bedone，’andsowepartedforthatnight。
Ilayintheprisonnearfifteenweeksafterthisorderfor
transportationwassigned。
Whatthereasonofitwas，Iknow
not，butattheendofthistimeIwasputonboardofashipin
theThames，andwithmeagangofthirteenashardenedvile
creaturesaseverNewgateproducedinmytime；anditwould
reallywelltakeupahistorylongerthanminetodescribethe
degreesofimpudenceandaudaciousvillainythatthosethirteen
werearrivedto，andthemanneroftheirbehaviourinthe
voyage；ofwhichIhaveaverydivertingaccountbyme，which
thecaptainoftheshipwhocarriedthemovergavemethe
minutesof，andwhichhecausedhismatetowritedownatlarge。
Itmayperhapsbethoughttriflingtoenterhereintoarelation
ofallthelittleincidentswhichattendedmeinthisintervalof
mycircumstances；Imean，betweenthefinalorderofmy
transporationandthetimeofmygoingonboardtheship；and
Iamtooneartheendofmystorytoallowroomforit；but
somethingrelatingtomeanymyLancashirehusbandImust
notomit。
Hehad，asIhaveobservedalready，beencarriedfromthe
master’ssideoftheordinaryprisonintothepress-yard，with
threeofhiscomrades，fortheyfoundanothertoaddtothem
aftersometime；here，forwhatreasonIknewnot，theywere
keptincustodywithoutbeingbroughttotrialalmostthree
months。
Itseemstheyfoundmeanstobribeorbuyoffsome
ofthosewhowereexpectedtocomeinagainstthem，andthey
wantedevidenceforsometimetoconvictthem。
Aftersome
puzzleonthisaccount，atfirsttheymadeashifttogetproof
enoughagainsttwoofthemtocarrythemoff；buttheother
two，ofwhichmyLancashirehusbandwasone，laystillin
suspense。
Theyhad，Ithink，onepositiveevidenceagainst
eachofthem，butthelawstrictlyobligingthemtohavetwo
witnesses，theycouldmakenothingofit。
Yetitseemsthey
wereresolvednottopartwiththemenneither，notdoubting
butafurtherevidencewouldatlastcomein；andinorderto
this，Ithinkpublicationwasmade，thatsuchprisonersbeing
taken，anyonethathadbeenrobbedbythemmightcometo
theprisonandseethem。
Itookthisopportunitytosatisfymycuriosity，pretendingthat
IhadbeenrobbedintheDunstablecoach，andthatIwouldgo
toseethetwohighwaymen。
ButwhenIcameintothepress-yard，
Isodisguisedmyself，andmuffledmyfaceupso，thathecould
seelittleofme，andconsequentlyknewnothingofwhoIwas；
andwhenIcameback，IsaidpubliclythatIknewthemverywell。
ImmediatelyitwasrumouredallovertheprisonthatMoll
Flanderswouldturnevidenceagainstoneofthehighwaymen，
andthatIwastocomeoffbyitfromthesentenceoftransportation。
Theyheardofit，andimmediatelymyhusbanddesiredtosee
thisMrs。Flandersthatknewhimsowell，andwastobean
evidenceagainsthim；andaccordinglyIhadleavegiventogo
tohim。
IdressedmyselfupaswellasthebestclothesthatI
sufferedmyselfevertoappearintherewouldallowme，and
wenttothepress-yard，buthadforsometimeahoodovermy
face。
Hesaidlittletomeatfirst，butaskedmeifIknewhim。
Itoldhim，Yes，verywell；butasIconcealedmyface，soI
counterfeitedmyvoice，thathehadnottheleastguessatwho
Iwas。
HeaskedmewhereIhadseenhim。
Itoldhimbetween
DunstableandBrickhill；butturningtothekeeperthatstood
by，IaskedifImightnotbeadmittedtotalkwithhimalone。
HesaidYes，yes，asmuchasIpleased，andsoverycivilly
withdrew。
Assoonashewasgone，Ihadshutthedoor，Ithrewoffmy
hood，andburstingoutintotears，’Mydear，’saysI，’doyounot
knowme？’
Heturnedpale，andstoodspeechless，likeone
thunderstruck，and，notabletoconquerthesurprise，saidno
morebutthis，’Letmesitdown’；andsittingdownbyatable，
helaidhiselbowuponthetable，andleaninghisheadonhis
hand，fixedhiseyesonthegroundasonestupid。
Icriedso
vehemently，ontheotherhand，thatitwasagoodwhileereI
couldspeakanymore；butafterIhadgivensomeventtomy
passionbytears，Irepeatedthesamewords，’Mydear，doyou
notknowme？’
Atwhichheanswered，Yes，andsaidnomore
agoodwhile。
Aftersometimecontinuinginthesurprise，asabove，hecast
uphiseyestowardsmeandsaid，’Howcouldyoubesocruel？’
Ididnotreadilyunderstandwhathemeant；andIanswered，
’Howcanyoucallmecruel？
WhathaveIbeencrueltoyouin？’
’Tocometome，’sayshe，’insuchaplaceasthis，isitnotto
insultme？
Ihavenotrobbedyou，atleastnotonthehighway。’
