
maintained he ought to have been committed, and the Justice as vehemently held
he ought not. This had most probably produced a Quarrel, (for both were very
violent and positive in their Opinions) had not Fanny accidentally heard, that a
young Fellow was going from the Justice's House, to the very Inn where the
Stage-Coach in which Joseph was, put up. Upon this News, she immediately sent
for the Parson out of the Parlour. Adams, when he found her resolute to go,
(tho' she would not own the Reason, but pretended she could not bear to see the
Faces of those who had suspected her of such a Crime,) was as fully determined
to go with her; he accordingly took leave of the Justice and Company, and so
ended a Dispute, in which the Law seemed shamefully to intend to set a
Magistrate and a Divine together by the ears.
 

                                  Chapter XII

    A very delightful Adventure, as well to the Persons concerned as to the
                              good-natur'd Reader.
 
Adams, Fanny, and the Guide set out together, about one in the Morning, the Moon
then just being risen. They had not gone above a Mile, before a most violent
Storm of Rain obliged them to take shelter in an Inn, or rather Alehouse; where
Adams immediately procured himself a good Fire, a Toast and Ale, and a Pipe, and
began to smoke with great Content, utterly forgetting every thing that had
happened.
    Fanny sat likewise down by the Fire; but was much more impatient at the
Storm. She presently engaged the Eyes of the Host, his Wife, the Maid of the
House, and the young Fellow who was their Guide; they all conceived they had
never seen any thing half so handsome; and indeed, Reader, if thou art of an
amorous Hue, I advise thee to skip over the next Paragraph; which to render our
History perfect, we are obliged to set down, humbly hoping, that we may escape
the Fate of Pygmalion: for if it should happen to us or to thee to be struck
with this Picture, we should be perhaps in as helpless a Condition as Narcissus;
and might say to ourselves, Quod petis est nusquam. Or if the finest Features in
it should set Lady -'s Image before our Eyes, we should be still in as bad
Situation, and might say to our Desires, Coelum ipsum petimus stultitia.
     Fanny was now in the nineteenth Year of her Age; she was tall and
delicately shaped; but not one of those slender young Women, who seem rather
