Theresheis。’
’Why，sister，’saysthegentlemanvery
gravely，’whatdoyoumean？
Ionlydesirehertodointothe
HighStreet’(andthenhepullsoutaturnover)，’tosuchashop’；
andthenhetellsthemalongstoryoftwofineneckclothshe
hadbidmoneyfor，andhewantedtohavemegoandmakean
errandtobuyanecktotheturnoverthatheshowed，toseeif
theywouldtakemymoneyfortheneckcloths；tobidashilling
more，andhagglewiththem；andthenhemademoreerrands，
andsocontinuedtohavesuchpettybusinesstodo，thatIshould
besuretostayagoodwhile。
Whenhehadgivenmemyerrands，hetoldthemalongstory
ofavisithewasgoingtomaketoafamilytheyallknew，and
wherewastobesuch-and-suchgentlemen，andhowmerry
theyweretobe，andveryformallyaskshissisterstogowith
him，andtheyasformallyexcusedthemselves，becauseof
companythattheyhadnoticewastocomeandvisitthemthat
afternoon；which，bytheway，hehadcontrivedonpurpose。
Hehadscarcedonespeakingtothem，andgivingmemy
errand，buthismancameuptotellhimthatSirW——H——’s
coachstoppedatthedoor；soherunsdown，andcomesup
againimmediately。
’Alas！’sayshealoud，’there’sallmy
mirthspoiledatonce；sirW——hassenthiscoachforme，
anddesirestospeakwithmeuponsomeearnestbusiness。’
ItseemsthisSirW——wasagentlemanwholivedaboutthree
milesoutoftown，towhomhehadspokenonpurposetheday
before，tolendhimhischariotforaparticularoccasion，and
hadappointedittocallforhim，asitdid，aboutthreeo’clock。
Immediatelyhecallsforhisbestwig，hat，andsword，and
orderinghismantogototheotherplacetomakehisexcuse——
thatwastosay，hemadeanexcusetosendhismanaway——he
preparestogointothecoach。
Ashewasgoing，hestoppeda
while，andspeaksmightyearnestlytomeabouthisbusiness，
andfindsanopportunitytosayverysoftlytome，’Comeaway，
mydear，assoonaseveryoucan。’
Isaidnothing，butmadea
curtsy，asifIhaddonesotowhathesaidinpublic。
Inabout
aquarterofanhourIwentouttoo；Ihadnodressotherthan
before，exceptthatIhadahood，amask，afan，andapairof
glovesinmypocket；sothattherewasnottheleastsuspicion
inthehouse。
Hewaitedformeinthecoachinaback-lane，
whichheknewImustpassby，andhaddirectedthecoachman
whithertogo，whichwastoacertainplace，calledMileEnd，
wherelivedaconfidantofhis，wherewewentin，andwhere
wasalltheconvenienceintheworldtobeaswickedaswe
pleased。
Whenweweretogetherhebegantotalkverygravelytome，
andtotellmehedidnotbringmetheretobetrayme；thathis
passionformewouldnotsufferhimtoabuseme；thathe
resolvedtomarrymeassoonashecametohisestate；thatin
themeantime，ifIwouldgranthisrequest，hewouldmaintain
meveryhonourably；andmademeathousandprotestations
ofhissincerityandofhisaffectiontome；andthathewould
neverabandonme，andasImaysay，madeathousandmore
preamblesthanheneedtohavedone。
However，ashepressedmetospeak，ItoldhimIhadno
reasontoquestionthesincerityofhislovetomeaftersomany
protestations，but——andthereIstopped，asifIlefthimto
guesstherest。
’Butwhat，mydear？’sayshe。
’Iguesswhat
youmean:
whatifyoushouldbewithchild？
Isnotthatit？
Why，then，’sayshe，’I’lltakecareofyouandprovideforyou，
andthechildtoo；andthatyoumayseeIamnotinjest，’says
he，’here’sanearnestforyou，’andwiththathepullsoutasilk
purse，withanhundredguineasinit，andgaveitme。
’AndI’ll
giveyousuchanother，’sayshe，’everyyeartillImarryyou。’
Mycolourcameandwent，atthesightofthepurseandwith
thefireofhisproposaltogether，sothatIcouldnotsayaword，
andheeasilyperceivedit；soputtingthepurseintomybosom，
Imadenomoreresistancetohim，butlethimdojustwhathe
pleased，andasoftenashepleased；andthusIfinishedmy
owndestructionatonce，forfromthisday，beingforsakenof
myvirtueandmymodesty，Ihadnothingofvalueleftto
recommendme，eithertoGod’sblessingorman’sassistance。
Butthingsdidnotendhere。
Iwentbacktothetown，didthe
businesshepubliclydirectedmeto，andwasathomebefore
anybodythoughtmelong。
Asformygentleman，hestayed
out，ashetoldmehewould，tilllateatnight，andtherewas
nottheleastsuspicioninthefamilyeitheronhisaccountor
onmine。
Wehad，afterthis，frequentopportunitiestorepeatourcrime——
chieflybyhiscontrivance——especiallyathome，whenhis
motherandtheyoungladieswentabroada-visiting，whichhe
watchedsonarrowlyasnevertomiss；knowingalways
beforehandwhentheywentout，andthenfailednottocatch
