Hewassopleasedwithit，thathewouldcallhislady
andhistwodaughterstohearit，anditmademirthenough
amongthem，youmaybesure。
However，notaweekhadpassedover，butonasuddencomes
Mrs。Mayoressandhertwodaughterstothehousetoseemy
oldnurse，andtoseeherschoolandthechildren。
Whenthey
hadlookedaboutthemalittle，’Well，Mrs——，’saysthe
Mayoresstomynurse，’andpraywhichisthelittlelassthat
intendstobeagentlewoman？’
Iheardher，andIwasterribly
frightedatfirst，thoughIdidnotknowwhyneither；butMrs。
Mayoresscomesuptome。
’Well，miss，’saysshe，’andwhat
areyouatworkupon？’
Thewordmisswasalanguagethat
hadhardlybeenheardofinourschool，andIwonderedwhat
sadnameitwasshecalledme。
However，Istoodup，madea
curtsy，andshetookmyworkoutofmyhand，lookedonit，
andsaiditwasverywell；thenshetookuponeofthehands。
’Nay，’saysshe，’thechildmaycometobeagentlewomanfor
aughtanybodyknows；shehasagentlewoman’shand，’saysshe。
Thispleasedmemightily，youmaybesure；butMrs。Mayoress
didnotstopthere，butgivingmemyworkagain，sheputher
handinherpocket，gavemeashilling，andbidmemindmy
work，andlearntoworkwell，andImightbeagentlewoman
foraughtsheknew。
Nowallthiswhilemygoodoldnurse，Mrs。Mayoress，andall
therestofthemdidnotunderstandmeatall，fortheymeant
onesortofthingbythewordgentlewoman，andImeantquite
another；foralas！allIunderstoodbybeingagentlewomanwas
tobeabletoworkformyself，andgetenoughtokeepme
withoutthatterriblebugbeargoingtoservice，whereasthey
meanttolivegreat，richandhigh，andIknownotwhat。
Well，afterMrs。Mayoresswasgone，hertwodaughterscame
in，andtheycalledforthegentlewomantoo，andtheytalked
alongwhiletome，andIansweredtheminmyinnocentway；
butalways，iftheyaskedmewhetherIresolvedtobea
gentlewoman，IansweredYes。
Atlastoneofthemaskedme
whatagentlewomanwas？
Thatpuzzledmemuch；but，
however，Iexplainedmyselfnegatively，thatitwasonethat
didnotgotoservice，todohousework。
Theywerepleased
tobefamiliarwithme，andlikemylittleprattletothem，which，
itseems，wasagreeableenoughtothem，andtheygaveme
moneytoo。
Asformymoney，Igaveitalltomymistress-nurse，asIcalled
her，andtoldhersheshouldhaveallIgotformyselfwhenI
wasagentlewoman，aswellasnow。
Bythisandsomeother
ofmytalk，myoldtutoressbegantounderstandmeaboutwhat
Imeantbybeingagentlewoman，andthatIunderstoodbyit
nomorethantobeabletogetmybreadbymyownwork；and
atlastsheaskedmewhetheritwasnotso。
Itoldher，yes，andinsistedonit，thattodosowastobea
gentlewoman；’for，’saysI，’thereissuchaone，’naminga
womanthatmendedlaceandwashedtheladies’laced-heads；
’she，’saysI，’isagentlewoman，andtheycallhermadam。’
“Poorchild，’saysmygoodoldnurse，’youmaysoonbesuch
agentlewomanasthat，forsheisapersonofillfame，andhas
hadtwoorthreebastards。’
Ididnotunderstandanythingofthat；butIanswered，’Iam
suretheycallhermadam，andshedoesnotgotoservicenor
dohousework’；andthereforeIinsistedthatshewasa
gentlewoman，andIwouldbesuchagentlewomanasthat。
Theladiesweretoldallthisagain，tobesure，andtheymade
themselvesmerrywithit，andeverynowandthentheyoung
ladies，Mr。Mayor’sdaughters，wouldcomeandseeme，and
askwherethelittlegentlewomanwas，whichmademenota
littleproudofmyself。
Thisheldagreatwhile，andIwasoftenvisitedbytheseyoung
ladies，andsometimestheybroughtotherswiththem；sothatI
wasknownbyitalmostalloverthetown。
Iwasnowabouttenyearsold，andbegantolookalittle
womanish，forIwasmightygraveandhumble，verymannerly，
andasIhadoftenheardtheladiessayIwaspretty，andwould
beaveryhandsomewoman，soyoumaybesurethathearing
themsaysomademenotalittleproud。
However，thatpride
hadnoilleffectuponmeyet；only，astheyoftengaveme
money，andIgaveittomyoldnurse，she，honestwoman，
wassojusttomeastolayitalloutagainforme，andgave
mehead-dresses，andlinen，andgloves，andribbons，andI
wentveryneat，andalwaysclean；forthatIwoulddo，andif
Ihadragson，Iwouldalwaysbeclean，orelseIwoulddabble
theminwatermyself；but，Isay，mygoodnurse，whenIhad
moneygivenme，veryhonestlylaiditoutforme，andwould
alwaystelltheladiesthisorthatwasboughtwiththeirmoney；
andthismadethemoftentimesgivememore，tillatlastIwas
indeedcalleduponbythemagistrates，asIunderstoodit，to
goouttoservice；butthenIwascometobesogooda
workwomanmyself，andtheladiesweresokindtome，thatit
wasplainIcouldmaintainmyself——thatistosay，Icouldearn
