interruptedhim，andtoldhimIwassorryIhadgonesofar，
sinceIsawwhatdisorderitputhiminto，butIdesiredhim
nottotalktomeofexplanations，forthatwouldbutmake
thingsworse。
Thisheightenedhisimpatience，and，indeed，perplexedhim
beyondallbearing；fornowhebegantosuspectthatthere
wassomemysteryyetunfolded，butcouldnotmaketheleast
guessattherealparticularsofit；allthatraninhisbrainwas，
thatIhadanotherhusbandalive，whichIcouldnotsayinfact
mightnotbetrue，butIassuredhim，however，therewasnot
theleastofthatinit；andindeed，astomyotherhusband，he
waseffectuallydeadinlawtome，andhadtoldmeIshould
lookonhimassuch，soIhadnottheleastuneasinessonthat
score。
ButnowIfoundthethingtoofargonetoconcealitmuch
longer，andmyhusbandhimselfgavemeanopportunityto
easemyselfofthesecret，muchtomysatisfaction。
Hehad
labouredwithmethreeorfourweeks，buttonopurpose，only
totellhimwhetherIhadspokenthesewordsonlyastheeffect
ofmypassion，toputhiminapassion，orwhethertherewas
anythingof
truthinthebottomofthem。
ButIcontinued
inflexible，andwouldexplainnothing，unlesshewouldfirst
consenttomygoingtoEngland，whichhewouldneverdo，
hesaid，whilehelived；ontheotherhand，Isaiditwasinmy
powertomakehimwillingwhenIpleased——nay，tomakehim
entreatmetogo；andthisincreasedhiscuriosity，andmadehim
importunatetothehighestdegree，butitwasalltonopurpose。
Atlengthhetellsallthisstorytohismother，andsetsherupon
metogetthemainsecretoutofme，andsheusedherutmost
skillwithmeindeed；butIputhertoafullstopatonceby
tellingherthatthereasonandmysteryofthewholematterlay
inherself，andthatitwasmyrespecttoherthathadmademe
concealit；andthat，inshort，Icouldgonofarther，andtherefore
conjuredhernottoinsistuponit。
Shewasstruckdumbatthissuggestion，andcouldnottell
whattosayortothink；but，layingasidethesuppositionasa
policyofmine，continuedherimportunityonaccountofher
son，and，ifpossible，tomakeupthebreachbetweenustwo。
Astothat，Itoldherthatitwasindeedagooddesigninher，
butthatitwasimpossibletobedone；andthatifIshouldreveal
toherthetruthofwhatshedesired，shewouldgrantittobe
impossible，andceasetodesireit。
AtlastIseemedtobe
prevailedonbyherimportunity，andtoldherIdaredtrusther
withasecretofthegreatestimportance，andshewouldsoon
seethatthiswasso，andthatIwouldconsenttolodgeitin
herbreast，ifshewouldengagesolemnlynottoacquainther
sonwithitwithoutmyconsent。
Shewaslonginpromisingthispart，butratherthannotcome
atthemainsecret，sheagreedtothattoo，andafteragreat
manyotherpreliminaries，Ibegan，andtoldherthewholestory。
FirstItoldherhowmuchshewasconcernedinalltheunhappy
breachwhichhadhappenedbetweenhersonandme，bytelling
meherownstoryandherLondonname；andthatthesurprise
shesawIwasinwasuponthatoccasion。
TheItoldhermy
ownstory，andmyname，andassuredher，bysuchothertokens
asshecouldnotdeny，thatIwasnoother，normoreorless，
thanherownchild，herdaughter，bornofherbodyinNewgate；
thesamethathadsavedherfromthegallowsbybeinginher
belly，andthesamethatsheleftinsuch-and-suchhandswhen
shewastransported。
Itisimpossibletoexpresstheastonishmentshewasin；she
wasnotinclinedtobelievethestory，ortorememberthe
particulars，forsheimmediatelyforesawtheconfusionthat
mustfollowinthefamilyuponit。
Buteverythingconcurred
soexactlywiththestoriesshehadtoldmeofherself，andwhich，
ifshehadnottoldme，shewouldperhapshavebeencontent
tohavedenied，thatshehadstoppedherownmouth，andshe
hadnothingtodobuttotakemeabouttheneckandkissme，
andcrymostvehementlyoverme，withoutspeakingoneword
foralongtimetogether。
Atlastshebrokeout:
’Unhappychild！’
saysshe，’whatmiserablechancecouldbringtheehither？and
inthearmsofmyownson，too！
Dreadfulgirl，’saysshe，’why，
weareallundone！
Marriedtothyownbrother！
Threechildren，
andtwoalive，allofthesamefleshandblood！
Mysonandmy
daughterlyingtogetherashusbandandwife！
Allconfusion
anddistractionforever！
Miserablefamily！whatwillbecome
ofus？
Whatistobesaid？
Whatistobedone？’
Andthusshe
ranonforagreatwhile；norhadIanypowertospeak，orif
Ihad，didIknowwhattosay，foreverywordwoundedmeto
thesoul。
Withthiskindofamazementonourthoughtswe
partedforthefirsttime，thoughmymotherwasmoresurprised
thanIwas，becauseitwasmorenewstoherthantome。
However，shepromisedagaintomeatparting，thatshewould
saynothingofittoherson，tillwehadtalkedofitagain。
