d. defoe. moll flanders

8/3/2019 D. Defoe. Moll Flanders

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The Fortunes & Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders &c.

Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of

continu'd Variety for Threescore ears, !esides her

"hildhood, was Twel#e ear a Whore, fi#e times a

Wife $whereof once to her own Brother%, Twel#e ear

a Thief, ight ear a Transorted Felon in Virginia,

at last grew (ich, li#'d )onest, and dies a *enitent.

Written from her own Memorandums . . .

by Daniel Defoe

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE

The world is so taken u of late with no!els and ro"an#es$

that it will be hard for a ri!ate history to be taken for %enuine$

where the na"es and other #ir#u"stan#es of the erson are

#on#ealed$ and on this a##ount we "ust be #ontent to lea!e

the reader to ass his own oinion uon the ensuin% sheet$and take it &ust as he leases

The author is here suosed to be writin% her own history$

and in the !ery be%innin% of her a##ount she %i!es the reasons

why she thinks fit to #on#eal her true na"e$ after whi#h there

is no o##asion to say any "ore about that

(t is true that the ori%inal of this story is ut into new words$

and the style of the fa"ous lady we here seak of is a little

altered) arti#ularly she is "ade to tell her own tale in "odester

words that she told it at first$ the #oy whi#h #a"e first tohand ha!in% been written in lan%ua%e "ore like one still in

*ew%ate than one %rown enitent and hu"ble$ as she

afterwards retends to be

The en e"loyed in finishin% her story$ and "akin% it what

you now see it to be$ has had no little diffi#ulty to ut it into

a dress fit to be seen$ and to "ake it seak lan%ua%e fit to be

read +hen a wo"an debau#hed fro" her youth$ nay$ e!en

bein% the offsrin% of debau#hery and !i#e$ #o"es to %i!e an

a##ount of all her !i#ious ra#ti#es$ and e!en to des#end to the

arti#ular o##asions and #ir#u"stan#es by whi#h she ran throu%h

in threes#ore years$ an author "ust be hard ut to it wra itu so #lean as not to %i!e roo"$ ese#ially for !i#ious readers$

to turn it to his disad!anta%e

All ossible #are$ howe!er$ has been taken to %i!e no lewd

ideas$ no i""odest turns in the new dressin% u of this story)

no$ not to the worst arts of her e,ressions To this urose

so"e of the !i#ious art of her life$ whi#h #ould not be

"odestly told$ is -uite left out$ and se!eral other arts are

!ery "u#h shortened +hat is left 'tis hoed will not offend

the #hastest reader or the "odest hearer) and as the best use

is "ade e!en of the worst story$ the "oral 'tis hoed will kee

the reader serious$ e!en where the story "i%ht in#line hi" tobe otherwise To %i!e the history of a wi#ked life reented of$

ne#essarily re-uires that thewi#ked art should be "ake as

wi#ked as the real history of it will bear$ to illustrate and %i!e

a beauty to the enitent art$ whi#h is #ertainly the best and

bri%htest$ if related with e-ual sirit and life


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(t is su%%ested there #annot be the sa"e life$ the sa"e bri%htness

and beauty$ in relatin% the enitent art as is in the #ri"inal

art (f there is any truth in that su%%estion$ ( "ust be allowed

to say 'tis be#ause there is not the sa"e taste and relish in the

readin%$ and indeed it is to true that the differen#e lies not in

the real worth of the sub&e#t so "u#h as in the %ust and alate

of the reader

.ut as this work is #hiefly re#o""ended to those who knowhow to read it$ and how to "ake the %ood uses of it whi#h the

story all alon% re#o""ends to the"$ so it is to be hoed that

su#h readers will be "ore leased with the "oral than the fable$

with the ali#ation than with the relation$ and with the end

of the writer than with the life of the erson written of

There is in this story abundan#e of deli%htful in#idents$ and

all of the" usefully alied There is an a%reeable turn artfully

%i!en the" in the relatin%$ that naturally instru#ts the reader$

either one way or other The first art of her lewd life with the

youn% %entle"an at Col#hester has so "any hay turns %i!en

it to e,ose the #ri"e$ and warn all whose #ir#u"stan#es areadated to it$ of the ruinous end of su#h thin%s$ and the foolish$

thou%htless$ and abhorred #ondu#t of both the arties$ that it

abundantly atones for all the li!ely des#rition she %i!es of her

folly and wi#kedness

The reentan#e of her lo!er at the .ath$ and how brou%ht by

the &ust alar" of his fit of si#kness to abandon her) the &ust

#aution %i!en there a%ainst e!en the lawful inti"a#ies of the

dearest friends$ and how unable they are to reser!e the "ost

sole"n resolutions of !irtue without di!ine assistan#e) these

are arts whi#h$ to a &ust dis#ern"ent$ will aear to ha!e

"ore real beauty in the" all the a"orous #hain of story whi#h

introdu#es it

(n a word$ as the whole relation is #arefully %arbled of all the

le!ity and looseness that was in it$ so it all alied$ and with

the ut"ost #are$ to !irtuous and reli%ious uses *one #an$

without bein% %uilty of "anifest in&usti#e$ #ast any reroa#h

uon it$ or uon our desi%n in ublishin% it

The ad!o#ates for the sta%e ha!e$ in all a%es$ "ade this the

%reat ar%u"ent to ersuade eole that their lays are useful$

and that they ou%ht to be allowed in the "ost #i!ilised and inthe "ost reli%ious %o!ern"ent) na"ely$ that they are alied

to !irtuous uroses$ and that by the "ost li!ely reresentations$

they fail not to re#o""end !irtue and %enerous rin#iles$ and

to dis#oura%e and e,ose all sorts of !i#e and #orrution of

"anners) and were it true that they did so$ and that they

#onstantly adhered to that rule$ as the test of their a#tin% on

the theatre$ "u#h "i%ht be said in their fa!our

Throu%hout the infinite !ariety of this book$ this funda"ental

is "ost stri#tly adhered to) there is not a wi#ked a#tion in any

art of it$ but is first and last rendered unhay and unfortunate)

there is not a suerlati!e !illain brou%ht uon the sta%e$ buteither he is brou%ht to an unhay end$ or brou%ht to be a

enitent) there is not an ill thin% "entioned but it is #onde"ned$

e!en in the relation$ nor a !irtuous$ &ust thin% but it #arries its

raise alon% with it +hat #an "ore e,a#tly answer the rule

laid down$ to re#o""end e!en those reresentations of thin%s


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whi#h ha!e so "any other &ust ob&e#tions lea!in% a%ainst the"/

na"ely$ of e,a"le$ of bad #o"any$ obs#ene lan%ua%e$ and

the like

Uon this foundation this book is re#o""ended to the reader

as a work fro" e!ery art of whi#h so"ethin% "ay be learned$

and so"e &ust and reli%ious inferen#e is drawn$ by whi#h the

reader will ha!e so"ethin% of instru#tion$ if he leases to "ake

use of it

All the e,loits of this lady of fa"e$ in her deredations uon

"ankind$ stand as so "any warnin%s to honest eole to

beware of the"$ inti"atin% to the" by what "ethods inno#ent

eole are drawn in$ lundered and robbed$ and by #onse-uen#e

how to a!oid the" Her robbin% a little inno#ent #hild$ dressed

fine by the !anity of the "other$ to %o to the dan#in%0s#hool$

is a %ood "e"ento to su#h eole hereafter$ as is likewise her

i#kin% the %old wat#h fro" the youn% lady's side in the Park

Her %ettin% a ar#el fro" a hare0brained wen#h at the #oa#hes

in St 1ohn Street) her booty "ade at the fire$ and a%ain at

Harwi#h$ all %i!e us e,#ellent warnin%s in su#h #ases to be"ore resent to oursel!es in sudden surrises of e!ery sort

Her ali#ation to a sober life and industrious "ana%e"ent at

last in 2ir%inia$ with her transorted souse$ is a story fruitful

of instru#tion to all the unfortunate #reatures who are obli%ed

to seek their re0establish"ent abroad$ whether by the "isery

of transortation or other disaster) lettin% the" know that

dili%en#e and ali#ation ha!e their due en#oura%e"ent$ e!en

in the re"otest arts of the world$ and that no #ase #an be so

low$ so desi#able$ or so e"ty of rose#t$ but that an

unwearied industry will %o a %reat way to deli!er us fro" it$

will in ti"e raise the "eanest #reature to aear a%ain the

world$ and %i!e hi" a new #ase for his life

There are a few of the serious inferen#es whi#h we are led

by the hand to in this book$ and these are fully suffi#ient to

&ustify any "an in re#o""endin% it to the world$ and "u#h

"ore to &ustify the ubli#ation of it

There are two of the "ost beautiful arts still behind$ whi#h

this story %i!es so"e idea of$ and lets us into the arts of the"$

but they are either of the" too lon% to be brou%ht into the sa"e

!olu"e$ and indeed are$ as ( "ay #all the"$ whole !olu"es ofthe"sel!es$ !i34 5 The life of her %o!erness$ as she #alls her$

who had run throu%h$ it see"s$ in a few years$ all the e"inent

de%rees of a %entlewo"an$ a whore$ and a bawd) a "idwife

and a "idwife0keeer$ as they are #alled) a awnbroker$ a

#hildtaker$ a re#ei!er of thie!es$ and of thie!es' ur#hase$

that is to say$ of stolen %oods) and in a word$ herself a thief$

a breeder u of thie!es and the like$ and yet at last a enitent

The se#ond is the life of her transorted husband$ a hi%hway"an$

who it see"s$ li!ed a twel!e years' life of su##essful !illainy

uon the road$ and e!en at last #a"e off so well as to be a

!olunteer transort$ not a #on!i#t) and in whose life there isan in#redible !ariety

.ut$ as ( ha!e said$ these are thin%s too lon% to brin% in here$

so neither #an ( "ake a ro"ise of the #o"in% out by

the"sel!es


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+e #annot say$ indeed$ that this history is #arried on -uite to

the end of the life of this fa"ous 6oll Flanders$ as she #alls

herself$ for nobody #an write their own life to the full end of it$

unless they #an write it after they are dead .ut her husband's

life$ bein% written by a third hand$ %i!es a full a##ount of the"

both$ how lon% they li!ed to%ether in that #ountry$ and how

they both #a"e to En%land a%ain$ after about ei%ht years$ in

whi#h ti"e they were %rown !ery ri#h$ and where she li!ed$

it see"s$ to be !ery old$ but was not so e,traordinary a enitentas she was at first) it see"s only that indeed she always soke

with abhorren#e of her for"er life$ and of e!ery art of it

(n her last s#ene$ at 6aryland and 2ir%inia$ "any leasant

thin%s haened$ whi#h "akes that art of her life !ery

a%reeable$ but they are not told with the sa"e ele%an#y as those

a##ounted for by herself) so it is still to the "ore ad!anta%e that

we break off here

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

6y true na"e is so well known in the re#ords or re%isters

at *ew%ate$ and in the Old .ailey$ and there are so"e thin%sof su#h #onse-uen#e still deendin% there$ relatin% to "y

arti#ular #ondu#t$ that it is not be e,e#ted ( should set "y

na"e or the a##ount of "y fa"ily to this work) erhas$ after

"y death$ it "ay be better known) at resent it would not be

roer$ no not thou%h a %eneral ardon should be issued$ e!en

without e,#etions and reser!e of ersons or #ri"es

(t is enou%h to tell you$ that as so"e of "y worst #o"rades$

who are out of the way of doin% "e har" 7ha!in% %one out of

the world by the stes and the strin%$ as ( often e,e#ted to %o 8$

knew "e by the na"e of 6oll Flanders$ so you "ay %i!e "e

lea!e to seak of "yself under that na"e till ( dare own who

( ha!e been$ as well as who ( a"

