consequence；but，however，thatshewouldtalkwithme，and
lethimknowmyanswer，usingatthesametimesomearguments
topersuadehimnottodesireit，andthatitcouldbeofno
servicetohim，seeingshehopedhehadnodesiretorenewa
correspondencewithme，andthatonmyaccountitwasakind
ofputtingmylifeinhishands。
Hetoldherhehadagreatdesiretoseeme，thathewould
giveheranyassurancesthatwereinhispower，nottotake
anyadvantagesofme，andthatinthefirstplacehewouldgive
meageneralreleasefromalldemandsofanykind。
Sheinsisted
howitmighttendtoafurtherdivulgingthesecret，andmight
intheendbeinjurioustohim，entreatinghimnottopressfor
it；soatlength
hedesisted。
Theyhadsomediscourseuponthesubjectofthethingshehad
lost，andheseemedtobeverydesirousofhisgoldwatch，and
toldherifshecouldprocurethatforhim，hewouldwillingly
giveasmuchforitasitwasworth。
Shetoldhimshewould
endeavourtoprocureitforhim，andleavethevaluingitto
himself。
Accordinglythenextdayshecarriedthewatch，andhegave
herthirtyguineasforit，whichwasmorethanIshouldhave
beenabletomakeofit，thoughitseemsitcostmuchmore。
Hespokesomethingofhisperiwig，whichitseemscosthim
threescoreguineas，andhissnuff-box，andinafewdaysmore
shecarriedthemtoo；whichobligedhimverymuch，andhe
gaveherthirtymore。
ThenextdayIsenthimhisfinesword
andcanegratis，anddemandednothingofhim，butIhadno
mindtoseehim，unlessithadbeensothathemightbesatisfied
Iknewwhohewas，whichhewasnotwillingto。
Thenheenteredintoalongtalkwithherofthemannerhow
shecametoknowallthismatter。
Sheformedalongtaleof
thatpart；howshehaditfromonethatIhadtoldthewhole
storyto，andthatwastohelpmedisposeofthegoods；and
thisconfidantebroughtthethingstoher，shebeingbyprofession
apawnbroker；andshehearingofhisworship’sdisaster，guessed
atthethingingeneral；thathavinggottenthethingsintoher
hands，shehadresolvedtocomeandtryasshehaddone。
She
thengavehimrepeatedassurancesthatitshouldnevergoout
ofhermouth，andthoughsheknewthewomanverywell，yet
shehadnotletherknow，meaningme，anythingofit；thatis
tosay，whothepersonwas，which，bytheway，wasfalse；but，
however，itwasnottohisdamage，forIneveropenedmy
mouthofittoanybody。
Ihadagreatmanythoughtsinmyheadaboutmyseeinghim
again，andwasoftensorrythatIhadrefusedit。
Iwaspersuaded
thatifIhadseenhim，andlethimknowthatIknewhim，I
shouldhavemadesomeadvantageofhim，andperhapshave
hadsomemaintenancefromhim；andthoughitwasalife
wickedenough，yetitwasnotsofullofdangerasthisIwas
engagedin。
However，thosethoughtsworeoff，andIdeclined
seeinghimagain，forthattime；butmygovernesssawhim
often，andhewasverykindtoher，givinghersomethingalmost
everytimehesawher。
Onetimeinparticularshefoundhim
verymerry，andasshethoughthehadsomewineinhishead，
andhepressedheragainveryearnestlytolethimseethat
womanthat，ashesaid，hadbewitchedhimsothatnight，my
governess，whowasfromthebeginningformyseeinghim，
toldhimhewassodesirousofitthatshecouldalmostyield
ofit，ifshecouldprevailuponme；addingthatifhewould
pleasetocometoherhouseintheevening，shewould
endeavourit，uponhisrepeatedassurancesofforgettingwhat
waspast。
Accordinglyshecametome，andtoldmeallthediscourse；
inshort，shesoonbiassedmetoconsent，inacasewhichIhad
someregretinmymindfordecliningbefore；soIpreparedto
seehim。
Idressedmetoalltheadvantagepossible，Iassure
you，andforthefirsttimeusedalittleart；Isayforthefirst
time，forIhadneveryieldedtothebasenessofpaintbefore，
havingalwayshadvanityenoughtobelieveIhadnoneedofit。
Atthehourappointedhecame；andassheobservedbefore，
soitwasplainstill，thathehadbeendrinking，thoughveryfar
fromwhatwecallbeingindrink。
Heappearedexceeding
pleasedtoseeme，andenteredintoalongdiscoursewithme
upontheoldaffair。
Ibeggedhispardonveryoftenformy
shareofit，protestedIhadnotanysuchdesignwhenfirstI
methim，thatIhadnotgoneoutwithhimbutthatItookhim
foraverycivilgentleman，andthathemademesomany
promisesofofferingnouncivilitytome。
Heallegedthewinehedrank，andthathescarceknewwhat
hedid，andthatifithadnotbeenso，Ishouldneverhavelet
himtakethefreedomwithmethathehaddone。
Heprotested
tomethathenevertouchedanywomanbutmesincehewas
marriedtohiswife，anditwasasurpriseuponhim；complimented
