creature firmly believing all he said, told him she
was no longer angry, and begged Joseph to conduct him
into his own apartment, where he should stay himself
till she had put her clothes on. Joseph and Adams
accordingly departed, and the latter soon was convinced
of the mistake he had committed; however, whilst he
was dressing himself, he often asserted he believed
in the power of witchcraft notwithstanding, and did
not see how a Christian could deny it.
The arrival of Gaffar and Gammar Andrews, with
another person not much expected; and a perfect solution
of the difficulties raised by the pedlar.
As soon as Fanny was drest Joseph returned to her,
and they had a long conversation together, the conclusion
of which was, that, if they found themselves to be
really brother and sister, they vowed a perpetual
celibacy, and to live together all their days, and
indulge a Platonic friendship for each other.
The company were all very merry at breakfast, and
Joseph and Fanny rather more chearful than the preceding
night. The Lady Booby produced the diamond button,
which the beau most readily owned, and alledged that
he was very subject to walk in his sleep. Indeed,
he was far from being ashamed of his amour, and rather
endeavoured to insinuate that more than was really
true had passed between him and the fair Slipslop.
Their tea was scarce over when news came of the arrival
of old Mr Andrews and his wife. They were immediately
introduced, and kindly received by the Lady Booby,
whose heart went now pit-a-pat, as did those of Joseph
and Fanny. They felt, perhaps, little less anxiety
in this interval than Oedipus himself, whilst his
fate was revealing.
Mr Booby first opened the cause by informing the old
gentleman that he had a child in the company more
than he knew of, and, taking Fanny by the hand, told
him, this was that daughter of his who had been stolen
away by gypsies in her infancy. Mr Andrews, after
expressing some astonishment, assured his honour that
he had never lost a daughter by gypsies, nor ever
had any other children than Joseph and Pamela.
These words were a cordial to the two lovers; but
had a different effect on Lady Booby. She ordered
the pedlar to be called, who recounted his story as
he had done before.—At the end of which,
old Mrs Andrews, running to Fanny, embraced her, crying
out, “She is, she is my child!” The company
were all amazed at this disagreement between the man
and his wife; and the blood had now forsaken the cheeks
of the lovers, when the old woman, turning to her
husband, who was more surprized than all the rest,
and having a little recovered her own spirits, delivered
herself as follows: “You may remember,
my dear, when you went a serjeant to Gibraltar, you
left me big with child; you stayed abroad, you know,
upwards of three years. In your absence I was
brought to bed, I verily believe, of this daughter,