Iperceivedbythisthatheknewnothingofthemiserable
circumstancesIwasin，andthoughtthat，havinggotsome
intelligenceofhisbeingthere，Ihadcometoupbraidhim
withhisleavingme。
ButIhadtoomuchtosaytohimtobe
affronted，andtoldhiminfewwords，thatIwasfarfrom
comingtoinsulthim，butatbestIcametocondolemutually；
thathewouldbeeasilysatisfiedthatIhadnosuchview，
whenIshouldtellhimthatmyconditionwasworsethanhis，
andthatmanyways。
Helookedalittleconcernedatthe
generalexpressionofmyconditionbeingworsethanhis，but，
withakindsmile，lookedalittlewildly，andsaid，’Howcan
thatbe？
Whenyouseemefettered，andinNewgate，andtwo
ofmycompanionsexecutedalready，canyoucanyourcondition
isworsethanmine？’
’Come，mydear，’saysI，’wehavealongpieceofworktodo，
ifIshouldbetorelated，oryoutohear，myunfortunatehistory；
butifyouaredisposedtohearit，youwillsoonconcludewith
methatmyconditionisworsethanyours。’
’Howisthatpossible，’
saysheagain，’whenIexpecttobecastformylifethevery
nextsessions？’
’Yes，saysI，’’tisverypossible，whenIshall
tellyouthatIhavebeencastformylifethreesessionsago，
andamundersentenceofdeath；isnotmycaseworsethanyours？’
Thenindeed，hestoodsilentagain，likeonestruckdumb，and
afterawhilehestartsup。
’Unhappycouple！’sayshe。
’How
canthisbepossible？’
Itookhimbythehand。
’Come，my
dear，’saidI，’sitdown，andletuscompareoursorrows。
Iam
aprisonerinthisveryhouse，andinmuchworsecircumstances
thanyou，andyouwillbesatisfiedIdonotcometoinsultyou，
whenItellyoutheparticulars。’
Anywiththiswesatdown
together，andItoldhimsomuchofmystoryasIthoughtwas
convenient，bringingitatlasttomybeingreducedtogreat
poverty，andrepresentingmyselfasfallenintosomecompany
thatledmetorelievemydistressesbywaythatIhadbeen
utterlyunacquaintedwith，andthattheymakinganattemptat
atradesman’shouse，Iwasseizeduponforhavingbeenbut
justatthedoor，themaid-servantpullingmein；thatIneither
hadbrokeanylocknortakenanythingaway，andthat
notwithstandingthat，Iwasbroughtinguiltyandsentenced
todie；butthatthejudges，havingbeenmadesensibleofthe
hardshipofmycircumstances，hadobtainedleavetoremitthe
sentenceuponmyconsentingtobetransported。
ItoldhimIfaredtheworseforbeingtakenintheprisonfor
oneMollFlanders，whowasafamoussuccessfulthief，that
allofthemhadheardof，butnoneofthemhadeverseen；but
that，asheknewwell，wasnoneofmyname。
ButIplacedall
totheaccountofmyillfortune，andthatunderthisnameI
wasdealtwithasanoldoffender，thoughthiswasthefirst
thingtheyhadeverknownofme。
Igavehimalongparticular
ofthingsthathadbefallenmesinceIsawhim，butItoldhim
ifIhadseenhimsincehemightthingIhad，andthengave
himanaccounthowIhadseenhimatBrickhill；howfuriously
hewaspursued，andhow，bygivinganaccountthatIknew
him，andthathewasaveryhonestgentleman，oneMr——，
thehue-and-crywasstopped，andthehighconstablewent
backagain。
Helistenedmostattentivelytoallmystory，andsmiledat
mostoftheparticulars，beingallofthempettymatters，and
infinitelybelowwhathehadbeenattheheadof；butwhenI
cametothestoryofBrickhill，hewassurprised。
’Andwasit
you，mydear，’saidhe，’thatgavethechecktothemobthat
wasatourheelsthere，atBrickhill？’
’Yes，’saidI，’itwasI
indeed。’
AndthenItoldhimtheparticularswhichIhad
observedhimthere。
’Why，then，’saidhe，’itwasyouthat
savedmylifeatthattime，andIamgladIowemylifetoyou，
forIwillpaythedebttoyounow，andI’lldeliveryoufrom
thepresentconditionyouarein，orIwilldieintheattempt。’
Itoldhim，bynomeans；itwasarisktoogreat，notworthhis
runningthehazardof，andforalifenotworthhissaving。
’Twasnomatterforthat，hesaid，itwasalifeworthallthe
worldtohim；alifethathadgivenhimanewlife；’for，’says
he，’Iwasneverinrealdangerofbeingtaken，butthattime，
tillthelastminutewhenIwastaken。’
Indeed，hetoldmehis
dangerthenlayinhisbelievinghehadnotbeenpursuedthat
way；fortheyhadgonefromHockeyquiteanotherway，and
hadcomeovertheenclosedcountryintoBrickhill，notbythe
road，andweresuretheyhadnotbeenseenbyanybody。
Herehegavemealonghistoryofhislife，whichindeedwould
makeaverystrangehistory，andbeinfinitelydiverting。
