IthoughtmanywaysthatIhadtheworstofit，buthis
sayinghewasundone，andthathehadnoestateneither，put
meintoameredistraction。
’Why，’saysItohim，’thishas
beenahellishjuggle，forwearemarriedhereuponthefoot
ofadoublefraud；youareundonebythedisappointment，it
seems；andifIhadhadafortuneIhadbeencheatedtoo，for
yousayyouhavenothing。’
’Youwouldindeedhavebeencheated，mydear，’sayshe，’but
youwouldnothavebeenundone，for#15，000wouldhave
maintainedusbothveryhandsomelyinthiscountry；andI
assureyou，’addedhe，’Ihadresolvedtohavededicatedevery
groatofittoyou；Iwouldnothavewrongedyouofashilling，
andtherestIwouldhavemadeupinmyaffectiontoyou，and
tendernessofyou，aslongasIlived。’
Thiswasveryhonestindeed，andIreallybelievehespoke
asheintended，andthathewasamanthatwasaswellqualified
tomakemehappy，astohistemperandbehaviour，asany
maneverwas；buthishavingnoestate，andbeingrunintodebt
onthisridiculousaccountinthecountry，madealltheprospect
dismalanddreadful，andIknewnotwhattosay，orwhatto
thinkofmyself。
Itoldhimitwasveryunhappythatsomuchlove，andsomuch
goodnatureasIdiscoveredinhim，shouldbethusprecipitated
intomisery；thatIsawnothingbeforeusbutruin；forastome，
itwasmyunhappinessthatwhatlittleIhadwasnotableto
relieveusweek，andwiththatIpulledoutabankbillof#20
andelevenguineas，whichItoldhimIhadsavedoutof
my
littleincome，andthatbytheaccountthatcreaturehadgiven
meofthewayoflivinginthatcountry，Iexpecteditwould
maintainmethreeorfouryears；thatifitwastakenfromme，
Iwasleftdestitute，andheknewwhattheconditionofawoman
amongstrangersmustbe，ifshehadnomoneyinherpocket；
however，Itoldhim，ifhewouldtakeit，thereitwas。
Hetoldmewithagreatconcern，andIthoughtIsawtears
standinhiseyes，thathewouldnottouchit；thatheabhorred
thethoughtsofstrippingmeandmakememiserable；that，on
thecontrary，hehadfiftyguineasleft，whichwasallhehadin
theworld，andhepulleditoutandthrewitdownonthetable，
biddingmetakeit，thoughheweretostarveforwantofit。
Ireturned，withthesameconcernforhim，thatIcouldnot
beartohearhimtalkso；that，onthecontrary，ifhecould
proposeanyprobablemethodofliving，Iwoulddoanything
thatbecamemeonmypart，andthatIwouldliveasclose
andasnarrowashecoulddesire。
Hebeggedofmetotalknomoreatthatrate，foritwould
makehimdistracted；hesaidhewasbredagentleman，though
hewasreducedtoalowfortune，andthattherewasbutone
wayleftwhichhecouldthinkof，andthatwouldnotdo，
unlessIcouldanswerhimonequestion，which，however，he
saidhewouldnotpressmeto。
ItoldhimIwouldanswerit
honestly；whetheritwouldbetohissatisfactionornot，that
Icouldnottell。
’Why，then，mydear，tellmeplainly，’sayshe，’willthelittle
youhavekeepustogetherinanyfigure，orinanystationor
place，orwillitnot？’
ItwasmyhappinesshithertothatIhadnotdiscoveredmyself
ormycircumstancesatall——no，notsomuchasmyname；and
seeingthesewasnothingtobeexpectedfromhim，however
good-humouredandhoweverhonestheseemedtobe，butto
liveonwhatIknewwouldsoonbewasted，Iresolvedto
concealeverythingbutthebankbillandtheelevenguineas
whichIhadowned；andIwouldhavebeenverygladtohave
lostthatandhavebeensetdownwherehetookmeup。
Ihad
indeedanotherbankbillaboutmeof#30，whichwasthewhole
ofwhatIbroughtwithme，aswelltosubsistoninthecountry，
asnotknowingwhatmightoffer；becausethiscreature，the
go-betweenthathadthusbetrayedusboth，hadmademe
believestrangethingsofmymarryingtomyadvantageinthe
country，andIwasnotwillingtobewithoutmoney，whatever
mighthappen。
ThisbillIconcealed，andthatmademethe
freeroftherest，inconsiderationofhiscircumstances，forI
reallypitiedhimheartily。
Buttoreturntohisquestion，ItoldhimIneverwillingly
deceivedhim，andIneverwould。
Iwasverysorrytotellhim
thatthelittleIhadwouldnotsubsistus；thatitwasnot
sufficienttosubsistmealoneinthesouthcountry，andthat
thiswasthereasonthatmademeputmyselfintothehands
ofthatwomanwhocalledhimbrother，shehavingassured
methatImightboardveryhandsomelyatatowncalled
Manchester，whereIhadnotyetbeen，forabout#6ayear；
andmywholeincomenotbeingabout#15ayear，IthoughtI
mightliveeasyuponit，andwaitforbetterthings。
Heshookhisheadandremainedsilent，andaverymelancholy
eveningwehad；however，wesuppedtogether，andlaytogether
thatnight，andwhenwehadalmostsuppedhelookedalittle
