it，withacandleinmyhand，andsoreachedthepiecesoutto
him，takingcareasIgavehimsomesotosecureasmuchabout
myselfasIcouldconvenientlydisposeof。
Therewasnear
worthoflaceinthehole，andIsecuredabout#50worth
ofittomyself。
Thepeopleofthehousewerenotownersof
thelace，butamerchantwhohadentrustedthemwithit；so
thattheywerenotsosurprisedasIthoughttheywouldbe。
Ilefttheofficeroverjoyedwithhisprize，andfullysatisfied
withwhathehadgot，andappointedtomeethimatahouse
ofhisowndirecting，whereIcameafterIhaddisposedofthe
cargoIhadaboutme，ofwhichhehadnottheleastsuspicion。
WhenIcametohimhebegantocapitulatewithme，believing
IdidnotunderstandtherightIhadtoashareintheprize，and
wouldfainhaveputmeoffwith#20，butIlethimknowthatI
wasnotsoignorantashesupposedIwas；andyetIwasglad，
too，thatheofferedtobringmetoacertainty。
Iasked#100，andheroseupto#30；Ifellto#80，andherose
againto#40；inaword，heoffered#50，andIconsented，only
demandingapieceoflace，whichIthoughcametoabout#8
or#9，asifithadbeenformyownwear，andheagreedtoit。
SoIgot#50inmoneypaidmethatsamenight，andmadean
endofthebargain；nordidheeverknowwhoIwas，orwhere
toinquireforme，sothatifithadbeendiscoveredthatpartof
thegoodswereembezzled，hecouldhavemadenochallenge
uponmeforit。
Iverypunctuallydividedthisspoilwithmygoverness，andI
passedwithherfromthistimeforaverydexterousmanager
inthenicestcases。
Ifoundthatthislastwasthebestand
easiestsortofworkthatwasinmyway，andImadeitmy
businesstoinquireoutprohibitedgoods，andafterbuying
some，usuallybetrayedthem，butnoneofthesediscoveries
amountedtoanythingconsiderable，notlikethatIrelatedjust
now；butIwaswillingtoactsafe，andwasstillcautiousof
runningthegreatriskswhichIfoundothersdid，andinwhich
theymiscarriedeveryday。
Thenextthingofmomentwasanattemptatagentlewoman’s
goodwatch。
Ithappenedinacrowd，atameeting-house，
whereIwasinverygreatdangerofbeingtaken。
Ihadfull
holdofherwatch，butgivingagreatjostle，asifsomebody
hadthrustmeagainsther，andinthejuncturegivingthewatch
afairpull，Ifounditwouldnotcome，soIletitgothatmoment，
andcriedoutasifIhadbeenkilled，thatsomebodyhadtrod
uponmyfoot，andthattherewerecertainlypickpocketsthere，
forsomebodyorotherhadgivenapullatmywatch；foryou
aretoobservethatontheseadventureswealwayswentvery
welldressed，andIhadverygoodclotheson，andagoldwatch
bymyside，aslikealadyasotherfold。
Ihadnosoonersaidso，buttheothergentlewomancriedout
’Apickpocket’too，forsomebody，shesaid，hadtriedtopull
herwatchaway。
WhenItouchedherwatchIwasclosetoher，butwhenIcried
outIstoppedasitwereshort，andthecrowdbearingher
forwardalittle，shemadeanoisetoo，butitwasatsomedistance
fromme，sothatshedidnotintheleastsuspectme；butwhen
shecriedout’Apickpocket，’somebodycried，’Ay，andhere
hasbeenanother！thisgentlewomanhasbeenattemptedtoo。’
Atthatveryinstance，alittlefartherinthecrowd，andvery
luckilytoo，theycriedout’Apickpocket，’again，andreally
seizedayoungfellowintheveryact。
This，thoughunhappy
forthewretch，wasveryopportunelyformycase，thoughI
hadcarrieditoffhandsomelyenoughbefore；butnowitwas
outofdoubt，andalltheloosepartofthecrowdranthatway，
andthepoorboywasdelivereduptotherageofthestreet，
whichisacrueltyIneednotdescribe，andwhich，however，
theyarealwaysgladof，ratherthantobesenttoNewgate，
wheretheylieoftenalongtime，tilltheyarealmostperished，
andsometimestheyarehanged，andthebesttheycanlookfor，
iftheyareconvicted，istobetransported。
Thiswasanarrowescapetome，andIwassofrightedthatI
venturednomoreatgoldwatchesagreatwhile。
Therewas
indeedagreatmanyconcurringcircumstancesinthisadventure
whichassistedtomyescape；butthechiefwas，thatthewoman
whosewatchIhadpulledatwasafool；thatistosay，shewas
ignorantofthenatureoftheattempt，whichonewouldhave
thoughtsheshouldnothavebeen，seeingshewaswiseenough
tofastenherwatchsothatitcouldnotbeslippedup。
Butshe
wasinsuchafrightthatshehadnothoughtaboutherproper
forthediscovery；forshe，whenshefeltthepull，screamedout，
andpushedherselfforward，andputallthepeopleaboutherinto
disorder，butsaidnotawordofherwatch，orofapickpocket，
foraleasttwominutes’time，whichwastimeenoughforme，
andtospare。
ForasIhadcriedoutbehindher，asIhavesaid，
andboremyselfbackinthecrowdassheboreforward，there
wereseveralpeople，atleastsevenoreight，thethrongbeing
stillmovingon，thatweregotbetweenmeandherinthattime，
andthenIcryingout’Apickpocket，’rathersoonerthanshe，
oratleastassoon，shemightaswellbethepersonsuspected
asI，andthepeoplewereconfusedintheirinquiry；whereas，
