presentlytoldthepeopleofthehouse，thatIdursttosaythose
werenotthepersons，forthatIknewoneofthegentlemento
beaveryhonestperson，andofagoodestateinLancashire。
Theconstablewhocamewiththehue-and-crywasimmediately
informedofthis，andcameovertometobesatisfiedfrommy
ownmouth，andIassuredhimthatIsawthethreegentlemen
asIwasatthewindow；thatIsawthemafterwardsatthe
windowsoftheroomtheydinedin；thatIsawthemafterwards
takehorse，andIcouldassurehimIknewoneofthemtobe
suchaman，thathewasagentlemanofaverygoodestate，and
anundoubtedcharacterinLancashire，fromwhenceIwasjust
nowuponmyjourney。
TheassurancewithwhichIdeliveredthisgavethemobgentry
acheck，andgavetheconstablesuchsatisfaction，thathe
immediatelysoundedaretreat，toldhispeoplethesewerenot
themen，butthathehadanaccounttheywereveryhonest
gentlemen；andsotheywentallbackagain。
Whatthetruthof
thematterwasIknewnot，butcertainitwasthatthecoaches
wererobbedatDunstableHill，and#560inmoneytaken；
besides，someofthelacemerchantsthatalwaystravelthatway
hadbeenvisitedtoo。
Astothethreegentlemen，thatremains
tobeexplainedhereafter。
Well，thisalarmstoppedusanotherday，thoughmyspouse
wasfortravelling，andtoldmethatitwasalwayssafesttravelling
afterarobbery，forthatthethievesweresuretobegonefar
enoughoffwhentheyhadalarmedthecountry；butIwasafraid
anduneasy，andindeedprincipallylestmyoldacquaintance
shouldbeupontheroadstill，andshouldchancetoseeme。
Ineverlivedfourpleasanterdaystogetherinmylife。
Iwasa
merebrideallthiswhile，andmynewspousestrovetomake
meentirelyeasyineverything。
Ohcouldthisstateoflifehave
continued，howhadallmypasttroublesbeenforgot，andmy
futuresorrowsavoided！
ButIhadapastlifeofamostwretched
kindtoaccountfor，someifitinthisworldaswellasinanother。
Wecameawaythefifthday；andmylandlord，becausehesaw
meuneasy，mountedhimself，hisson，andthreehonestcountry
fellowswithgoodfirearms，and，withouttellingusofit，
followedthecoach，andwouldseeussafeintoDunstable。
coulddonolessthantreatthemveryhandsomelyatDunstable，
whichcostmyspouseabouttenortwelveshillings，and
somethinghegavethemenfortheirtimetoo，butmylandlord
wouldtakenothingforhimself。
Thiswasthemosthappycontrivanceformethatcouldhave
fallenout；forhadIcometoLondonunmarried，Imusteither
havecometohimforthefirstnight’sentertainment，orhave
discoveredtohimthatIhadnotoneacquaintanceinthewhole
cityofLondonthatcouldreceiveapoorbridgeforthefirst
night’slodgingwithherspouse。
Butnow，beinganoldmarried
woman，Imadenoscrupleofgoingdirectlyhomewithhim，
andthereItookpossessionatonceofahousewellfurnished，
andahusbandinverygoodcircumstances，sothatIhada
prospectofaveryhappylife，ifIknewhowtomanageit；and
IhadleisuretoconsideroftherealvalueofthelifeIwaslikely
tolive。
Howdifferentitwastobefromthelooseungoverned
partIhadactedbefore，andhowmuchhappieralifeofvirtue
andsobrietyis，thanthatwhichwecallalifeofpleasure。
Ohhadthisparticularsceneoflifelasted，orhadIlearned
fromthattimeIenjoyedit，tohavetastedthetruesweetness
ofit，andhadInotfallenintothatpovertywhichisthesure
baneofvirtue，howhappyhadIbeen，notonlyhere，butperhaps
forever！
forwhileIlivedthus，Iwasreallyapenitentforall