( ha!e been told that in one of nei%hbour nations$ whether it

be in Fran#e or where else ( know not$ they ha!e an order fro"

the kin%$ that when any #ri"inal is #onde"ned$ either to die$

or to the %alleys$ or to be transorted$ if they lea!e any #hildren$

as su#h are %enerally unro!ided for$ by the o!erty or forfeiture

of their arents$ so they are i""ediately taken into the #are of

the 9o!ern"ent$ and ut into a hosital #alled the House of

Orhans$ where they are bred u$ #lothed$ fed$ tau%ht$ and

when fit to %o out$ are la#ed out to trades or to ser!i#es$ soas to be well able to ro!ide for the"sel!es by an honest$

industrious beha!iour

Had this been the #usto" in our #ountry$ ( had not been left

a oor desolate %irl without friends$ without #lothes$ without

hel or heler in the world$ as was "y fate) and by whi#h (

was not only e,osed to !ery %reat distresses$ e!en before (

was #aable either of understandin% "y #ase or how to a"end

it$ but brou%ht into a #ourse of life whi#h was not only s#andalous

in itself$ but whi#h in its ordinary #ourse tended to the swift

destru#tion both of soul and body

.ut the #ase was otherwise here 6y "other was #on!i#ted

of felony for a #ertain etty theft s#ar#e worth na"in%$ !i3

ha!in% an oortunity of borrowin% three ie#es of fine holland

of a #ertain draer in Cheaside The #ir#u"stan#es are too

lon% to reeat$ and ( ha!e heard the" related so "any ways$


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that ( #an s#ar#e be #ertain whi#h is the ri%ht a##ount

Howe!er it was$ this they all a%ree in$ that "y "other leaded

her belly$ and bein% found -ui#k with #hild$ she was resited

for about se!en "onths) in whi#h ti"e ha!in% brou%ht "e into

the world$ and bein% about a%ain$ she was #alled down$ as they

ter" it$ to her for"er &ud%"ent$ but obtained the fa!our of

bein% transorted to the lantations$ and left "e about half a

year old) and in bad hands$ you "ay be sure

This is too near the first hours of "y life for "e to relate

anythin% of "yself but by hearsay) it is enou%h to "ention$

that as ( was born in su#h an unhay la#e$ ( had no arish

to ha!e re#ourse to for "y nourish"ent in "y infan#y) nor

#an ( %i!e the least a##ount how ( was ket ali!e$ other than

that$ as ( ha!e been told$ so"e relation of "y "other's took

"e away for a while as a nurse$ but at whose e,ense$ or by

whose dire#tion$ ( know nothin% at all of it

The first a##ount that ( #an re#olle#t$ or #ould e!er learn of

"yself$ was that ( had wandered a"on% a #rew of those eole

they #all %ysies$ or E%ytians) but ( belie!e it was but a !erylittle while that ( had been a"on% the"$ for ( had not had "y

skin dis#oloured or bla#kened$ as they do !ery youn% to all the

#hildren they #arry about with the") nor #an ( tell how ( #a"e

a"on% the"$ or how ( %ot fro" the"

(t was at Col#hester$ in Esse,$ that those eole left "e) and

( ha!e a notion in "y head that ( left the" there 7that is$ that

( hid "yself and would not %o any farther with the"8$ but ( a"

not able to be arti#ular in that a##ount) only this ( re"e"ber$

that bein% taken u by so"e of the arish offi#ers of Col#hester$

( %a!e an a##ount that ( #a"e into the town with the %ysies$

but that ( would not %o any farther with the"$ and that so they

had left "e$ but whither they were %one that ( knew not$ nor

#ould they e,e#t it of "e) for thou%h they send round the

#ountry to in-uire after the"$ it see"s they #ould not be found

( was now in a way to be ro!ided for) for thou%h ( was not a

arish #har%e uon this or that art of the town by law$ yet as

"y #ase #a"e to be known$ and that ( was too youn% to do any

work$ bein% not abo!e three years old$ #o"assion "o!ed the

"a%istrates of the town to order so"e #are to be taken of "e$

and ( be#a"e one of their own as "u#h as if ( had been born

in the la#e

(n the ro!ision they "ade for "e$ it was "y %ood ha to be

ut to nurse$ as they #all it$ to a wo"an who was indeed oor

but had been in better #ir#u"stan#es$ and who %ot a little

li!elihood by takin% su#h as ( was suosed to be$ and keein%

the" with all ne#essaries$ till they were at a #ertain a%e$ in

whi#h it "i%ht be suosed they "i%ht %o to ser!i#e or %et

their own bread

This wo"an had also had a little s#hool$ whi#h she ket to

tea#h #hildren to read and to work) and ha!in%$ as ( ha!e said$

li!ed before that in %ood fashion$ she bred u the #hildren shetook with a %reat deal of art$ as well as with a %reat deal of #are

.ut that whi#h was worth all the rest$ she bred the" u !ery

reli%iously$ bein% herself a !ery sober$ ious wo"an$ !ery house0

wifely and #lean$ and !ery "annerly$ and with %ood beha!iour


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So that in a word$ e,e#tin% a lain diet$ #oarse lod%in%$ and

"ean #lothes$ we were brou%ht u as "annerly and as %enteelly

as if we had been at the dan#in%0s#hool

( was #ontinued here till ( was ei%ht years old$ when ( was

terrified with news that the "a%istrates 7as ( think they #alled

the"8 had ordered that ( should %o to ser!i#e ( was able to

do but !ery little ser!i#e where!er ( was to %o$ e,#et it was

to run of errands and be a drud%e to so"e #ook"aid$ and this

they told "e of often$ whi#h ut "e into a %reat fri%ht) for (had a thorou%h a!ersion to %oin% to ser!i#e$ as they #alled it

7that is$ to be a ser!ant8$ thou%h ( was so youn%) and ( told "y

nurse$ as we #alled her$ that ( belie!ed ( #ould %et "y li!in%

without %oin% to ser!i#e$ if she leased to let "e) for she had

tau%ht "e to work with "y needle$ and sin worsted$ whi#h

is the #hief trade of that #ity$ and ( told her that if she would

kee "e$ ( would work for her$ and ( would work !ery hard

( talked to her al"ost e!ery day of workin% hard) and$ in short$

( did nothin% but work and #ry all day$ whi#h %rie!ed the %ood$

kind wo"an so "u#h$ that at last she be%an to be #on#erned

for "e$ for she lo!ed "e !ery well

One day after this$ as she #a"e into the roo" where all we

oor #hildren were at work$ she sat down &ust o!er a%ainst "e$

not in her usual la#e as "istress$ but as if she set herself on

urose to obser!e "e and see "e work ( was doin% so"ethin%

she had set "e to) as ( re"e"ber$ it was "arkin% so"e shirts

whi#h she had taken to "ake$ and after a while she be%an to

talk to "e 'Thou foolish #hild$' says she$ 'thou art always

#ryin% 7for ( was #ryin% then8) 'rithee$ what dost #ry for/'

'.e#ause they will take "e away$' says ($ 'and ut "e to ser!i#e$

and ( #an't work housework' '+ell$ #hild$' says she$ 'but

thou%h you #an't work housework$ as you #all it$ you will learn

it in ti"e$ and they won't ut you to hard thin%s at first' ':es$

they will$' says ($ 'and if ( #an't do it they will beat "e$ and the

"aids will beat "e to "ake "e do %reat work$ and ( a" but a

little %irl and ( #an't do it') and then ( #ried a%ain$ till ( #ould

not seak any "ore to her

This "o!ed "y %ood "otherly nurse$ so that she fro" that

ti"e resol!ed ( should not %o to ser!i#e yet) so she bid "e not

#ry$ and she would seak to 6r 6ayor$ and ( should not %o to

ser!i#e till ( was bi%%er

+ell$ this did not satisfy "e$ for to think of %oin% to ser!i#e

was su#h a fri%htful thin% to "e$ that if she had assured "e (

should not ha!e %one till ( was twenty years old$ it would ha!e

been the sa"e to "e) ( should ha!e #ried$ ( belie!e$ all the

ti"e$ with the !ery arehension of its bein% to be so at last

+hen she saw that ( was not a#ified yet$ she be%an to be

an%ry with "e 'And what would you ha!e/' says she) 'don't

( tell you that you shall not %o to ser!i#e till your are bi%%er/'

'Ay$' said ($ 'but then ( "ust %o at last' '+hy$ what/' said she)

'is the %irl "ad/ +hat would you be 00 a %entlewo"an/'

':es$' says ($ and #ried heartily till ( roard out a%ain

This set the old %entlewo"an a0lau%hin% at "e$ as you "ay be

sure it would '+ell$ "ada"$ forsooth$' says she$ %ibin% at "e$

'you would be a %entlewo"an) and ray how will you #o"e to

be a %entlewo"an/ +hat; will you do it by your fin%ers' end/'


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':es$' says ( a%ain$ !ery inno#ently

'+hy$ what #an you earn/' says she) 'what #an you %et at your

work/'

'Threeen#e$' said ($ 'when ( sin$ and fouren#e when ( work

lain work'

'Alas; oor %entlewo"an$' said she a%ain$ lau%hin%$ 'what willthat do for thee/'

'(t will kee "e$' says ($ 'if you will let "e li!e with you' And

this ( said in su#h a oor etitionin% tone$ that it "ade the oor

wo"an's heart yearn to "e$ as she told "e afterwards

'.ut$' says she$ 'that will not kee you and buy you #lothes

too) and who "ust buy the little %entlewo"an #lothes/' says

she$ and s"iled all the while at "e

'( will work harder$ then$' says ($ 'and you shall ha!e it all'

'Poor #hild; it won't kee you$' says she) 'it will hardly kee

you in !i#tuals'

'Then ( will ha!e no !i#tuals$' says ($ a%ain !ery inno#ently)

'let "e but li!e with you'

