hadmadesuchanimpressionuponme，thatIdidnotwantnow
tobeagentlewoman，butwasverywillingtobeaservant，and
thatanykindofservanttheythoughtfittohavemebe。
Butmynewgenerousmistress，forsheexceededthegood
womanIwaswithbefore，ineverything，aswellasinthe
matterofestate；Isay，ineverythingexcepthonesty；andfor
that，thoughthiswasaladymostexactlyjust，yetImustnot
forgettosayonalloccasions，thatthefirst，thoughpoor，was
asuprightlyhonestasitwaspossibleforanyonetobe。
Iwasnosoonercarriedaway，asIhavesaid，bythisgood
gentlewoman，butthefirstlady，thatistosay，theMayoress
thatwas，senthertwodaughterstotakecareofme；andanother
familywhichhadtakennoticeofmewhenIwasthelittle
gentlewoman，andhadgivenmeworktodo，sentformeafter
her，sothatIwasmightilymadeof，aswesay；nay，andthey
werenotalittleangry，especiallymadamtheMayoress，that
herfriendhadtakenmeawayfromher，asshecalledit；for，
asshesaid，Iwashersbyright，shehavingbeenthefirstthat
tookanynoticeofme。
Buttheythathadmewouldnotpart
withme；andasforme，thoughIshouldhavebeenverywell
treatedwithanyoftheothers，yetIcouldnotbebetterthan
whereIwas。
HereIcontinuedtillIwasbetweenseventeenandeighteen
yearsold，andhereIhadalltheadvantagesformyeducation
thatcouldbeimagined；theladyhadmastershometothe
housetoteachherdaughterstodance，andtospeakFrench，
andtowrite，andothertoteachthemmusic；andIwasalways
withthem，Ilearnedasfastasthey；andthoughthemasters
werenotappointedtoteachme，yetIlearnedbyimitationand
inquiryallthattheylearnedbyinstructionanddirection；so
that，inshort，IlearnedtodanceandspeakFrenchaswellas
anyofthem，andtosingmuchbetter，forIhadabettervoice
thananyofthem。
Icouldnotsoreadilycomeatplayingon
theharpsichordorspinet，becauseIhadnoinstrumentofmy
owntopracticeon，andcouldonlycomeattheirsintheintervals
whentheyleftit，whichwasuncertain；butyetIlearnedtolerably
welltoo，andtheyoungladiesatlengthgottwoinstruments，
thatistosay，aharpsichordandaspinettoo，andthenthey
taughtmethemselves。
Butastodancing，theycouldhardly
helpmylearningcountry-dances，becausetheyalwayswanted
metomakeupevennumber；and，ontheotherhand，theywere
asheartilywillingtolearnmeeverythingthattheyhadbeen
taughtthemselves，asIcouldbetotakethelearning。
BythismeansIhad，asIhavesaidabove，alltheadvantages
ofeducationthatIcouldhavehadifIhadbeenasmucha
gentlewomanastheywerewithwhomIlived；andinsome
thingsIhadtheadvantageofmyladies，thoughtheyweremy
superiors；buttheywereallthegiftsofnature，andwhichall
theirfortunescouldnotfurnish。
First，Iwasapparently
handsomerthananyofthem；secondly，Iwasbettershaped；
and，thirdly，Isangbetter，bywhichImeanIhadabettervoice；
inallwhichyouwill，Ihope，allowmetosay，Idonotspeak
myownconceitofmyself，buttheopinionofallthatknew
thefamily。
Ihadwithallthesethecommonvanityofmysex，viz。that
beingreallytakenforveryhandsome，or，ifyouplease，fora
greatbeauty，Iverywellknewit，andhadasgoodanopinion
ofmyselfasanybodyelsecouldhaveofme；andparticularly
Ilovedtohearanybodyspeakofit，whichcouldnotbuthappen
tomesometimes，andwasagreatsatisfactiontome。
ThusfarIhavehadasmoothstorytotellofmyself，andinall
thispartofmylifeInotonlyhadthereputationoflivingina
verygoodfamily，andafamilynotedandrespectedeverywhere
forvirtueandsobriety，andforeveryvaluablething；butIhad
thecharactertooofaverysober，modest，andvirtuousyoung
woman，andsuchIhadalwaysbeen；neitherhadIyetany
occasiontothinkofanythingelse，ortoknowwhatatemptation
towickednessmeant。
ButthatwhichIwastoovainofwasmyruin，orrathermy
vanitywasthecauseofit。
TheladyinthehousewhereIwas
hadtwosons，younggentlemenofverypromisingpartsand
ofextraordinarybehaviour，anditwasmymisfortunetobe
verywellwiththemboth，buttheymanagedthemselveswith
meinaquitedifferentmanner。
Theeldest，agaygentlemanthatknewthetownaswellasthe
country，andthoughhehadlevityenoughtodoanill-natured
thing，yethadtoomuchjudgmentofthingstopaytoodear
forhispleasures；hebeganwiththeunhappysnaretoall
women，viz。takingnoticeuponalloccasionshowprettyIwas，
ashecalledit，howagreeable，howwell-carriaged，andthe
like；andthishecontrivedsosubtly，asifhehadknownas
wellhowtocatchawomaninhisnetasapartridgewhenhe
wenta-setting；forhewouldcontrivetobetalkingthistohis
sisterswhen，thoughIwasnotby，yetwhenheknewIwas
