at course was to be taken, and both being of opinion,
that should any enquiry be made concerning Natura, it would only
oblige them to quit their lodgings, and fly to some place where,
perhaps, it would be more difficult to trace them; it was agreed to
get a lord chief justice's warrant, and search her lodgings, without
giving any previous alarm.

This was no sooner resolved than put in execution: the father and
uncle, attended by proper officers, burst into the house, and examined
carefully every part of it; but not finding him, they sought, and
perfectly perswaded Harriot could give intelligence of him, they
threatened her severely, and here she displayed herself in her proper
colours;--nothing ever behaved with greater impudence:--she told them,
that she knew nothing of the fool they wanted; but if she could find
him, would make him know what the obligations between them exacted
from him: in fine, it was easy for them to perceive, there was nothing
satisfactory to be obtained from her, and they departed with akeing
hearts, but left not the street without securing to their interest a
person in the neighbourhood, who promised to keep a continual eye upon
her door, and if they ever saw the young gentleman go in, to send them
immediate notice.

It is needless to acquaint the reader how fruitless this precaution
was: Natura was far from any inclination ever more to enter that
detested house, and in that desponding humour, already mentioned, had
certainly left the kingdom, and compleated his utter undoing, if
Providence had not averted his design, by the most unexpected means.

He was at Wapping, in the company of some persons who used the sea, in
order to get into some ship, he cared not in what station, when a
young man, clerk to an eminent merchant of his father's acquaintance,
happened to come in, to enquire after the master of a vessel, by whom
some goods belonging to his master were to be shipped: he had often
seen Natura, and though much altered by his late way of living, knew
him to be the person whom he had heard so great a search had been made
after: he took no notice of him however, as he found the other bent
earnestly in discourse did not observe him, but privately informed
himself of all he could relating to his business there, and as soon as
he came home acquainted his master with the discovery he had made, who
did not fail to let his father know it directly.

It is hard to say, whether joy at hearing of h