, I promise you,« answered Sophia; »and if he be a Murderer, he will
soon be in no Condition to give you any further Disturbance.« »How, Miss Western
,« said the Aunt, »have you the Assurance to speak of him in this Manner, to own
your Affection for such a Villain to my Face!« »Sure, Madam,« said Sophia, »you
put a very strange Construction on my Words.« »Indeed, Miss Western,« cries the
Lady, »I shall not bear this Usage; you have learnt of your Father this manner
of treating me; he hath taught you to give me the Lie. He hath totally ruined
you by his false System of Education; and please Heaven he shall have the
Comfort of its Fruits: For once more I declare to you, that to-morrow Morning I
will carry you back. I will withdraw all my Forces from the Field, and remain
henceforth, like the wise King of Prussia, in a State of perfect Neutrality. You
are both too wise to be regulated by my Measures; so prepare yourself, for
to-morrow Morning you shall evacuate this House.«
    Sophia remonstrated all she could; but her Aunt was deaf to all she said. In
this Resolution therefore we must at present leave her, as there seems to be no
Hopes of bringing her to change it.
 

                                   Chapter IX

                   What happened to Mr. Jones in the Prison.
 
Mr. Jones past above twenty-four melancholy Hours by himself, unless when
relieved by the Company of Partridge, before Mr. Nightingale returned; not that
this worthy young Man had deserted or forgot his Friend; for indeed, he had been
much the greatest part of the time employed in his Service.
    He had heard upon Enquiry that the only Persons who had seen the Beginning
of the unfortunate Rencounter, were a Crew belonging to a Man of War, which then
lay at Deptford. To Deptford therefore he went, in search of this Crew, where he
was informed that the Men he sought after were all gone ashore. He then traced
them from Place to Place, till at last he found two of them drinking together,
with a third Person, at a Hedge-Tavern, near Aldersgate.
     Nightingale desired to speak with Jones by himself (for Partridge was in
the Room when he came in). As soon as they were alone, Nightingale taking Jones
by the Hand, cried, »Come, my brave Friend, be not too much dejected at what I
am going to tell you, I am sorry I