asmuchformynurseasshewasablebyittokeepme——soshe
toldthemthatiftheywouldgiveherleave，shewouldkeep
thegentlewoman，asshecalledme，tobeherassistantand
teachthechildren，whichIwasverywellabletodo；forIwas
verynimbleatmywork，andhadagoodhandwithmyneedle，
thoughIwasyetveryyoung。
Butthekindnessoftheladiesofthetowndidnotendhere，
forwhentheycametounderstandthatIwasnomoremaintained
bythepublicallowanceasbefore，theygavememoneyoftener
thanformerly；andasIgrewuptheybroughtmeworktodo
forthem，suchaslinentomake，andlacestomend，andheads
todressup，andnotonlypaidmefordoingthem，buteven
taughtmehowtodothem；sothatnowIwasagentlewoman
indeed，asIunderstoodthatword，Inotonlyfoundmyself
clothesandpaidmynurseformykeeping，butgotmoneyin
mypockettoobeforehand。
Theladiesalsogavemeclothesfrequentlyoftheirownor
theirchildren’s；somestockings，somepetticoats，somegowns，
someonething，someanother，andthesemyoldwoman
managedformelikeameremother，andkeptthemforme，
obligedmetomendthem，andturnthemandtwistthemto
thebestadvantage，forshewasararehousewife。
Atlastoneoftheladiestooksomuchfancytomethatshe
wouldhavemehometoherhouse，foramonth，shesaid，to
beamongherdaughters。
Now，thoughthiswasexceedingkindinher，yet，asmyold
goodwomansaidtoher，unlesssheresolvedtokeepmefor
goodandall，shewoulddothelittlegentlewomanmoreharm
thangood。
’Well，’saysthelady，’that’strue；andthereforeI’ll
onlytakeherhomeforaweek，then，thatImayseehowmy
daughtersandsheagreetogether，andhowIlikehertemper，
andthenI’lltellyoumore；andinthemeantime，ifanybody
comestoseeherastheyusedtodo，youmayonlytellthem
youhavesentherouttomyhouse。’
Thiswasprudentlymanagedenough，andIwenttothelady’s
house；butIwassopleasedtherewiththeyoungladies，and
theysopleasedwithme，thatIhadenoughtodotocomeaway，
andtheywereasunwillingtopartwithme。
However，Ididcomeaway，andlivedalmostayearmorewith
myhonestoldwoman，andbegannowtobeveryhelpfulto
her；forIwasalmostfourteenyearsold，wastallofmyage，
andlookedalittlewomanish；butIhadsuchatasteofgenteel
livingatthelady’shousethatIwasnotsoeasyinmyold
quartersasIusedtobe，andIthoughtitwasfinetobea
gentlewomanindeed，forIhadquiteothernotionsofa
gentlewomannowthanIhadbefore；andasIthought，Isay，
thatitwasfinetobeagentlewoman，soIlovedtobeamong
gentlewomen，andthereforeIlongedtobethereagain。
AboutthetimethatIwasfourteenyearsandaquarterold，
mygoodnurse，motherIrathertocallher，fellsickanddied。
Iwastheninasadconditionindeed，forasthereisnogreat
bustleinputtinganendtoapoorbody’sfamilywhenonce
theyarecarriedtothegrave，sothepoorgoodwomanbeing
buried，theparishchildrenshekeptwereimmediatelyremoved
bythechurch-wardens；theschoolwasatanend，andthe
childrenofithadnomoretodobutjuststayathometillthey
weresentsomewhereelse；andasforwhatsheleft，herdaughter，
amarriedwomanwithsixorsevenchildren，cameandswept
itallawayatonce，andremovingthegoods，theyhadnomore
tosaytomethantojestwithme，andtellmethatthelittle
gentlewomanmightsetupforherselfifshepleased。
Iwasfrightedoutofmywitsalmost，andknewnotwhattodo，
forIwas，asitwere，turnedoutofdoorstothewideworld，and
thatwhichwasstillworse，theoldhonestwomanhadtwo-and-
twentyshillingsofmineinherhand，whichwasalltheestatethe
littlegentlewomanhadintheworld；andwhenIaskedthe
daughterforit，shehuffedmeandlaughedatme，andtoldme
shehadnothingtodowithit。
Itwastruethegood，poorwomanhadtoldherdaughterofit，
andthatitlayinsuchaplace，thatitwasthechild’smoney，
hadcalledonceortwiceformetogiveitme，butIwas，
unhappily，outofthewaysomewhereorother，andwhenI
camebackshewaspastbeinginaconditiontospeakofit。
However，thedaughterwassohonestafterwardsastogiveit
me，thoughatfirstsheusedmecruellyaboutit。
NowwasIapoorgentlewomanindeed，andIwasjustthat
verynighttobeturnedintothewideworld；forthedaughter
removedallthegoods，andIhadnotsomuchasalodgingto
goto，orabitofbreadtoeat。
Butitseemssomeoftheneighbours，
whohadknownmycircumstances，tooksomuchcompassion
ofmeastoacquainttheladyinwhosefamilyIhadbeenaweek，
asImentionedabove；andimmediatelyshesenthermaidto
fetchmeaway，andtwoofherdaughterscamewiththemaid
thoughunsent。
SoIwentwiththem，bagandbaggage，and
withagladheart，youmaybesure。
Thefrightofmycondition
