CHAP. XX.

Contains an odd accident, which happened to mifs Betfy in the cloifters of Westminster-abbey.

MR. Trueworth, who was yet far from being acquainted with the temper of the object he adored, now thought he had no reafon to defpair of being one day in poffeffion of all he aimed to obtain ; — it feemed certain to him, at least, that he had nothing to apprehend from the pretenfions of a rival, who at firft he had looked upon as fo formidable, and no other at prefent interpofed between him and his designs.

Mifs Betfy, in the mean time, wholly regardless of who hoped, or who despaired, had no aim in any thing fhe did, but meerly to divert herself, and to that end laid hold of every opportunity that offered. Mr. Goodman having cafually mentioned, as they were at fupper, that one mr. Soulguard had just taken orders, and was to preach his firft fermon at Weftminster-abbey the next day, fhe presently had a curiofity of hearing how he would

behave in the pulpit ;- his over modeft, and, as they termed it, fheepish behaviour in company, having, as often as he came there, afforded matter of ridicule to her and miss Flora. — These two young ladies therefore talking on it after they were in bed, agreed to go to the cathedral, not doubting but they fhould have enough to laugh at, and report to all thofe of their acquaintance who had ever feen him.

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What meer trifles, what airy nothings ferve to amufe a mind not taken up with more effential matters ?- Mifs Betfy was fo full of the diverfion she should have in hearing the down-looked bafhful mr. Soulguard harangue his congregation, that fhe could think and talk of nothing elfe, till the hour arrived when fhe fhould go to experience what she had so pleasant an idea of

Mifs Flora, who had till now seemed as eager as herself, cried all at once, that her head ached, and that fhe did not care for ftirring out:-mifs Betfy, who would fain have laughed her out of it, told her, fhe had only got the vapours, — that the parfon would cure her, - and fuch like things, but the other was not to be prevailed upon by all mifs Betfy, or even lady Mellafin herself, could fay, and anfwered,

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fwered, with fome fullenness, that pofitively fhe would not go. - Mifs Betfy was highly ruffled at this fudden turn of her temper, as it was now too late to fend for any other young lady of her acquaintance to go with her; refolving, nevertheless, not to baulk her humour, fhe ordered a chair to be called, and went alone.

Neither the young parfon's manner of preaching, nor the text he chofe, being any way material to this hiftory, I fhall therefore pafs over the time of divine fervice, and only fay, that after it was ended mifs Betfy paffing towards the weft-gate, and ftopping to look on the fine tomb, erected to the memory of mr. fecretary Craggs, was accofted by mr. Bloomacre, a young gentleman who fometimes vifited lady Mellafin, and lived at Westminster, in which place he had a large eftate.

He had with him, when he came up to her, two gentlemen of his acquaintance, but who were entire ftrangers to mifs Betfy:-" "What," faid he, "the cele

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brated mifs Betfy Thoughtlefs! - mifs

Betfy Thoughtlefs! the idol of man"kind! alone, unattended by any of her "train of admirers, and contemplating "these memento's of mortality!"—"To "compliment my underftanding," replied

fhe,

fhe, gaily, "you should rather have told "me I was contemplating the memento's "of great actions." "You are at the

wrong end of the cathedral for that, "madam," refumed he, " and I don't "remember to have heard any thing ex"traordinary of the life of this great man, whofe effigy makes fo fine a fi

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gure here, except the favours he re"ceived from the ladies."

""Twere too much then to bestow "them on him both alive and dead," cried fhe," therefore we'll pafs on to "fome other."

Mr. Bloomacre had a great deal of wit and vivacity, nor were his two companions deficient in either of these qualities; fo that between the three miss Betfy was very agreeably entertained: - they went round from tomb and tomb, and the real characters, as well as epitaphs, fome of which are flattering enough, afforded a variety of obfervations. In fine, the converfation was fo pleafing to mifs Betfy, that he never thought of going home, 'till it grew too dark to examine either the fculpture, or the infcriptions; fo infenfibly does time glide on, when accompanied with fatisfaction.

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But

But now enfued a mortification, which ftruck a damp on the fprightliness of this young lady: fhe had fent away the chair which brought her, not doubting but that there would be others about the church doors. She knew not how difficult it was to procure fuch a vehicle in Weftminster, especially on a Sunday; to add to her vexation, it rained very much, and she was not in a habit fit to travel on foot in any weather, much lefs in fuch as this.

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They went down into the cloisters, in order to find fome perfon whom they might fend, either for a coach or chair, for the gentlemen would have been glad of fuch conveniencies for themselves, as well as mifs Betfy: - they walked round and round feveral times, without hearing or feeing any body;- but at laft a fellow, who used to be employed in fweeping the church doors, offered his fervice to procure them what they wanted, in cafe there was a poffibility of doing it; they promised to gratify him well for his pains, and he ran with all the fpeed he could to do as he had faid.

The rain and wind increased to fuch a prodigious height, that fcarce was ever a

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