as an atonement for his misbehaviour, provided the
knight and his friends would grant him a general release. Our adventurer
told him, he would willingly waive all personal concessions; but, as the
case concerned the community, he insisted upon his leaving off acting in
the commission, and making satisfaction to the parties he had injured and
oppressed. This declaration introduced a discussion, in the course of
which the justice's petulance began to revive; when Fillet, entering the
room, told them he had a reconciling measure to propose, if Mr. Gobble
would for a few minutes withdraw.

He rose up immediately, and was shown into the room which Fillet had
prepared for his reception. While he sat musing on this untoward
adventure, so big with disgrace and disappointment, young Oakley,
according to the instructions he had received, appeared all at once
before him, pointing to a ghastly wound, which the doctor had painted on
his forehead. The apparition no sooner presented itself to the eyes of
Gobble, than, taking it for granted it was the spirit of the young farmer
whose death he had occasioned, he roared aloud, "Lord have mercy upon
us!" and fell insensible on the floor. There being found by the company,
to whom Fillet had communicated his contrivance, he was conveyed to bed,
where he lay some time before he recovered the perfect use of his senses.
Then he earnestly desired to see the knight, and assured him he was ready
to comply with his terms, inasmuch as he believed he had not long to
live. Advantage was immediately taken of this salutary disposition. He
bound himself not to act as a justice of the peace, in any part of Great
Britain, under the penalty of five thousand pounds. He burnt Mrs.
Oakley's note; paid the debts of the shopkeeper; undertook to compound
those of the publican, and to settle him again in business; and, finally,
discharged them all from prison, paying the dues out of his own pocket.
These steps being taken with peculiar eagerness, he was removed to his
own house, where he assured his wife he had seen a vision that
prognosticated his death; and had immediate recourse to the curate of the
parish for spiritual consolation.

The most interesting part of the task that now remained was to make the
widow Oakley acquainted with her good fortune, in such a manner as might
least disturb her spirits, already but too much discomposed. For this
purpose they chose the landlady, who, after having recei