askyourpardonwiththegreatestsincerity；Iamthemost
miserableofmen，inhavingdeludedyou。
Ihavebeensohappy
topossesyou，andnowamsowretchedastobeforcedtofly
fromyou。
Forgiveme，mydear；oncemoreIsay，forgiveme！
Iamnotabletoseeyouruinedbyme，andmyselfunableto
supportyou。
Ourmarriageisnothing；Ishallneverbeableto
seeyouagain；Iheredischargeyoufromit；ifyoucanmarry
toyouradvantage，donotdeclineitonmyaccount；Ihere
sweartoyouonmyfaith，andonthewordofamanofhonour，
IwillneverdisturbyourreposeifIshouldknowofit，which，
however，isnotlikely。
Ontheotherhand，ifyoushouldnot
marry，andifgoodfortuneshouldbefallme，itshallbeallyours，
whereveryouare。
’IhaveputsomeofthestockofmoneyIhaveleftintoyour
pocket；takeplacesforyourselfandyourmaidinthestage-coach，
andgoforLondon；Ihopeitwillbearyourchargesthither，
withoutbreakingintoyourown。
AgainIsincerelyaskyour
pardon，andwilldosoasoftenasIshalleverthinkofyou。
Adieu，mydear，forever！——Iam，yourmostaffectionately，J。E。’
Nothingthateverbefellmeinmylifesanksodeepintomy
heartasthisfarewell。
Ireproachedhimathousandtimesin
mythoughtsforleavingme，forIwouldhavegonewithhim
throughtheworld，ifIhadbeggedmybread。
Ifeltinmy
pocket，andtherefoundtenguineas，hisgoldwatch，andtwo
littlerings，oneasmalldiamondringworthonlyabout#6，and
theotheraplaingoldring。
Isatmedownandlookeduponthesethingstwohours
together，andscarcespokeaword，tillmymaidinterrupted
mebytellingmemydinnerwasready。
Iatebutlittle，and
afterdinnerIfellintoavehementfitofcrying，everynowand
thencallinghimbyhisname，whichwasJames。
’OJemmy！’
saidI，’comeback，comeback。
I’llgiveyouallIhave；I’ll
beg，I’llstarvewithyou。’
AndthusIranravingaboutthe
roomseveraltimes，andthensatdownbetweenwhiles，and
thenwalkingaboutagain，calleduponhimtocomeback，and
thencriedagain；andthusIpassedtheafternoon，tillabout
seveno’clock，whenitwasneardusk，intheevening，being
August，when，tomyunspeakablesurprise，hecomesback
intotheinn，butwithoutaservant，andcomesdirectlyupinto
mychamber。
Iwasinthegreatestconfusionimaginable，andsowashetoo。
Icouldnotimaginewhatshouldbetheoccasionofit，and
begantobeatoddswithmyselfwhethertobegladorsorry；
butmyaffectionbiassedalltherest，anditwasimpossibleto
concealmyjoy，whichwastoogreatforsmiles，foritburst
outintotears。
Hewasnosoonerenteredtheroombutheran
tomeandtookmeinhisarms，holdingmefast，andalmost
stoppingmybreathwithhiskisses，butspokenotaword。
AtlengthIbegan。
’Mydear，’saidI，’howcouldyougoaway
fromme？’towhichhegavenoanswer，foritwasimpossible
forhimtospeak。
Whenourecstasieswerealittleover，hetoldmehewasgone
aboutfifteenmiles，butitwasnotinhispowertogoanyfarther
withoutcomingbacktoseemeagain，andtotakehisleaveof
meoncemore。
ItoldhimhowIhadpassedmytime，andhowloudIhad
calledhimtocomebackagain。
Hetoldmeheheardmevery
plainuponDelamereForest，ataplaceabouttwelvemilesoff。
Ismiled。
’Nay，’sayshe，’donotthinkIaminjest，forifever
Iheardyourvoiceinmylife，Iheardyoucallmealoud，and
sometimesIthoughtIsawyourunningafterme。’
’Why，’
saidI，’whatdidIsay？’——forIhadnotnamedthewordstohim。
’Youcalledaloud，’sayshe，’andsaid，OJemmy！
OJemmy！
comeback，comeback。’
Ilaughedathim。
’Mydear，’sayshe，’donotlaugh，for，depend
uponit，Iheardyourvoiceasplainasyouhearminenow；if
youplease，I’llgobeforeamagistrateandmakeoathofit。’
I
thenbegantobeamazedandsurprised，andindeedfrightened，
andtoldhimwhatIhadreallydone，andhowIhadcalledafter
him，asabove。
Whenwehadamusedourselvesawhileaboutthis，Isaidto
him:
’Well，youshallgoawayfrommenomore；I’llgoall
overtheworldwithyourather。’
Hetoldmeitwouldbevery
difficultthingforhimtoleaveme，butsinceitmustbe，he
hopedIwouldmakeitaseasytomeasIcould；butasforhim，
itwouldbehisdestructionthatheforesaw。
However，hetoldmethatheconsideredhehadleftmeto
traveltoLondonalone，whichwastoolongajourney；and
thatashemightaswellgothatwayasanywayelse，hewas
resolvedtoseemesafethither，ornearit；andifhedidgo
awaythenwithouttakinghisleave，Ishouldnottakeitillof
him；andthishemademepromise。
Hetoldmehowhehaddismissedhisthreeservants，sold
