Whenthespringseasoncameon，shecontinuedtobeasking
tomeasshecould，andIlodgedwithherforatime，tillitwas
foundnecessarytodootherwise。
Shehadsomepersonsof
characterthatfrequentlylodgedinherhouse，andinparticular
thegentlemanwho，asIsaid，singledmeoutforhiscompanion
thewinterbefore；andhecamedownagainwithanother
gentlemaninhiscompanyandtwoservants，andlodgedinthe
samehouse。
Isuspectedthatmylandladyhadinvitedhim
thither，lettinghimknowthatIwasstillwithher；butshedenied
it，andprotestedtomethatshedidnot，andhesaidthesame。
Inaword，thisgentlemancamedownandcontinuedtosingle
meoutforhispeculiarconfidenceaswellasconversation。
Hewasacompletegentleman，thatmustbeconfessed，and
hiscompanywasveryagreeabletome，asmine，ifImight
believehim，wastohim。
Hemadenoprofessionstobebut
ofanextraordinaryrespect，andhehadsuchanopinionofmy
virtue，that，asheoftenprofessed，hebelievedifheshouldoffer
anythingelse，Ishouldrejecthimwithcontempt。
Hesoon
understoodfrommethatIwasawidow；thatIhadarrivedat
BristolfromVirginiabythelastships；andthatIwaitedatBath
tillthenextVirginiafleetshouldarrive，bywhichIexpected
considerableeffects。
Iunderstoodbyhim，andbyothersof
him，thathehadawife，butthattheladywasdistemperedin
herhead，andwasundertheconductofherownrelations，
whichheconsentedto，toavoidanyreflectionsthatmightas
wasnotunusualinsuchcasesbecastonhimformismanaging
hercure；andinthemeantimehecametotheBathtodiverthis
thoughtsfromthedisturbanceofsuchamelancholycircumstance
asthatwas。
Mylandlady，whoofherownaccordencouragedthe
correspondenceonalloccasions，gavemeanadvantageous
characterofhim，asamanofhonourandofvirtue，aswell
asofgreatestate。
AndindeedIhadagreatdealofreasonto
saysoofhimtoo；forthoughwelodgedbothonafloor，and
hehadfrequentlycomeintomychamber，evenwhenIwasin
bed，andIalsointohiswhenhewasinbed，yetheneveroffered
anythingtomefurtherthanakiss，orsomuchassolicitedme
toanythingtilllongafter，asyoushallhear。
Ifrequentlytooknoticetomylandladyofhisexceeding
modesty，andsheagainusedtotellme，shebelieveditwasso
fromthebeginning；however，sheusedtotellmethatshe
thoughtIoughttoexpectsomegratificationfromhimformy
company，forindeedhedid，asitwere，engrossme，andIwas
seldomfromhim。
ItoldherIhadnotgivenhimtheleast
occasiontothinkIwantedit，orthatIwouldacceptofitfrom
him。
Shetoldmeshewouldtakethatpartuponher，andshe
didso，andmanageditsodexterously，thatthefirsttimewe
weretogetheralone，aftershehadtalkedwithhim，hebegan
toinquirealittleintomycircumstances，ashowIhadsubsisted
myselfsinceIcameonshore，andwhetherIdidnotwantmoney。
Istoodoffveryboldly。
Itoldhimthatthoughmycargoof
tobaccowasdamaged，yetthatitwasnotquitelost；thatthe
merchantIhadbeenconsignedtohadsohonestlymanaged
formethatIhadnotwanted，andthatIhoped，withfrugal
management，Ishouldmakeitholdouttillmorewouldcome，
whichIexpectedbythenextfleet；thatinthemeantimeIhad
retrenchedmyexpenses，andwhereasIkeptamaidlastseason，
nowIlivedwithout；andwhereasIhadachamberanda
dining-roomthenonthefirstfloor，asheknew，Inowhadbut
oneroom，twopairofstairs，andthelike。
’ButIlive，’saidI，
’aswellsatisfiednowasIdidthen’；adding，thathiscompany
hadbeenameanstomakemelivemuchmorecheerfullythan
otherwiseIshouldhavedone，forwhichIwasmuchobliged
tohim；andsoIputoffallroomforanyofferforthepresent。
However，itwasnotlongbeforeheattackedmeagain，and
toldmehefoundthatIwasbackwardtotrusthimwiththe
secretofmycircumstances，whichhewassorryfor；assuring
methatheinquiredintoitwithnodesigntosatisfyhisown
curiosity，butmerelytoassistme，iftherewasanyoccasion；
butsinceIwouldnotownmyselftostandinneedofany
assistance，hehadbutonethingmoretodesireofme，andthat
was，thatIwouldpromisehimthatwhenIwasanywaystraitened，
orliketobeso，Iwouldfranklytellhimofit，andthatIwould
makeuseofhimwiththesamefreedomthathemadetheoffer；
adding，thatIshouldalwaysfindIhadatruefriend，though
perhapsIwasafraidtotrusthim。
Iomittednothingthatwasfittobesaidbyoneinfinitely
obliged，tolethimknowthatIhadaduesenseofhiskindness；
andindeedfromthattimeIdidnotappearsomuchreserved
tohimasIhaddonebefore，thoughstillwithintheboundsof
