 off as a Jest of her own, and comforted her
with repeated Assurances, that neither his Lordship, nor Tom, though she had
taught him the Story, were in the true Secret of the Affair.
    There was no farther Evidence necessary to convince Lord Fellamar how justly
the Case had been represented to him by Lady Bellaston; and now at her Return
into the Room, a Scheme was laid between those two noble Persons, which, though
it appeared in no very heinous Light to his Lordship, (as he faithfully
promised, and faithfully resolved too, to make the Lady all the subsequent
amends in his Power by Marriage) yet many of our Readers, we doubt not, will see
with just Detestation.
    The next Evening at seven was appointed for the fatal Purpose, when Lady
Bellaston undertook that Sophia should be alone, and his Lordship should be
introduced to her. The whole Family were to be regulated for the Purpose, most
of the Servants dispatched out of the House, and for Mrs. Honour who, to prevent
any Suspicion, was to be left with her Mistress till his Lordship's Arrival,
Lady Bellaston herself was to engage her in an Apartment as distant as possible
from the Scene of the intended Mischief, and out of the Hearing of Sophia.
    Matters being thus agreed on, his Lordship took his Leave, and her Ladyship
retired to Rest, highly pleased with a Project of which she had no reason to
doubt the Success, and which promised so effectually to remove Sophia from being
any future Obstruction to her Amour with Jones, by a Means of which she should
never appear to be guilty, even if the Fact appeared to the World; but this she
made no doubt of preventing by huddling up a Marriage, to which she thought the
ravished Sophia would easily be brought to consent, and at which all the rest of
her Family would rejoice.
    But Affairs were not in so quiet a Situation in the Bosom of the other
Conspirator. His Mind was tost in all the distracting Anxiety so nobly described
by Shakespear.
 
Between the Acting of a dreadful Thing,
And the first Motion, all the Interim is
Like a Phantasma, or a hideous Dream:
The Genius and the mortal Instruments
Are then in Council; and the State of Man,
Like to a little Kingdom, suffers then
The Nature of an Insurrection. -
 
Though the Violence of his Passion had made him eagerly embrace the first Hint
of this Design, especially as it came from a Relation of the Lady, yet when that
Friend to Reflection, a Pillow, had placed the Action itself in all its natural
black
