Onemorninghepullsoffhisdiamondring，andwritesupon
theglassofthesashinmychamberthisline——
’YouIlove，andyoualone。’
Ireadit，andaskedhimtolendmehisring，withwhichIwrote
underit，thus——
’Andsoinlovesayseveryone。’
Hetakeshisringagain，andwritesanotherlinethus——
’Virtuealoneisanestate。’
Iborroweditagain，andIwroteunderit——
’Butmoney’svirtue，goldisfate。’
Hecolouredasredasfiretoseemeturnsoquickuponhim，
andinakindofaragetoldmehewouldconquerme，and
writesagainthus——
’Iscornyourgold，andyetIlove。’
Iventuredalluponthelastcastofpoetry，asyou’llsee，forI
wroteboldlyunderhislast——
’I’mpoor:
let’sseehowkindyou’llprove。’
Thiswasasadtruthtome；whetherhebelievedmeorno，I
couldnottell；Isupposedthenthathedidnot。
However，he
flewtome，tookmeinhisarms，and，kissingmeveryeagerly，
andwiththegreatestpassionimaginable，heheldmefasttill
hecalledforapenandink，andthentoldmehecouldnotwait
thetediouswritingontheglass，but，pullingoutapieceof
paper，hebeganandwroteagain——
’Bemine，withallyourpoverty。’
Itookhispen，andfollowedhimimmediately，thus——
’YetsecretlyyouhopeIlie。’
Hetoldmethatwasunkind，becauseitwasnotjust，andthat
Iputhimuponcontradictingme，whichdidnotconsistwith
goodmanners，anymorethanwithhisaffection；andtherefore，
sinceIhadinsensiblydrawnhimintothispoeticalscribble，he
beggedIwouldnotobligehimtobreakitoff；sohewrites
again——
’Letlovealonebeourdebate。’
Iwroteagain——
’Shelovesenoughthatdoesnothate。’
Thishetookforafavour，andsolaiddownthecudgels，that
istosay，thepen；Isay，hetookifforafavour，andamighty
oneitwas，ifhehadknownall。
However，hetookitasImeant
it，thatis，tolethimthinkIwasinclinedtogoonwithhim，as
indeedIhadallthereasonintheworldtodo，forhewasthe
best-humoured，merrysortofafellowthatIevermetwith，
andIoftenreflectedonmyselfhowdoublycriminalitwasto
deceivesuchaman；butthatnecessity，whichpressedmeto
asettlementsuitabletomycondition，wasmyauthorityforit；
andcertainlyhisaffectiontome，andthegoodnessofhistemper，
howevertheymightargueagainstusinghimill，yettheystrongly
arguedtomethathewouldbettertakethedisappointment
thansomefiery-temperedwretch，whomighthavenothingto
recommendhimbutthosepassionswhichwouldserveonlyto
makeawomanmiserableallherdays。
Besides，thoughIjestedwithhimashesupposeditso
oftenaboutmypoverty，yet，whenhefoundittobetrue，he
hadforeclosedallmannerofobjection，seeing，whetherhe
wasinjestorinearnest，hehaddeclaredhetookmewithout
anyregardtomyportion，and，whetherIwasinjestorin
earnest，Ihaddeclaredmyselftobeverypoor；sothat，ina
word，Ihadhimfastbothways；andthoughhemightsay
afterwardshewascheated，yethecouldneversaythatIhad
cheatedhim。
Hepursuedmecloseafterthis，andasIsawtherewasnoneed
tofearlosinghim，Iplayedtheindifferentpartwithhimlonger
thanprudencemightotherwisehavedictatedtome。
ButI
consideredhowmuchthiscautionandindifferencewouldgive
metheadvantageoverhim，whenIshouldcometobeunder
thenecessityofowningmyowncircumstancestohim；andI
manageditthemorewarily，becauseIfoundheinferredfrom
thence，asindeedheoughttodo，thatIeitherhadthemore
moneyorthemorejudgment，andwouldnotventureatall。
Itookthefreedomoneday，afterwehadtalkedprettyclose
tothesubject，totellhimthatitwastrueIhadreceivedthe
complimentofaloverfromhim，namely，thathewouldtake
mewithoutinquiringintomyfortune，andIwouldmakehim
asuitablereturninthis，viz。thatIwouldmakeaslittleinquiry
intohisasconsistedwithreason，butIhopedhewouldallow
metoaskafewquestions，whichhewouldanswerornotas
hethoughtfit；andthatIwouldnotbeoffendedifhedidnot
answermeatall；oneofthesequestionsrelatedtoourmanner
ofliving，andtheplacewhere，becauseIhadheardhehada
greatplantationinVirginia，andthathehadtalkedofgoing
tolivethere，andItoldhimIdidnotcaretobetransported。
Hebeganfromthisdiscoursetoletmevoluntarilyintoall
hisaffairs，andtotellmeinafrank，openwayallhis
circumstances，bywhichIfoundhewasverywelltopassin
theworld；butthatgreatpartofhisestateconsistedofthree
plantations，whichhehadinVirginia，whichbroughthimina
verygoodincome，generallyspeaking，tothetuneof#300，a
year，butthatifhewastoliveuponthem，wouldbringhimin
fourtimesasmuch。
’Verywell，’thoughtI；’youshallcarry
