mehewouldseemesafehome，which，bytheway，Iwasnot
verywellpleasewith，supposinghemightdothattoknow
whereIlivedandinquireintomycharacterandcircumstances。
However，Iventuredthat，forallthatthepeoplethereor
thereaboutknewofme，wastomyadvantage；andallthe
characterhehadofme，afterhehadinquired，wasthatIwas
awomanoffortune，andthatIwasaverymodest，soberbody；
which，whethertrueornotinthemain，yetyoumayseehow
necessaryitisforallwomenwhoexpectanythingintheworld，
topreservethecharacteroftheirvirtue，evenwhenperhaps
theymayhavesacrificedthethingitself。
Ifound，andwasnotalittlepleasewithit，thathehadprovided
asupperforme。
Ifoundalsohelivedveryhandsomely，and
hadahouseveryhandsomelyfurnished；allofwhichIwas
rejoicedatindeed，forIlookeduponitasallmyown。
Wehadnowasecondconferenceuponthesubject-matterof
thelastconference。
Helaidhisbusinessveryhomeindeed；he
protestedhisaffectiontome，andindeedIhadnoroomto
doubtit；hedeclaredthatitbeganfromthefirstmomentI
talkedwithhim，andlongbeforeIhadmentionedleavingmy
effectswithhim。
’’Tisnomatterwhenitbegan，’thoughtI；
’ifitwillbuthold，’twillbewellenough。’
Hethentoldme
howmuchtheofferIhadmadeoftrustinghimwithmyeffects，
andleavingthemtohim，hadenragedhim。
’SoIintendedit
should，’thoughtI，’butthenIthoughtyouhadbeenasingle
mantoo。’
Afterwehadsupped，Iobservedhepressedme
veryhardtodrinktwoorthreeglassesofwine，which，however，
Ideclined，butdrankoneglassortwo。
Hethentoldmehe
hadaproposaltomaketome，whichIshouldpromisehimI
wouldnottakeillifIshouldnotgrantit。
ItoldhimIhoped
hewouldmakenodishonourableproposaltome，especially
inhisownhouse，andthatifitwassuch，Idesiredhewould
notproposeit，thatImightnotbeobligedtoofferany
resentmenttohimthatdidnotbecometherespectIprofessed
forhim，andthetrustIhadplacedinhimincomingtohishouse；
andbeggedofhimhewouldgivemeleavetogoaway，and
accordinglybegantoputonmyglovesandpreparetobegone，
thoughatthesametimeInomoreintendeditthanheintended
toletme。
Well，heimportunedmenottotalkofgoing；heassuredme
hehadnodishonourablethinginhisthoughtsaboutme，and
wasveryfarfromofferinganythingtomethatwasdishonourable，
andifIthoughtso，hewouldchoosetosaynomoreofit。
ThatpartIdidnotrelishatall。
ItoldhimIwasreadytohear
anythingthathehadtosay，dependingthathewouldsaynothing
unworthyofhimself，orunfitformetohear。
Uponthis，he
toldmehisproposalwasthis:
thatIwouldmarryhim，though
hehadnotyetobtainedthedivorcefromthewhorehiswife；
andtosatisfymethathemeanthonourably，hewouldpromise
nottodesiremetolivewithhim，orgotobedwithhimtillthe
divorcewasobtained。
Myheartsaidyettothisofferatfirst
word，butitwasnecessarytoplaythehypocritealittlemore
withhim；soIseemedtodeclinethemotionwithsomewarmth，
andbesidesalittlecondemningthethingasunfair，toldhim
thatsuchaproposalcouldbeofnosignification，buttoentangle
usbothingreatdifficulties；forifheshouldnotatlastobtain
thedivorce，yetwecouldnotdissolvethemarriage，neither
couldweproceedinit；sothatifhewasdisappointedinthe
divorce，Ilefthimtoconsiderwhataconditionweshould
bothbein。
Inshort，Icarriedontheargumentagainstthissofar，thatI
convincedhimitwasnotaproposalthathadanysenseinit。
Well，thenhewentfromittoanother，andthatwas，thatI
wouldsignandsealacontractwithhim，conditioningtomarry
himassoonasthedivorcewasobtained，andtobevoidifhe
couldnotobtainit。
Itoldhimsuchathingwasmorerationalthantheother；but
asthiswasthefirsttimethateverIcouldimaginehimweak
enoughtobeinearnestinthisaffair，IdidnotusetosayYes
atfirstasking；Iwouldconsiderofit。
Iplayedwiththisloverasananglerdoeswithatrout。
Ifound
Ihadhimfastonthehook，soIjestedwithhisnewproposal，
andputhimoff。
Itoldhimheknewlittleofme，andbadehim
inquireaboutme；Ilethimalsogohomewithmetomylodging，
thoughIwouldnotaskhimtogoin，forItoldhimitwasnot
decent。
Inshort，Iventuredtoavoidsigningacontractofmarriage，
andthereasonwhyIdiditwasbecausetheladythathad
invitedmesoearnestlytogowithherintoLancashireinsisted
sopositivelyuponit，andpromisedmesuchgreatfortunes，