EndofPart3
Part4
Itwasnotlong，youmaybesure，beforewehadasecond
conferenceuponthesamesubject；when，asifshehadbeen
willingtoforgetthestoryshehadtoldmeofherself，orto
supposethatIhadforgotsomeoftheparticulars，shebegan
totellthemwithalterationsandomissions；butIrefreshedher
memoryandsethertorightsinmanythingswhichIsupposed
shehadforgot，andthencameinsoopportunelywiththe
wholehistory，thatitwasimpossibleforhertogofromit；and
thenshefellintoherrhapsodiesagain，andexclamationsatthe
severityofhermisfortunes。
Whenthesethingswerealittle
overwithher，wefellintoaclosedebateaboutwhatshould
befirstdonebeforewegaveanaccountofthemattertomy
husband。
Buttowhatpurposecouldbeallourconsultations？
Wecouldneitherofusseeourwaythroughit，norseehowit
couldbesafetoopensuchascenetohim。
Itwasimpossible
tomakeanyjudgment，orgiveanyguessatwhattemperhe
wouldreceiveitin，orwhatmeasureshewouldtakeuponit；
andifheshouldhavesolittlegovernmentofhimselfastomake
itpublic，weeasilyforesawthatitwouldbetheruinofthe
wholefamily，andexposemymotherandmetothelastdegree；
andifatlastheshouldtaketheadvantagethelawwouldgive
him，hemightputmeawaywithdisdainandleavemetosue
forthelittleportionthatIhad，andperhapswasteitallinthe
suit，andthenbeabeggar；thechildrenwouldberuinedtoo，
havingnolegalclaimtoanyofhiseffects；andthusIshould
seehim，perhaps，inthearmsofanotherwifeinafewmonths，
andbemyselfthemostmiserablecreaturealive。
MymotherwasassensibleofthisasI；and，uponthewhole，
weknewnotwhattodo。
Aftersometimewecametomore
soberresolutions，butthenitwaswiththismisfortunetoo，that
mymother’sopinionandminewerequitedifferentfromone
another，andindeedinconsistentwithoneanother；formy
mother’sopinionwas，thatIshouldburythewholething
entirely，andcontinuetolivewithhimasmyhusbandtillsome
othereventshouldmakethediscoveryofitmoreconvenient；
andthatinthemeantimeshewouldendeavourtoreconcileus
togetheragain，andrestoreourmutualcomfortandfamily
peace；thatwemightlieasweusedtodotogether，andsolet
thewholematterremainasecretascloseasdeath。
’For，child，’
saysshe，’wearebothundoneifitcomesout。’
Toencouragemetothis，shepromisedtomakemeeasyinmy
circumstances，asfarasshewasable，andtoleavemewhat
shecouldatherdeath，securedformeseparatelyfrommy
husband；sothatifitshouldcomeoutafterwards，Ishouldnot
beleftdestitute，butbeabletostandonmyownfeetand
procurejusticefromhim。
Thisproposaldidnotagreeatallwithmyjudgmentofthe
thing，thoughitwasveryfairandkindinmymother；butmy
thoughtsranquiteanotherway。
Astokeepingthethinginourownbreasts，andlettingitall
remainasitwas，Itoldheritwasimpossible；andIaskedher
howshecouldthinkIcouldbearthethoughtsoflyingwith
myownbrother。
Inthenextplace，Itoldherthatherbeing
alivewastheonlysupportofthediscovery，andthatwhileshe
ownedmeforherchild，andsawreasontobesatisfiedthatI
wasso，nobodyelsewoulddoubtit；butthatifsheshoulddie
beforethediscovery，Ishouldbetakenforanimpudentcreature
thathadforgedsuchathingtogoawayfrommyhusband，or
shouldbecountedcrazedanddistracted。
ThenItoldherhow
hehadthreatenedalreadytoputmeintoamadhouse，andwhat
concernIhadbeeninaboutit，andhowthatwasthethingthat
drovemetothenecessityofdiscoveringittoherasIhaddone。
FromallwhichItoldher，thatIhad，onthemostserious
reflectionsIwasabletomakeinthecase，cometothisresolution，
whichIhopedshewouldlike，asamediumbetweenboth，viz。
thatsheshoulduseherendeavourswithhersontogiveme
leavetogotoEngland，asIhaddesired，andtofurnishmewith
asufficientsumofmoney，eitheringoodsalongwithme，or
inbillsformysupportthere，allalongsuggestingthathemight
onetimeorotherthinkitpropertocomeovertome。
ThatwhenIwasgone，sheshouldthen，incoldblood，and
afterfirstobliginghiminthesolemnestmannerpossibleto
secrecy，discoverthecasetohim，doingitgradually，andas
herowndiscretionshouldguideher，sothathemightnotbe
surprisedwithit，andflyoutintoanypassionsandexcesses
onmyaccount，oronhers；andthatsheshouldconcernherself
topreventhisslightingthechildren，ormarryingagain，unless
hehadacertainaccountofmybeingdead。
Thiswasmyscheme，andmyreasonsweregood；Iwasreally
alienatedfromhimintheconsequencesofthesethings；indeed，
Imortallyhatedhimasahusband，anditwasimpossibleto
removethatrivetedaversionIhadtohim。
Atthesametime，