WhenIwasgotintothetownagreatwayfromtheinn，Imet
withanancientwomanwhohadjustopenedherdoor，andI
fellintochatwithher，andaskedheragreatmanywild
questionsofthingsallremotetomypurposeanddesign；but
inmydiscourseIfoundbyherhowthetownwassituated，
thatIwasinastreetthatwentouttowardsHadley，butthat
suchastreetwenttowardsthewater-side，suchastreettowards
Colchester，andsotheLondonroadlaythere。
Ihadsoonmyendsofthisoldwoman，forIonlywantedto
knowwhichwastheLondonroad，andawayIwalkedasfast
asIcould；notthatIintendedtogoonfoot，eithertoLondon
ortoColchester，butIwantedtogetquietlyawayfromIpswich。
Iwalkedabouttwoorthreemiles，andthenImetaplain
countryman，whowasbusyaboutsomehusbandrywork，Idid
notknowwhat，andIaskedhimagreatmanyquestionsfirst，
notmuchtothepurpose，butatlasttoldhimIwasgoingfor
London，andthecoachwasfull，andIcouldnotgetapassage，
andaskedhimifhecouldtellmewheretohireahorsethat
wouldcarrydouble，andanhonestmantoridebeforemeto
Colchester，thatsoImightgetaplacethereinthecoaches。
Thehonestclownlookedearnestlyatme，andsaidnothing
forabovehalfaminute，when，scratchinghispoll，’Ahorse，
sayyouandtoColchester，tocarrydouble？
whyyes，mistress，
alack-a-day，youmayhavehorsesenoughformoney。’
’Well，
friend，’saysI，’thatItakeforgranted；Idon’texpectitwithout
money。’
’Why，but，mistress，’sayshe，’howmuchareyou
willingtogive？’
’Nay，’saysIagain，’friend，Idon’tknow
whatyourratesareinthecountryhere，forIamastranger；
butifyoucangetoneforme，getitascheapasyoucan，and
I’llgiveyousomewhatforyourpains。’
’Why，that’shonestlysaidtoo，’saysthecountryman。
’Not
sohonest，neither，’saidItomyself，’ifthouknewestall。’
’Why，mistress，’sayshe，’Ihaveahorsethatwillcarrydouble，
andIdon’tmuchcareifIgomyselfwithyou，’andthelike。
’Willyou？’saysI；’well，Ibelieveyouareanhonestman；if
youwill，Ishallbegladofit；I’llpayyouinreason。’
’Why，
lookye，mistress，’sayshe，’Iwon’tbeoutofreasonwithyou，
then；ifIcarryyoutoColchester，itwillbeworthfiveshillings
formyselfandmyhorse，forIshallhardlycomebackto-night。’
Inshort，Ihiredthehonestmanandhishorse；butwhenwe
cametoatownupontheroadIdonotrememberthename
ofit，butitstandsuponariver，Ipretendedmyselfveryill，
andIcouldgonofartherthatnightbutifhewouldstaythere
withme，becauseIwasastranger，Iwouldpayhimforhimself
andhishorsewithallmyheart。
ThisIdidbecauseIknewtheDutchgentlemenandtheir
servantswouldbeupontheroadthatday，eitherinthe
stagecoachesorridingpost，andIdidnotknowbutthedrunken
fellow，orsomebodyelsethatmighthaveseenmeatHarwich，
mightseemeagain，andsoIthoughtthatinoneday’sstop
theywouldbeallgoneby。
Welayallthatnightthere，andthenextmorningitwasnot
veryearlywhenIsetout，sothatitwasnearteno’clockby
thetimeIgottoColchester。
ItwasnolittlepleasurethatI
sawthetownwhereIhadsomanypleasantdays，andImade
manyinquiriesafterthegoodoldfriendsIhadoncehadthere，
butcouldmakelittleout；theywerealldeadorremoved。
The
youngladieshadbeenallmarriedorgonetoLondon；theold
gentlemanandtheoldladythathadbeenmyearlybenefacress
alldead；andwhichtroubledmemost，theyounggentleman
myfirstlover，andafterwardsmybrother-in-law，wasdead；
buttwosons，mengrown，wereleftofhim，buttheytoowere
transplantedtoLondon。
Idismissedmyoldmanhere，andstayedincognitoforthree
orfourdaysinColchester，andthentookapassageinawaggon，
becauseIwouldnotventurebeingseenintheHarwichcoaches。
ButIneedednothaveusedsomuchcaution，fortherewas
nobodyinHarwichbutthewomanofthehousecouldhave
knownme；norwasitrationaltothinkthatshe，considering
thehurryshewasin，andthatsheneversawmebutonce，and
thatbycandlelight，shouldhaveeverdiscoveredme。
IwasnowreturnedtoLondon，andthoughbytheaccidentof
thelastadventureIgotsomethingconsiderable，yetIwasnot
fondofanymorecountryrambles，norshouldIhaveventured
abroadagainifIhadcarriedthetradeontotheendofmy
days。Igavemygovernessahistoryofmytravels；sheliked
theHarwichjourneywellenough，andindiscoursingofthese
thingsbetweenourselvessheobserved，thatathiefbeinga
creaturethatwatchestheadvantagesofotherpeople’smistakes，
’tisimpossiblebutthattoonethatisvigilantandindustrious
manyopportunitiesmusthappen，andthereforeshethought
thatonesoexquisitelykeeninthetradeasIwas，wouldscarce
failofsomethingextraordinarywhereverIwent。
Ontheotherhand，everybranchofmystory，ifdulyconsidered，
maybeusefultohonestpeople，andaffordaduecautionto
peopleofsomesortorothertoguardagainstthelikesurprises，
andtohavetheireyesaboutthemwhentheyhavetodowith
strangersofanykind，for’tisveryseldomthatsomesnareor
