uce. Me! who have been his master for many years, and had
resolved to make a man of him. Sir, he was my own clerk, and this is the
return I have met with from the serpent which I cherished in my bosom."

Here he was interrupted by the arrival of the citizen for whom he had
expressed such concern; that gentleman had received a contusion upon one
eye, by which the sight was altogether obstructed, so that he concluded
he should never retrieve the use of that organ, and with great clamour
took all the spectators to witness the injury he had sustained; he
entered the room with manifest perturbation, demanded satisfaction of the
father, and peremptorily declared it should not be a lost eye to him if
there was law in England. This unseasonable demand, and the boisterous
manner in which it was made, did not at all suit the present humour of
the old gentleman, who told him peevishly he owed him no eye, and bade
him go and ask reparation of the person who had done him wrong.

The young lady snatching this favourable occasion, earnestly entreated
Melvil and his company to intercede with her father in behalf of her
lover, who, she assured them, was a young gentleman of a good family, and
uncommon merit; and in compliance with her request they invited him and
his daughter to the house in which they lodged, where they would be
disencumbered of the crowd which this dispute had gathered together, and
more at leisure to consult about the measures necessary to be taken. The
old gentleman thanked them for their courtesy, which he did not think
proper to refuse, and while he led, or rather hauled Mademoiselle over
the way, under the auspices of the Castilian, Renaldo set the lover at
liberty, made him a tender of his good offices, and advised him to wait
at the public-house for an happy issue of their negotiation.

The pseudo-parson was very much affected by this generous proffer, for
which he made suitable acknowledgments, and protested before God he would
die a thousand deaths rather than part with his dear Charlotte. Her
father no sooner entered the apartment, than he was known by Joshua to be
a considerable trader in the city of London, and the merchant was glad to
find himself among his acquaintance. He was so full of the story which
had brought him thither, that he had scarce sat down when he began to
complain of his hard fate, in having an only child who was so mean,
stubborn, and contumacious; and every sentence was concluded