’Yes，sir，’saidI，’IbelieveImayventure
totrustyouwithmyself，foryouhaveawife，yousay，andI
don’twantahusband；besides，Idaretrustyouwithmymoney，
whichisallIhaveintheworld，andifthatweregone，Imay
trustmyselfanywhere。’
Hesaidsomethingsinjestthatwereveryhandsomeand
mannerly，andwouldhavepleasedmeverywelliftheyhad
beeninearnest；butthatpassedover，Itookthedirections，
andappointedtoattendhimathishouseatseveno’clockthe
sameevening。
WhenIcamehemadeseveralproposalsformyplacingmy
moneyinthebank，inordertomyhavinginterestforit；but
stillsomedifficultorothercameintheway，whichheobjected
asnotsafe；andIfoundsuchasinceredisinterestedhonesty
inhim，thatIbegantomusewithmyself，thatIhadcertainly
foundthehonestmanIwanted，andthatIcouldneverput
myselfintobetterhands；soItoldhimwithagreatdealof
franknessthatIhadnevermetwithamanorwomanyetthat
Icouldtrust，orinwhomIcouldthinkmyselfsafe，butthatI
sawhewassodisinterestedlyconcernedformysafety，thatI
saidIwouldfreelytrusthimwiththemanagementofthatlittle
Ihad，ifhewouldaccepttobestewardforapoorwidowthat
couldgivehimnosalary。
Hesmiledand，standingup，withgreatrespectsalutedme。
HetoldmehecouldnotbuttakeitverykindlythatIhadso
goodanopinionofhim；thathewouldnotdeceiveme，that
hewoulddoanythinginhispowertoserveme，andexpect
nosalary；butthathecouldnotbyanymeansacceptofatrust，
thatitmightbringhimtobesuspectedofself-interest，andthat
ifIshoulddiehemighthavedisputeswithmyexecutors，which
heshouldbeverylothtoencumberhimselfwith。
ItoldhimifthosewereallhisobjectionsIwouldsoonremove
them，andconvincehimthattherewasnottheleastroomfor
anydifficulty；forthat，first，asforsuspectinghim，ifeverI
shoulddoit，nowisthetimetosuspecthim，andnotputthe
trustintohishands，andwheneverIdidsuspecthim，hecould
butthrowitupthenandrefusetogoanyfurther。
Then，asto
executors，IassuredhimIhadnoheirs，noranyrelationsin
England，andIshouldaltermyconditionbeforeIdied，and
thenhistrustandtroubleshouldceasetogether，which，
however，Ihadnoprospectofyet；butItoldhimifIdiedas
Iwas，itshouldbeallhisown，andhewoulddeserveitby
beingsofaithfultomeasIwassatisfiedhewouldbe。
Hechangedhiscountenanceatthisdiscourse，andaskedme
howIcametohavesomuchgood-willforhim；and，looking
verymuchpleased，saidhemightverylawfullywishhewas
asinglemanformysake。
Ismiled，andtoldhimashewas
not，myoffercouldhavenodesignuponhiminit，andtowish，
ashedid，wasnottobeallowed，’twascriminaltohiswife。
HetoldmeIwaswrong。
’For，’sayshe，’madam，asIsaid
before，Ihaveawifeandnowife，and’twouldbenosintome
towishherhanged，ifthatwereall。’
’Iknownothingofyour
circumstancesthatway，sir，’saidI；’butitcannotbeinnocent
towishyourwifedead。’
’Itellyou，’saysheagain，’sheisa
wifeandnowife；youdon’tknowwhatIam，orwhatsheis。’
’That’strue，’saidI；’sir，Idonotknowwhatyouare，butI
believeyoutobeanhonestman，andthat’sthecauseofall
myconfidenceinyou。’
’Well，well，’sayshe，’andsoIam，Ihope，too。
butIam
somethingelsetoo，madam；for，’sayshe，’tobeplainwithyou，
Iamacuckold，andsheisawhore。’