otherisnotintheirway。
Themoral，indeed，ofallmyhistory
islefttobegatheredbythesensesandjudgmentofthereader；
Iamnotqualifiedtopreachtothem。
Lettheexperienceof
onecreaturecompletelywicked，andcompletelymiserable，
beastorehouseofusefulwarningtothosethatread。
Iamdrawingnowtowardsanewvarietyofthescenesoflife。
Uponmyreturn，beinghardenedbyalongraceofcrime，and
successunparalleled，atleastinthereachofmyownknowledge，
Ihad，asIhavesaid，nothoughtsoflayingdownatradewhich，
ifIwastojudgebytheexampleofother，must，however，end
atlastinmiseryandsorrow。
ItwasontheChristmasdayfollowing，intheevening，that，
tofinishalongtrainofwickedness，Iwentabroadtoseewhat
mightofferinmyway；whengoingbyaworkingsilversmith’s
inFosterLane，Isawatemptingbaitindeed，andnotbe
resistedbyoneofmyoccupation，fortheshophadnobodyin
it，asIcouldsee，andagreatdealoflooseplatelayinthe
window，andattheseatoftheman，whousually，asIsuppose，
workedatonesideoftheshop。
Iwentboldlyin，andwasjustgoingtolaymyhandupona
pieceofplate，andmighthavedoneit，andcarrieditclearoff，
foranycarethatthemenwhobelongedtotheshophadtaken
ofit；butanofficiousfellowinahouse，notashop，onthe
othersideoftheway，seeingmegoin，andobservingthat
therewasnobodyintheshop，comesrunningoverthestreet，
andintotheshop，andwithoutaskingmewhatIwas，orwho，
seizesuponme，ancriesoutforthepeopleofthehouse。
Ihadnot，asIsaidabove，touchedanythingintheshop，and
seeingaglimpseofsomebodyrunningovertotheshop，Ihad
somuchpresenceofmindastoknockvery
hardwithmy
footonthefloorofthehouse，andwasjustcallingouttoo，
whenthefellowlaidhandsonme。
However，asIhadalwaysmostcouragewhenIwasinmost
danger，sowhenthefellowlaidhandsonme，Istoodvery
highuponit，thatIcameintobuyhalfadozenofsilverspoons；
andtomygoodfortune，itwasasilversmith’sthatsoldplate，
aswellasworkedplateforothershops。
Thefellowlaughed
atthatpart，andputsuchavalueupontheservicethathehad
donehisneighbour，thathewouldhaveitbethatIcamenot
tobuy，buttosteal；andraisingagreatcrowd。
Isaidtothe
masteroftheshop，whobythistimewasfetchedhomefrom
someneighbouringplace，thatitwasinvaintomakenoise，
andenterintotalkthereofthecase；thefellowhadinsisted
thatIcametosteal，andhemustproveit，andIdesiredwe
mightgobeforeamagistratewithoutanymorewords；forI
begantoseeIshouldbetoohardforthemanthathadseizedme。
Themasterandmistressoftheshopwerereallynotsoviolent
asthemanfromt’othersideoftheway；andthemansaid，
’Mistress，youmightcomeintotheshopwithagooddesign
foraughtIknow，butitseemedadangerousthingforyouto
comeintosuchashopasmineis，whenyouseenobodythere；
andIcannotdojusticetomyneighbour，whowassokindto
me，asnottoacknowledgehehadreasononhisside；though，
uponthewhole，Idonotfindyouattemptedtotakeanything，
andIreallyknownotwhattodoinit。’
Ipressedhimtogo
beforeamagistratewithme，andifanythingcouldbeproved
onmethatwaslikeadesignofrobbery，Ishouldwillingly
submit，butifnot，Iexpectedreparation。
Justwhilewewereinthisdebate，andacrowdofpeople
gatheredaboutthedoor，camebySirT。B。，analdermanof
thecity，andjusticeofthepeace，andthegoldsmithhearing
ofit，goesout，andentreatedhisworshiptocomeinand
decidethecase。
Givethegoldsmithhisdue，hetoldhisstorywithagreatdeal
ofjusticeandmoderation，andthefellowthathadcomeover，
andseizeduponme，toldhiswithasmuchheatandfoolish
passion，whichdidmegoodstill，ratherthanharm。
Itcame
thentomyturntospeak，andItoldhisworshipthatIwasa
strangerinLondon，beingnewlycomeoutofthenorth；thatI
lodgedinsuchaplace，thatIwaspassingthisstreet，andwent
intothegoldsmith’sshoptobuyhalfadozenofspoons。
By
greatluckIhadanoldsilverspooninmypocket，whichI
pulledout，andtoldhimIhadcarriedthatspoontomatchit
withhalfadozenofnewones，thatitmightmatchsomeIhad
inthecountry。
ThatseeingnobodyItheshop，Iknockedwithmyfootvery
hardtomakethepeoplehear，andhadalsocalledaloudwith
myvoice；’tistrue，therewaslooseplateintheshop，butthat
nobodycouldsayIhadtouchedanyofit，orgonenearit；that
afellowcamerunningintotheshopoutofthestreet，andlaid
handsonmeinafuriousmanner，intheverymomentswhile
Iwascallingforthepeopleofthehouse；thatifhehadreally
hadamindtohavedonehisneighbouranyservice，heshould
havestoodatadistance，andsilentlywatchedtoseewhether
Ihadtouchedanythingorno，andthenhaveclappedinupon
me，andtakenmeinthefact。
’Thatisverytrue，’saysMr。
Alderman，andturningtothefellowthatstoppedme，heasked
himifitwastruethatIknockedwithmyfoot？
Hesaid，yes，
Ihadknocked，butthatmightbebecauseofhiscoming。
’Nay，’