betterandmorecheerful，andcalledforabottleofwine。
’Come，
mydear，’sayshe，’thoughthecaseisbad，itistonopurpose
tobedejected。
come，beaseasyasyoucan；Iwillendeavour
tofindoutsomewayorothertolive；ifyoucanbutsubsist
yourself，thatisbetterthannothing。
Imusttrytheworldagain；
amanoughttothinklikeaman；tobediscouragedistoyield
tothemisfortune。’
Withthishefilledaglassanddranktome，
holdingmyhandandpressingithardinhishandallthewhile
thewinewentdown，andprotestingafterwardshismain
concernwasforme。
Itwasreallyatrue，gallantspirithewasof，anditwasthe
moregrievoustome。
’Tissomethingofreliefeventobe
undonebyamanofhonour，ratherthanbyascoundrel；but
herethegreatestdisappointmentwasonhisside，forhehad
reallyspentagreatdealofmoney，deludedbythismadamthe
procuress；anditwasveryremarkableonwhatpoortermshe
proceeded。
Firstthebasenessofthecreatureherselfistobe
observed，who，forthegetting#100herself，couldbecontent
tolethimspendthreeorfourmore，thoughperhapsitwasall
hehadintheworld，andmorethanall；whenshehadnotthe
leastground，morethanalittletea-tablechat，tosaythatIhad
anyestate，orwasafortune，orthelike。
Itistruethedesign
ofdeludingawomanoffortune，IfIhadbeenso，wasbase
enough；theputtingthefaceofgreatthingsuponpoor
circumstanceswasafraud，andbadenough；butthecasea
littledifferedtoo，andthatinhisfavour，forhewasnotarake
thatmadeatradetodeludewomen，and，assomehavedone，
getsixorsevenfortunesafteroneanother，andthenrifleand
runawayfromthem；buthewasreallyagentleman，unfortunate
andlow，buthadlivedwell；andthough，ifIhadhadafortune，
Ishouldhavebeenenragedattheslutforbetrayingme，yet
reallyfortheman，afortunewouldnothavebeenillbestowed
onhim，forhewasalovelypersonindeed，ofgenerousprinciples，
goodsense，andofabundanceofgood-humour。
Wehadagreatdealofcloseconversationthatnight，forwe
neitherofussleptmuch；hewasaspenitentforhavingputall
thosecheatsuponmeasifithadbeenfelony，andthathewas
goingtoexecution；heofferedmeagaineveryshillingofthe
moneyhehadabouthim，andsaidhewouldgointothearmy
andseektheworldformore。
Iaskedhimwhyhewouldbesounkindtocarrymeinto
Ireland，whenImightsupposehecouldnothavesubsistedme
there。
Hetookmeinhisarms。
’Mydear，’saidhe，’depend
uponit，IneverdesignedtogotoIrelandatall，muchlessto
havecarriedyouthither，butcamehithertobeoutofthe
observationofthepeople，whohadheardwhatIpretendedto，
andwithal，thatnobodymightaskmeformoneybeforeIwas
furnishedtosupplythem。’
’Butwhere，then，’saidI，’werewetohavegonenext？’
’Why，mydear，’saidhe，’I’llconfessthewholeschemetoyou
asIhadlaidit；Ipurposedheretoaskyousomethingabout
yourestate，asyouseeIdid，andwhenyou，asIexpectedyou
would，hadenteredintosomeaccountwithmeoftheparticulars，
Iwouldhavemadeanexcusetoyoutohaveputoffourvoyage
toIrelandforsometime，andtohavegonefirsttowardsLondon。
’Then，mydear，’saidhe，’Iresolvedtohaveconfessedallthe
circumstancesofmyownaffairstoyou，andletyouknowI
hadindeedmadeuseoftheseartificestoobtainyourconsent
tomarryme，buthadnownothingtodobutasktoyourpardon，
andtotellyouhowabundantly，asIhavesaidabove，Iwould
endeavourtomakeyouforgetwhatwaspast，bythefelicity
ofthedaystocome。’
’Truly，’saidItohim，’Ifindyouwouldsoonhaveconquered
me；anditismyafflictionnow，thatIamnotinaconditionto
letyouseehoweasilyIshouldhavebeenreconciledtoyou，
andhavepassedbyallthetricksyouhadputuponme，in
recompenseofsomuchgood-humour。
But，mydear，’saidI，
’whatcanwedonow？
Wearebothundone，andwhatbetter
areweforourbeingreconciledtogether，seeingwehave
nothingtoliveon？’
Weproposedagreatmanythings，butnothingcouldoffer
wheretherewasnothingtobeginwith。
Hebeggedmeatlast
totalknomoreofit，for，hesaid，Iwouldbreakhisheart；so
wetalkedofotherthingsalittle，tillatlasthetookahusband’s
leaveofme，andsowewenttosleep。
Herosebeforemeinthemorning；andindeed，havinglain
awakealmostallnight，Iwasverysleepy，andlaytillnear
eleveno’clock。
Inthistimehetookhishorsesandthree
servants，andallhislinenandbaggage，andawayhewent，
leavingashortbutmovingletterformeonthetable，as
follows:——
’MYDEAR——Iamadog；Ihaveabusedyou；butIhavebeen
drawnintodoitbyabasecreature，contrarytomyprinciple
andthegeneralpracticeofmylife。
Forgiveme，mydear！