Hespokeitinakindof
jest，butitwaswithsuchanawkwardsmile，thatIperceived
itwaswhatstruckveryclosetohim，andhelookeddismally
whenhesaidit。
’Thataltersthecaseindeed，sir，’saidI，’astothatpartyou
werespeakingof；butacuckold，youknow，maybeanhonest
man；itdoesnotalterthatcaseatall。
Besides，Ithink，’said
I，’sinceyourwifeissodishonesttoyou，youaretoohonest
tohertoownherforyourwife；butthat，’saidI，’iswhatI
havenothingtodowith。’
’Nay，’sayshe，’Idonotthinktoclearmyhandsofher；for，
tobeplainwithyou，madam，’addedhe，’Iamnocontended
cuckoldneither:
ontheotherhand，Iassureyouitprovokes
methehighestdegree，butIcan’thelpmyself；shethatwill
beawhore，willbeawhore。’
Endof
Iwaivedthediscourseandbegantotalkofmybusiness；but
Ifoundhecouldnothavedonewithit，soIlethimalone，and
hewentontotellmeallthecircumstancesofhiscase，too
longtorelatehere；particularly，thathavingbeenoutofEngland
sometimebeforehecametotheposthewasin，shehadhad
twochildreninthemeantimebyanofficerofthearmy；and
thatwhenhecametoEnglandand，uponhersubmission，took
heragain，andmaintainedherverywell，yetsheranawayfrom
himwithalinen-draper’sapprentice，robbedhimofwhatshe
couldcomeat，andcontinuedtolivefromhimstill。
’Sothat，
madam，’sayshe，’sheisawhorenotbynecessity，whichis
thecommonbaitofyoursex，butbyinclination，andforthe
sakeofthevice。’
Well，Ipitiedhim，andwishedhimwellridofher，andstill
wouldhavetalkedofmybusiness，butitwouldnotdo。
At
lasthelookssteadilyatme。
’Lookyou，madam，’sayshe，
’youcametoaskadviceofme，andIwillserveyouasfaithfully
asifyouweremyownsister；butImustturnthetables，since
youobligemetodoit，andaresofriendlytome，andIthink
Imustaskadviceofyou。
Tellme，whatmustapoorabused
fellowdowithawhore？
WhatcanIdotodomyselfjustice
uponher？’
’Alas！sir，’saysI，’’tisacasetooniceformetoadvisein，but
itseemsshehasrunawayfromyou，soyouareridofher
fairly；whatcanyoudesiremore？’
’Ay，sheisgoneindeed，’
saidhe，’butIamnotclearofherforallthat。’
’That’strue，’saysI；’shemayindeedrunyouintodebt，but
thelawhasfurnishedyouwithmethodstopreventthatalso；
youmaycryherdown，astheycallit。’
’No，no，’sayshe，’thatisnotthecaseneither；Ihavetaken
careofallthat；’tisnotthatpartthatIspeakof，butIwould
beridofhersothatImightmarryagain。’
’Well，sir，’saysI，’thenyoumustdivorceher。
Ifyoucan
provewhatyousay，youmaycertainlygetthatdone，andthen，
Isuppose，youarefree。’
’That’sverytediousandexpensive，’sayshe。
’Why，’saysI，’ifyoucangetanywomanyouliketotakeyour
word，Isupposeyourwifewouldnotdisputethelibertywith
youthatshetakesherself。’
’Ay，’sayshe，’but’twouldbehardtobringanhonestwoman
todothat；andfortheothersort，’sayshe，’Ihavehadenough
ofhertomeddlewithanymorewhores。’
Itoccurredtomepresently，’Iwouldhavetakenyourword
withallmyheart，ifyouhadbutaskedmethequestion’；
butthatwastomyself。
TohimIreplied，’Why，youshutthe
dooragainstanyhonestwomanacceptingyou，foryoucondemn
allthatshouldventureuponyouatonce，andconclude，that
reallyawomanthattakesyounowcan’tbehonest。’