'+hy$ #an you li!e without !i#tuals/' says she

':es$' a%ain says ($ !ery "u#h like a #hild$ you "ay be sure$

and still ( #ried heartily

( had no oli#y in all this) you "ay easily see it was all nature)

but it was &oined with so "u#h inno#en#e and so "u#h assion

that$ in short$ it set the %ood "otherly #reature a0weein% too$

and she #ried at last as fast as ( did$ and then took "e and led

"e out of the tea#hin%0roo" 'Co"e$' says she$ 'you shan't

%o to ser!i#e) you shall li!e with "e') and this a#ified "e

for the resent

So"e ti"e after this$ she %oin% to wait on the 6ayor$ and

talkin% of su#h thin%s as belon%ed to her business$ at last "y

story #a"e u$ and "y %ood nurse told 6r 6ayor the whole

tale He was so leased with it$ that he would #all his ladyand his two dau%hters to hear it$ and it "ade "irth enou%h

a"on% the"$ you "ay be sure

Howe!er$ not a week had assed o!er$ but on a sudden #o"es

6rs 6ayoress and her two dau%hters to the house to see "y

old nurse$ and to see her s#hool and the #hildren +hen they

had looked about the" a little$ '+ell$ 6rs0000$' says the

6ayoress to "y nurse$ 'and ray whi#h is the little lass that

intends to be a %entlewo"an/' ( heard her$ and ( was terribly

fri%hted at first$ thou%h ( did not know why neither) but 6rs

6ayoress #o"es u to "e '+ell$ "iss$' says she$ 'and what

are you at work uon/' The word "iss was a lan%ua%e thathad hardly been heard of in our s#hool$ and ( wondered what

sad na"e it was she #alled "e Howe!er$ ( stood u$ "ade a

#urtsy$ and she took "y work out of "y hand$ looked on it$

and said it was !ery well) then she took u one of the hands

'*ay$' says she$ 'the #hild "ay #o"e to be a %entlewo"an for


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au%ht anybody knows) she has a %entlewo"an's hand$' says she

This leased "e "i%htily$ you "ay be sure) but 6rs 6ayoress

did not sto there$ but %i!in% "e "y work a%ain$ she ut her

hand in her o#ket$ %a!e "e a shillin%$ and bid "e "ind "y

work$ and learn to work well$ and ( "i%ht be a %entlewo"an

for au%ht she knew

*ow all this while "y %ood old nurse$ 6rs 6ayoress$ and all

the rest of the" did not understand "e at all$ for they "eant

one sort of thin% by the word %entlewo"an$ and ( "eant -uiteanother) for alas; all ( understood by bein% a %entlewo"an was

to be able to work for "yself$ and %et enou%h to kee "e

without that terrible bu%bear %oin% to ser!i#e$ whereas they

"eant to li!e %reat$ ri#h and hi%h$ and ( know not what

+ell$ after 6rs 6ayoress was %one$ her two dau%hters #a"e

in$ and they #alled for the %entlewo"an too$ and they talked

a lon% while to "e$ and ( answered the" in "y inno#ent way)

but always$ if they asked "e whether ( resol!ed to be a

%entlewo"an$ ( answered :es At last one of the" asked "e

what a %entlewo"an was/ That u33led "e "u#h) but$

howe!er$ ( e,lained "yself ne%ati!ely$ that it was one thatdid not %o to ser!i#e$ to do housework They were leased

to be fa"iliar with "e$ and like "y little rattle to the"$ whi#h$

it see"s$ was a%reeable enou%h to the"$ and they %a!e "e

"oney too

As for "y "oney$ ( %a!e it all to "y "istress0nurse$ as ( #alled

her$ and told her she should ha!e all ( %ot for "yself when (

was a %entlewo"an$ as well as now .y this and so"e other

of "y talk$ "y old tutoress be%an to understand "e about what

( "eant by bein% a %entlewo"an$ and that ( understood by it

no "ore than to be able to %et "y bread by "y own work) and

at last she asked "e whether it was not so

( told her$ yes$ and insisted on it$ that to do so was to be a

%entlewo"an) 'for$' says ($ 'there is su#h a one$' na"in% a

wo"an that "ended la#e and washed the ladies' la#ed0heads)

'she$' says ($ 'is a %entlewo"an$ and they #all her "ada"'


9/215

be a !ery handso"e wo"an$ so you "ay be sure that hearin%

the" say so "ade "e not a little roud Howe!er$ that ride

had no ill effe#t uon "e yet) only$ as they often %a!e "e

"oney$ and ( %a!e it to "y old nurse$ she$ honest wo"an$

was so &ust to "e as to lay it all out a%ain for "e$ and %a!e

"e head0dresses$ and linen$ and %lo!es$ and ribbons$ and (

went !ery neat$ and always #lean) for that ( would do$ and if

( had ra%s on$ ( would always be #lean$ or else ( would dabble

the" in water "yself) but$ ( say$ "y %ood nurse$ when ( had

"oney %i!en "e$ !ery honestly laid it out for "e$ and wouldalways tell the ladies this or that was bou%ht with their "oney)

and this "ade the" oftenti"es %i!e "e "ore$ till at last ( was

indeed #alled uon by the "a%istrates$ as ( understood it$ to

%o out to ser!i#e) but then ( was #o"e to be so %ood a

workwo"an "yself$ and the ladies were so kind to "e$ that it

was lain ( #ould "aintain "yself00that is to say$ ( #ould earn

as "u#h for "y nurse as she was able by it to kee "e00so she

told the" that if they would %i!e her lea!e$ she would kee

the %entlewo"an$ as she #alled "e$ to be her assistant and

tea#h the #hildren$ whi#h ( was !ery well able to do) for ( was

!ery ni"ble at "y work$ and had a %ood hand with "y needle$

thou%h ( was yet !ery youn%

.ut the kindness of the ladies of the town did not end here$

for when they #a"e to understand that ( was no "ore "aintained

by the ubli# allowan#e as before$ they %a!e "e "oney oftener

than for"erly) and as ( %rew u they brou%ht "e work to do

for the"$ su#h as linen to "ake$ and la#es to "end$ and heads

to dress u$ and not only aid "e for doin% the"$ but e!en

tau%ht "e how to do the") so that now ( was a %entlewo"an

indeed$ as ( understood that word$ ( not only found "yself

#lothes and aid "y nurse for "y keein%$ but %ot "oney in

"y o#ket too beforehand

The ladies also %a!e "e #lothes fre-uently of their own or

their #hildren's) so"e sto#kin%s$ so"e etti#oats$ so"e %owns$

so"e one thin%$ so"e another$ and these "y old wo"an

"ana%ed for "e like a "ere "other$ and ket the" for "e$

obli%ed "e to "end the"$ and turn the" and twist the" to

the best ad!anta%e$ for she was a rare housewife

At last one of the ladies took so "u#h fan#y to "e that she

would ha!e "e ho"e to her house$ for a "onth$ she said$ to

be a"on% her dau%hters

*ow$ thou%h this was e,#eedin% kind in her$ yet$ as "y old

%ood wo"an said to her$ unless she resol!ed to kee "e for

%ood and all$ she would do the little %entlewo"an "ore har"

than %ood '+ell$' says the lady$ 'that's true) and therefore ('ll

only take her ho"e for a week$ then$ that ( "ay see how "y

dau%hters and she a%ree to%ether$ and how ( like her te"er$

and then ('ll tell you "ore) and in the "eanti"e$ if anybody

#o"es to see her as they used to do$ you "ay only tell the"

you ha!e sent her out to "y house'

This was rudently "ana%ed enou%h$ and ( went to the lady's

house) but ( was so leased there with the youn% ladies$ andthey so leased with "e$ that ( had enou%h to do to #o"e away$

and they were as unwillin% to art with "e

Howe!er$ ( did #o"e away$ and li!ed al"ost a year "ore with

"y honest old wo"an$ and be%an now to be !ery helful to


10/215

her) for ( was al"ost fourteen years old$ was tall of "y a%e$

and looked a little wo"anish) but ( had su#h a taste of %enteel

li!in% at the lady's house that ( was not so easy in "y old

-uarters as ( used to be$ and ( thou%ht it was fine to be a

%entlewo"an indeed$ for ( had -uite other notions of a

%entlewo"an now than ( had before) and as ( thou%ht$ ( say$

that it was fine to be a %entlewo"an$ so ( lo!ed to be a"on%

%entlewo"en$ and therefore ( lon%ed to be there a%ain

About the ti"e that ( was fourteen years and a -uarter old$"y %ood nurse$ "other ( rather to #all her$ fell si#k and died

( was then in a sad #ondition indeed$ for as there is no %reat

bustle in uttin% an end to a oor body's fa"ily when on#e

they are #arried to the %ra!e$ so the oor %ood wo"an bein%

buried$ the arish #hildren she ket were i""ediately re"o!ed

by the #hur#h0wardens) the s#hool was at an end$ and the

#hildren of it had no "ore to do but &ust stay at ho"e till they

were sent so"ewhere else) and as for what she left$ her dau%hter$

a "arried wo"an with si, or se!en #hildren$ #a"e and swet

it all away at on#e$ and re"o!in% the %oods$ they had no "ore

to say to "e than to &est with "e$ and tell "e that the little

%entlewo"an "i%ht set u for herself if she leased

( was fri%hted out of "y wits al"ost$ and knew not what to do$

for ( was$ as it were$ turned out of doors to the wide world$ and

that whi#h was still worse$ the old honest wo"an had two0and0

twenty shillin%s of "ine in her hand$ whi#h was all the estate the

little %entlewo"an had in the world) and when ( asked the

dau%hter for it$ she huffed "e and lau%hed at "e$ and told "e

she had nothin% to do with it

(t was true the %ood$ oor wo"an had told her dau%hter of it$

and that it lay in su#h a la#e$ that it was the #hild's "oney$

and had #alled on#e or twi#e for "e to %i!e it "e$ but ( was$

unhaily$ out of the way so"ewhere or other$ and when (

#a"e ba#k she was ast bein% in a #ondition to seak of it

Howe!er$ the dau%hter was so honest afterwards as to %i!e it

"e$ thou%h at first she used "e #ruelly about it

*ow was ( a oor %entlewo"an indeed$ and ( was &ust that

!ery ni%ht to be turned into the wide world) for the dau%hter

re"o!ed all the %oods$ and ( had not so "u#h as a lod%in% to

%o to$ or a bit of bread to eat .ut it see"s so"e of the nei%hbours$

who had known "y #ir#u"stan#es$ took so "u#h #o"assion

of "e as to a#-uaint the lady in whose fa"ily ( had been a week$as ( "entioned abo!e) and i""ediately she sent her "aid to

fet#h "e away$ and two of her dau%hters #a"e with the "aid

thou%h unsent So ( went with the"$ ba% and ba%%a%e$ and

with a %lad heart$ you "ay be sure The fri%ht of "y #ondition

had "ade su#h an i"ression uon "e$ that ( did not want now

to be a %entlewo"an$ but was !ery willin% to be a ser!ant$ and

that any kind of ser!ant they thou%ht fit to ha!e "e be

.ut "y new %enerous "istress$ for she e,#eeded the %ood

wo"an ( was with before$ in e!erythin%$ as well as in the

"atter of estate) ( say$ in e!erythin% e,#et honesty) and for

that$ thou%h this was a lady "ost e,a#tly &ust$ yet ( "ust notfor%et to say on all o##asions$ that the first$ thou%h oor$ was