meallalone，andsecurelyenough；sothatwetookourfillof
ourwickedpleasurefornearhalfayear；andyet，whichwas
themosttomysatisfaction，Iwasnotwithchild。
Butbeforethishalf-yearwasexpired，hisyoungerbrother，of
whomIhavemadesomementioninthebeginningofthestory，
fallstoworkwithme；andhe，findingmealonginthegarden
oneevening，beginsastoryofthesamekindtome，made
goodhonestprofessionsofbeinginlovewithme，andinshort，
proposesfairlyandhonourablytomarryme，andthatbefore
hemadeanyotheroffertomeatall。
Iwasnowconfounded，anddriventosuchanextremityas
thelikewasneverknown；atleastnottome。
Iresistedthe
proposalwithobstinacy；andnowIbegantoarmmyselfwith
arguments。
Ilaidbeforehimtheinequalityofthematch；the
treatmentIshouldmeetwithinthefamily；theingratitudeit
wouldbetohisgoodfatherandmother，whohadtakenme
intotheirhouseuponsuchgenerousprinciples，andwhenI
wasinsuchalowcondition；and，inshort，Isaideverything
todissuadehimfromhisdesignthatIcouldimagine，except
tellinghimthetruth，whichwouldindeedhaveputanendto
Itall，butthatIdurstnotthinkofmentioning。
ButherehappenedacircumstancethatIdidnotexpect
indeed，whichputmetomyshifts；forthisyounggentleman，
ashewasplainandhonest，sohepretendedtonothingwith
mebutwhatwassotoo；and，knowinghisowninnocence，he
wasnotsocarefultomakehishavingakindnessforMrs。Betty
asecretIthehouse，ashisbrotherwas。
Andthoughhedid
notletthemknowthathehadtalkedtomeaboutit，yethe
saidenoughtolethissistersperceivehelovedme，andhis
mothersawittoo，which，thoughtheytooknonoticeofitto
me，yettheydidtohim，animmediatelyIfoundtheircarriage
tomealtered，morethaneverbefore。
Isawthecloud，thoughIdidnotforeseethestorm。
Itwas
easy，Isay，toseethattheircarriagetomewasaltered，and
thatitgrewworseandworseeveryday；tillatlastIgot
informationamongtheservantsthatIshould，inaverylittle
while，bedesiredtoremove。
Iwasnotalarmedatthenews，havingafullsatisfactionthat
Ishouldbeotherwiseprovidedfor；andespeciallyconsidering
thatIhadreasoneverydaytoexpectIshouldbewithchild，
andthatthenIshouldbeobligedtoremovewithoutany
pretencesforit。
Aftersometimetheyoungergentlemantookanopportunity
totellmethatthekindnesshehadformehadgotventinthe
family。
Hedidnotchargemewithit，hesaid，forheknow
wellenoughwhichwayitcameout。
Hetoldmehisplainway
of
talkinghadbeentheoccasionofit，forthathedidnotmake
hisrespectformesomuchasecretashemighthavedone，
andthereasonwas，thathewasatapoint，thatifIwould
consenttohavehim，hewouldtellthemallopenlythathe
lovedme，andthatheintendedtomarryme；thatitwastrue
hisfatherandmothermightresentit，andbeunkind，butthat
hewasnowinawaytolive，beingbredtothelaw，andhedid
notfearmaintainingmeagreeabletowhatIshouldexpect；
andthat，inshort，ashebelievedIwouldnotbeashamedof
him，sohewasresolvednottobeashamedofme，andthathe
scornedtobeafraidtoownmenow，whomheresolvedto
ownafterIwashiswife，andthereforeIhadnothingtodobut
togivehimmyhand，andhewouldanswerforalltherest。
Iwasnowinadreadfulconditionindeed，andnowIrepented
heartilymyeasinesswiththeeldestbrother；notfromany
reflectionofconscience，butfromaviewofthehappinessI
mighthaveenjoyed，andhadnowmadeimpossible；forthough
Ihadnogreatscruplesofconscience，asIhavesaid，tostruggle
with，yetIcouldnotthinkofbeingawhoretoonebrotherand
awifetotheother。
Butthenitcameintomythoughtsthatthe
firstbrotherhadpromisedtomademehiswifewhenhecame
tohisestate；butIpresentlyrememberedwhatIhadoften
thoughtof，thathehadneverspokenawordofhavingmefor
awifeafterhehadconqueredmeforamistress；andindeed，
tillnow，thoughIsaidIthoughtofitoften，yetitgavemeno
disturbanceatall，forashedidnotseemintheleasttolessen
hisaffectiontome，soneitherdidhelessenhisbounty，though
hehadthediscretionhimselftodesiremenottolayouta
pennyofwhathegavemeinclothes，ortomaketheleastshow
extraordinary，becauseitwouldnecessarilygivejealousyin
thefamily，sinceeverybodyknowIcouldcomeatsuchthings
nomannerofordinaryway，butbysomeprivatefriendship，
whichtheywouldpresentlyhavesuspected。
ButIwasnowinagreatstrait，andknewnotwhatto
do。
Themaindifficultywasthis:
theyoungerbrothernot
onlylaidclosesiegetome，butsufferedittobeseen。
