’Everywoman，’shesays，’thatiswithchildhasafather
forit，’andwhetherthatfatherwasahusbandornohusband，
wasnobusinessofhers；herbusinesswastoassistmeinmy
presentcircumstances，whetherIhadahusbandorno。
’For，
madam，’saysshe，’tohaveahusbandthatcannotappear，is
tohavenohusbandinthesenseofthecase；and，therefore，
whetheryouareawifeoramistressisallonetome。’
Ifoundpresently，thatwhetherIwasawhoreorawife，Iwas
topassforawhorehere，soIletthatgo。
Itoldheritwas
true，asshesaid，butthat，however，ifImusttellhermycase，
Imusttellitherasitwas；soIrelatedittoherasshortasI
could，andIconcludedittoherthus。
’Itroubleyouwithall
this，madam，’saidI，’notthat，asyousaidbefore，itismuch
tothepurposeinyouraffair，butthisistothepurpose，namely，
thatIamnotinanypainaboutbeingseen，orbeingpublicor
concealed，for’tisperfectlyindifferenttome；butmydifficulty
is，thatIhavenoacquaintanceinthispartofthenation。’
’Iunderstandyou，madam’saysshe；’youhavenosecurityto
bringtopreventtheparishimpertinencesusualinsuchcases，
andperhaps，’saysshe，’donotknowverywellhowtodispose
ofthechildwhenitcomes。’
’Thelast，’saysI，’isnotsomuch
myconcernasthefirst。’
’Well，madam，’answeredthemidwife，
’dareyouputyourselfintomyhands？
Iliveinsuchaplace；
thoughIdonotinquireafteryou，youmayinquireafterme。
MynameisB——；Iliveinsuchastreet’——namingthestreet——’
atthesignoftheCradle。
Myprofessionisamidwife，andI
havemanyladiesthatcometomyhousetoliein。
Ihavegiven
securitytotheparishingeneraltermstosecurethemfromany
chargefromwhatsoevershallcomeintotheworldundermy
roof。
Ihavebutonequestiontoaskinthewholeaffair，madam，’
saysshe，’andifthatbeansweredyoushallbeentirelyeasyfor
alltherest。’
Ipresentlyunderstoodwhatshemeant，andtoldher，’Madam，
IbelieveIunderstandyou。
IthankGod，thoughIwantfriends
inthispartoftheworld，Idonotwantmoney，sofarasmay
benecessary，thoughIdonotaboundinthatneither’:
thisI
addedbecauseIwouldnotmakeherexpectgreatthings。
’Well，madam，’saysshe，’thatisthethingindeed，without
whichnothingcanbedoneinthesecases；andyet，’saysshe，
’youshallseethatIwillnotimposeuponyou，orofferanything
thatisunkindtoyou，andifyoudesireit，youshallknow
everythingbeforehand，thatyoumaysuityourselftothe
occasion，andbeneithercostlyorsparingasyouseefit。’
Itoldhersheseemedtobesoperfectlysensibleofmycondition，
thatIhadnothingtoaskofherbutthis，thatasIhadtoldher
thatIhadmoneysufficient，butnotagreatquantity，shewould
orderitsothatImightbeataslittlesuperfluouschargeas
possible。
Sherepliedthatshewouldbringinanaccountoftheexpenses
ofitintwoorthreeshapes，andlikeabilloffare，Ishould
chooseasIpleased；andIdesiredhertodoso。
Thenextdayshebroughtit，andthecopyofherthreebills
wasafollows:
Forthreemonths’lodginginherhouse，including
mydiet，at10s。aweek
Foranurseforthemonth，anduseofchildbed
Foraministertochristenthechild，andtothe
godfathersandclerkForasupperatthechristeningifIhadfivefriends
Forherfeesasamidwife，andthetakingoffthe
troubleoftheparish
Tohermaidservantattending。
Thiswasthefirstbill；thesecondwasthesameterms
Forthreemonths’lodginganddiet，etc。，at
Foranurseforthemonth，andtheuseoflinen
Fortheministertochristenthechild，etc。，as
Forsupperandforsweetmeats
Forherfeesasabove
Foraservant-maid
Thiswasthesecond-ratebill；thethird，shesaid，wasfor
adegreehigher，andwhenthefatherorfriendsappeared
Forthreemonths’lodginganddiet，havingtwo
roomsandagarretforaservant
Foranurseforthemonth，andthefinestsuit
ofchildbedlinen
Fortheministertochristenthechild，etc。
Forasuper，thegentlementosendinthe
Formyfees，etc。
Themaid，besidestheirownmaid，only
Ilookeduponallthreebills，andsmiled，andtoldherIdidnot
seebutthatshewasveryreasonableinherdemands，allthings
considered，andforthatIdidnotdoubtbuther
accommodations
weregood。
ShetoldmeIshouldbejudgeofthatwhenIsawthem。
herIwassorrytotellherthatIgearedImustbeherlowest-
ratedcustomer。
’Andperhaps，madam，’saidI，’youwillmake
methelesswelcomeuponthataccount。’
’No，notatall，’said
she；’forwhereIhaveoneofthethirdsortIhavetwoofthe
second，andfourtooneofthefirst，andIgetasmuchbythem
