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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
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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"'
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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
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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
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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
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.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
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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
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%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
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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
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+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
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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$
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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
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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
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'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
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"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
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#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'
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'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
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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
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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'
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'( 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