andsuchfinethingsthere，thatIwastemptedtogoandtry。
’Perhaps，’saidI，’Imaymendmyselfverymuch’；andthenI
madenoscrupleinmythoughtsofquittingmyhonestcitizen，
whomIwasnotsomuchinlovewithasnottoleavehimfor
aricher。
Inaword，Iavoidedacontract；buttoldhimIwouldgointo
thenorth，thatheshouldknowwheretowritetomebythe
consequenceofthebusinessIhadentrustedwithhim；thatI
wouldgivehimasufficientpledgeofmyrespectforhim，for
IwouldleavealmostallIhadintheworldinhishands；and
Iwouldthusfargivehimmyword，thatassoonashehad
suedoutadivorcefromhisfirstwife，hewouldsendmean
accountofit，IwouldcomeuptoLondon，andthatthenwe
wouldtalkseriouslyofthematter。
ItwasabasedesignIwentwith，thatImustconfess，though
Iwasinvitedthitherwithadesignmuchworsethanminewas，
asthesequelwilldiscover。
Well，Iwentwithmyfriend，asI
calledher，intoLancashire。
Allthewaywewentshecaressed
mewiththeutmostappearanceofasincere，undissembled
affection；treatedme，exceptmycoach-hire，alltheway；and
herbrotherbroughtagentleman’scoachtoWarringtonto
receiveus，andwewerecarriedfromthencetoLiverpoolwith
asmuchceremonyasIcoulddesire。
Wewerealsoentertained
atamerchant’shouseinLiverpoolthreeorfourdaysvery
handsomely；Iforbeartotellhisname，becauseofwhatfollowed。
Thenshetoldmeshewouldcarrymetoanuncle’shouseof
hers，whereweshouldbenoblyentertained。
Shedidso；her
uncle，asshecalledhim，sentacoachandfourhorsesforus，
andwewerecarriednearfortymilesIknownotwhither。
Wecame，however，toagentleman’sseat，wherewasa
numerousfamily，alargepark，extraordinarycompanyindeed，
andwhereshewascalledcousin。
Itoldherifshehadresolved
tobringmeintosuchcompanyasthis，sheshouldhaveletme
havepreparedmyself，andhavefurnishedmyselfwithbetter
clothes。
Theladiestooknoticeofthat，andtoldmevery
genteellytheydidnotvaluepeopleintheircountrysomuch
bytheirclothesastheydidinLondon；thattheircousinhad
fullyinformedthemofmyquality，andthatIdidnotwant
clothestosetmeoff；inshort，theyentertainedme，notlike
whatIwas，butlikewhattheythoughtIhadbeen，namely，a
widowladyofagreatfortune。
ThefirstdiscoveryImadeherewas，thatthefamilywereall
RomanCatholics，andthecousintoo，whomIcalledmyfriend；
however，Imustsaythatnobodyintheworldcouldbehave
bettertome，andIhadallthecivilityshownmethatIcould
havehadifIhadbeenoftheiropinion。
Thetruthis，Ihadnot
somuchprincipleofanykindastobeniceinpointofreligion，
andIpresentlylearnedtospeakfavourablyoftheRomish
Church；particularly，ItoldthemIsawlittlebuttheprejudice
ofeducationinallthedifferencethatwereamongChristians
aboutreligion，andifithadsohappenedthatmyfatherhad
beenaRomanCatholic，IdoubtednotbutIshouldhavebeen
aswellpleasedwiththeirreligionasmyown。
Thisobligedtheminthehighestdegree，andasIwasbesieged
dayandnightwithgoodcompanyandpleasantdiscourse，so
Ihadtwoorthreeoldladiesthatlayatmeuponthesubject
ofreligiontoo。
Iwassocomplaisant，thatthoughIwouldnot
completelyengage，yetImadenoscrupletobepresentattheir
mass，andtoconformtoalltheirgesturesastheyshowedme
thepattern，butIwouldnotcometoocheap；sothatIonlyin
themainencouragedthemtoexpectthatIwouldturnRoman
Catholic，ifIwasinstructedintheCatholicdoctrineasthey
calledit，andsothematterrested。
Istayedhereaboutsixweeks；andthenmyconductorledme
backtoacountryvillage，aboutsixmilesfromLiverpool，
whereherbrother(asshecalledhim)cametovisitmeinhis
ownchariot，andinaverygoodfigure，withtwofootmenin
agoodlivery；andthenextthingwastomakelovetome。
As
ithadhappenedtome，onewouldthinkIcouldnothavebeen
cheated，andindeedIthoughtsomyself，havingasafecardat
home，whichIresolvednottoquitunlessIcouldmendmyself
verymuch。
However，inallappearancethisbrotherwasa
matchworthmylisteningto，andtheleasthisestatewasvalued
atwas#1000ayear，butthesistersaiditwasworth#1500a
year，and
laymostofitinIreland。
Ithatwasagreatfortune，andpassedforsuch，wasabove
beingaskedhowmuchmyestatewas；andmyfalsefriend
takingituponafoolishhearsay，hadraiseditfrom#500to
andbythetimeshecameintothecountryshecalled
it
