ror of the justice, the
lawyer, whose name was Fenton, declared that, to his certain knowledge,
these actions would be reinforced with divers prosecutions for corrupt
practices, which had lain dormant until some person of courage and
influence should take the lead against Justice Gobble, who was the more
dreaded, as he acted under the patronage of Lord Sharpington. By this
time fear had deprived the justice and his helpmate of the faculty of
speech. They were indeed almost petrified with dismay, and made no
effort to speak, when Mr. Fillet, in the rear of the knight, as he
retired with his company, took his leave of them in these words: "And
now, Mr. Justice, to dinner with what appetite you may."

Our adventurer, though warmly invited to Mr. Fenton's house, repaired to
a public inn, where he thought he should be more at his ease, fully
determined to punish and depose Gobble from his magistracy, to effect a
general jail-delivery of all the debtors whom he had found in
confinement, and in particular to rescue poor Mrs. Oakley from the
miserable circumstances in which she was involved.

In the meantime he insisted upon entertaining his friends at dinner,
during which many sallies of sea-wit and good humour passed between
Captain Crowe and Dr. Fillet, which last had just returned from a
neighbouring village, whither he was summoned to fish a man's yard-arm,
which had snapt in the slings. Their enjoyment, however, was suddenly
interrupted by a loud scream from the kitchen, whither Sir Launcelot
immediately sprung, with equal eagerness and agility. There he saw the
landlady, who was a woman in years, embracing a man dressed in a sailor's
jacket, while she exclaimed, "It is thy own flesh and blood, so sure as
I'm a living soul.--Ah! poor Greaves, poor Greaves, many a poor heart has
grieved for thee!" To this salutation the youth replied, "I'm sorry for
that, mistress.--How does poor mother? how does Suky Sedgemoor?"

The good woman of the house could not help shedding tears at these
interrogations; while Sir Launcelot, interposing, said, not without
emotion, "I perceive you are the son of Mrs. Oakley.--Your mother is in a
bad state of health, but in me you will find a real parent." Perceiving
that the young man eyed him with astonishment, he gave him to understand
that his name was Launcelot Greaves.

Oakley no sooner heard these words pronounced, than he fell upon his
knees, and seizing the knight's hand, kissed it