hadshewithapresenceofmindneedfulonsuchanoccasion，
assoonasshefeltthepull，notscreamedoutasshedid，but
turnedimmediatelyroundandseizedthenextbodythatwas
behindher，shehadinfalliblytakenme。
Thisisadirectionnotofthekindestsorttothefraternity，but
’tiscertainlyakeytotheclueofapickpocket’smotions，and
whoevercanfollowitwillascertainlycatchthethiefashe
willbesuretomissifhedoesnot。
Ihadanotheradventure，whichputsthismatteroutofdoubt，
andwhichmaybeaninstructionforposterityinthecaseofa
pickpocket。
Mygoodoldgoverness，togiveashorttouchat
herhistory，thoughshehadleftoffthetrade，was，asImaysay，
bornapickpocket，and，asIunderstoodafterwards，hadrun
throughalltheseveraldegreesofthatart，andyethadnever
beentakenbutonce，whenshewassogrosslydetected，that
shewasconvictedandorderedtobetransported；butbeinga
womanofararetongue，andwithalhavingmoneyinherpocket，
shefoundmeans，theshipputtingintoIrelandforprovisions，
togetonshorethere，whereshelivedandpractisedherold
tradeforsomeyears；whenfallingintoanothersortofbad
company，sheturnedmidwifeandprocuress，andplayeda
hundredpranksthere，whichshegavemealittlehistoryofin
confidencebetweenusaswegrewmoreintimate；anditwas
tothiswickedcreaturethatIowedalltheartanddexterityI
arrivedto，inwhichtherewerefewthateverwentbeyondme，
orthatpractisedsolongwithoutanymisfortune。
ItwasafterthoseadventuresinIreland，andwhenshewas
prettywellknowninthatcountry，thatsheleftDublinand
cameovertoEngland，where，thetimeofhertransportation
beingnotexpired，sheleftherformertrade，forfearoffalling
intobadhandsagain，forthenshewassuretohavegoneto
wreck。
Hereshesetupthesametradeshehadfollowedin
Ireland，inwhichshesoon，byheradmirablemanagementand
goodtongue，arrivedtotheheightwhichIhavealready
described，andindeedbegantoberich，thoughhertradefell
offagainafterwards，asIhavehintedbefore。
Imentionedthusmuchofthehistoryofthiswomanhere，the
bettertoaccountfortheconcernshehadinthewickedlifeI
wasnowleading，intoalltheparticularsofwhichsheledme，
asitwere，bythehand，andgavemesuchdirections，andIso
wellfollowedthem，thatIgrewthegreatestartistofmytime
andworkedmyselfoutofeverydangerwithsuchdexterity，
thatwhenseveralmoreofmycomradesranthemselvesinto
Newgatepresently，andbythattimetheyhadbeenhalfayear
atthetrade，Ihadnowpractisedupwardsoffiveyears，and
thepeopleatNewgatedidnotsomuchasknowme；theyhad
heardmuchofmeindeed，andoftenexpectedmethere，butI
alwaysgotoff，thoughmanytimesintheextremestdanger。
OneofthegreatestdangersIwasnowin，wasthatIwastoo
wellknownamongthetrade，andsomeofthem，whosehatred
wasowingrathertoenvythananyinjuryIhaddonethem，
begantobeangrythatIshouldalwaysescapewhentheywere
alwayscatchedandhurriedtoNewgate。
Theseweretheythat
gavemethenameofMollFlanders；foritwasnomoreof
affinitywithmyrealnameorwithanyofthenameIhadever
goneby，thanblackisofkintowhite，exceptthatonce，as
before，IcalledmyselfMrs。Flanders；whenIshelteredmyself
intheMint；butthattheseroguesneverknew，norcouldIever
learnhowtheycametogivemethename，orwhattheoccasion
ofitwas。
Iwassooninformedthatsomeofthesewhoweregottenfast
intoNewgatehadvowedtoimpeachme；andasIknewthat
twoorthreeofthemwerebuttooabletodoit，Iwasunder
agreatconcernaboutit，andkeptwithindoorsforagood
while。
Butmygoverness——whomIalwaysmadepartnerinmy
success，andwhonowplayedasuregamewithme，forthat
shehadashareofthegainandnoshareinthehazard——Isay，
mygovernesswassomethingimpatientofmyleadingsucha
useless，unprofitablelife，asshecalledit；andshelaidanew
contrivanceformygoingabroad，andthiswastodressmeup
inmen’sclothes，andsoputmeintoanewkindofpractice。
Iwastallandpersonable，butalittletoosmooth-facedfora
man；however，Iseldomwentabroadbutinthenight，itdid
wellenough；butitwasalongtimebeforeIcouldbehavein
mynewclothes——Imean，astomycraft。
Itwasimpossibleto
besonimble，soready，sodexterousatthesethingsinadress
socontrarytonature；andIdideverythingclumsily，soIhad
neitherthesuccessnortheeasinessofescapethatIhadbefore，
andIresolvedtoleaveitoff；butthatresolutionwasconfirmed
soonafterbythefollowingaccident。
Asmygovernessdisguisedmelikeaman，soshejoinedme
withaman，ayoungfellowthatwasnimbleenoughathis
business，andforaboutthreeweekswedidverywelltogether。
Ourprincipaltradewaswatchingshopkeepers’counters，and
slippingoffanykindofgoodswecouldseecarelesslylaid
anywhere，andwemadeseveralgoodbargains，aswecalled
them，atthiswork。
Andaswekeptalwaystogether，sowe
grewveryintimate，yetheneverknewthatIwasnotaman，
