 as this is an only Son, and the
Thing is now irretrievable, perhaps he may in Time be brought to Reason. I
promise you I will do all I can for you.«
    Many were the Acknowledgments which the poor Woman made to Allworthy, for
this kind and generous Offer, nor could she refrain from taking this Occasion
again to express her Gratitude towards Jones, to whom, said she, I owe the
Opportunity of giving you, Sir, this present Trouble. Allworthy gently stopped
her; but he was too good a Man to be really offended with the Effects of so
noble a Principle as now actuated Mrs. Miller; and indeed had not this new
Affair inflamed his former Anger against Jones, it is possible he might have
been a little softened towards him by the Report of an Action which Malice
itself could not have derived from an evil Motive.
    Mr. Allworthy and Mrs. Miller had been above an Hour together, when their
Conversation was put an End to by the Arrival of Blifil, and another Person,
which other Person was no less than Mr. Dowling, the Attorney, who was now
become a great Favourite with Mr. Blifil, and whom Mr. Allworthy, at the Desire
of his Nephew, had made his Steward, and had likewise recommended him to Mr.
Western, from whom the Attorney received a Promise of being promoted to the same
Office upon the first Vacancy; and in the mean Time was employed in transacting
some Affairs which the Squire then had in London, in Relation to a Mortgage.
    This was the principal Affair which then brought Mr. Dowling to Town,
therefore he took the same Opportunity to charge himself with some Money for Mr.
Allworthy, and to make a Report to him of some other Business; in all which as
it was of much too dull a Nature to find any Place in this History, we will
leave the Uncle, Nephew, and their Lawyer concerned, and resort to other
Matters.
 

                                  Chapter VIII

                          Containing various Matters.
 
Before we return to Mr. Jones, we will take one more View of Sophia.
    Though that young Lady had brought her Aunt into great good Humour by those
soothing Methods, which we have before related, she had not brought her in the
least to abate of her Zeal for the Match with Lord Fellamar; this Zeal was now
inflamed by Lady Bellaston, who had told her the preceding Evening, that she was
well satisfied from the Conduct of Sophia, and from her Carriage to his
Lordship, that all Delays would be dangerous, and that the only Way to succeed,
was to press the