theirhorses，andsentthefellowsawaytoseektheirfortunes，
andallinalittletime，atatownontheroad，Iknownotwhere。
’And，’sayshe，’itcostmesometearsallalonebymyself，to
thinkhowmuchhappiertheywerethantheirmaster，forthey
couldgotothenextgentleman’shousetoseeforaservice，
whereas，’saidhe，’Iknewnotwithertogo，orwhattodo
withmyself。’
ItoldhimIwassocompletelymiserableinpartingwithhim，
thatIcouldnotbeworse；andthatnowhewascomeagain，
Iwouldnotgofromhim，ifhewouldtakemewithhim，let
himgowhitherhewould，ordowhathewould。
Andinthe
meantimeIagreedthatwewouldgotogethertoLondon；but
Icouldnotbebroughttoconsentheshouldgoawayatlast
andnottakehisleaveofme，asheproposedtodo；buttold
him，jesting，thatifhedid，Iwouldcallhimbackagainasloud
asIdidbefore。
ThenIpulledouthiswatchandgaveithim
back，andhistworings，andhistenguineas；buthewouldnot
takethem，whichmademeverymuchsuspectthatheresolved
togooffupontheroadandleaveme。
Thetruthis，thecircumstanceshewasin，thepassionate
expressionsofhisletter，thekind，gentlemanlytreatmentIhad
fromhiminalltheaffair，withtheconcernheshowedforme
init，hismannerofpartingwiththatlargesharewhichhegave
meofhislittlestockleft——allthesehadjoinedtomakesuch
impressionsonme，thatIreallylovedhimmosttenderly，and
couldnotbearthethoughtsofpartingwithhim。
TwodaysafterthiswequittedChester，Iinthestage-coach，
andheonhorseback。
IdismissedmymaidatChester。
He
wasverymuchagainstmybeingwithoutamaid，butshebeing
aservanthiredinthecountry，andIresolvingtokeepno
servantatLondon，Itoldhimitwouldhavebeenbarbarous
tohavetakenthepoorwenchandhaveturnedherawayas
soonasIcametotown；anditwouldalsohavebeenaneedless
chargeontheroad，soIsatisfiedhim，andhewaseasyenough
onthescore。
HecamewithmeasfarasDunstable，withinthirtymilesof
London，andthenhetoldmefateandhisownmisfortunes
obligedhimtoleaveme，andthatitwasnotconvenientfor
himtogotoLondon，forreasonswhichitwasofnovalueto
metoknow，andIsawhimpreparingtogo。
Thestage-coach
wewereindidnotusuallystopatDunstable，butIdesiringit
butforaquartofanhour，theywerecontenttostandatan
inndoorawhile，andwewentintothehouse。
Beingintheinn，ItoldhimIhadbutonefavourmoretoas
ofhim，andthatwas，thatsincehecouldnotgoanyfarther，
hewouldgivemeleavetostayaweekortwointhetownwith
him，thatwemightinthattimethinkofsomethingtoprevent
sucharuinousthingtousboth，asafinalseparationwouldbe；
andthatIhadsomethingofmomenttoofferhim，thatIhad
neversaidyet，andwhichperhapshemightfindpracticableto
ourmutualadvantage。
Thiswastooreasonableaproposaltobedenied，sohecalled
thelandladyofthehouse，andtoldherhiswifewastakenill，
andsoillthatshecouldnotthinkofgoinganyfartherinthe
stage-coach，whichhadtiredheralmosttodeath，andasked
ifshecouldnotgetusalodgingfortwoorthreedaysina
privatehouse，whereImightrestmealittle，forthejourney
hadbeentoomuchforme。
Thelandlady，agoodsortof
woman，well-bredandveryobliging，cameimmediatelyto
seeme；toldmeshehadtwoorthreeverygoodroomsina
partofthehousequiteoutofthenoise，andifIsawthem，
shedidnotdoubtbutIwouldlikethem，andIshouldhave
oneofhermaids，thatshoulddonothingelsebutbeappointed
towaitonme。
Thiswassoverykind，thatIcouldnotbut
acceptofit，andthankher；soIwenttolookontheroomsand
likedthemverywell，andindeedtheywereextraordinarily
furnished，andverypleasantlodgings；sowepaidthestage-coach，
tookoutourbaggage，andresolvedtostayhereawhile。
HereItoldhimIwouldlivewithhimnowtillallmymoney
wasspent，butwouldnotlethimspendashillingofhisown。
Wehadsomekindsquabbleaboutthat，butItoldhimitwas
thelasttimeIwasliketoenjoyhiscompany，andIdesiredhe
wouldletmebemasterinthatthingonly，andheshouldgovern
ineverythingelse；soheacquiesced。
Hereoneevening，takingawalkintothefields，ItoldhimI
wouldnowmaketheproposaltohimIhadtoldhimof；
accordinglyIrelatedtohimhowIhadlivedinVirginia，that
IhadamotherIbelievedwasalivetherestill，thoughmy
husbandwasdeadsomeyears。
Itoldhimthathadnotmy
effectsmiscarried，which，bytheway，Imagnifiedprettymuch，
Imighthavebeenfortunegoodenoughtohimtohavekept
usfrombeingpartedinthismanner。
ThenIenteredintothe