as uri%htly honest as it was ossible for any one to be

( was no sooner #arried away$ as ( ha!e said$ by this %ood

%entlewo"an$ but the first lady$ that is to say$ the 6ayoress


11/215

that was$ sent her two dau%hters to take #are of "e) and another

fa"ily whi#h had taken noti#e of "e when ( was the little

%entlewo"an$ and had %i!en "e work to do$ sent for "e after

her$ so that ( was "i%htily "ade of$ as we say) nay$ and they

were not a little an%ry$ ese#ially "ada" the 6ayoress$ that

her friend had taken "e away fro" her$ as she #alled it) for$

as she said$ ( was hers by ri%ht$ she ha!in% been the first that

took any noti#e of "e .ut they that had "e would not art

with "e) and as for "e$ thou%h ( should ha!e been !ery well

treated with any of the others$ yet ( #ould not be better thanwhere ( was

Here ( #ontinued till ( was between se!enteen and ei%hteen

years old$ and here ( had all the ad!anta%es for "y edu#ation

that #ould be i"a%ined) the lady had "asters ho"e to the

house to tea#h her dau%hters to dan#e$ and to seak Fren#h$

and to write$ and other to tea#h the" "usi#) and ( was always

with the"$ ( learned as fast as they) and thou%h the "asters

were not aointed to tea#h "e$ yet ( learned by i"itation and

in-uiry all that they learned by instru#tion and dire#tion) so

that$ in short$ ( learned to dan#e and seak Fren#h as well as

any of the"$ and to sin% "u#h better$ for ( had a better !oi#ethan any of the" ( #ould not so readily #o"e at layin% on

the harsi#hord or sinet$ be#ause ( had no instru"ent of "y

own to ra#ti#e on$ and #ould only #o"e at theirs in the inter!als

when they left it$ whi#h was un#ertain) but yet ( learned tolerably

well too$ and the youn% ladies at len%th %ot two instru"ents$

that is to say$ a harsi#hord and a sinet too$ and then they

tau%ht "e the"sel!es .ut as to dan#in%$ they #ould hardly

hel "y learnin% #ountry0dan#es$ be#ause they always wanted

"e to "ake u e!en nu"ber) and$ on the other hand$ they were

as heartily willin% to learn "e e!erythin% that they had been

tau%ht the"sel!es$ as ( #ould be to take the learnin%

.y this "eans ( had$ as ( ha!e said abo!e$ all the ad!anta%es

of edu#ation that ( #ould ha!e had if ( had been as "u#h a

%entlewo"an as they were with who" ( li!ed) and in so"e

thin%s ( had the ad!anta%e of "y ladies$ thou%h they were "y

sueriors) but they were all the %ifts of nature$ and whi#h all

their fortunes #ould not furnish First$ ( was aarently

handso"er than any of the") se#ondly$ ( was better shaed)

and$ thirdly$ ( san% better$ by whi#h ( "ean ( had a better !oi#e)

in all whi#h you will$ ( hoe$ allow "e to say$ ( do not seak

"y own #on#eit of "yself$ but the oinion of all that knew

the fa"ily

( had with all these the #o""on !anity of "y se,$ !i3 that

bein% really taken for !ery handso"e$ or$ if you lease$ for a

%reat beauty$ ( !ery well knew it$ and had as %ood an oinion

of "yself as anybody else #ould ha!e of "e) and arti#ularly

( lo!ed to hear anybody seak of it$ whi#h #ould not but haen

to "e so"eti"es$ and was a %reat satisfa#tion to "e

Thus far ( ha!e had a s"ooth story to tell of "yself$ and in all

this art of "y life ( not only had the reutation of li!in% in a

!ery %ood fa"ily$ and a fa"ily noted and rese#ted e!erywhere

for !irtue and sobriety$ and for e!ery !aluable thin%) but ( hadthe #hara#ter too of a !ery sober$ "odest$ and !irtuous youn%

wo"an$ and su#h ( had always been) neither had ( yet any

o##asion to think of anythin% else$ or to know what a te"tation

to wi#kedness "eant


12/215

.ut that whi#h ( was too !ain of was "y ruin$ or rather "y

!anity was the #ause of it The lady in the house where ( was

had two sons$ youn% %entle"en of !ery ro"isin% arts and

of e,traordinary beha!iour$ and it was "y "isfortune to be

!ery well with the" both$ but they "ana%ed the"sel!es with

"e in a -uite different "anner

The eldest$ a %ay %entle"an that knew the town as well as the

#ountry$ and thou%h he had le!ity enou%h to do an ill0natured

thin%$ yet had too "u#h &ud%"ent of thin%s to ay too dearfor his leasures) he be%an with the unhay snare to all

wo"en$ !i3 takin% noti#e uon all o##asions how retty ( was$

as he #alled it$ how a%reeable$ how well0#arria%ed$ and the

like) and this he #ontri!ed so subtly$ as if he had known as

well how to #at#h a wo"an in his net as a artrid%e when he

went a0settin%) for he would #ontri!e to be talkin% this to his

sisters when$ thou%h ( was not by$ yet when he knew ( was

not far off but that ( should be sure to hear hi" His sisters

would return softly to hi"$ 'Hush$ brother$ she will hear you)

she is but in the ne,t roo"' Then he would ut it off and talk

softlier$ as if he had not know it$ and be%in to a#knowled%e he

was wron%) and then$ as if he had for%ot hi"self$ he wouldseak aloud a%ain$ and ($ that was so well leased to hear it$

was sure to listen for it uon all o##asions

After he had thus baited his hook$ and found easily enou%h

the "ethod how to lay it in "y way$ he layed an oener %a"e)

and one day$ %oin% by his sister's #ha"ber when ( was there$

doin% so"ethin% about dressin% her$ he #o"es in with an air

of %aiety 'Oh$ 6rs .etty$' said he to "e$ 'how do you do$

6rs .etty/ Don't your #heeks burn$ 6rs .etty/' ( "ade a

#urtsy and blushed$ but said nothin% '+hat "akes you talk so$

brother/' says the lady '+hy$' says he$ 'we ha!e been talkin%

of her below0stairs this half0hour' '+ell$' says his sister$

'you #an say no har" of her$ that ( a" sure$ so 'tis no "atter

what you ha!e been talkin% about' '*ay$' says he$ ''tis so far

fro" talkin% har" of her$ that we ha!e been talkin% a %reat

deal of %ood$ and a %reat "any fine thin%s ha!e been said of

6rs .etty$ ( assure you) and arti#ularly$ that she is the

handso"est youn% wo"an in Col#hester) and$ in short$ they

be%in to toast her health in the town'

'( wonder at you$ brother$' says the sister .etty wants but one

thin%$ but she had as %ood want e!erythin%$ for the "arket is

a%ainst our se, &ust now) and if a youn% wo"an ha!e beauty$birth$ breedin%$ wit$ sense$ "anners$ "odesty$ and all these to

an e,tre"e$ yet if she ha!e not "oney$ she's nobody$ she had

as %ood want the" all for nothin% but "oney now re#o""ends

a wo"an) the "en lay the %a"e all into their own hands'

Her youn%er brother$ who was by$ #ried$ 'Hold$ sister$ you run

too fast) ( a" an e,#etion to your rule ( assure you$ if ( find

a wo"an so a##o"lished as you talk of$ ( say$ ( assure you$ (

would not trouble "yself about the "oney'

'Oh$' says the sister$ 'but you will take #are not to fan#y one$

then$ without the "oney'

':ou don't know that neither$' says the brother

'.ut why$ sister$' says the elder brother$ 'why do you e,#lai"

so at the "en for ai"in% so "u#h at the fortune/ :ou are none


13/215

of the" that want a fortune$ whate!er else you want'

'( understand you$ brother$' relies the lady !ery s"artly) 'you

suose ( ha!e the "oney$ and want the beauty) but as ti"es

%o now$ the first will do without the last$ so ( ha!e the better

of "y nei%hbours'

'+ell$' says the youn%er brother$ 'but your nei%hbours$ as you

#all the"$ "ay be e!en with you$ for beauty will steal a husband

so"eti"es in site of "oney$ and when the "aid #han#es to behandso"er than the "istress$ she oftenti"es "akes as %ood a

"arket$ and rides in a #oa#h before her'

( thou%ht it was ti"e for "e to withdraw and lea!e the"$ and

( did so$ but not so far but that ( heard all their dis#ourse$ in

whi#h ( heard abundan#e of the fine thin%s said of "yself$

whi#h ser!ed to ro"t "y !anity$ but$ as ( soon found$ was

not the way to in#rease "y interest in the fa"ily$ for the sister

and the youn%er brother fell %rie!ously out about it) and as he

said so"e !ery disobli%in% thin%s to her uon "y a##ount$ so

( #ould easily see that she resented the" by her future #ondu#t

to "e$ whi#h indeed was !ery un&ust to "e$ for ( had ne!erhad the least thou%ht of what she suse#ted as to her youn%er

brother) indeed$ the elder brother$ in his distant$ re"ote way$

had said a %reat "any thin%s as in &est$ whi#h ( had the folly

to belie!e were in earnest$ or to flatter "yself with the hoes

of what ( ou%ht to ha!e suosed he ne!er intended$ and

erhas ne!er thou%ht of

(t haened one day that he #a"e runnin% ustairs$ towards

the roo" where his sisters used to sit and work$ as he often

used to do) and #allin% to the" before he #a"e in$ as was his

way too$ ($ bein% there alone$ steed to the door$ and said$

'Sir$ the ladies are not here$ they are walked down the %arden'

As ( steed forward to say this$ towards the door$ he was &ust

%ot to the door$ and #lasin% "e in his ar"s$ as if it had been

by #han#e$ 'Oh$ 6rs .etty$' says he$ 'are you here/ That's

better still) ( want to seak with you "ore than ( do with the"')

and then$ ha!in% "e in his ar"s$ he kissed "e three or four ti"es

( stru%%led to %et away$ and yet did it but faintly neither$ and

he held "e fast$ and still kissed "e$ till he was al"ost out of

breath$ and then$ sittin% down$ says$ 'Dear .etty$ ( a" in lo!e

with you'

His words$ ( "ust #onfess$ fired "y blood) all "y sirits flew

about "y heart and ut "e into disorder enou%h$ whi#h he

"i%ht easily ha!e seen in "y fa#e He reeated it afterwards

se!eral ti"es$ that he was in lo!e with "e$ and "y heart soke

as lain as a !oi#e$ that ( liked it) nay$ whene!er he said$ '( a"

in lo!e with you$' "y blushes lainly relied$ '+ould you

were$ sir'

