Poor Atkinson, who was more frightened than he had ever been in his life, did all he could to procure peace. He fell upon his knees to his wife, and begged her to compose herself; for, indeed, she seemed to be in a most furious rage.

While he was in this posture, Booth, who had knocked so gently at the door, for fear of disturbing his wife, that he had not been heard in the tempest, came into the room. The moment Amelia saw him, the tears which had been gathering for some time, burst in a torrent from her eyes, which, however, she endeavoured to conceal with her handkerchief. The entry of Booth turned all in an instant into a silent picture; in which, the first figure which struck the eyes of the captain, was the serjeant on his knees to his wife.

Booth immediately cried- What's the meaning of this?'-but received no answer. He then cast his eyes towards Amelia; and plainly discerning her condition, he ran to her, and in a very tender phrase begged to know what was the matter. To which she answered, Nothing, my dear, nothing of any consequence.' He replied that he would know; and then turned to Atkinson, and asked the same question.

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Atkinson answered, Upon my honour, sir, I 'know. nothing of it.-Something hath passed be'tween madam and my wife; but what it is, I know no more than your honour.'

'Your wife," said Mrs. Atkinson, hath used me cruelly ill, Mr. Booth. If you must be satisfied, that is the whole matter.'

Booth rapped out a great oath, and cried, It is impossible; my wife is not capable of using any one ill.'

Amelia then cast herself upon her knees to her husband, and cried, For Heaven's sake, do not throw yourself into a passion-Some few words have passed-Perhaps I may be in the wrong,'

• Damnation seize me, if I think so,' cries Booth. And I wish whoever hath drawn these tears from your eyes, may pay it with as many drops of their heart's blood.'

You see, madam,' cries Mrs. Atkinson, you have your bully to take your part; so, I suppose, you will use your triumph.'

Amelia made no answer; but still kept hold of Booth, who, in a violent rage, cried out, My Amelia triumph over such a wretch as thee !—What can lead thy insolence to such presumption? Serjeant, I desire you'll take that monster out of the room, or I cannot answer for myself.'

The serjeant was beginning to beg his wife to retire (for he perceived very plainly, that she had, as the phrase is, taken a sip too much that evening), when, with a rage little short of madness, she cried out, And do you tamely see me insulted in such a manner, now that you are a gentleman, and upon a footing with him ?'

It is lucky for us all, perhaps,' answered Booth, that he is not my equal.'

"You lie, sirrah,' said Mrs. Atkinson, he is every way your equal; he is as good a gentleman as yourself, and as much an officer.-No, I retract what I say he hath not the spirit of a gentleman, · nor of a man neither-or he would not bear to see his wife insulted.'

'Let me beg of you, my dear,' cries the serjeant, to go with me and compose yourself.'

Go with thee, thou wretch!'-cries she, looking with the utmost disdain upon him,- no, nor ever speak to thee more.' At which words she burst out of the room: and the serjeant, without saying a word, followed her.

A very tender and pathetic scene now passed between Booth and his wife, in which, when she was a little composed, she related to him the whole story. For, besides that it was not posssible for her

otherwise, to account for the quarrel which he had seen, Booth was now possessed of the letter that lay on the floor.

Amelia having emptied, her mind to her husband, and obtained his faithful promise that he would not resent the affair to my lord, was pretty well composed, and began to relent a little towards Mrs. Atkinson; but Booth was so highly incensed with her, that he declared he would leave her house the next morning; which they both accordingly did, and immediately accommodated themselves with convenient apartments within a few doors of their friend the doctor.

CHAP. IX.

Containing some Things worthy Observation. NOTWITHSTANDING the exchange of his

lodgings, Booth did not forget to send an excuse to Mr. Trent, of whose conversation he had taken a full surfeit the preceding evening.

That day in his walks, Booth met with an old brother-officer, who had served with him at Gibraltar, and was on half-pay as well as himself. He had not, indeed, had the fortune of being broke with his regiment, as was Booth; but had gone out, as they call it, on half pay as a lieutenant, a rank to which he had risen in five and thirty years.

This honest gentleman, after some discourse with Booth, desired him to lend him half-a-crown; which he assured him he would faithfully pay the next day, when he was to receive some money for his sister. This sister was the widow of an officer that had been killed in the sea-service; and she and her brother lived together, on their joint stock, out of which they maintained likewise an old mother, and two

of the sister's children, the eldest of which was about nine years old. "You must know,' said the old lieutenant, I have been disappointed this morning by an old scoundrel, who wanted fifteen per cent. for advancing my sister's pension; but I have now got an honest fellow, who hath promised it me tomorrow, at ten per cent.'

And enough too of all conscience,' cries Booth. Why, indeed, I think so too,' answered the other; 6 considering it is sure to be paid one time ⚫ or other. To To say the truth, it is a little hard the 'government doth not pay those pensions better; for my sister's hath been due almost these two years; that is my way of thinking.'

Booth answered he was ashamed to refuse him such a sum; but,Upon my soul,' said he, I have 'not a single halfpenny in my pocket; for I am in a worse condition, if possible, than yourself; for I have lost all my money, and, what is worse, I owe Mr. Trent, whom you remember at Gibraltar, fifty pounds.'

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Remember him! yes, d-n him, I remember him very well,' cries the old gentleman, though he will not remember me. He is grown so great now, that he will not speak to his old acquaintance; and yet I should be ashamed of myself to be great in such a manner.'

'What manner do you mean?' cries Booth a little eagerly.

Why, by pimping,' answered the other, he is pimp in ordinary to my lord who keeps his family; or how the devil he lives else I don't know; for his place is not worth three hundred pounds a year, and he and his wife spend a thousand at least. But she keeps an assembly, which, ⚫ I believe, if you was to call a bawdy-house, you • would not misname it. But d-n me, if I had not rather be an honest man, and walk on foot, with holes in my shioës, as I do now, or go with

out a dinner, as I and all my family will to-day, than ride in a chariot, and feast by such means. I am honest Bob Bound, and always will be; • that's my way of thinking; and there's no mán shall call me otherwise; for if he doth, I will 'knock him down for a lying rascal; that is my way of thinking.'

And a very good way of thinking too,' cries Booth. 'However, you shall not want a dinner today; for if you will go home with me, I will lend you a crown with all my heart."

Lookee,' said the old man, if it be any wise • inconvenient to you, I will not have it; for I will • never rob another man of his dinner, to eat myself -that is my way of thinking.

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'Pooh,' said Booth, never mention such a 'trifle twice between you and me. Besides, you

say you can pay it me to-morrow; and I promise you that will be the same thing.'

They then walked together to Booth's lodgings, where Booth, from Amelia's pocket, gave his friend double the little sum he had asked. Upon which, the old gentleman shook him heartily by the hand, and repeating his intentions of paying him the next day, made the best of his way to a butcher's, whence he carried off a leg of mutton to a family that had lately kept Lent without any religious merit.

When he was gone, Amelia asked her husband who that old gentleman was? Booth answered, he was one of the scandals of his country. That the duke of Malborough had about thirty years before made him an ensign from a private man, for very particular merit, and that he had not long since gone out of the army with a broken heart, upon having several boys put over his head. He then gave her an account of his family, which he had heard from the old gentleman in their way to his house, and with which we have already in a concise manner acquainted the reader.