wasnosoonersaidbutIsteppedintotheshop，andwithmy
backtothewench，asifIhadstoodupforacartthatwas
goingby，Iputmyhandbehindmeandtookthebundle，and
wentoffwithit，themaidorthefellownotperceivingme，or
anyoneelse。
Itisimpossibletoexpressthehorrorofmysoulalthewhile
Ididit。
WhenIwentawayIhadnohearttorun，orscarceto
mendmypace。
Icrossedthestreetindeed，andwentdown
thefirstturningIcameto，andIthinkitwasastreetthatwent
throughintoFenchurchStreet。
FromthenceIcrossedand
turnedthroughsomanywaysanturnings，thatIcouldnever
tellwhichwayitwas，notwhereIwent；forIfeltnotthe
groundIsteppedon，andthefartherIwasoutofdanger，the
fasterIwent，till，tiredandoutofbreath，Iwasforcedtosit
downonalittlebenchatadoor，andthenIbegantorecover，
andfoundIwasgotintoThamesStreet，nearBillingsgate。
I
restedmealittleandwenton；mybloodwasallinafire；my
heartbeatasifIwasinasuddenfright。
Inshort，Iwasunder
suchasurprisethatIstillknewnotwitherIwasgoing，or
whattodo。
AfterIhadtiredmyselfthuswithwalkingalongwayabout，
andsoeagerly，Ibegantoconsiderandmakehometomy
lodging，whereIcameaboutnineo’clockatnight。
Whenthebundlewasmadeupfor，oronwhatoccasionlaid
whereIfoundit，Iknewnot，butwhenIcametoopenitI
foundtherewasasuitofchildbed-lineninit，verygoodand
almostnew，thelaceveryfine；therewasasilverporringerof
apint，asmallsilvermugandsixspoons，withsomeother
linen，agoodsmock，andthreesilkhandkerchiefs，andinthe
mug，wrappedupinapaper，18s。6d。inmoney。
AllthewhileIwasopeningthesethingsIwasundersuch
dreadfulimpressionsoffear，andIsuchterrorofmind，though
Iwasperfectlysafe，thatIcannotexpressthemannerofit。
I
satmedown，andcriedmostvehemently。
’Lord，’saidI，’what
amInow？athief！
Why，Ishallbetakenexttime，andbe
carriedtoNewgateandbetriedformylife！’
AndwiththatI
criedagainalongtime，andIamsure，aspoorasIwas，ifI
haddurstforfear，Iwouldcertainlyhavecarriedthethings
backagain；butthatwentoffafterawhile。
Well，Iwentto
bedforthatnight，butsleptlittle；thehorrorofthefactwas
uponmymind，andIknewnotwhatIsaidordidallnight，
andallthenextday。
ThenIwasimpatienttohearsomenews
oftheloss；andwouldfainknowhowitwas，whetherthey
wereapoorbody’sgoods，orarich。
’Perhaps，’saidI，’it
maybesomepoorwidowlikeme，thathadpackedupthese
goodstogoandsellthemforalittlebreadforherselfanda
poorchild，andarenowstarvingandbreakingtheirheartsfor
wantofthatlittletheywouldhavefetched。’
Andthisthought
tormentedmeworsethanalltherest，forthreeorfourdays’
time。
Butmyowndistressessilencedallthesereflections，andthe
prospectofmyownstarving，whichgreweverydaymore
frightfultome，hardenedmyheartbydegrees。
Itwasthen
particularlyheavyuponmymind，thatIhadbeenreformed，
andhad，asIhoped，repentedofallmypastwickedness；that
Ihadlivedasober，grave，retiredlifeforseveralyears，butnow
Ishouldbedrivenbythedreadfulnecessityofmycircumstances
tothegatesofdestruction，soulandbody；andtwoorthree
timesIfelluponmyknees，prayingtoGod，aswellasIcould，
fordeliverance；butIcannotbutsay，myprayershadnohope
inthem。
Iknewnotwhattodo；itwasallfearwithout，and
darkwithin；andIreflectedonmypastlifeasnotsincerely
repentedof，thatHeavenwasnowbeginningtopunishmeon
thissidethegrave，andwouldmakemeasmiserableasIhad
beenwicked。
HadIgoneonhereIhadperhapsbeenatruepenitent；butI
hadanevilcounsellorwithin，andhewascontinuallyprompting
metorelievemyselfbytheworstmeans；sooneeveninghe
temptedmeagain，bythesamewickedimpulsethathadsaid
’Takethatbundle，’togooutagainandseekforwhatmight
happen。
Iwentoutnowbydaylight，andwanderedaboutIknewnot
whither，andinsearchofIknewnotwhat，whenthedevilput
asnareinmywayofadreadfulnatureindeed，andsuchaone
asIhaveneverhadbeforeorsince。
GoingthroughAldersgate
Street，therewasaprettylittlechildwhohadbeenatadancing-
school，andwasgoinghome，allalone；andmyprompter，like
atruedevil，setmeuponthisinnocentcreature。
Italkedtoit，
anditprattledtomeagain，andItookitbythehandandled
italongtillIcametoapavedalleythatgoesintoBartholomew
Close，andIleditinthere。
Thechildsaidthatwasnotitsway
home。
Isaid，’Yes，mydear，itis；I’llshowyouthewayhome。’
Thechildhadalittlenecklaceonofgoldbeads，andIhadmy
