mannerofpeoplesgoingovertothosecountriestosettle，
howtheyhadaquantityoflandgiventhembytheConstitution
oftheplace；andifnot，thatitmightbepurchasedatsoeasya
ratethisitwasnotworthnaming。
Ithengavehimafullanddistinctaccountofthenatureof
planting；howwithcarryingoverbuttwoorthreehundred
poundsvalueinEnglishgoods，withsomeservantsandtools，
amanofapplicationwouldpresentlylayafoundationfora
family，andinaveryfewyearsbecertaintoraiseanestate。
Ilethimintothenatureoftheproductoftheearth；howthe
groundwascuredandprepared，andwhattheusualincrease
ofitwas；anddemonstratedtohim，thatinaveryfewyears，
withsuchabeginning，weshouldbeascertainofbeingrich
aswewerenowcertainofbeingpoor。
Hewassurprisedatmydiscourse；forwemadeitthewhole
subjectofourconversationfornearaweektogether，inwhich
timeIlaiditdowninblackandwhite，aswesay，thatitwas
morallyimpossible，withasuppositionofanyreasonablegood
conduct，butthatwemustthrivethereanddoverywell。
ThenItoldhimwhatmeasuresIwouldtaketoraisesucha
sumof#300orthereabouts；andIarguedwithhimhowgood
amethoditwouldbetoputanendtoourmisfortunesand
restoreourcircumstancesintheworld，towhatwehadboth
expected；andIadded，thataftersevenyears，ifwelived，we
mightbeinaposturetoleaveourplantationsingoodhands，
andcomeoveragainandreceivetheincomeofit，andlive
hereandenjoyit；andIgavehimexamplesofsomethathad
doneso，andlivednowinverygoodcircumstancesinLondon。
Inshort，Ipressedhimsotoit，thathealmostagreedtoit，but
stillsomethingorotherbrokeitoffagain；tillatlastheturned
thetables，andhebegantotalkalmosttothesamepurposeof
Ireland。
Hetoldmethatamanthatcouldconfinehimselftocountry
life，andthatcouldfindbutstocktoenteruponanyland，
shouldhavefarmstherefor#50ayear，asgoodaswerehere
letfor#200ayear；thattheproducewassuch，andsorichthe
land，thatifmuchwasnotlaidup，weweresuretoliveas
handsomelyuponitasagentlemanof#3000ayearcoulddo
inEnglandandthathehadlaidaschemetoleavemeinLondon，
andgooverandtry；andifhefoundhecouldlayahandsome
foundationoflivingsuitabletotherespecthehadforme，as
hedoubtednotheshoulddo，hewouldcomeoverandfetchme。
Iwasdreadfullyafraidthatuponsuchaproposalhewould
havetakenmeatmyword，viz。tosellmylittleincomeasI
calledit，andturnitintomoney，andlethimcarryitoverinto
Irelandandtryhisexperimentwithit；buthewastoojustto
desireit，ortohaveaccepteditifIhadofferedit；andhe
anticipatedmeinthat，forheadded，thathewouldgoandtry
hisfortunethatway，andifhefoundhecoulddoanythingat
ittolive，then，byaddingminetoitwhenIwentover，we
shouldlivelikeourselves；butthathewouldnothazarda
shillingofminetillhehadmadetheexperimentwithalittle，
andheassuredmethatifhefoundnothingtobedoneinIreland，
hewouldthencometomeandjoininmyprojectforVirginia。
Hewassoearnestuponhisprojectbeingtobetriedfirst，that
Icouldnotwithstandhim；however，hepromisedtoletme
hearfromhiminaverylittletimeafterhisarrivingthere，to
letmeknowwhetherhisprospectansweredhisdesign，that
iftherewasnotapossibilityofsuccess，Imighttakethe
occasiontoprepareforourothervoyage，andthen，heassured
me，hewouldgowithmetoAmericawithallhisheart。
Icouldbringhimtonothingfurtherthanthis。
However，those
consultationsentertainedusnearamonth，duringwhichI
enjoyedhiscompany，whichindeedwasthemostentertaining
thateverImetinmylifebefore。
Inthistimeheletmeinto
thewholestoryofhisownlife，whichwasindeedsurprising，
andfullofaninfinitevarietysufficienttofillupamuchbrighter
history，foritsadventuresandincidents，thananyIeversayin
print；butIshallhaveoccasiontosaymoreofhimhereafter。
Wepartedatlast，thoughwiththeutmostreluctanceonmy
side；andindeedhetookhisleaveveryunwillinglytoo，but
necessityobligedhim，forhisreasonswereverygoodwhyhe
wouldnotcometoLondon，asIunderstoodmorefullysome
timeafterwards。
Igavehimadirectionhowtowritetome，thoughstillI
reservedthegrandsecret，andneverbrokemyresolution，
whichwasnottolethimeverknowmytruename，whoIwas，
orwheretobefound；helikewiseletmeknowhowtowritea
lettertohim，sothat，hesaid，hewouldbesuretoreceiveit。
IcametoLondonthenextdayafterweparted，butdidnotgo
directlytomyoldlodgings；butforanothernamelessreason
tookaprivatelodginginSt。John’sStreet，or，asitisvulgarly
called，St。Jones’s，nearClerkenwell；andhere，beingperfectly
alone，Ihadleisuretositdownandreflectseriouslyuponthe
lastsevenmonths’rambleIhadmade，forIhadbeenabroad
noless。
ThepleasanthoursIhadwithmylasthusbandIlooked
backonwithaninfinitedealofpleasure；butthatpleasurewas
verymuchlessenedwhenIfoundsometimeafterthatIwas
reallywithchild。
Thiswasaperplexingthing，becauseofthedifficultywhich