Howe!er$ nothin% else assed at that ti"e) it was but a sur0

rise$ and when he was %one ( soon re#o!ered "yself a%ain

He had stayed lon%er with "e$ but he haened to look out

at the window and see his sisters #o"in% u the %arden$ sohe took his lea!e$ kissed "e a%ain$ told "e he was !ery serious$

and ( should hear "ore of hi" !ery -ui#kly$ and away he went$

lea!in% "e infinitely leased$ thou%h surrised) and had there

not been one "isfortune in it$ ( had been in the ri%ht$ but the

"istake lay here$ that 6rs .etty was in earnest and the


14/215

%entle"an was not

Fro" this ti"e "y head ran uon stran%e thin%s$ and ( "ay

truly say ( was not "yself) to ha!e su#h a %entle"an talk to

"e of bein% in lo!e with "e$ and of "y bein% su#h a #har"in%

#reature$ as he told "e ( was) these were thin%s ( knew not

how to bear$ "y !anity was ele!ated to the last de%ree (t is

true ( had "y head full of ride$ but$ knowin% nothin% of the

wi#kedness of the ti"es$ ( had not one thou%ht of "y own

safety or of "y !irtue about "e) and had "y youn% "asteroffered it at first si%ht$ he "i%ht ha!e taken any liberty he

thou%ht fit with "e) but he did not see his ad!anta%e$ whi#h

was "y hainess for that ti"e

After this atta#k it was not lon% but he found an oortunity

to #at#h "e a%ain$ and al"ost in the sa"e osture) indeed$ it

had "ore of desi%n in it on his art$ thou%h not on "y art (t

was thus4 the youn% ladies were all %one a0!isitin% with their

"other) his brother was out of town) and as for his father$ he

had been in =ondon for a week before He had so well wat#hed

"e that he knew where ( was$ thou%h ( did not so "u#h as know

that he was in the house) and he briskly #o"es u the stairs and$seein% "e at work$ #o"es into the roo" to "e dire#tly$ and

be%an &ust as he did before$ with takin% "e in his ar"s$ and

kissin% "e for al"ost a -uarter of an hour to%ether

(t was his youn%er sister's #ha"ber that ( was in$ and as there

was nobody in the house but the "aids below0stairs$ he was$

it "ay be$ the ruder) in short$ he be%an to be in earnest with "e

indeed Perhas he found "e a little too easy$ for 9od knows

( "ade no resistan#e to hi" while he only held "e in his ar"s

and kissed "e) indeed$ ( was too well leased with it to resist

hi" "u#h

Howe!er$ as it were$ tired with that kind of work$ we sat down$

and there he talked with "e a %reat while) he said he was

#har"ed with "e$ and that he #ould not rest ni%ht or day till

he had told "e how he was in lo!e with "e$ and$ if ( was able

to lo!e hi" a%ain$ and would "ake hi" hay$ ( should be the

sa!in% of his life$ and "any su#h fine thin%s ( said little to

hi" a%ain$ but easily dis#o!ered that ( was a fool$ and that (

did not in the least er#ei!e what he "eant

Then he walked about the roo"$ and takin% "e by the hand$

( walked with hi") and by and by$ takin% his ad!anta%e$ hethrew "e down uon the bed$ and kissed "e there "ost

!iolently) but$ to %i!e hi" his due$ offered no "anner of

rudeness to "e$ only kissed a %reat while After this he

thou%ht he had heard so"ebody #o"e ustairs$ so %ot off fro"

the bed$ lifted "e u$ rofessin% a %reat deal of lo!e for "e$

but told "e it was all an honest affe#tion$ and that he "eant

no ill to "e) and with that he ut fi!e %uineas into "y hand$

and went away downstairs

( was "ore #onfounded with the "oney than ( was before with

the lo!e$ and be%an to be so ele!ated that ( s#ar#e knew the

%round ( stood on ( a" the "ore arti#ular in this art$ thatif "y story #o"es to be read by any inno#ent youn% body$ they

"ay learn fro" it to %uard the"sel!es a%ainst the "is#hiefs

whi#h attend an early knowled%e of their own beauty (f a

youn% wo"an on#e thinks herself handso"e$ she ne!er doubts

the truth of any "an that tells her he is in lo!e with her) for if


15/215


16/215

his desi%n$ or had "ade fair and honourable roosals of

"arria%e) in whi#h #ase$ whoe!er had bla"ed hi"$ nobody

#ould ha!e bla"ed "e (n short$ if he had known "e$ and

how easy the trifle he ai"ed at was to be had$ he would ha!e

troubled his head no farther$ but ha!e %i!en "e four or fi!e

%uineas$ and ha!e lain with "e the ne,t ti"e he had #o"e at "e

And if ( had known his thou%hts$ and how hard he thou%ht (

would be to be %ained$ ( "i%ht ha!e "ade "y own ter"s with

hi") and if ( had not #aitulated for an i""ediate "arria%e$

( "i%ht for a "aintenan#e till "arria%e$ and "i%ht ha!e hadwhat ( would) for he was already ri#h to e,#ess$ besides what

he had in e,e#tation) but ( see"ed wholly to ha!e abandoned

all su#h thou%hts as these$ and was taken u only with the ride

of "y beauty$ and of bein% belo!ed by su#h a %entle"an As

for the %old$ ( sent whole hours in lookin% uon it) ( told the

%uineas o!er and o!er a thousand ti"es a day *e!er oor

!ain #reature was so wrat u with e!ery art of the story as

( was$ not #onsiderin% what was before "e$ and how near "y

ruin was at the door) indeed$ ( think ( rather wished for that

ruin than studied to a!oid it

(n the "eanti"e$ howe!er$ ( was #unnin% enou%h not to %i!ethe least roo" to any in the fa"ily to suse#t "e$ or to i"a%ine

that ( had the least #orresonden#e with this youn% %entle"an

( s#ar#e e!er looked towards hi" in ubli#$ or answered if he

soke to "e when anybody was near us) but for all that$ we

had e!ery now and then a little en#ounter$ where we had roo"

for a word or two$ an now and then a kiss$ but no fair oortunity

for the "is#hief intended) and ese#ially #onsiderin% that he

"ade "ore #ir#u"lo#ution than$ if he had known by thou%hts$

he had o##asion for) and the work aearin% diffi#ult to hi"$

he really "ade it so

.ut as the de!il is an unwearied te"ter$ so he ne!er fails to

find oortunity for that wi#kedness he in!ites to (t was one

e!enine that ( was in the %arden$ with his two youn%er sisters

and hi"self$ and all !ery inno#ently "erry$ when he found

"eans to #on!ey a note into "y hand$ by whi#h he dire#ted

"e to understand that he would to0"orrow desire "e ubli#ly

to %o of an errand for hi" into the town$ and that ( should see

hi" so"ewhere by the way

A##ordin%ly$ after dinner$ he !ery %ra!ely says to "e$ his

sisters bein% all by$ '6rs .etty$ ( "ust ask a fa!our of you'

'+hat's that/' says his se#ond sister '*ay$ sister$' says he!ery %ra!ely$ 'if you #an't sare 6rs .etty to0day$ any other

ti"e will do' :es$ they said$ they #ould sare her well enou%h$

and the sister be%%ed ardon for askin%$ whi#h they did but of

"ere #ourse$ without any "eanin% '+ell$ but$ brother$' says

the eldest sister$ 'you "ust tell 6rs .etty what it is) if it be

any ri!ate business that we "ust not hear$ you "ay #all her

out There she is' '+hy$ sister$' says the %entle"an !ery

%ra!ely$ 'what do you "ean/ ( only desire her to do into the

Hi%h Street' 7and then he ulls out a turno!er8$ 'to su#h a sho')

and then he tells the" a lon% story of two fine ne#k#loths he

had bid "oney for$ and he wanted to ha!e "e %o and "ake an

errand to buy a ne#k to the turno!er that he showed$ to see ifthey would take "y "oney for the ne#k#loths) to bid a shillin%

"ore$ and ha%%le with the") and then he "ade "ore errands$

and so #ontinued to ha!e su#h etty business to do$ that ( should

be sure to stay a %ood while


17/215

+hen he had %i!en "e "y errands$ he told the" a lon% story

of a !isit he was %oin% to "ake to a fa"ily they all knew$ and

where was to be su#h0and0su#h %entle"en$ and how "erry

they were to be$ and !ery for"ally asks his sisters to %o with

hi"$ and they as for"ally e,#used the"sel!es$ be#ause of

#o"any that they had noti#e was to #o"e and !isit the" that

afternoon) whi#h$ by the way$ he had #ontri!ed on urose

He had s#ar#e done seakin% to the"$ and %i!in% "e "y

errand$ but his "an #a"e u to tell hi" that Sir +0000 H0000's#oa#h stoed at the door) so he runs down$ and #o"es u

a%ain i""ediately 'Alas;' says he aloud$ 'there's all "y

"irth soiled at on#e) sir +0000 has sent his #oa#h for "e$

and desires to seak with "e uon so"e earnest business'

(t see"s this Sir +000 was a %entle"an who li!ed about three

"iles out of town$ to who" he had soken on urose the day

before$ to lend hi" his #hariot for a arti#ular o##asion$ and

had aointed it to #all for hi"$ as it did$ about three o'#lo#k

(""ediately he #alls for his best wi%$ hat$ and sword$ and

orderin% his "an to %o to the other la#e to "ake his e,#use00

that was to say$ he "ade an e,#use to send his "an away00hereares to %o into the #oa#h As he was %oin%$ he stoed a

while$ and seaks "i%hty earnestly to "e about his business$

and finds an oortunity to say !ery softly to "e$ 'Co"e away$

"y dear$ as soon as e!er you #an' ( said nothin%$ but "ade a

#urtsy$ as if ( had done so to what he said in ubli# (n about

a -uarter of an hour ( went out too) ( had no dress other than

before$ e,#et that ( had a hood$ a "ask$ a fan$ and a air of

%lo!es in "y o#ket) so that there was not the least susi#ion

in the house He waited for "e in the #oa#h in a ba#k0lane$

whi#h he knew ( "ust ass by$ and had dire#ted the #oa#h"an

whither to %o$ whi#h was to a #ertain la#e$ #alled 6ile End$

where li!ed a #onfidant of his$ where we went in$ and where

was all the #on!enien#e in the world to be as wi#ked as we

leased

+hen we were to%ether he be%an to talk !ery %ra!ely to "e$

and to tell "e he did not brin% "e there to betray "e) that his

assion for "e would not suffer hi" to abuse "e) that he

resol!ed to "arry "e as soon as he #a"e to his estate) that in

the "eanti"e$ if ( would %rant his re-uest$ he would "aintain

"e !ery honourably) and "ade "e a thousand rotestations

of his sin#erity and of his affe#tion to "e) and that he would

ne!er abandon "e$ and as ( "ay say$ "ade a thousand "orerea"bles than he need to ha!e done

Howe!er$ as he ressed "e to seak$ ( told hi" ( had no

reason to -uestion the sin#erity of his lo!e to "e after so "any

rotestations$ but00and there ( stoed$ as if ( left hi" to

%uess the rest '.ut what$ "y dear/' says he '( %uess what

you "ean4 what if you should be with #hild/ (s not that it/

+hy$ then$' says he$ '('ll take #are of you and ro!ide for you$

and the #hild too) and that you "ay see ( a" not in &est$' says

he$ 'here's an earnest for you$' and with that he ulls out a silk

urse$ with an hundred %uineas in it$ and %a!e it "e 'And ('ll

%i!e you su#h another$' says he$ 'e!ery year till ( "arry you'

