Page:The history of Tom Jones (1749 Volume 1).pdf/97

 he in Complacence to him pent much time in adorning herelf. I ay, in Complacence to him, becaue he always expret the greatet Contempt for Dres, and for thoe Ladies who made it their Study.

But if uch was her Expectation, how was he diappointed, when Mrs. Wilkins, according to the Order he had receiv’d from her Mater, produced the little Infant. Great Surpries, as hath been oberved, are apt to be ilent, and o was Mis Bridget, ’till her Brother began and told her the whole Story, which as the Reader knows already, we hall not repeat.

Mis Bridget had always expret o great a regard for what the Ladies are pleaed to call Virtue, and had herelf mantained [sic] uch a Severity of Character, that it was expected, epecially by Wilkins, that he would have vented much Bitternes on this Occaion, and would have voted for ending the Child, as a kind of noxious Animal, immediately out of the Houe; but on the contrary, he rather took the good-natur’d ide of the quetion, intimated ome Compaion for the helples little Creature, and commended her Brother’s Charity in what he had done.

Perhaps the Reader may account for this Behaviour from her Condecenion to Mr. Allworthy, when we have informed him,