’Why，’sayshe，’Iwishyouwouldsatisfymethatanhonest
womanwouldtakeme；I’dventureit’；andthenturnsshort
uponme，’Willyoutakeme，madam？’
’That’snotafairquestion，’saysI，’afterwhatyouhavesaid；
however，lestyoushouldthinkIwaitonlyforarecantation
ofit，Ishallansweryouplainly，No，notI；mybusinessisof
anotherkindwithyou，andIdidnotexpectyouwouldhave
turnedmyseriousapplicationtoyou，inmyowndistracted
case，intoacomedy。’
’Why，madam，’sayshe，’mycaseisasdistractedasyourscan
be，andIstandinasmuchneedofadviceasyoudo，forIthink
ifIhavenotreliefsomewhere，Ishallbemademyself，andI
knownotwhatcoursetotake，Iprotesttoyou。’
’Why，sir，’saysI，’’tiseasytogiveadviceinyourcase，much
easierthanitisinmine。’
’Speakthen，’sayshe，’Ibegofyou，
fornowyouencourageme。’
’Why，’saysI，’ifyourcaseissoplainasyousayitis，youmay
belegallydivorced，andthenyoumayfindhonestwomen
enoughtoaskthequestionoffairly；thesexisnotsoscarce
thatyoucanwantawife。’
’Well，then，’saidhe，’Iaminearnest；I’lltakeyouradvice；
butshallIaskyouonequestionseriouslybeforehand？’
’Anyquestion，’saidI，’butthatyoudidbefore。’
’No，thatanswerwillnotdo，’saidhe，’for，inshort，thatisthe
questionIshallask。’
’Youmayaskwhatquestionsyouplease，butyouhavemy
answertothatalready，’saidI。
’Besides，sir，’saidI，’canyou
thinksoillofmeasthatIwouldgiveanyanswertosucha
questionbeforehand？
Cananywomanalivebelieveyouin
earnest，orthinkyoudesignanythingbuttobanterher？’
’Well，well，’sayshe，’Idonotbanteryou，Iaminearnest；
considerofit。’
’But，sir，’saysI，alittlegravely，’Icametoyouaboutmyown
business；Ibegofyoutoletmeknow，whatyouwilladviseme
todo？’
’Iwillbeprepared，’sayshe，’againstyoucomeagain。’
’Nay，’saysI，’youhaveforbidmycominganymore。’
’Whyso？’saidhe，andlookedalittlesurprised。
’Because，’saidI，’youcan’texpectIshouldvisityouonthe
accountyoutalkof。’
’Well，’sayshe，’youshallpromisemetocomeagain，however，
andIwillnotsayanymoreofittillIhavegottenthedivorce，
butIdesireyouwillpreparetobebetterconditionedwhen
that’sdone，foryoushallbethewoman，orIwillnotbe
divorcedatall；why，Ioweittoyourunlooked-forkindness，
ifitweretonothingelse，butIhaveotherreasonstoo。’
Hecouldnothavesaidanythingintheworldthatpleasedme
better；however，Iknewthatthewaytosecurehimwasto
standoffwhilethethingwassoremote，asitappearedtobe，
andthatitwastimeenoughtoacceptofitwhenhewasable
toperformit；soIsaidveryrespectfullytohim，itwastime
enoughtoconsiderofthesethingswhenhewasinacondition
totalkofthem；inthemeantime，Itoldhim，Iwasgoinga
greatwayfromhim，andhewouldfindobjectsenoughto
pleasehimbetter。
Webrokeoffhereforthepresent，andhe
mademepromisehimtocomeagainthenextday，forhis
resolutionsuponmyownbusiness，whichaftersomepressing
Idid；thoughhadheseenfartherintome，Iwantednopressing
onthataccount。
Icamethenextevening，accordingly，andbroughtmymaid
withme，tolethimseethatIkeptamaid，butIsentheraway
assoonasIwasgonein。
Hewouldhavehadmeletthemaid
havestayed，butIwouldnot，butorderedheraloudtocome
formeagainaboutnineo’clock。
Butheforbadethat，andtold