agrainoftruerepentanceforaviciousandabominablelife
fortwenty-fouryearspast，itwasthen。
On，whatafelicityis
ittomankind，saidItomyself，thattheycannotseeintothe
heartsofoneanother！
HowhappyhaditbeenformeifIhad
beenwifetoamanofsomuchhonesty，andsomuchaffection
fromthebeginning！
EndofPart5
Part6
Thenitoccurredtome，’WhatanabominablecreatureamI！
andhowisthisinnocentgentlemangoingtobeabusedbyme！
Howlittledoeshethink，thathavingdivorcedawhore，heis
throwinghimselfintothearmsofanother！thatheisgoingto
marryonethathaslainwithtwobrothers，andhashadthree
childrenbyherownbrother！onethatwasborninNewgate，
whosemotherwasawhore，andisnowatransportedthief！
onethathaslainwiththirteenmen，andhashadachildsince
hesawme！
Poorgentleman！’saidI，’whatishegoingtodo？’
Afterthisreproachingmyselfwasover，itfollowingthus:
’Well，ifImustbehiswife，ifitpleaseGodtogivemegrace，
I’llbeatruewifetohim，andlovehimsuitablytothestrange
excessofhispassionforme；Iwillmakehimamendsifpossible，
bywhatheshallsee，forthecheatsandabusesIputuponhim，
whichhedoesnotsee。’
Hewasimpatientformycomingoutofmychamber，but
findingmelong，hewentdownstairsandtalkedwithmy
landlordabouttheparson。
Mylandlord，anofficiousthoughwell-meaningfellow，hadsent
awayfortheneighbouringclergyman；andwhenmygentleman
begantospeakofittohim，andtalkofsendingforhim，’Sir，’
sayshetohim，’myfriendisinthehouse’；sowithoutanymore
wordshebroughtthemtogether。
Whenhecametotheminister，
heaskedhimifhewouldventuretomarryacoupleofstrangers
thatwerebothwilling。
TheparsonsaidthatMr——hadsaid
somethingtohimofit；thathehopeditwasnoclandestine
business；thatheseemedtobeagravegentleman，andhe
supposedmadamwasnotagirl，sothattheconsentoffriends
shouldbewanted。
’Toputyououtofdoubtofthat，’saysmy
gentleman，’readthispaper’；andouthepullsthelicense。
’I
amsatisfied，’saystheminister；’whereisthelady？’
’You
shallseeherpresently，’saysmygentleman。
Whenhehadsaidthushecomesupstairs，andIwasbythat
timecomeoutofmyroom；sohetellsmetheministerwas
below，andthathehadtalkedwithhim，andthatuponshowing
himthelicense，hewasfreetomarryuswithallhisheart，’but
heaskstoseeyou’；soheaskedifIwouldlethimcomeup。
’’Tistimeenough，’saidI，’inthemorning，isitnot？’
’Why，’
saidhe，’mydear，heseemedtoscruplewhetheritwasnot
someyounggirlstolenfromherparents，andIassuredhimwe
werebothofagetocommandourownconsent；andthatmade
himasktoseeyou。’
’Well，’saidI，’doasyouplease’；soup
theybringstheparson，andamerry，goodsortofgentleman
hewas。
Hehadbeentold，itseems，thatwehadmetthereby
accident，thatIcameintheChestercoach，andmygentleman
inhisowncoachtomeetme；thatweweretohavemetlast
nightatStony-Stratford，butthathecouldnotreachsofar。
’Well，sir，’saystheparson，’everyillturnhassomegoodinit。
Thedisappointment，sir，’sayshetomygentleman，’wasyours，
andthegoodturnismine，forifyouhadmetatStony-Stratford
Ihadnothadthehonourtomarryyou。
Landlord，haveyoua
CommonPrayerBook？’
IstartedasifIhadbeenfrightened。
’Lord，sir，’saysI，’what
doyoumean？
What，tomarryinaninn，andatnighttoo？’
’Madam，’saystheminister，’ifyouwillhaveitbeinthechurch，
youshall；butIassureyouyourmarriagewillbeasfirmhere
asinthechurch；wearenottiedbythecanonstomarrynowhere
butinthechurch；andifyouwillhaveitinthechurch，it
willbeapublicasacountyfair；andasforthetimeofday，it
doesnotatallweighinthiscase；ourprincesaremarriedin
theirchambers，andateightorteno’clockatnight。’
IwasagreatwhilebeforeIcouldbepersuaded，andpretended
nottobewillingatalltobemarriedbutinthechurch。
But
itwasallgrimace；soIseemedatlasttobeprevailedon，and
mylandlordandhiswifeanddaughterwerecalledup。
landlordwasfatherandclerkandalltogether，andwewere
married，andverymerrywewere；thoughIconfessthe
self-reproacheswhichIhaduponmebeforelayclosetome，
andextortedeverynowandthenadeepsighfromme，which
mybridegroomtooknoticeof，andendeavouredtoencourage