mylifepast。
Ilookedbackonitwithabhorrence，andmight
trulybesaidtohatemyselfforit。
Ioftenreflectedhowmy
loverattheBath，struckatthehandofGod，repentedand
abandonedme，andrefusedtoseemeanymore，thoughhe
lovedmetoanextreme；butI，promptedbythatworstof
devils，poverty，returnedtothevilepractice，andmadethe
advantageofwhattheycallahandsomefacetobetherelief
tomynecessities，andbeautybeapimptovice。
NowIseemedlandedinasafeharbour，afterthestormyvoyage
oflifepastwasatanend，andIbegantobethankfulformy
deliverance。
Isatmanyanhourbymyself，andweptoverthe
remembranceofpastfollies，andthedreadfulextravagances
ofawickedlife，andsometimesIflatteredmyselfthatIhad
sincerelyrepented。
Buttherearetemptationswhichitisnotinthepowerofhuman
naturetoresist，andfewknowwhatwouldbetheircaseif
driventothesameexigencies。
Ascovetousnessistherootof
allevil，sopovertyis，Ibelieve，theworstofallsnares。
ButI
waivethatdiscoursetillIcometoanexperiment。
Ilivewiththishusbandwiththeutmosttranquillity；hewasa
quiet，sensible，soberman；virtuous，modest，sincere，andin
hisbusinessdiligentandjust。
Hisbusinesswasinanarrow
compass，andhisincomesufficienttoaplentifulwayofliving
intheordinaryway。
Idonotsaytokeepanequipage，and
makeafigure，astheworldcallsit，nordidIexpectit，ordesire
it；forasIabhorredthelevityandextravaganceofmyformer
life，soIchosenowtoliveretired，frugal，andwithinourselves。
Ikeptnocompany，madenovisits；mindedmyfamily，and
obligedmyhusband；andthiskindoflifebecameapleasuretome。
Welivedinanuninterruptedcourseofeaseandcontentfor
fiveyears，whenasuddenblowfromanalmostinvisiblehand
blastedallmyhappiness，andturnedmeoutintotheworldin
aconditionthereverseofallthathadbeenbeforeit。
Myhusbandhavingtrustedoneofhisfellow-clerkswithasum
ofmoney，toomuchforourfortunestobearthelossof，the
clerkfailed，andthelossfellveryheavyonmyhusband，yetit
wasnotsogreatneitherbutthat，ifhehadhadspiritandcourage
tohavelookedhismisfortunesintheface，hiscreditwasso
goodthat，asItoldhim，hewouldeasilyrecoverit；fortosink
undertroubleistodoubletheweight，andhethatwilldieinit，
shalldieinit。
Itwasinvaintospeakcomfortablytohim；thewoundhad
sunktoodeep；itwasastabthattouchedthevitals；hegrew
melancholyanddisconsolate，andfromthencelethargic，and
died。
Iforesawtheblow，andwasextremelyoppressedinmy
mind，forIsawevidentlythatifhediedIwasundone。
Ihadhadtwochildrenbyhimandnomore，for，totellthe
truth，itbegantobetimeformetoleavebearingchildren，for
Iwasnoweight-and-forty，andIsupposeifhehadlivedI
shouldhavehadnomore。
Iwasnowleftinadismalanddisconsolatecaseindeed，and
inseveralthingsworsethanever。
First，itwaspastthe
flourishingtimewithmewhenImightexpecttobecourted
foramistress；thatagreeableparthaddeclinedsometime，and
theruinsonlyappearedofwhathadbeen；andthatwhichwas
worsethanallthis，thatIwasthemostdejected，disconsolate
creaturealive。
Ithathadencouragedmyhusband，and
endeavouredtosupporthisspiritsunderhistrouble，couldnot
supportmyown；IwantedthatspiritintroublewhichItold
himwassonecessarytohimforbearingtheburthen。
Butmycasewasindeeddeplorable，forIwasleftperfectly
friendlessandhelpless，andthelossmyhusbandhadsustained