6y #olour #a"e and went$ at the si%ht of the urse and with

the fire of his roosal to%ether$ so that ( #ould not say a word$

and he easily er#ei!ed it) so uttin% the urse into "y boso"$

( "ade no "ore resistan#e to hi"$ but let hi" do &ust what he


18/215

leased$ and as often as he leased) and thus ( finished "y

own destru#tion at on#e$ for fro" this day$ bein% forsaken of

"y !irtue and "y "odesty$ ( had nothin% of !alue left to

re#o""end "e$ either to 9od's blessin% or "an's assistan#e

.ut thin%s did not end here ( went ba#k to the town$ did the

business he ubli#ly dire#ted "e to$ and was at ho"e before

anybody thou%ht "e lon% As for "y %entle"an$ he stayed

out$ as he told "e he would$ till late at ni%ht$ and there was

not the least susi#ion in the fa"ily either on his a##ount oron "ine

+e had$ after this$ fre-uent oortunities to reeat our #ri"e

00#hiefly by his #ontri!an#e00ese#ially at ho"e$ when his

"other and the youn% ladies went abroad a0!isitin%$ whi#h he

wat#hed so narrowly as ne!er to "iss) knowin% always

beforehand when they went out$ and then failed not to #at#h

"e all alone$ and se#urely enou%h) so that we took our fill of

our wi#ked leasure for near half a year) and yet$ whi#h was

the "ost to "y satisfa#tion$ ( was not with #hild

.ut before this half0year was e,ired$ his youn%er brother$ ofwho" ( ha!e "ade so"e "ention in the be%innin% of the story$

falls to work with "e) and he$ findin% "e alon% in the %arden

one e!enin%$ be%ins a story of the sa"e kind to "e$ "ade

%ood honest rofessions of bein% in lo!e with "e$ and in short$

rooses fairly and honourably to "arry "e$ and that before

he "ade any other offer to "e at all

( was now #onfounded$ and dri!en to su#h an e,tre"ity as

the like was ne!er known) at least not to "e ( resisted the

roosal with obstina#y) and now ( be%an to ar" "yself with

ar%u"ents ( laid before hi" the ine-uality of the "at#h) the

treat"ent ( should "eet with in the fa"ily) the in%ratitude it

would be to his %ood father and "other$ who had taken "e

into their house uon su#h %enerous rin#iles$ and when (

was in su#h a low #ondition) and$ in short$ ( said e!erythin%

to dissuade hi" fro" his desi%n that ( #ould i"a%ine$ e,#et

tellin% hi" the truth$ whi#h would indeed ha!e ut an end to

(t all$ but that ( durst not think of "entionin%

.ut here haened a #ir#u"stan#e that ( did not e,e#t

indeed$ whi#h ut "e to "y shifts) for this youn% %entle"an$

as he was lain and honest$ so he retended to nothin% with

"e but what was so too) and$ knowin% his own inno#en#e$ hewas not so #areful to "ake his ha!in% a kindness for 6rs .etty

a se#ret ( the house$ as his brother was And thou%h he did

not let the" know that he had talked to "e about it$ yet he

said enou%h to let his sisters er#ei!e he lo!ed "e$ and his

"other saw it too$ whi#h$ thou%h they took no noti#e of it to

"e$ yet they did to hi"$ an i""ediately ( found their #arria%e

to "e altered$ "ore than e!er before

( saw the #loud$ thou%h ( did not foresee the stor" (t was

easy$ ( say$ to see that their #arria%e to "e was altered$ and

that it %rew worse and worse e!ery day) till at last ( %ot

infor"ation a"on% the ser!ants that ( should$ in a !ery littlewhile$ be desired to re"o!e

( was not alar"ed at the news$ ha!in% a full satisfa#tion that

( should be otherwise ro!ided for) and ese#ially #onsiderin%

that ( had reason e!ery day to e,e#t ( should be with #hild$


19/215

and that then ( should be obli%ed to re"o!e without any

reten#es for it

After so"e ti"e the youn%er %entle"an took an oortunity

to tell "e that the kindness he had for "e had %ot !ent in the

fa"ily He did not #har%e "e with it$ he said$ for he know

well enou%h whi#h way it #a"e out He told "e his lain way

of talkin% had been the o##asion of it$ for that he did not "ake

his rese#t for "e so "u#h a se#ret as he "i%ht ha!e done$

and the reason was$ that he was at a oint$ that if ( would#onsent to ha!e hi"$ he would tell the" all oenly that he

lo!ed "e$ and that he intended to "arry "e) that it was true

his father and "other "i%ht resent it$ and be unkind$ but that

he was now in a way to li!e$ bein% bred to the law$ and he did

not fear "aintainin% "e a%reeable to what ( should e,e#t)

and that$ in short$ as he belie!ed ( would not be asha"ed of

hi"$ so he was resol!ed not to be asha"ed of "e$ and that he

s#orned to be afraid to own "e now$ who" he resol!ed to

own after ( was his wife$ and therefore ( had nothin% to do but

to %i!e hi" "y hand$ and he would answer for all the rest

( was now in a dreadful #ondition indeed$ and now ( reentedheartily "y easiness with the eldest brother) not fro" any

refle#tion of #ons#ien#e$ but fro" a !iew of the hainess (

"i%ht ha!e en&oyed$ and had now "ade i"ossible) for thou%h

( had no %reat s#rules of #ons#ien#e$ as ( ha!e said$ to stru%%le

with$ yet ( #ould not think of bein% a whore to one brother and

a wife to the other .ut then it #a"e into "y thou%hts that the

first brother had ro"ised to "ade "e his wife when he #a"e

to his estate) but ( resently re"e"bered what ( had often

thou%ht of$ that he had ne!er soken a word of ha!in% "e for

a wife after he had #on-uered "e for a "istress) and indeed$

till now$ thou%h ( said ( thou%ht of it often$ yet it %a!e "e no

disturban#e at all$ for as he did not see" in the least to lessen

his affe#tion to "e$ so neither did he lessen his bounty$ thou%h

he had the dis#retion hi"self to desire "e not to lay out a

enny of what he %a!e "e in #lothes$ or to "ake the least show

e,traordinary$ be#ause it would ne#essarily %i!e &ealousy in

the fa"ily$ sin#e e!erybody know ( #ould #o"e at su#h thin%s

no "anner of ordinary way$ but by so"e ri!ate friendshi$

whi#h they would resently ha!e suse#ted

.ut ( was now in a %reat strait$ and knew not what to

do The "ain diffi#ulty was this4 the youn%er brother not

only laid #lose sie%e to "e$ but suffered it to be seen Hewould #o"e into his sister's roo"$ and his "other's roo"$

and sit down$ and talk a thousand kind thin%s of "e$ and to

"e$ e!en before their fa#es$ and when they were all there

This %rew so ubli# that the whole house talked of it$ and his

"other rero!ed hi" for it$ and their #arria%e to "e aeared

-uite altered (n short$ his "other had let fall so"e see#hes$

as if she intended to ut "e out of the fa"ily) that is$ in

En%lish$ to turn "e out of doors *ow ( was sure this #ould

not be a se#ret to his brother$ only that he "i%ht not think$ as

indeed nobody else yet did$ that the youn%est brother had "ade

any roosal to "e about it) but as ( easily #ould see that it

would %o farther$ so ( saw likewise there was an absolutene#essity to seak of it to hi"$ or that he would seak of it to

"e$ and whi#h to do first ( knew not) that is$ whether ( should

break it to hi" or let it alone till he should break it to "e

Uon serious #onsideration$ for indeed now ( be%an to #onsider


20/215

thin%s !ery seriously$ and ne!er till now) ( say$ uon serious

#onsideration$ ( resol!ed to tell hi" of it first) and it was not

lon% before ( had an oortunity$ for the !ery ne,t day his

brother went to =ondon uon so"e business$ and the fa"ily

bein% out a0!isitin%$ &ust as it had haened before$ and as

indeed was often the #ase$ he #a"e a##ordin% to his #usto"$

to send an hour or two with 6rs .etty

+hen he #a"e had had sat down a while$ he easily er#ei!ed

there was an alteration in "y #ountenan#e$ that ( was not sofree and leasant with hi" as ( used to be$ and arti#ularly$

that ( had been a0#ryin%) he was not lon% before he took noti#e

of it$ and asked "e in !ery kind ter"s what was the "atter$

and if anythin% troubled "e ( would ha!e ut it off if ( #ould$

but it was not to be #on#ealed) so after sufferin% "any

i"ortunities to draw that out of "e whi#h ( lon%ed as "u#h

as ossible to dis#lose$ ( told hi" that it was true so"ethin%

did trouble "e$ and so"ethin% of su#h a nature that ( #ould

not #on#eal fro" hi"$ and yet that ( #ould not tell how to tell

hi" of it neither) that it was a thin% that not only surrised "e$

but %reatly erle,ed "e$ and that ( knew not what #ourse to

take$ unless he would dire#t "e He told "e with %reattenderness$ that let it be what it would$ ( should not let it

trouble "e$ for he would rote#t "e fro" all the world

( then be%an at a distan#e$ and told hi" ( was afraid the ladies

had %ot so"e se#ret infor"ation of our #orresonden#e) for

that it was easy to see that their #ondu#t was !ery "u#h

#han%ed towards "e for a %reat while$ and that now it was

#o"e to that ass that they fre-uently found fault with "e$

and so"eti"es fell -uite out with "e$ thou%h ( ne!er %a!e

the" the least o##asion) that whereas ( used always to lie

with the eldest sister$ ( was lately ut to lie by "yself$ or with

one of the "aids) and that ( had o!erheard the" se!eral ti"es

talkin% !ery unkindly about "e) but that whi#h #onfir"ed it

all was$ that one of the ser!ants had told "e that she had heard

( was to be turned out$ and that it was not safe for the fa"ily

that ( should be any lon%er in the house

He s"iled when he herd all this$ and ( asked hi" how he

#ould "ake so li%ht of it$ when he "ust needs know that if

there was any dis#o!ery ( was undone for e!er$ and that e!en

it would hurt hi"$ thou%h not ruin hi" as it would "e (

ubraided hi"$ that he was like all the rest of the se,$ that$

when they had the #hara#ter and honour of a wo"an at their"er#y$ oftenti"es "ade it their &est$ and at least looked uon

it as a trifle$ and #ounted the ruin of those they had had their

will of as a thin% of no !alue

He saw "e war" and serious$ and he #han%ed his style

i""ediately) he told "e he was sorry ( should ha!e su#h a

thou%ht of hi") that he had ne!er %i!en "e the least o##asion

for it$ but had been as tender of "y reutation as he #ould be

of his own) that he was sure our #orresonden#e had been

"ana%ed with so "u#h address$ that not one #reature in the

fa"ily had so "u#h as a susi#ion of it) that if he s"iled when

( told hi" "y thou%hts$ it was at the assuran#e he latelyre#ei!ed$ that our understandin% one another was not so "u#h

as known or %uessed at) and that when he had told "e how

"u#h reason he had to be easy$ ( should s"ile as he did$ for

he was !ery #ertain it would %i!e "e a full satisfa#tion


21/215

'This is a "ystery ( #annot understand$' says ($ 'or how it

should be to "y satisfa#tion that ( a" to be turned out of

doors) for if our #orresonden#e is not dis#o!ered$ ( know

not what else ( ha!e done to #han%e the #ountenan#es of the

whole fa"ily to "e$ or to ha!e the" treat "e as they do now$

who for"erly used "e with so "u#h tenderness$ as if ( had

been one of their own #hildren'

'+hy$ look you$ #hild$' says he$ 'that they are uneasy about

you$ that is true) but that they ha!e the least susi#ion of the#ase as it is$ and as it rese#ts you and ($ is so far fro" bein%

true$ that they suse#t "y brother Robin) and$ in short$ they

are fully ersuaded he "akes lo!e to you) nay$ the fool has

ut it into their heads too hi"self$ for he is #ontinually banterin%

the" about it$ and "akin% a &est of hi"self ( #onfess ( think

he is wron% to do so$ be#ause he #annot but see it !e,es the"$

and "akes the" unkind to you) but 'tis a satisfa#tion to "e$

be#ause of the assuran#e it %i!es "e$ that they do not suse#t

"e in the least$ and ( hoe this will be to your satisfa#tion too'