eyeuponthat，andinthedarkofthealleyIstooped，pretending
tomendthechild’sclogthatwasloose，andtookoffher
necklace，andthechildneverfeltit，andsoledthechildon
again。
Here，Isay，thedevilputmeuponkillingthechildin
thedarkalley，thatitmightnotcry，buttheverythought
frightedmesothatIwasreadytodropdown；butIturnedthe
childaboutandbadeitgobackagain，forthatwasnotitsway
home。
Thechildsaid，soshewould，andIwentthroughinto
BartholomewClose，andthenturnedroundtoanotherpassage
thatgoesintoSt。JohnStreet；then，crossingintoSmithfield，
wentdownChickLaneandintoFieldLanetoHolbornBridge，
when，mixingwiththecrowdofpeopleusuallypassingthere，
itwasnotpossibletohavebeenfoundout；andthusI
enterprisedmysecondsallyintotheworld。
Thethoughtsofthisbootyputoutallthethoughtsofthefirst，
andthereflectionsIhadmadeworequicklyoff；poverty，asI
havesaid，hardenedmyheart，andmyownnecessitiesmade
meregardlessofanything。
Thelastaffairleftnogreatconcern
uponme，forasIdidthepoorchildnoharm，Ionlysaidto
myself，Ihadgiventheparentsajustreprooffortheirnegligence
inleavingthepoorlittlelambtocomehomebyitself，andit
wouldteachthemtotakemorecareofitanothertime。
Thisstringofbeadswasworthabouttwelveorfourteenpounds。
Isupposeitmighthavebeenformerlythemother’s，foritwas
toobigforthechild’swear，butthatperhapsthevanityofthe
mother，tohaveherchildlookfineatthedancing-school，had
madeherletthechildwearit；andnodoubtthechildhada
maidsenttotakecareofit，butshe，carelessjade，wastaken
upperhapswithsomefellowthathadmetherbytheway，
andsothepoorbabywanderedtillitfellintomyhands。
However，Ididthechildnoharm；Ididnotsomuchasfright
it，forIhadagreatmanytenderthoughtsaboutmeyet，and
didnothingbutwhat，asImaysay，merenecessitydrovemeto。
Ihadagreatmanyadventuresafterthis，butIwasyoungin
thebusiness，anddidnotknowhowtomanage，otherwisethan
asthedevilputthingsintomyhead；andindeedhewasseldom
backwardtome。
OneadventureIhadwhichwasverylucky
tome。
IwasgoingthroughLombardStreetintheduckofthe
evening，justbytheendofThreeKingcourt，whenonasudden
comesafellowrunningbymeasswiftaslightning，andthrows
abundlethatwasinhishand，justbehindme，asIstoodup
againstthecornerofthehouseattheturningintothealley。
Justashethrewitinhesaid，’Godblessyou，mistress，letit
lietherealittle，’andawayherunsswiftasthewind。
After
himcomestwomore，andimmediatelyayoungfellowwithout
hishat，crying’Stopthief！’andafterhimtwoorthreemore。
Theypursuedthetwolastfellowssoclose，thattheywere
forcedtodropwhattheyhadgot，andoneofthemwastaken
intothebargain，andothergotofffree。
Istoodstock-stillallthiswhile，tilltheycameback，dragging
thepoorfellowtheyhadtaken，andluggingthethingsthey
hadfound，extremelywellsatisfiedthattheyhadrecovered
thebootyandtakenthethief；andthustheypassedbyme，for
Ilookedonlylikeonewhostoodupwhilethecrowdwasgone。
OnceortwiceIaskedwhatwasthematter，butthepeople
neglectedansweringme，andIwasnotveryimportunate；but
afterthecrowdwaswhollypast，Itookmyopportunitytoturn
aboutandtakeupwhatwasbehindmeandwalkaway。
This，
indeed，IdidwithlessdisturbancethanIhaddoneformerly，
forthesethingsIdidnotsteal，buttheywerestolentomyhand。
Igotsafetomylodgingswiththiscargo，whichwasapieceof
fineblacklustringsilk，andapieceofvelvet；thelatterwasbut
partofapieceofaboutelevenyards；theformerwasawhole
pieceofnearfiftyyards。
Itseemsitwasamercer’sshopthat
theyhadrifled。
Isayrifled，becausethegoodswereso
considerablethattheyhadlost；forthegoodsthatthey
recoveredwereprettymany，andIbelievecametoaboutsix
orsevenseveralpiecesofsilk。
Howtheycametogetsomany
Icouldnottell；butasIhadonlyrobbedthethief，Imadeno
scrupleattakingthesegoods，andbeingverygladofthemtoo。
Ihadprettygoodluckthusfar，andImadeseveraladventures
more，thoughwithbutsmallpurchase，yetwithgoodsuccess，
butIwentindailydreadthatsomemischiefwouldbefallme，
andthatIshouldcertainlycometobehangedatlast。
The
impressionthismadeonmewastoostrongtobeslighted，and
itkeptmefrommakingattemptsthat，foroughtIknew，might
havebeenverysafelyperformed；butonethingIcannotomit，
whichwasabaittomemanyaday。