methitherassoonasyouplease，thoughIwon’ttellyouso
beforehand。’
Ijestedwithhimextremelyaboutthefigurehewouldmake
inVirginia；butIfoundhewoulddoanythingIdesired，though
hedidnotseemgladtohavemeundervaluehisplantations，
soIturnedmytale。
ItoldhimIhadgoodreasonnottogo
theretolive，becauseifhisplantationswereworthsomuch
there，Ihadnotafortunesuitabletoagentlemanof#1200a
year，ashesaidhisestatewouldbe。
Herepliedgenerously，hedidnotaskwhatmyfortunewas；
hehadtoldmefromthebeginninghewouldnot，andhewould
beasgoodashisword；butwhateveritwas，heassuredmehe
wouldneverdesiremetogotoVirginiawithhim，orgothither
himselfwithoutme，unlessIwasperfectlywilling，andmade
itmychoice。
Allthis，youmaybesure，wasasIwished，andindeednothing
couldhavehappenedmoreperfectlyagreeable。
Icarriediton
asfarasthiswithasortofindifferencythatheoftenwondered
at，morethanatfirst，butwhichwastheonlysupportofhis
courtship；andImentionittherathertointimateagaintothe
ladiesthatnothingbutwantofcourageforsuchanindifferency
makesoursexsocheap，andpreparesthemtobeill-usedas
theyare；wouldtheyventurethelossofapretendingfopnow
andthen，whocarriesithighuponthepointofhisownmerit，
theywouldcertainlybelessslighted，andcourtedmore。
Had
Idiscoveredreallyandtrulywhatmygreatfortunewas，and
thatinallIhadnotfull#500whenheexpected#1500，yetI
hadhookedhimsofast，andplayedhimsolong，thatIwas
satisfiedhewouldhavehadmeinmyworstcircumstances；
andindeeditwaslessasurprisetohimwhenhelearnedthe
truththanitwouldhavebeen，becausehavingnottheleast
blametolayonme，whohadcarrieditwithanairofindifference
tothelast，hewouldnotsayoneword，exceptthatindeedhe
thoughtithadbeenmore，butthatifithadbeenlesshedid
notrepenthisbargain；onlythatheshouldnotbeableto
maintainmesowellasheintended。
Inshort，weweremarried，andveryhappilymarriedonmy
side，Iassureyou，astotheman；forhewasthebest-humoured
manthateverywomanhad，buthiscircumstanceswerenotso
goodasIimagined，as，ontheotherhand，hehadnotbettered
himselfbymarryingsomuchasheexpected。
Whenweweremarried，Iwasshrewdlyputtoittobringhim
thatlittlestockIhad，andtolethimseeitwasnomore；but
therewasanecessityforit，soItookmyopportunityoneday
whenwewerealone，toenterintoashortdialoguewithhim
aboutit。
’Mydear，’saidI，’wehavebeenmarriedafortnight；
isitnottimetoletyouknowwhetheryouhavegotawife
withsomethingorwithnothing？’
’Yourowntimeforthat，
mydear，’sayshe；’IamsatisfiedthatIhavegotthewifeI
love；Ihavenottroubledyoumuch，’sayshe，’withmyinquiry
afterit。’
’That’strue，’saysI，’butIhaveagreatdifficultyuponme
aboutit，whichIscarceknowhowtomanage。’
’What’sthat，mdear？’sayshe。
’Why，’saysI，’’tisalittleharduponme，and’tisharderupon
you。
IamtoldthatCaptain——’meaningmyfriend’shusband
’hastoldyouIhadagreatdealmoremoneythanIever
pretendedtohave，andIamsureIneveremployedhimtodoso。’
’Well，’sayshe，’Captain——mayhavetoldmeso，butwhat
then？
Ifyouhavenotsomuch，thatmaylieathisdoor，but
younevertoldmewhatyouhad，soIhavenoreasontoblame
youifyouhavenothingatall。’
’That’sissojust，’saidI，’andsogenerous，thatitmakesmy
havingbutalittleadoubleafflictiontome。’
’Thelessyouhave，mydear，’sayshe，’theworseforusboth；
butIhopeyourafflictionyouspeakofisnotcausedforfear
Ishouldbeunkindtoyou，forwantofaportion。
No，no，if
youhavenothing，tellmeplainly，andatonce；Imayperhaps
tellthecaptainhehascheatedme，butIcanneversayyou
havecheatedme，fordidyounotgiveitunderyourhandthat
youwerepoor？
andsoIoughttoexpectyoutobe。’
’Well，’saidI，’mydear，IamgladIhavenotbeenconcerned
indeceivingyoubeforemarriage。
IfIdeceiveyousince，’tis
ne’ertheworse；thatIampooristootrue，butnotsopooras
tohavenothingneither’；soIpulledoutsomebankbills，and
gavehimabout#160。
’There’ssomething，mydear，’saidI，
’andnotquiteallneither。’
Ihadbroughthimsoneartoexpectingnothing，bywhatIhad
saidbefore，thatthemoney，thoughthesumwassmallinitself，
wasdoublywelcometohim；heowneditwasmorethanhe
lookedfor，andthathedidnotquestionbymydiscourseto
him，butthatmyfineclothes，goldwatch，andadiamondring
ortwo，hadbeenallmyfortune。
Ilethimpleasehimselfwiththat#160twoorthreedays，and
then，havingbeenabroadthatday，andasifIhad
beentofetch