notfaroffbutthatIshouldbesuretohearhim。
Hissisters
wouldreturnsoftlytohim，’Hush，brother，shewillhearyou；
sheisbutinthenextroom。’
Thenhewouldputitoffandtalk
softlier，asifhehadnotknowit，andbegintoacknowledgehe
waswrong；andthen，asifhehadforgothimself，hewould
speakaloudagain，andI，thatwassowellpleasedtohearit，
wassuretolistenforituponalloccasions。
Afterhehadthusbaitedhishook，andfoundeasilyenough
themethodhowtolayitinmyway，heplayedanopenergame；
andoneday，goingbyhissister’schamberwhenIwasthere，
doingsomethingaboutdressingher，hecomesinwithanair
ofgaiety。
’Oh，Mrs。Betty，’saidhetome，’howdoyoudo，
Mrs。Betty？
Don’tyourcheeksburn，Mrs。Betty？’
Imadea
curtsyandblushed，butsaidnothing。
’Whatmakesyoutalkso，
brother？’saysthelady。
’Why，’sayshe，’wehavebeentalking
ofherbelow-stairsthishalf-hour。’
’Well，’sayshissister，
’youcansaynoharmofher，thatIamsure，so’tisnomatter
whatyouhavebeentalkingabout。’’Nay，’sayshe，’’tissofar
fromtalkingharmofher，thatwehavebeentalkingagreat
dealofgood，andagreatmanyfinethingshavebeensaidof
Mrs。Betty，Iassureyou；andparticularly，thatsheisthe
handsomestyoungwomaninColchester；and，inshort，they
begintotoastherhealthinthetown。’
’Iwonderatyou，brother，’saysthesister。
Bettywantsbutone
thing，butshehadasgoodwanteverything，forthemarketis
againstoursexjustnow；andifayoungwomanhavebeauty，
birth，breeding，wit，sense，manners，modesty，andalltheseto
anextreme，yetifshehavenotmoney，she’snobody，shehad
asgoodwantthemallfornothingbutmoneynowrecommends
awoman；themenplaythegameallintotheirownhands。’
Heryoungerbrother，whowasby，cried，’Hold，sister，yourun
toofast；Iamanexceptiontoyourrule。
Iassureyou，ifIfind
awomansoaccomplishedasyoutalkof，Isay，Iassureyou，I
wouldnottroublemyselfaboutthemoney。’
’Oh，’saysthesister，’butyouwilltakecarenottofancyone，
then，withoutthemoney。’
’Youdon’tknowthatneither，’saysthebrother。
’Butwhy，sister，’saystheelderbrother，’whydoyouexclaim
soatthemenforaimingsomuchatthefortune？
Youarenone
ofthemthatwantafortune，whateverelseyouwant。’
’Iunderstandyou，brother，’repliestheladyverysmartly；’you
supposeIhavethemoney，andwantthebeauty；butastimes
gonow，thefirstwilldowithoutthelast，soIhavethebetter
ofmyneighbours。’
’Well，’saystheyoungerbrother，’butyourneighbours，asyou
callthem，maybeevenwithyou，forbeautywillstealahusband
sometimesinspiteofmoney，andwhenthemaidchancestobe
handsomerthanthemistress，sheoftentimesmakesasgooda
market，andridesinacoachbeforeher。’
Ithoughtitwastimeformetowithdrawandleavethem，and
Ididso，butnotsofarbutthatIheardalltheirdiscourse，in
whichIheardabundanceofthefinethingssaidofmyself，
whichservedtopromptmyvanity，but，asIsoonfound，was
notthewaytoincreasemyinterestinthefamily，forthesister
andtheyoungerbrotherfellgrievouslyoutaboutit；andashe
saidsomeverydisobligingthingstoheruponmyaccount，so
Icouldeasilyseethatsheresentedthembyherfutureconduct
tome，whichindeedwasveryunjusttome，forIhadnever
hadtheleastthoughtofwhatshesuspectedastoheryounger
brother；indeed，theelderbrother，inhisdistant，remoteway，
hadsaidagreatmanythingsasinjest，whichIhadthefolly
tobelievewereinearnest，ortoflattermyselfwiththehopes
ofwhatIoughttohavesupposedheneverintended，and
perhapsneverthoughtof。
Ithappenedonedaythathecamerunningupstairs，towards
theroomwherehissistersusedtositandwork，asheoften
usedtodo；andcallingtothembeforehecamein，aswashis
waytoo，I，beingtherealone，steppedtothedoor，andsaid，
’Sir，theladiesarenothere，theyarewalkeddownthegarden。’
AsIsteppedforwardtosaythis，towardsthedoor，hewasjust
gottothedoor，andclaspingmeinhisarms，asifithadbeen
bychance，’Oh，Mrs。Betty，’sayshe，’areyouhere？
That’s
betterstill；IwanttospeakwithyoumorethanIdowiththem’；
andthen，havingmeinhisarms，hekissedmethreeorfourtimes。
Istruggledtogetaway，andyetdiditbutfaintlyneither，and
heheldmefast，andstillkissedme，tillhewasalmostoutof
breath，andthen，sittingdown，says，’DearBetty，Iaminlove
withyou。’
Hiswords，Imustconfess，firedmyblood；allmyspiritsflew
aboutmyheartandputmeintodisorderenough，whichhe
mighteasilyhaveseeninmyface。
Herepeateditafterwards
severaltimes，thathewasinlovewithme，andmyheartspoke
asplainasavoice，thatIlikedit；nay，wheneverhesaid，’Iam
inlovewithyou，’myblushesplainlyreplied，’Wouldyou
were，sir。’