meuponbeingsoparticularlyagreeabletohim，andthelike；
andtalkedsomuchofthatkind，tillIfoundhehadtalked
himselfalmostintoatempertodothesamethingoveragain。
ButItookhimupshort。
IprotestedIhadneversufferedany
mantotouchmesincemyhusbanddied，whichwasneareight
years。
Hesaidhebelievedittobesotruly；andaddedthat
madamhadintimatedasmuchtohim，andthatitwashis
opinionofthatpartwhichmadehidesiretoseemeagain；and
thatsincehehadoncebrokeinuponhisvirtuewithme，and
foundnoillconsequences，hecouldbesafeinventuringthere
again；andso，inshort，itwentontowhatIexpected，andto
whatwillnotbearrelating。
Myoldgovernesshadforeseenit，aswellasI，andtherefore
ledhimintoaroomwhichhadnotabedinit，andyethada
chamberwithinitwhichhadabed，whitherwewithdrewfor
therestofthenight；and，inshort，aftersometimebeing
together，hewenttobed，andlaythereallnight。
Iwithdrew，
butcameagainundressedinthemorning，beforeitwasday，
andlaywithhimtherestofthetime。
Thus，yousee，havingcommittedacrimeonceisasadhandle
tothecommittingofitagain；whereasalltheregretand
reflectionswearoffwhenthetemptationrenewsitself。
Had
Inotyieldedtoseehimagain，thecorruptdesireinhimhad
wornoff，and’tisveryprobablehehadneverfallenintoit
withanybodyelse，asIreallybelievehehadnotdonebefore。
Whenhewentaway，ItoldhimIhopedhewassatisfiedhe
hadnotbeenrobbedagain。
Hetoldmehewassatisfiedin
thatpoint，andcouldtrustmeagain，andputtinghishandin
hispocket，gavemefiveguineas，whichwasthefirstmoney
Ihadgainedthatwayformanyyears。
Ihadseveralvisitsofthelikekindfromhim，buthenever
cameintoasettledwayofmaintenance，whichwaswhatI
wouldhavebestpleasedwith。
Once，indeed，heaskedme
howIdidtolive。
Iansweredhimprettyquick，thatIassured
himIhadnevertakenthatcoursethatItookwithhim，but
thatindeedIworkedatmyneedle，andcouldjustmaintain
myself；thatsometimeitwasasmuchasIwasabletodo，and
Ishiftedhardenough。
Heseemedtoreflectuponhimselfthatheshouldbethefirst
persontoleadmeintothat，whichheassuredmehenever
intendedtodohimself；andittouchedhimalittle，hesaid，
thatheshouldbethecauseofhisownsinandminetoo。
He
wouldoftenmakejustreflectionsalsouponthecrimeitself，
andupontheparticularcircumstancesofitwithrespectto
himself；howwineintroducedtheinclinationshowthedevil
ledhimtotheplace，andfoundoutanobjecttotempthim，
andhemadethemoralalwayshimself。
Whenthesethoughtswereuponhimhewouldgoaway，and
perhapsnotcomeagaininamonth’stimeorlonger；butthen
astheseriouspartworeoff，thelewdpartwouldwearin，and
thenhecamepreparedforthewickedpart。
Thuswelivedfor
sometime；thoughthedidnotkeep，astheycallit，yethe
neverfaileddoingthingsthatwerehandsome，andsufficient
tomaintainmewithoutworking，and，whichwasbetter，
withoutfollowingmyoldtrade。
Butthisaffairhaditsendtoo；forafteraboutayear，Ifound
thathedidnotcomesooftenasusual，andatlastheleftif
offaltogetherwithoutanydisliketobiddingadieu；andso
therewasanendofthatshortsceneoflife，whichaddedno
greatstoretome，onlytomakemoreworkforrepentance。
However，duringthisintervalIconfinedmyselfprettymuch
athome；atleast，beingthusprovidedfor，Imadenoadventures，
no，notforaquarterofayearafterheleftme；butthenfinding
thefundfail，andbeinglothtospenduponthemainstock，I
begantothinkofmyoldtrade，andtolookabroadintothe
streetagain；andmyfirststepwasluckyenough。
Ihaddressedmyselfupinaverymeanhabit，forasIhad
severalshapestoappearin，Iwasnowinanordinarystuff-gown，
ablueapron，andastrawhatandIplacedmyselfatthedoor
oftheThreeCupsInninSt。JohnStreet。
Therewereseveral
carriersusedtheinn，andthestage-coachesforBarnet，for
Totteridge，andothertownsthatwaystoodalwaysinthestreet
intheevening，whentheypreparedtosetout，sothatIwas
readyforanythingthatoffered，foreitheroneorother。
The
meaningwasthis；peoplecomefrequentlywithbundlesand
smallparcelstothoseinns，andcallforsuchcarriersorcoaches
astheywant，tocarrythemintothecountry；andtheregenerally
attendwomen，porters’wivesordaughters，readytotakein
suchthingsfortheirrespectivepeoplethatemploythem。
IthappenedveryoddlythatIwasstandingattheinngate，and
awomanthathadstoodtherebefore，andwhichwasthe
porter’swifebelongingtotheBarnetstage-coach，having
observedme，askedifIwaitedforanyofthecoaches。