me，thinking，poorman，thatIhadsomelittlehesitationsat
thestepIhadtakensohastily。
Weenjoyedourselvesthateveningcompletely，andyetallwas
keptsoprivateintheinnthatnotaservantinthehouseknew
ofit，formylandladyandherdaughterwaitedonme，and
wouldnotletanyofthemaidscomeupstairs，exceptwhilewe
wereatsupper。
Mylandlady’sdaughterIcalledmybridesmaid；
andsendingforashopkeeperthenextmorning，Igavetheyoung
womanagoodsuitofknots，asgoodasthetownwouldafford，
andfindingitwasalace-makingtown，Igavehermothera
pieceofbone-laceforahead。
Onereasonthatmylandlordwassoclosewas，thathewas
unwillingtheministeroftheparishshouldhearofit；butfor
allthatsomebodyheardofit，soatthatwehadthebellsset
a-ringingthenextmorningearly，andthemusic，suchasthe
townwouldafford，underourwindow；butmylandlord
brazeneditout，thatweweremarriedbeforewecamethither，
onlythat，beinghisformerguests，wewouldhaveour
wedding-supperathishouse。
Wecouldnotfindinourheartstostirthenextday；for，in
short，havingbeendisturbedbythebellsinthemorning，and
havingperhapsnotsleptovermuchbefore，weweresosleepy
afterwardsthatwelayinbedtillalmosttwelveo’clock。
Ibeggedmylandladythatwemightnothaveanymoremusic
inthetown，norringingofbells，andshemanageditsowell
thatwewereveryquiet；butanoddpassageinterruptedallmy
mirthforagoodwhile。
Thegreatroomofthehouselooked
intothestreet，andmynewspousebeingbelowstairs，Ihad
walkedtotheendoftheroom；anditbeingapleasant，warm
day，Ihadopenedthewindow，andwasstandingatitforsome
air，whenIsawthreegentlemencomebyonhorsebackandgo
intoaninnjustagainstus。
Itwasnottobeconcealed，norwasitsodoubtfulastoleave
meanyroomtoquestionit，butthesecondofthethreewas
myLancashirehusband。
Iwasfrightenedtodeath；Inever
wasinsuchaconsternationinmylife；IthoughIshouldhave
sunkintotheground；mybloodranchillinmyveins，andI
trembledasifIhadbeeninacoldfitofague。
Isay，there
wasnoroomtoquestionthetruthofit；Iknewhisclothes，I
knewhishorse，andIknewhisface。
ThefirstsensiblereflectImadewas，thatmyhusbandwas
notbytoseemydisorder，andthatIwasverygladofit。
The
gentlemenhadnotbeenlonginthehousebuttheycameto
thewindowoftheirroom，asisusual；butmywindowwas
shut，youmaybesure。
However，Icouldnotkeepfrom
peepingatthem，andthereIsawhimagain，heardhimcallout
tooneoftheservantsofthehouseforsomethinghewanted，
andreceivedalltheterrifyingconfirmationsofitsbeingthe
samepersonthatwerepossibletobehad。
Mynextconcernwastoknow，ifpossible，whatwashisbusiness
there；butthatwasimpossible。
Sometimesmyimagination
formedanideaofonefrightfulthing，sometimesofanother；
sometimeIthoughthehaddiscoveredme，andwascometo
upbraidmewithingratitudeandbreachofhonour；andevery
momentIfanciedhewascomingupthestairstoinsultme；and
innumerablefanciescameintomyheadofwhatwasneverin
hishead，norevercouldbe，unlessthedevilhadrevealeditto
him。
Iremainedinthisfrightnearlytwohours，andscarceeverkept
myeyefromthewindowordooroftheinnwheretheywere。
Atlast，hearingagreatclatterinthepassageoftheirinn，Iran
tothewindow，and，tomygreatsatisfaction，sawthemallthree
gooutagainandtravelonwestward。
Hadtheygonetowards
London，Ishouldhavebeenstillinafright，lestIshouldmeet
himontheroadagain，andthatheshouldknowme；buthe
wentthecontraryway，andsoIwaseasedofthatdisorder。
Weresolvedtobegoingthenextday，butaboutsixo’clock
atnightwewerealarmedwithagreatuproarinthestreet，and
peopleridingasiftheyhadbeenoutoftheirwits；andwhat
wasitbutahue-and-cryafterthreehighwaymenthathad
robbedtwocoachesandsomeothertravellersnearDunstable
Hill，andnoticehad，itseems，beengiventhattheyhadbeen
seenatBrickhillatsuchahouse，meaningthehousewhere
thosegentlemenhadbeen。
Thehousewasimmediatelybesetandsearched，buttherewere
witnessesenoughthatthegentlemenhadbeengoneoverthree
hours。
Thecrowdhavinggatheredabout，wehadthenews
presently；andIwasheartilyconcernednowanotherway。