 hath happened to this lovely Creature since
her Departure from her Father's, but that I am obliged first to pay a short
Visit to Mr. Blifil.
    Mr. Western, in the first Confusion into which his Mind was cast, upon the
sudden News he received of his Daughter, and in his first Hurry to go after her,
had not once thought of sending any Account of the Discovery to Blifil. He had
not gone far, however, before he recollected himself, and accordingly stopt at
the very first Inn he came to, and dispatched away a Messenger to acquaint
Blifil with his having found Sophia, and with his firm Resolution to marry her
to him immediately, if he would come up after him to Town.
    As the Love which Blifil had for Sophia was of that violent Kind, which
nothing but the Loss of her Fortune, or some such Accident, could lessen, his
Inclination to the Match was not at all altered by her having run away, though
he was obliged to lay this to his own Account. He very readily, therefore,
embraced this Offer. Indeed, he now proposed the Gratification of a very strong
Passion besides Avarice, by marrying this young Lady, and this was Hatred: For
he concluded that Matrimony afforded an equal Opportunity of satisfying either
Hatred or Love; and this Opinion is very probably verified by much Experience.
To say the Truth, if we are to judge by the ordinary Behaviour of married
Persons to each other, we shall, perhaps, be apt to conclude, that the
Generality seek the Indulgence of the former Passion only in their Union of
every Thing but of Hearts.
    There was one Difficulty, however, in his Way, and this arose from Mr.
Allworthy. That good Man, when he found by the Departure of Sophia, (for neither
that, nor the Cause of it, could be concealed from him) the great Aversion which
she had for his Nephew, began to be seriously concerned that he had been
deceived into carrying Matters so far. He by no Means concurred with the
Opinions of those Parents, who think it as immaterial to consult the
Inclinations of their Children in the Affair of Marriage, as to solicit the good
Pleasure of their Servants when they intend to take a Journey; and who are, by
Law or Decency at least, withheld often from using absolute Force. On the
contrary, as he esteemed the Institution to be of the most sacred Kind, he
thought every preparatory Caution necessary to preserve it holy and inviolate;
and very wisely concluded, that the surest Way to effect this, was by