wasbeforemewhereIshouldgetleavetoliein；itbeingoneof
thenicestthingsintheworldatthattimeofdayforawoman
thatwasastranger，andhadnofriends，tobeentertainedin
thatcircumstancewithoutsecurity，which，bytheway，Ihad
not，neithercouldIprocureany。
Ihadtakencareallthiswhiletopreserveacorrespondence
withmyhonestfriendatthebank，orratherhetookcareto
correspondwithme，forhewrotetomeonceaweek；and
thoughIhadnotspentmymoneysofastastowantanyfrom
him，yetIoftenwrotealsotolethimknowIwasalive。
Ihad
leftdirectionsinLancashire，sothatIhadtheseletters，which
hesent，conveyedtome；andduringmyrecessatSt。Jones’s
receivedaveryobligingletterfromhim，assuringmethathis
processforadivorcefromhiswifewentonwithsuccess，
thoughhemetwithsomedifficultiesinitthathedidnotexpect。
Iwasnotdispleasedwiththenewsthathisprocesswasmore
tediousthanheexpected；forthoughIwasinnoconditionto
havehimyet，notbeingsofoolishtomarryhimwhenIknew
myselftobewithchildbyanotherman，assomeIknowhave
venturedtodo，yetIwasnotwillingtolosehim，and，ina
word，resolvedtohavehimifhecontinuedinthesamemind，
assoonasIwasupagain；forIsawapparentlyIshouldhear
nomorefrommyhusband；andashehadallalongpressedto
marry，andhadassuredmehewouldnotbeatalldisgustedat
it，oreveroffertoclaimmeagain，soImadenoscrupleto
resolvetodoitifIcould，andifmyotherfriendstoodtohis
bargain；andIhadagreatdealofreasontobeassuredthathe
wouldstandtoit，bythelettershewrotetome，whichwere
thekindestandmostobligingthatcouldbe。
Inowgrewbig，andthepeoplewhereIlodgedperceivedit，
andbegantotakenoticeofittome，and，asfarascivility
wouldallow，intimatedthatImustthinkofremoving。
This
putmetoextremeperplexity，andIgrewverymelancholy，for
indeedIknewnotwhatcoursetotake。
Ihadmoney，butno
friends，andwasliketohaveachilduponmyhandstokeep，
whichwasadifficultIhadneverhaduponmeyet，asthe
particularsofmystoryhithertomakeappear。
InthecourseofthisaffairIfellveryill，andmymelancholy
reallyincreasedmydistemper；myillnessprovedatlengthto
beonlyanague，butmyapprehensionswerereallythatIshould
miscarry。
Ishouldnotsayapprehensions，forindeedIwould
havebeengladtomiscarry，butIcouldneverbebroughtto
entertainsomuchasathoughtofendeavouringtomiscarry，
oroftakinganythingtomakememiscarry；Iabhorred，Isay，
somuchasthethoughtofit。
However，speakingofitinthehouse，thegentlewomanwho
keptthehouseproposedtometosendforamidwife。
I
scrupleditatfirst，butaftersometimeconsentedtoit，but
toldherIhadnoparticularacquaintancewithanymidwife，
andsoleftittoher。
Itseemsthemistressofthehousewasnotsogreatastranger
tosuchcasesasminewasasIthoughtatfirstshehadbeen，
aswillappearpresently，andshesentforamidwifeofthe
rightsort——thatistosay，therightsortforme。
Thewomanappearedtobeanexperiencedwomaninher
business，Imeanasamidwife；butshehadanothercallingtoo，
inwhichshewasasexpertasmostwomenifnotmore。
My
landladyhadtoldherIwasverymelancholy，andthatshe
believedthathaddonemeharm；andonce，beforeme，saidto
her，’Mrs。B——’(meaningthemidwife)，’Ibelievethislady’s
troubleisofakindthatisprettymuchinyourway，and
thereforeifyoucandoanythingforher，praydo，forsheisa
verycivilgentlewoman’；andsoshewentoutoftheroom。
Ireallydidnotunderstandher，butmyMotherMidnightbegan
veryseriouslytoexplainwhatshemean，assoonasshewas
gone。
’Madam，’saysshe，’youseemnottounderstandwhat
yourlandladymeans；andwhenyoudounderstandit，youneed
notletherknowatallthatyoudoso。
’Shemeansthatyouareundersomecircumstancesthatmay
renderyourlyingindifficulttoyou，andthatyouarenotwilling
tobeexposed。
Ineedsaynomore，buttotellyou，thatifyou
thinkfittocommunicatesomuchofyourcasetome，ifitbeso，
asisnecessary，forIdonotdesiretopryintothosethings，I
perhapsmaybeinapositiontohelpyouandtomakeyou
perfectlyeasy，andremoveallyourdullthoughtsuponthat
subject。’
Everywordthiscreaturesaidwasacordialtome，andput
newlifeandnewspiritintomyheart；mybloodbeganto
circulateimmediately，andIwasquiteanotherbody；Iatemy
victualsagain，andgrewbetterpresentlyafterit。
Shesaida
greatdealmoretothesamepurpose，andthen，havingpressed
metobefreewithher，andpromisedinthesolemnestmanner
tobesecret，shestoppedalittle，asifwaitingtoseewhat
impressionitmadeonme，andwhatIwouldsay。
IwastosensibletoothewantIwasinofsuchawoman，not
toacceptheroffer；Itoldhermycasewaspartlyasshe
guessed，andpartlynot，forIwasreallymarried，andhada
husband，thoughhewasinsuchfinecircumstancesandso
remoteatthattime，asthathecouldnotappearpublicly。
Shetookmeshort，andtoldmethatwasnoneofherbusiness；
alltheladiesthatcameunderhercareweremarriedwomen
toher。