hadreducedhiscircumstancessolow，thatthoughindeedI
wasnotindebt，yetIcouldeasilyforeseethatwhatwasleft
wouldnotsupportmelong；thatwhileitwasteddailyfor
subsistence，Ihadnotwaytoincreaseitoneshilling，sothat
itwouldbesoonallspent，andthenIsawnothingbeforeme
buttheutmostdistress；andthisrepresenteditselfsolivelyto
mythoughts，thatitseemedasifitwascome，beforeitwas
reallyverynear；alsomyveryapprehensionsdoubledthemisery，
forIfanciedeverysixpencethatIpaidforaloafofbreadwas
thelastthatIhadintheworld，andthatto-morrowIwasto
fast，andbestarvedtodeath。
InthisdistressIhadnoassistant，nofriendtocomfortor
adviseme；Isatandcriedandtormentedmyselfnightandday，
wringingmyhands，andsometimesravinglikeadistracted
woman；andindeedIhaveoftenwonderedithadnotaffected
myreason，forIhadthevapourstosuchadegree，thatmy
understandingwassometimesquitelostinfanciesand
imaginations。
Ilivedtwoyearsinthisdismalcondition，wastingthatlittleI
had，weepingcontinuallyovermydismalcircumstances，and，
asitwere，onlybleedingtodeath，withouttheleasthopeor
prospectofhelpfromGodorman；andnowIhadcriedtoo
long，andsooften，thattearswere，asImightsay，exhausted，
andIbegantobedesperate，forIgrewpoorapace。
ForalittlereliefIhadputoffmyhouseandtooklodgings；
andasIwasreducingmyliving，soIsoldoffmostofmygoods，
whichputalittlemoneyinmypocket，andIlivednearayear
uponthat，spendingverysparingly，anekingthingsouttothe
utmost；butstillwhenIlookedbeforeme，myveryheartwould
sinkwithinmeattheinevitableapproachofmiseryandwant。
Ohletnonereadthispartwithoutseriouslyreflectingonthe
circumstancesofadesolatestate，andhowtheywouldgrapple
withmerewantoffriendsandwantofbread；itwillcertainly
makethemthinknotofsparingwhattheyhaveonly，butof
lookinguptoheavenforsupport，andofthewiseman’sprayer，
’Givemenotpoverty，lestIsteal。’
Letthemrememberthatatimeofdistressisatimeofdreadful
temptation，andallthestrengthtoresististakenaway；
poverty
presses，thesoulismadedesperatebydistress，andwhatcan
bedone？
Itwasoneevening，whenbeingbrought，asImay
say，tothelastgasp，IthinkImaytrulysayIwasdistracted
andraving，whenpromptedbyIknownotwhatspirit，and，as
itwere，doingIdidnotknowwhatorwhy，Idressedme(for
Ihadstillprettygoodclothes)andwentout。
Iamverysure
IhadnomannerofdesigninmyheadwhenIwentout；Ineither
knewnorconsideredwheretogo，oronwhatbusiness；butas
thedevilcarriedmeoutandlaidhisbaitforme，sohebrought
me，tobesure，totheplace，forIknewnotwhitherIwasgoing
orwhatIdid。
Wanderingthusabout，Iknewnotwhither，Ipassedbyan
apothecary’sshopinLeadenhallStreet，whenIsawlieona
stooljustbeforethecounteralittlebundlewrappedinawhite
cloth；beyonditstoodamaid-servantwithherbacktoit，
lookingtowardsthetopoftheshop，wheretheapothecary’s
apprentice，asIsuppose，wasstandinguponthecounter，with
hisbackalsotothedoor，andacandleinhishand，looking
andreachinguptotheuppershelfforsomethinghewanted，
sothatbothwereengagedmightyearnestly，andnobodyelse
intheshop。
Thiswasthebait；andthedevil，whoIsaidlaidthesnare，as
readilypromptedmeasifhehadspoke，forIremember，and
shallneverforgetit，’twaslikeavoicespokentomeovermy
shoulder，’Takethebundle；bequick；doitthismoment。’
