 Mistress
would not suffer her to be waked) and had equipped our Heroine, the Charms of
Mrs. Fitzpatrick who had performed the Office of the Morning Star, and had
preceded greater Glories, shared the Fate of that Star, and were totally
eclipsed the Moment those Glories shone forth.
    Perhaps Sophia never looked more beautiful than she did at this Instant. We
ought not therefore to condemn the Maid of the Inn for her Hyperbole; who when
she descended, after having lighted the Fire, declared, and ratified it with an
Oath, that if ever there was an Angel upon Earth, she was now above Stairs.
    Sophia had acquainted her Cousin with her Design to go to London; and Mrs.
Fitzpatrick had agreed to accompany her; for the Arrival of her Husband at Upton
had put an End to her Design of going to Bath, or to her Aunt Western. They had
therefore no sooner finished their Tea, than Sophia proposed to set out, the
Moon then shining extremely bright, and as for the Frost she defied it; nor had
she any of those Apprehensions which many young Ladies would have felt at
travelling by Night; for she had, as we have before observed, some little Degree
of natural Courage; and this her present Sensations, which bordered somewhat on
Despair, greatly encreased. Besides, as she had already travelled twice with
Safety, by the Light of the Moon, she was the better emboldened to trust to it a
third Time.
    The Disposition of Mrs. Fitzpatrick was more timorous; for tho' the greater
Terrors had conquered the less, and the Presence of her Husband had driven her
away at so unseasonable an Hour from Upton, yet being now arrived at a Place
where she thought herself safe from his Pursuit, these lesser Terrors of I know
not what, operated so strongly, that she earnestly entreated her Cousin to stay
till the next Morning, and not expose herself to the Dangers of travelling by
Night.
    Sophia, who was yielding to an Excess, when she could neither laugh nor
reason her Cousin out of these Apprehensions, at last gave Way to them. Perhaps
indeed, had she known of her Father's Arrival at Upton, it might have been more
difficult to have persuaded her; for as to Jones, she had, I am afraid, no great
Horror at the Thoughts of being overtaken by him; nay, to confess the Truth, I
believe she rather wished than feared it; though I might honestly enough have
concealed this Wish from the Reader, as it was one of those secret spontaneous
Emotions of the Soul, to which the
