Ambition to have a Person of his Quality and Fortunes for a Son-in-law. In short, The Father gave her very seasonable Admonition; for having sounded her Inclinations, and found 'em to his own wish, with a Fatherly Authority he commanded her, if his Addresses hinted at Marriage, to make him all reasonable Advances that way.
Our Gallant found his Plot had taken; for he had critically observed in what most particular manner and station to a quarter of an inch he had laid his Letters; and finding all of 'em displaced more or less from the exact point he had left 'em, he plainly perceived they had all of 'em been read. Besides, in compliance to her Father's Orders, and indeed a little to her own Inclinations, he discover'd her usual Coldness to him a little diminish'd, and her Aspect more favourable, which plainly told him the Bait had taken. Whereupon one Evening finding her alone in her Garden, with a confidence more than usual, he plainly spoke home, telling her what an inestimable Blessing he should acquire in possessing so much sweetness for a Wife.