The porter in his lodge answers exactly to
Cerberus in his den, and, like him, must be appeased by a sop before
access can be gained to his master. Perhaps Jones might have seen
him in that light, and have recollected the passage where the Sibyl,
in order to procure an entrance for Eneas, presents the keeper of
the Stygian avenue with such a sop. Jones, in like manner, now began
to offer a bribe to the human Cerberus, which a footman overhearing,
instantly advanced, and declared, "if Mr. Jones would give him the sum
proposed, he would conduct him to the lady." Jones instantly agreed,
and was forthwith conducted to the lodging of Mrs. Fitzpatrick, by the
very fellow who had attended the ladies thither the day before.
Nothing more aggravates ill success than the near approach to
good. The gamester, who loses his party at piquet by a single point,
laments his bad luck ten times as much as he who never came within a
prospect of the game. So in a lottery, the proprietors of the next
numbers to that which wins the great prize, are apt to account
themselves much more unfortunate than their fellow-suffers. In
short, these kind of hairbreadth missings of happiness look like the
insults of Fortune, who may be considered as thus playing tricks
with us, and wantonly diverting herself at our expense.
Jones, who more than once already had experienced this frolicsome
disposition of the heathen goddess, was now again doomed to be
tantalized in the like manner; for he arrived at the door of Mrs.
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