inproportionasbyany；butifyoudoubtmycareofyou，Iwill
allowanyfriendyouhavetooverlookandseeifyouarewell
waitedonorno。’
Thensheexplainedtheparticularsofherbill。
’Inthefirstplace，
madam，’saidshe，’Iwouldhaveyouobservethathereisthree
months’keeping；youarebuttenshillingsaweek；Iundertake
tosayyouwillnotcomplainofmytable。
Isuppose，’saysshe，
’youdonotlivecheaperwhereyouarenow？’
’No，indeed，’
saidI，’notsocheap，forIgivesixshillingsperweekformy
chamber，andfindmyowndietaswellasIcan，whichcosts
meagreatdealmore。’
’Then，madam，’saysshe，’ifthechildshouldnotlive，orshould
bedead-born，asyouknowsometimeshappens，thenthereis
theminister’sarticlesaved；andifyouhavenofriendstocome
toyou，youmaysavetheexpenseofasupper；sothattakethose
articlesout，madam，’saysshe，’yourlyinginwillnotcostyou
above#5，3s。inallmorethanyourordinarychargeof
living。’
ThiswasthemostreasonablethingthatIeverheardof；soI
smiled，andtoldherIwouldcomeandbehercustomer；butI
toldheralso，thatasIhadtwomonthsandmoretodo，Imight
perhapsbeobligedtostaylongerwithherthanthreemonths，
anddesiredtoknowifshewouldnotbeobligedtoremoveme
beforeitwasproper。
No，shesaid；herhousewaslarge，and
besides，sheneverputanybodytoremove，thathadlainin，till
theywerewillingtogo；andifshehadmoreladiesoffered，she
wasnotsoill-belovedamongherneighboursbutshecould
provideaccommodationsfortwenty，iftherewasoccasion。
Ifoundshewasaneminentladyinherway；and，inshort，I
agreedtoputmyselfintoherhands，andpromisedher。
She
thentalkedofotherthings，lookedaboutintomyaccommodations
whereIwas，foundfaultwithmywantingattendanceand
conveniences，andthatIshouldnotbeusedsoatherhouse。
ItoldherIwasshyofspeaking，forthewomanofthehouse
lookedstranger，oratleastIthoughtso，sinceIhadbeenill，
becauseIwaswithchild；andIwasafraidshewouldputsome
affrontorotheruponme，supposingthatIhadbeenableto
givebutaslightaccountofmyself。
’Ohdear，’saidshe，’herladyshipisnostrangertothesethings；
shehastriedtoentertainladiesinyourconditionseveraltimes，
butshecouldnotsecuretheparish；andbesides，sheisnotsucha
niceladyasyoutakehertobe；however，sinceyouarea-going，
youshallnotmeddlewithher，butI’llseeyouarealittlebetter
lookedafterwhileyouareherethanIthinkyouare，anditshall
notcostyouthemoreneither。’
Ididnotunderstandheratall；however，Ithankedher，and
weparted。
Thenextmorningshesentmeachickenroasted
andhot，andapintbottleofsherry，andorderedthemaidto
tellmethatshewastowaitonmeeverydayaslongasIstayed
there。
Thiswassurprisinglygoodandkind，andIaccepteditvery
willingly。
Atnightshesenttomeagain，toknowifIwanted
anything，andhowIdid，andtoorderthemaidtocometoher
inthemorningwithmydinner。
Themaid
hadorderstomake
mesomechocolateinthemorningbeforeshecameaway，and
didso，andatnoonshebroughtmethesweetbreadofabreast
ofveal，whole，andadishofsoupformydinner；andafterthis
mannershenursedmeupatadistance，sothatIwasmightily
wellpleased，andquicklywell，forindeedmydejectionsbefore
weretheprincipalpartofmyillness。
Iexpected，asisusuallythecaseamongsuchpeople，thatthe
servantshesentmewouldhavebeensomeimprudentbrazen
wenchofDruryLanebreeding，andIwasveryuneasyathaving
herwithmeuponthataccount；soIwouldnotletherliein
thathousethefirstnightbyanymeans，buthadmyeyesabout
measnarrowlyasifshehadbeenapublicthief。
Mygentlewomanguessedpresentlywhatwasthematter，and
sentherbackwithashortnote，thatImightdependuponthe
honestyofhermaid；thatshewouldbeanswerableforherupon
allaccounts；andthatshetooknoservantsintoherhouse
withoutverygoodsecurityfortheirfidelity。
Iwasthenperfectly
easy；andindeedthemaid’sbehaviourspokeforitself，fora
modester，quieter，soberergirlnevercameintoanybody’sfamily，
andIfoundhersoafterwards。
AssoonasIwaswellenoughtogoabroad，Iwentwiththe
maidtoseethehouse，andtoseetheapartmentIwastohave；
andeverythingwassohandsomeandsocleanandwell，that，
inshort，Ihadnothingtosay，butwaswonderfullypleased
andsatisfiedwithwhatIhadmetwith，which，considering
themelancholycircumstancesIwasin，wasfarbeyondwhat
Ilookedfor。