; and perhaps Miss Livy may not be so guilty as we
all imagine.« We were here interrupted by a servant, who came to ask the 'Squire
in, to stand up at country dances; so that he left me quite pleased with the
interest he seemed to take in my concerns. His addresses, however, to Miss
Wilmot, were too obvious to be mistaken; and yet she seemed not perfectly
pleased, but bore them rather in compliance to the will of her aunt, than from
real inclination. I had even the satisfaction to see her lavish some kind looks
upon my unfortunate son, which the other could neither extort by his fortune nor
assiduity. Mr. Thornhill's seeming composure, however, not a little surprised
me: we had now continued here a week, at the pressing instances of Mr. Arnold;
but each day the more tenderness Miss Wilmot shewed my son, Mr. Thornhill's
friendship seemed proportionably to encrease for him.
    He had formerly made us the most kind assurances of using his interest to
serve the family; but now his generosity was not confined to promises alone: the
morning I designed for my departure, Mr. Thornhill came to me with looks of real
pleasure to inform me of a piece of service he had done for his friend George.
This was nothing less than his having procured him an ensign's commission in one
of the regiments that was going to the West Indies, for which he had promised
but one hundred pounds, his interest having been sufficient to get an abatement
of the other two. »As for this trifling piece of service,« continued the young
gentleman, »I desire no other reward but the pleasure of having served my
friend; and as for the hundred pound to be paid, if you are unable to raise it
yourselves, I will advance it, and you shall repay me at your leisure.« This was
a favour we wanted words to express our sense of: I readily therefore gave my
bond for the money, and testified as much gratitude as if I never intended to
pay.
    George was to depart for town the next day to secure his commission, in
pursuance of his generous patron's directions, who judged it highly expedient to
use dispatch, lest in the mean time another should step in with more
advantageous proposals. The next morning, therefore, our young soldier was early
prepared for his departure, and seemed the only person among us that was not
affected by it. Neither the fatigues and dangers he was going to encounter, nor
the friends and mistress, for Miss Wilmot actually