'So it is$' says ($ 'one way) but this does not rea#h "y #ase at

all$ nor is this the #hief thin% that troubles "e$ thou%h ( ha!ebeen #on#erned about that too' '+hat is it$ then/' says he

+ith whi#h ( fell to tears$ and #ould say nothin% to hi" at all

He stro!e to a#ify "e all he #ould$ but be%an at last to be

!ery ressin% uon "e to tell what it was At last ( answered

that ( thou%ht ( ou%ht to tell hi" too$ and that he had so"e

ri%ht to know it) besides$ that ( wanted his dire#tion in the #ase$

for ( was in su#h erle,ity that ( knew not what #ourse to take$

and then ( related the whole affair to hi" ( told hi" how

i"rudently his brother had "ana%ed hi"self$ in "akin%

hi"self so ubli#) for that if he had ket it a se#ret$ as su#h a

thin% out to ha!e been$ ( #ould but ha!e denied hi" ositi!ely$

without %i!in% any reason for it$ and he would in ti"e ha!e

#eased his soli#itations) but that he had the !anity$ first$ to

deend uon it that ( would not deny hi"$ and then had taken

the freedo" to tell his resolution of ha!in% "e to the whole house

( told hi" how far ( had resisted hi"$ and told hi" how sin#ere

and honourable his offers were '.ut$' says ($ '"y #ase will

be doubly hard) for as they #arry it ill to "e now$ be#ause he

desires to ha!e "e$ they'll #arry it worse when they shall find

( ha!e denied hi") and they will resently say$ there's so"ethin%

else in it$ and then out it #o"es that ( a" "arried already to

so"ebody else$ or that ( would ne!er refuse a "at#h so "u#habo!e "e as this was'

This dis#ourse surrised hi" indeed !ery "u#h He told "e

that it was a #riti#al oint indeed for "e to "ana%e$ and he

did not see whi#h way ( should %et out of it) but he would

#onsider it$ and let "e know ne,t ti"e we "et$ what resolution

he was #o"e to about it) and in the "eanti"e desired ( would

not %i!e "y #onsent to his brother$ nor yet %i!e hi" a flat

denial$ but that ( would hold hi" in susense a while

( see"ed to start at his sayin% ( should not %i!e hi" "y

#onsent ( told hi" he knew !ery well ( had no #onsent to%i!e) that he had en%a%ed hi"self to "arry "e$ and that "y

#onsent was the sa"e ti"e en%a%ed to hi") that he had all

alon% told "e ( was his wife$ and ( looked uon "yself as

effe#tually so as if the #ere"ony had assed) and that it was

fro" his own "outh that ( did so$ he ha!in% all alon% ersuaded


22/215

"e to #all "yself his wife

'+ell$ "y dear$' says he$ 'don't be #on#erned at that now)

if ( a" not your husband$ ('ll be as %ood as a husband to you)

and do not let those thin%s trouble you now$ but let "e look

a little farther into this affair$ and ( shall be able to say "ore

ne,t ti"e we "eet'

He a#ified "e as well as he #ould with this$ but ( found he

was !ery thou%htful$ and that thou%h he was !ery kind to "eand kissed "e a thousand ti"es$ and "ore ( belie!e$ and %a!e

"e "oney too$ yet he offered no "ore all the while we were

to%ether$ whi#h was abo!e two hours$ and whi#h ( "u#h

wondered at indeed at that ti"e$ #onsiderin% how it used to be$

and what oortunity we had

His brother did not #o"e fro" =ondon for fi!e or si, days$

and it was two days "ore before he %ot an oortunity to talk

with hi") but then %ettin% hi" by hi"self he be%an to talk

!ery #lose to hi" about it$ and the sa"e e!enin% %ot an

oortunity 7for we had a lon% #onferen#e to%ether8 to reeat

all their dis#ourse to "e$ whi#h$ as near as ( #an re"e"ber$was to the urose followin% He told hi" he heard stran%e

news of hi" sin#e he went$ !i3 that he "ade lo!e to 6rs

.etty '+ell$ says his brother a little an%rily$ 'and so ( do

And what then/ +hat has anybody to do with that/' '*ay$'

says his brother$ 'don't be an%ry$ Robin) ( don't retend to

ha!e anythin% to do with it) nor do ( retend to be an%ry with

you about it .ut ( find they do #on#ern the"sel!es about it$

and that they ha!e used the oor %irl ill about it$ whi#h ( should

take as done to "yself' '+ho" do you "ean by THE:/'

says Robin '( "ean "y "other and the %irls$' says the elder

brother '.ut hark ye$' says his brother$ 'are you in earnest/

Do you really lo!e this %irl/ :ou "ay be free with "e$ you

know' '+hy$ then$' says Robin$ '( will be free with you) ( do

lo!e her abo!e all the wo"en in the world$ and ( will ha!e her$

let the" say and do what they will ( belie!e the %irl will not

deny "e'

(t stru#k "e to the heart when he told "e this$ for thou%h

it was "ost rational to think ( would not deny hi"$ yet ( knew

in "y own #ons#ien#e ( "ust deny hi"$ and ( saw "y ruin in

"y bein% obli%ed to do so) but ( knew it was "y business to

talk otherwise then$ so ( interruted hi" in his story thus

'Ay;$' said ($ 'does he think ( #annot deny hi"/ .ut he shall

find ( #an deny hi"$ for all that'

'+ell$ "y dear$' says he$ 'but let "e %i!e you the whole story

as it went on between us$ and then say what you will'

Then he went on and told "e that he relied thus4 '.ut$

brother$ you know she has nothin%$ and you "ay ha!e se!eral

ladies with %ood fortunes'

''Tis no "atter for that$' said Robin) '( lo!e the %irl$ and ( will

ne!er lease "y o#ket in "arryin%$ and not lease "y fan#y''And so$ "y dear$' adds he$ 'there is no oosin% hi"'

':es$ yes$' says ($ 'you shall see ( #an oose hi") ( ha!e

learnt to say *o$ now thou%h ( had not learnt it before) if the

best lord in the land offered "e "arria%e now$ ( #ould !ery


23/215

#heerfully say *o to hi"'

'+ell$ but$ "y dear$' says he$ 'what #an you say to hi"/ :ou

know$ as you said when we talked of it before$ he well ask

you "any -uestions about it$ and all the house will wonder

what the "eanin% of it should be'

'+hy$' says ($ s"ilin%$ '( #an sto all their "ouths at one #la

by tellin% hi"$ and the" too$ that ( a" "arried already to his

elder brother'

He s"iled a little too at the word$ but ( #ould see it startled

hi"$ and he #ould not hide the disorder it ut hi" into

Howe!er$ he returned$ '+hy$ thou%h that "ay be true in so"e

sense$ yet ( suose you are but in &est when you talk of

%i!in% su#h an answer as that) it "ay not be #on!enient on

"any a##ounts'

'*o$ no$' says ( leasantly$ '( a" not so fond of lettin% the

se#ret #o"e out without your #onsent'

'.ut what$ then$ #an you say to hi"$ or to the"$' says he$'when they find you ositi!e a%ainst a "at#h whi#h would

be aarently so "u#h to your ad!anta%e/'

'+hy$' says ($ 'should ( be at a loss/ First of all$ ( a" not

obli%ed to %i!e "e any reason at all) on the other hand$ ( "ay

tell the" ( a" "arried already$ and sto there$ and that will

be a full sto too to hi"$ for he #an ha!e no reason to ask one

-uestion after it'

'Ay$' says he) 'but the whole house will tease you about that$

e!en to father and "other$ and if you deny the" ositi!ely$

they will be disobli%ed at you$ and susi#ious besides'

'+hy$' says ($ 'what #an ( do/ +hat would ha!e "e do/ (

was in strai%ht enou%h before$ and as ( told you$ ( was in

erle,ity before$ and a#-uainted you with the #ir#u"stan#es$

that ( "i%ht ha!e your ad!i#e'

'6y dear$' says he$ '( ha!e been #onsiderin% !ery "u#h uon

it$ you "ay be sure$ and thou%h it is a ie#e of ad!i#e that has

a %reat "any "ortifi#ations in it to "e$ and "ay at first see"

stran%e to you$ yet$ all thin%s #onsidered$ ( see no better way

for you than to let hi" %o on) and if you find hi" hearty andin earnest$ "arry hi"'

( %a!e hi" a look full of horror at those words$ and$ turnin%

ale as death$ was at the !ery oint of sinkin% down out of the

#hair ( sat in) when$ %i!in% a start$ '6y dear$' says he aloud$

'what's the "atter with you/ +here are you a0%oin%/' and a

%reat "any su#h thin%s) and with &o%%in% and #alled to "e$

fet#hed "e a little to "yself$ thou%h it was a %ood while before

( fully re#o!ered "y senses$ and was not able to seak for

se!eral "inutes "ore

+hen ( was fully re#o!ered he be%an a%ain '6y dear$' sayshe$ 'what "ade you so surrised at what ( said/ ( would ha!e

you #onsider seriously of it/ :ou "ay see lainly how the

fa"ily stand in this #ase$ and they would be stark "ad if it

was "y #ase$ as it is "y brother's) and for au%ht ( see$ it

would be "y ruin and yours too'


24/215

'Ay;' says ($ still seakin% an%rily) 'are all your rotestations

and !ows to be shaken by the dislike of the fa"ily/ Did ( not

always ob&e#t that to you$ and you "ade li%ht thin% of it$ as

what you were abo!e$ and would !alue) and is it #o"e to

this now/' said ( '(s this your faith and honour$ your lo!e$

and the solidity of your ro"ises/'

He #ontinued erfe#tly #al"$ notwithstandin% all "y reroa#hes$

and ( was not sarin% of the" at all) but he relied at last$'6y dear$ ( ha!e not broken one ro"ise with you yet) ( did

tell you ( would "arry you when ( was #o"e to "y estate) but

you see "y father is a hale$ healthy "an$ and "ay li!e these

thirty years still$ and not be older than se!eral are round us in

town) and you ne!er roosed "y "arryin% you sooner$

be#ause you knew it "i%ht be "y ruin) and as to all the rest$ (

ha!e not failed you in anythin%$ you ha!e wanted for nothin%'

( #ould not deny a word of this$ and had nothin% to say to it

in %eneral '.ut why$ then$' says ($ '#an you ersuade "e to

su#h a horrid ste as lea!in% you$ sin#e you ha!e not left "e/

+ill you allow no affe#tion$ no lo!e on "y side$ where therehas been so "u#h on your side/ Ha!e ( "ade you no returns/

Ha!e ( %i!en no testi"ony of "y sin#erity and of "y assion/

Are the sa#rifi#es ( ha!e "ade of honour and "odesty to you

no roof of "y bein% tied to you in bonds too stron% to be

broken/'