thestrictestvirtueonbothsides；buthowfreesoeverour
conversationwas，Icouldnotarrivetothatsortoffreedom
whichhedesired，viz。totellhimIwantedmoney，thoughI
wassecretlyverygladofhisoffer。
Someweekspassedafterthis，andstillIneveraskedhimfor
money；whenmylandlady，acunningcreature，whohadoften
pressedmetoit，butfoundthatIcouldnotdoit，makesa
storyofherowninventing，andcomesinbluntlytomewhen
weweretogether。
’Oh，widow！’saysshe，’Ihavebadnews
totellyouthismorning。’
’Whatisthat？’saidI；’arethe
VirginiashipstakenbytheFrench？’——forthatwasmyfear。
’No，no，’saysshe，’butthemanyousenttoBristolyesterday
formoneyiscomeback，andsayshehasbroughtnone。’
NowIcouldbynomeanslikeherproject；Ithoughitlooked
toomuchlikepromptinghim，whichindeedhedidnotwant，
andIclearlythatIshouldlosenothingbybeingbackwardto
ask，soItookherupshort。
’Ican’timagewhyheshouldsay
sotoyou，’saidI，’forIassureyouhebroughtmeallthe
moneyIsenthimfor，andhereitis，’saidIpullingoutmy
pursewithabouttwelveguineasinit；andadded，’Iintend
youshallhavemostofitbyandby。’
Heseemeddistastedalittleathertalkingasshedidatfirst，
aswellasI，takingit，asIfanciedhewould，assomething
forwardofher；butwhenhesawmegivesuchananswer，he
cameimmediatelytohimselfagain。
Thenextmorningwe
talkedofitagain，whenIfoundhewasfullysatisfied，and，
smiling，saidhehopedIwouldnotwantmoneyandnottell
himofit，andthatIhadpromisedhimotherwise。
Itoldhim
Ihadbeenverymuchdissatisfiedatmylandlady’stalkingso
publiclythedaybeforeof
whatshehadnothingtodowith；
butIsupposedshewantedwhatIowedher，whichwasabout
eightguineas，whichIhadresolvedtogiveher，andhad
accordinglygivenitherthesamenightshetalkedsofoolishly。
HewasinamightgoodhumourwhenheheardmesayIhad
paidher，anditwentoffintosomeotherdiscourseatthattime。
Butthenextmorning，hehavingheardmeupaboutmyroom
beforehim，hecalledtome，andIanswering，heaskedmeto
comeintohischamber。
HewasinbedwhenIcamein，and
hemademecomeandsitdownonhisbedside，forhesaidhe
hadsomethingtosaytomewhichwasofsomemoment。
Aftersomeverykindexpressions，heaskedmeifIwouldbe
veryhonesttohim，andgiveasincereanswertoonethinghe
woulddesireofme。
Aftersomelittlecavilattheword’sincere，’
andaskinghimifIhadevergivenhimanyanswerswhichwere
notsincere，IpromisedhimIwould。
Why，then，hisrequest
was，hesaid，tolethimseemypurse。
Iimmediatelyputmy
handintomypocket，and，laughingtohim，pulleditout，and
therewasinitthreeguineasandahalf。
Thenheaskedmeif
therewasallthemoneyIhad。
ItoldhimNo，laughingagain，
notbyagreatdeal。
Well，then，hesaid，hewouldhavemepromisetogoand
fetchhimallthemoneyIhad，everyfarthing。
ItoldhimI
would，andIwentintomychamberandfetchedhimalittle
privatedrawer，whereIhadaboutsixguineasmore，andsome
silver，andthrewitalldownuponthebed，andtoldhimthere
wasallmywealth，honestlytoashilling。
Helookedalittle
atit，butdidnottellit，andhuddleditallintothedraweragain，
andthenreachinghispocket，pulledoutakey，andbademe
openalittlewalnut-treeboxhehaduponthetable，andbring
himsuchadrawer，whichIdid。
Inwhichdrawertherewasa
greatdealofmoneyingold，Ibelieveneartwohundredguineas，
butIknewnothowmuch。
Hetookthedrawer，andtakingmy
hand，mademeputitinandtakeawholehandful。
Iwas
backwardatthat，butheheldmyhandhardinhishand，and
putitintothedrawer，andmademetakeoutasmanyguineas
almostasIcouldwelltakeupatonce。
WhenIhaddoneso，hemademeputthemintomylap，
andtookmylittledrawer，andpouredoutallmymoneyamong
his，andbademegetmegone，andcarryitallhomeintomy
ownchamber。
Irelatethisstorythemoreparticularlybecauseofthe
good-humourtherewasinit，andtoshowthetemperwith
whichweconversed。
Itwasnotlongafterthisbuthebegan
everydaytofindfaultwithmyclothes，withmylacesand
headdresses，and，inaword，pressedmetobuybetter；which，
bytheway，Iwaswillingenoughtodo，thoughIdidnotseem
tobeso，forIlovednothingintheworldbetterthanfineclothes。
ItoldhimImusthousewifethemoneyhehadlentme，orelse
Ishouldnotbeabletopayhimagain。
Hethentoldme，ina
fewwords，thatashehadasincererespectforme，andknew
mycircumstances，hehadnotlentmethatmoney，butgiven
itme，andthathethoughtIhadmeriteditfromhimbygiving
himmycompanysoentirelyasIhaddone。
Afterthishemade