第47章
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  myselfinacoachwithhim;hetoldmehewasamanofhonour,

  andwouldnotofferanythingtomeunbecominghimassuch。

  Iseemedtodeclineitawhile,butsufferedmyselftobe

  importunedalittle,andthenyielded。

  Iwasatalossinmythoughtstoconcludeatfirstwhatthis

  gentlemandesigned;butIfoundafterwardshehadhadsome

  drinkinhishead,andthathewasnotveryunwillingtohave

  somemore。

  HecarriedmeinthecoachtotheSpringGarden,

  atKnightsbridge,wherewewalkedinthegardens,andhe

  treatedmeveryhandsomely;butIfoundhedrankveryfreely。

  Hepressedmealsotodrink,butIdeclineit。

  Hithertohekepthiswordwithme,andofferedmenothing

  amiss。

  Wecameawayinthecoachagain,andhebroughtme

  intothestreets,andbythistimeitwasnearteno’clockat

  night,andhestoppedthecoachatahousewhere,itseems,

  hewasacquainted,andwheretheymadenoscrupletoshow

  usupstairsintoaroomwithabedinit。

  AtfirstIseemedto

  beunwillingtogoup,butafterafewwordsIyieldedtothat

  too,beingwillingtoseetheendofit,andinhopetomake

  somethingofitatlast。

  Asforthebed,etc。,Iwasnotmuch

  concernedaboutthatpart。

  Herehebegantobealittlefreerwithmethanhehadpromised;

  andIbylittleandlittleyieldedtoeverything,sothat,inaword,

  hedidwhathepleasedwithme;Ineedsaynomore。

  Allthis

  whilehedrankfreelytoo,andaboutoneinthemorningwe

  wentintothecoachagain。

  Theairandtheshakingofthe

  coachmadethedrinkhehadgetmoreupinhisheadthanit

  wasbefore,andhegrewuneasyinthecoach,andwasfor

  actingoveragainwhathehadbeendoingbefore;butasI

  thoughtmygamenowsecure,Iresistedhim,andbroughthim

  tobealittlestill,whichhadnotlastedfiveminutesbuthefell

  fastasleep。

  Itookthisopportunitytosearchhimtoanicety。

  Itooka

  goldwatch,withasilkpurseofgold,hisfinefull-bottom

  periwigandsilver-fringedgloves,hisswordandfinesnuff-box,

  andgentlyopeningthecoachdoor,stoodreadytojumpout

  whilethecoachwasgoingon;butthecoachstoppedinthe

  narrowstreetbeyondTempleBartoletanothercoachpass,

  Igotsoftlyout,fastenedthedooragain,andgavemygentleman

  andthecoachtheslipbothtogether,andneverheardmore

  ofthem。

  Thiswasanadventureindeedunlookedfor,andperfectly

  undesignedbyme;thoughIwasnotsopastthemerrypart

  oflife,astoforgethowtobehave,whenafopsoblindedby

  hisappetiteshouldnotknowanoldwomanfromayoung。

  I

  didnotindeedlooksooldasIwasbytenortwelveyears;yet

  Iwasnotayoungwenchofseventeen,anditwaseasyenough

  tobedistinguished。

  Thereisnothingsoabsurd,sosurfeiting,

  soridiculous,asamanheatedbywineinhishead,andwicked

  gustinhisinclinationtogether;heisinthepossessionoftwo

  devilsatonce,andcannomoregovernhimselfbyhisreason

  thanamillcangrindwithoutwater;hisvicetramplesuponall

  thatwasinhimthathadanygoodinit,ifanysuchthingthere

  was;nay,hisverysenseisblindedbyitsownrage,andheacts

  absurditieseveninhisviews;suchadrinkingmore,whenhe

  isdrunkalready;pickingupacommonwoman,withoutregard

  towhatsheisorwhosheis,whethersoundorrotten,clean

  orunclean,whetheruglyorhandsome,whetheroldoryoung,

  andsoblindedasnotreallytodistinguish。

  Suchamanisworse

  thanalunatic;promptedbyhisvicious,corruptedhead,heno

  moreknowswhatheisdoingthanthiswretchofmineknew

  whenIpickedhispocketofhiswatchandhispurseofgold。

  ThesearethemenofwhomSolomonsays,’Theygolikean

  oxtotheslaughter,tilladartstrikesthroughtheirliver’;an

  admirabledescription,bytheway,ofthefouldisease,which

  isapoisonousdeadlycontagionminglingwiththeblood,

  whosecentreorfoundationisintheliver;fromwhence,by

  theswiftcirculationofthewholemass,thatdreadfulnauseous

  plaguestrikesimmediatelythroughhisliver,andhisspiritsare

  infected,hisvitalsstabbedthroughaswithadart。

  Itistruethispoorunguardedwretchwasinnodangerfrom

  me,thoughIwasgreatlyapprehensiveatfirstofwhatdanger

  Imightbeinfromhim;buthewasreallytobepitiedinone

  respect,thatheseemedtobeagoodsortofmaninhimself;

  agentlemanthathadnoharminhisdesign;amanofsense,

  andofafinebehaviour,acomelyhandsomeperson,asober

  solidcountenance,acharmingbeautifulface,andeverything

  thatcouldbeagreeable;onlyhadunhappilyhadsomedrink

  thenightbefore,hadnotbeeninbed,ashetoldmewhenwe

  weretogether;washot,andhisbloodfiredwithwine,andin

  thatconditionhisreason,asitwereasleep,hadgivenhimup。

  Asforme,mybusinesswashismoney,andwhatIcouldmake

  ofhim;andafterthat,ifIcouldhavefoundoutanywayto

  havedoneit,Iwouldhavesenthimsafehometohishouse

  andtohisfamily,for’twastentoonebuthehadanhonest,

  virtuouswifeandinnocentchildren,thatwereanxiousforhis

  safety,andwouldhavebeengladtohavegottenhimhome,

  andhavetakencareofhimtillhewasrestoredtohimself。

  Andthenwithwhatshameandregretwouldhelookback

  uponhimself!howwouldhereproachhimselfwithassociating

  himselfwithawhore!