'.ut here$ "y dear$' says he$ 'you "ay #o"e into a safe station$

and aear with honour and with slendour at on#e$ and the

re"e"bran#e of what we ha!e done "ay be wrat u in an

eternal silen#e$ as if it had ne!er haened) you shall always

ha!e "y rese#t$ and "y sin#ere affe#tion$ only then it shall

be honest$ and erfe#tly &ust to "y brother) you shall be "y

dear sister$ asnow you are "y dear0000' and there he stoed

':our dear whore$' says ($ 'you would ha!e said if you had

%one on$ and you "i%ht as well ha!e said it) but ( understand

you Howe!er$ ( desire you to re"e"ber the lon% dis#ourses

you ha!e had with "e$ and the "any hours' ains you ha!e

taken to ersuade "e to belie!e "yself an honest wo"an)

that ( was your wife intentionally$ thou%h not in the eyes of

the world$ and that it was as effe#tual a "arria%e that had

assed between us as is we had been ubli#ly wedded by the

arson of the arish :ou know and #annot but re"e"berthat these ha!e been your own words to "e'

( found this was a little too #lose uon hi"$ but ( "ade it u

in what follows He stood sto#k0still for a while and said

nothin%$ and ( went on thus4 ':ou #annot$' says ($ 'without

the hi%hest in&usti#e$ belie!e that ( yielded uon all these

ersuasions without a lo!e not to be -uestioned$ not to be

shaken a%ain by anythin% that #ould haen afterward (f you

ha!e su#h dishonourable thou%hts of "e$ ( "ust ask you what

foundation in any of "y beha!iour ha!e ( %i!en for su#h a

su%%estion/

'(f$ then$ ( ha!e yielded to the i"ortunities of "y affe#tion$

and if ( ha!e been ersuaded to belie!e that ( a" really$ and

in the essen#e of the thin%$ your wife$ shall ( now %i!e the lie

to all those ar%u"ents and #all "yself your whore$ or "istress$

whi#h is the sa"e thin%/ And will you transfer "e to your


25/215

brother/ Canyou transfer "y affe#tion/ Can you bid "e

#ease lo!in% you$ and bid "e lo!e hi"/ (t is in "y ower$

think you$ to "ake su#h a #han%e at de"and/ *o$ sir$' said ($

'deend uon it 'tis i"ossible$ and whate!er the #han%e of

your side "ay be$ ( will e!er be true) and ( had "u#h rather$

sin#e it is #o"e that unhay len%th$ be your whore than your

brother's wife'

He aeared leased and tou#hed with the i"ression of this

last dis#ourse$ and told "e that he stood where he did before)that he had not been unfaithful to "e in any one ro"ise he

had e!er "ade yet$ but that there were so "any terrible thin%s

resented the"sel!es to his !iew in the affair before "e$ and

that on "y a##ount in arti#ular$ that he had thou%ht of the

other as a re"edy so effe#tual as nothin% #ould #o"e u to it

That he thou%ht this would not be entire artin% us$ but we

"i%ht lo!e as friends all our days$ and erhas with "ore

satisfa#tion than we should in the station we were now in$

as thin%s "i%ht haen) that he durst say$ ( #ould not arehend

anythin% fro" hi" as to betrayin% a se#ret$ whi#h #ould not

but be the destru#tion of us both$ if it #a"e out) that he had

but one -uestion to ask of "e that #ould lie in the way of it$and if that -uestion was answered in the ne%ati!e$ he #ould

not but think still it was the only ste ( #ould take

( %uessed at his -uestion resently$ na"ely$ whether ( was

sure ( was not with #hild/ As to that$ ( told hi" he need not

be #on#erned about it$ for ( was not with #hild '+hy$ then$

"y dear$' says he$ 'we ha!e no ti"e to talk further now

Consider of it$ and think #losely about it) ( #annot but be of

the oinion still$ that it will be the best #ourse you #an take'

And with this he took his lea!e$ and the "ore hastily too$ his

"other and sisters rin%in% at the %ate$ &ust at the "o"ent that

he had risen u to %o

He left "e in the ut"ost #onfusion of thou%ht) and he easily

er#ei!ed it the ne,t day$ and all the rest of the week$ for it

was but Tuesday e!enin% when we talked) but he had no

oortunity to #o"e at "e all that week$ till the Sunday after$

when ($ bein% indisosed$ did not %o to #hur#h$ and he$ "akin%

so"e e,#use for the like$ stayed at ho"e

And now he had "e an hour and a half a%ain by "yself$ and

we fell into the sa"e ar%u"ents all o!er a%ain$ or at least so

near the sa"e$ as it would be to no urose to reeat the"At last ( asked hi" war"ly$ what oinion he "ust ha!e of "y

"odesty$ that he #ould suose ( should so "u#h as entertain

a thou%ht of lyin% with two brothers$ and assured hi" it #ould

ne!er be ( added$ if he was to tell "e that he would ne!er

see "e "ore$ than whi#h nothin% but death #ould be "ore

terrible$ yet ( #ould ne!er entertain a thou%ht so dishonourable

to "yself$ and so base to hi") and therefore$ ( entreated hi"$

if he had one %rain of rese#t or affe#tion left for "e$ that he

would seak no "ore of it to "e$ or that he would ull his

sword out and kill "e He aeared surrised at "y obstina#y$

as he #alled it) told "e ( was unkind to "yself$ and unkind to

hi" in it) that it was a #risis unlooked for uon us both$ andi"ossible for either of us to foresee$ but that he did not see

any other way to sa!e us both fro" ruin$ and therefore he

thou%ht it the "ore unkind) but that if he "ust say no "ore

of it to "e$ he added with an unusual #oldness$ that he did

not know anythin% else we had to talk of) and so he rose u to


26/215

take his lea!e ( rose u too$ as if with the sa"e indifferen#e)

but when he #a"e to %i!e "e as it were a artin% kiss$ ( burst

out into su#h a assion of #ryin%$ that thou%h ( would ha!e soke$

( #ould not$ and only ressin% his hand$ see"ed to %i!e hi" the

adieu$ but #ried !ehe"ently

He was sensibly "o!ed with this) so he sat down a%ain$ and

said a %reat "any kind thin%s to "e$ to abate the e,#ess of "y

assion$ but still ur%ed the ne#essity of what he had roosed)

all the while insistin%$ that if ( did refuse$ he would notwith0standin% ro!ide for "e) but lettin% "e lainly see that he

would de#line "e in the "ain oint00nay$ e!en as a "istress)

"akin% it a oint of honour not to lie with the wo"an that$

for au%ht he knew$ "i%ht #o"e to be his brother's wife

The bare loss of hi" as a %allant was not so "u#h "y affli#tion

as the loss of his erson$ who" indeed ( lo!ed to distra#tion)

and the loss of all the e,e#tations ( had$ and whi#h ( always

had built "y hoes uon$ of ha!in% hi" one day for "y

husband These thin%s oressed "y "ind so "u#h$ that$ in

short$ ( fell !ery ill) the a%onies of "y "ind$ in a word$ threw

"e into a hi%h fe!er$ and lon% it was$ that none in the fa"ilye,e#ted "y life

( was redu#ed !ery low indeed$ and was often delirious and

li%ht0headed) but nothin% lay so near "e as the fear that$ when

( was li%ht0headed$ ( should say so"ethin% or other to his

re&udi#e ( was distressed in "y "ind also to see hi"$ and

so he was to see "e$ for he really lo!ed "e "ost assionately)

but it #ould not be) there was not the least roo" to desire it

on one side or other$ or so "u#h as to "ake it de#ent

(t was near fi!e weeks that ( ket "y bed and thou%h the

!iolen#e of "y fe!er abated in three weeks$ yet it se!eral

ti"es returned) and the hysi#ians said two or three ti"es$

they #ould do no "ore for "e$ but that they "ust lea!e nature

and the diste"er to fi%ht it out$ only stren%thenin% the first

with #ordials to "aintain the stru%%le After the end of fi!e

weeks ( %rew better$ but was so weak$ so altered$ so "elan#holy$

and re#o!ered so slowly$ that they hysi#ians arehended (

should %o into a #onsu"tion) and whi#h !e,ed "e "ost$

they %a!e it as their oinion that "y "ind was oressed$

that so"ethin% troubled "e$ and$ in short$ that ( was in lo!e

Uon this$ the whole house was set uon "e to e,a"ine "e$

and to ress "e to tell whether ( was in lo!e or not$ and withwho") but as ( well "i%ht$ ( denied "y bein% in lo!e at all

They had on this o##asion a s-uabble one day about "e at

table$ that had like to ha!e ut the whole fa"ily in an uroar$

and for so"e ti"e did so They haened to be all at table but

the father) as for "e$ ( was ill$ and in "y #ha"ber At the

be%innin% of the talk$ whi#h was &ust as they had finished

their dinner$ the old %entlewo"an$ who had sent "e so"ewhat

to eat$ #alled her "aid to %o u and ask "e if ( would ha!e any

"ore) but the "aid brou%ht down word ( had not eaten half

what she had sent "e already

'Alas$ says the old lady$ 'that oor %irl; ( a" afraid she will

ne!er be well'

'+ell;' says the elder brother$ 'how should 6rs .etty be well/

They say she is in lo!e'


27/215

'( belie!e nothin% of it$' says the old %entlewo"an

'( don't know$' says the eldest sister$ 'what to say to it)

they ha!e "ade su#h a rout about her bein% so handso"e$ and

so #har"in%$ and ( know not what$ and that in her hearin% too$

that has turned the #reature's head$ ( belie!e$ and who knows

what ossessions "ay follow su#h doin%s/ For "y art$ (

don't know what to "ake of it'

'+hy$ sister$ you "ust a#knowled%e she is !ery handso"e$'

says the elder brother'

'Ay$ and a %reat deal handso"er than you$ sister$' says Robin$

'and that's your "ortifi#ation'

'+ell$ well$ that is not the -uestion$' says his sister) 'that %irl

is well enou%h$ and she knows it well enou%h) she need not

be told of it to "ake her !ain'

'+e are not talkin% of her bein% !ain$' says the elder brother$

'but of her bein% in lo!e) it "ay be she is in lo!e with herself)it see"s "y sisters think so'

'( would she was in lo!e with "e$' says Robin) '('d -ui#kly

ut her out of her ain'

'+hat d'ye "ean by that$ son$' says the old lady) 'how #an

you talk so/'

'+hy$ "ada"$' says Robin$ a%ain$ !ery honestly$ 'do you

think ('d let the oor %irl die for lo!e$ and of one that is near

at hand to be had$ too/'

'Fie$ brother;'$ says the se#ond sister$ 'how #an you talk so/

+ould you take a #reature that has not a %roat in the world/'

'Prithee$ #hild$' says Robin$ 'beauty's a ortion$ and %ood0

hu"our with it is a double ortion) ( wish thou hadst half her

sto#k of both for thy ortion' So there was her "outh stoed

'( find$' says the eldest sister$ 'if .etty is not in lo!e$ "y

brother is ( wonder he has not broke his "ind to .etty) (

warrant she won't say *o'

'They that yield when they're asked$' says Robin$ 'are one

ste before the" that were ne!er asked to yield$ sister$ and

two stes before the" that yield before they are asked) and

that's an answer to you$ sister'

This fired the sister$ and she flew into a assion$ and said$

thin%s were so"e to that ass that it was ti"e the wen#h$

"eanin% "e$ was out of the fa"ily) and but that she was not

fit to be turned out$ she hoed her father and "other would

#onsider of it as soon as she #ould be re"o!ed

Robin relied$ that was business for the "aster and "istressof the fa"ily$ who where not to be tau%ht by one that had so

little &ud%"ent as his eldest sister

d. defoe. moll flanders

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