on my side, and said he would have acted in the same
manner. They then proceeded to produce numberless
other instances, in all which Paul had, on vows of
secresy, given his opinion on both sides. In
the conclusion, both believing each other, they fell
severely on the treachery of Paul, and agreed that
he had been the occasion of almost every dispute which
had fallen out between them. They then became
extremely loving, and so full of condescension on both
sides, that they vyed with each other in censuring
their own conduct, and jointly vented their indignation
on Paul, whom the wife, fearing a bloody consequence,
earnestly entreated her husband to suffer quietly to
depart the next day, which was the time fixed for
his return to quarters, and then drop his acquaintance.
“However ungenerous this behaviour in Lennard
may be esteemed, his wife obtained a promise from
him (though with difficulty) to follow her advice;
but they both expressed such unusual coldness that
day to Paul, that he, who was quick of apprehension,
taking Lennard aside, pressed him so home, that he
at last discovered the secret. Paul acknowledged
the truth, but told him the design with which he had
done it.—To which the other answered, he
would have acted more friendly to have let him into
the whole design; for that he might have assured himself
of his secresy. Paul replyed, with some indignation,
he had given him a sufficient proof how capable he
was of concealing a secret from his wife. Lennard
returned with some warmth—he had more reason
to upbraid him, for that he had caused most of the
quarrels between them by his strange conduct, and
might (if they had not discovered the affair to each
other) have been the occasion of their separation.
Paul then said”—But something now
happened which put a stop to Dick’s reading,
and of which we shall treat in the next chapter.
CHAPTER XI.
In which the history is continued.
Joseph Andrews had borne with great uneasiness the
impertinence of beau Didapper to Fanny, who had been
talking pretty freely to her, and offering her settlements;
but the respect to the company had restrained him
from interfering whilst the beau confined himself to
the use of his tongue only; but the said beau, watching
an opportunity whilst the ladies’ eyes were
disposed another way, offered a rudeness to her with
his hands; which Joseph no sooner perceived than he
presented him with so sound a box on the ear, that
it conveyed him several paces from where he stood.
The ladies immediately screamed out, rose from their
chairs; and the beau, as soon as he recovered himself,
drew his hanger: which Adams observing, snatched
up the lid of a pot in his left hand, and, covering
himself with it as with a shield, without any weapon
of offence in his other hand, stept in before Joseph,
and exposed himself to the enraged beau, who threatened
such perdition and destruction, that it frighted the