  pickedupintheworstofallholes,the

  cloister,amongthedirtandfilthofallthetown!howwould

  hebetremblingforfearhehadgotthepox,forfearadarthad

  struckthroughhisliver,andhatehimselfeverytimehelooked

  backuponthemadnessandbrutalityofhisdebauch!how

  wouldhe,ifhehadanyprinciplesofhonour,asIverilybelieve

  hehad——Isay,howwouldheabhorthethoughtofgivingany

  illdistemper,ifhehadit,asforaughtheknewhemight,to

  hismodestandvirtuouswife,andtherebysowingthecontagion

  inthelife-bloodofhisprosterity。

  Wouldsuchgentlemenbutconsiderthecontemptiblethoughts

  whichtheverywomentheyareconcernedwith,insuchcases

  asthese,haveofthem,itwouldbeasurfeittothem。

  AsI

  saidabove,theyvaluenotthepleasure,theyareraisedbyno

  inclinationtotheman,thepassivejadethinksofnopleasure

  butthemoney;andwhenheis,asitwere,drunkinthe

  ecstasiesofhiswickedpleasure,herhandsareinhispockets

  searchingforwhatshecanfindthere,andofwhichhecanno

  morebesensibleinthemomentofhisfollythathecanforethink

  ofitwhenhegoesaboutit。

  Iknewawomanthatwassodexterouswithafellow,who

  indeeddeservednobetterusage,thatwhilehewasbusywith

  heranotherway,conveyedhispursewithtwentyguineasin

  itoutofhisfob-pocket,wherehehadputitforfearofher,

  andputanotherpursewithgildedcountersinitintotheroom

  ofit。

  Afterhehaddone,hesaystoher,’Nowhan’tyoupicked

  mypocket?’

  Shejestedwithhim,andtoldhimshesupposed

  hehadnotmuchtolose;heputhishandtohisfob,andwith

  hisfingersfeltthathispursewasthere,whichfullysatisfied

  him,andsoshebroughtoffhismoney。

  Andthiswasatrade

  withher;shekeptashamgoldwatch,thatis,awatchofsilver

  gilt,andapurseofcountersinherpockettobereadyonall

  suchoccasions,andIdoubtnotpracticeditwithsuccess。

  Icamehomewiththislastbootytomygoverness,andreally

  whenItoldherthestory,itsoaffectedherthatshewashardly

  abletoforbeartears,toknowhowsuchagentlemanrana

  dailyriskofbeingundoneeverytimeaglassofwinegotinto

  hishead。

  ButastothepurchaseIgot,andhowentirelyIstrippedhim,

  shetoldmeitpleaseherwonderfully。

  ’Naychild,’saysshe,

  ’theusagemay,foraughtIknow,domoretoreformhimthan

  allthesermonsthateverhewillhearinhislife。’

  Andifthe

  remainderofthestorybetrue,soitdid。

  Ifoundthenextdayshewaswonderfulinquisitiveaboutthis

  gentleman;thedescriptionIhadgivenherofhim,hisdress,

  hisperson,hisface,everythingconcurredtomakeherthink

  ofagentlemanwhosecharactersheknew,andfamilytoo。

  Shemusedawhile,andIgoingstillonwiththeparticulars,

  shestartsup;saysshe,’I’lllay#100Iknowthegentleman。’

  ’Iamsorryyoudo,’saysI,’forIwouldnothavehimexposed

  onanyaccountintheworld;hehashadinjuryenoughalready

  byme,andIwouldnotbeinstrumentaltodohimanymore。’

  ’No,no,’saysshe,’Iwilldohimnoinjury,Iassureyou,but

  youmayletmesatisfymycuriosityalittle,forifitishe,I

  warrantyouIfinditout。’

  Iwasalittlestartledatthat,and

  toldher,withanapparentconcerninmyface,thatbythesame

  rulehemightfindmeout,andthenIwasundone。

  Shereturned

  warmly,’Why,doyouthinkIwillbetrayyou,child?

  No,no,’

  saysshe,’notforallheisworthintheworld。

  Ihavekeptyour

  counselinworsethingsthanthese;sureyoumaytrustmein

  this。’

  SoIsaidnomoreatthattime。

  Shelaidherschemeanotherway,andwithoutacquaintingme

  ofit,butshewasresolvedtofinditoutifpossible。

  Soshe

  goestoacertainfriendofherswhowasacquaintedinthe

  familythatsheguessedat,andtoldherfriendshehadsome

  extraordinarybusinesswithsuchagentlemanwho,bythe

  way,wasnolessthanabaronet,andofaverygoodfamily,

  andthatsheknewnothowtocomeathimwithoutsomebody

  tointroduceher。

  Herfriendpromisedherveryreadilytodo

  it,andaccordinglygoestothehousetoseeifthegentleman

  wasintown。

  EndofPart6

  Part7

  Thenextdayshecometomygovernessandtellsherthat

  Sir——wasathome,butthathehadmetwithadisasterand

  wasveryill,andtherewasnospeakingwithhim。

  ’What

  disaster?’saysmygovernesshastily,asifshewassurprised

  atit。

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