CHAP. V.

In which Colonel Bath appears in great Glory.

THAT afternoon, as Booth was walking in the Park, he met with colonel Bath, who presently asked him for the letter which he had given him the night before; upon which Booth immediately returned it.

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Don't you think,' cries Bath, it is writ with great dignity of expression and emphasis of-of' of judgment?'

I am surprised, though,' cries Booth, that any "one should write such a letter to you, colonel.'

To me!' said Bath. What do you mean, sir, I hope you don't imagine any man durst write such a letter to me? d-n me, if I knew a man 'who thought me capable of debauching my friend's wife, I would d―n me.'

I believe, indeed, sir,' cries Booth, that no man living dares put his name to such a letter; but you see it is anonymous.'

I don't know what you mean by ominous,' cries the colonel; but, blast my reputation, if I had received such a letter, if I would not have 'searched the world to have found the writer. 'D—n me, I would have gone to the East Indies ⚫ to have pulled off his nose.'

He would, indeed, have deserved it,' cries Booth. But pray, sir, how came you by it?' 'I took it,' said the colonel, from a set of idle young rascals, one of whom was reading it out aloud upon a stool, while the rest were attempting to make a jest, not only of the letter, but of all decency, virtue, and religion. A set of fellows 'that you must have seen or heard of about town, that are, d-n me, a disgrace to the dignity of

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manhood; puppies that mistake noise and im'pudence, rudeness and profaneness for wit.

If

the drummers of my company had not more understanding than twenty such fellows, I'd have them • both whipped out of the regiment.'

So then, you do not know the person to whom it was writ ?' said Booth.

Lieutenant,' cries the colonel, your question < deserves no answer. I ought to take time to consider whether I ought not to resent the supposition. Do you think, sir, I am acquainted with a • rascal?'

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'I do not suppose, colonel,' cries Booth, that you would willingly cultivate an intimacy with such a person; but a man must have good luck 'who hath any acquaintance, if there are not some rascals among them.'

I am not offended with you, child,' says the colonel. I know you did not intend to offend

' me.'

No man,

Booth.

I believe, dares intend it,' said

'I believe so too,' said the colonel, 'd-n me, 'I know it. But you know, child, how tender I am on this subject. If I had been ever married 'myself, I should have cleft the man's skull who had dared look wantonly at my wife.'

It is certainly the most cruel of all injuries,' said Booth. How finely doth Shakspeare express it in • his Othello!

But there, where I had treasured up my soul.'

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That Shakspeare,' cries the colonel, was a fine fellow. He was a very pretty poet indeed. Was it not Shakspeare that wrote the play about Hotspur? You must remember these lines. I got them almost by heart at the playhouse; for I never missed that play whenever it was acted, if I was in town.

By Heav'n it was an easy leap,

To pluck bright honour into the full moon,
Or drive into the bottomless deep.'

And-and-faith, I have almost forgot them; But I know it is something about saving your honour from drowning-O! it is very fine. I say, 'd-n me, the man that writ those lines was the greatest poet the world ever produced. There is dignity of expression and emphasis of thinking, d-n me.'

Booth assented to the colonel's criticism, and then cried, 'I wish, colonel, you would be so kind to give me that letter.' The colonel answered, if he had any particular use for it he would give it him with all his heart, and presently delivered it; and soon afterwards they parted.

Several passages now struck all at once upon Booth's mind, which gave him great uneasiness. He became confident now that he had mistaken one colonel for another; and though he could not account for the letter's getting into those hands from whom Bath had taken it, (indeed James had dropped it out of his pocket) yet a thousand circumstances left him no room to doubt the identity of the person, who was a man much more liable to raise the suspicion of a husband than honest Bath, who would at any time have rather fought with a man than lain with a woman.

The whole behaviour of Amelia now rushed upon his memory. Her resolution not to take up her residence at the colonel's house; her backwardness even to dine there, her unwillingness to go to the masquerade, many of her unguarded expressions, and some, where she had been more guarded, all joined together to raise such an idea in Mr. Booth, that he had almost taken a resolution to go and cut the colonel to pieces in his own house. Cooler

thoughts, however, suggested themselves to him in time. He recollected the promise he had so solemnly made to the doctor. He considered, moreover, that he was yet in the dark, as to the extent of the colonel's guilt. Having nothing therefore to fear from it, he contented himself to postpone a resentment which he nevertheless resolved to take of the colonel hereafter, if he found he was in any degree a delinquent.

The first step he determined to take, was, on the first opportunity, to relate to colonel James the means by which he became possessed of the letter, and to read it to him; on which occasion, he thought he should easily discern, by the behaviour of the colonel, whether he had been suspected either by Amelia or the doctor without a cause; but as for his wife, he fully resolved not to reveal the secret to her till the doctor's return.

While Booth was deeply engaged by himself in these meditations, captain Trent came up to him, and familiarly slapped him on the shoulder.

They were soon joined by a third gentleman, and presently afterwards by a fourth, both acquaintances of Mr. Trent; and all having walked twice the length of the Mall together, it being now past nine in the evening, Trent proposed going to the tavern, to which the strangers immediately consented; and Booth himself, after some resistance, was at length persuaded to comply.

To the King's Arms then they went, where the bottle went very briskly round till after eleven; at which time, Trent proposed a game at cards, to which proposal likewise Booth's consent was obtained, though not without much difficulty; for though he had naturally some inclination to gaming, and had formerly a little indulged it, yet he had entirely left it off for many years.

Booth and his friend were partners, and had at first some success; but Fortune, according to her

usual conduct, soon shifted about, and persecuted Booth with such malice, that in about two hours he was stripped of all the gold in his pocket, which amounted to twelve guineas, being more than half the cash which he was at that time worth.

How easy it is for a man who is at all tainted with the itch of gaming, to leave off play in such a situation, especially when he is likewise heated with liquor, I leave to the gamesters to determine. Certain it is, that Booth had no inclination to desist; but, on the contrary, was so eagerly bent on playing on, that he called his friend out of the room, and asked him for ten peices, which he promised punctually to pay the next morning.

Trent chid him for using so much formality on the occasion. 'You know,' said he, dear Booth, you may have what money you please of me. Here is a twenty-pound note, at your service; and if you want five times the sum, it is at your service. We will never let these fellows go away with our money in this manner; for we have so much the advantage, that if the knowing ones were here, they would lay odds of our side."

But if this was really Mr. Trent's opinion, he was very much mistaken; for the other two honourable gentlemen were not only greater masters of the game, and somewhat soberer than poor Booth, having, with all the art in their power, evaded the bottle; but they had, moreover, another small advantage over their adversaries, both of them, by means of some certain private signs, previously agreed upon between them, being always acquainted with the principal cards in each other's hands. It cannot be wondered, therefore, that Fortune was on their side; for, however she may be reported to favour fools, she never, I believe, shews them any countenance when they engage in play with knaves.

The more Booth lost, the deeper he made his bets; the consequence of which was, that about two in the