WhenIcametoreceivethemoney，Ibroughtmygoverness
withme，dressedlikeanoldduchess，andagentlemanvery
welldressed，whowepretendedcourtedme，butIcalledhim
cousin，andthelawyerwasonlytohintprivatelytohimthat
hisgentlemancourtedthewidow。
Hetreatedushandsomelyindeed，andpaidthemoney
cheerfullyenough；sothatitcosthim#200inall，orrather
more。
Atourlastmeeting，whenallwasagreed，thecaseof
thejourneymancameup，andthemercerbeggedveryhard
forhim；toldmehewasamanthathadkeptashopofhis
own，andbeeningoodbusiness，hadawife，andseveral
children，andwasverypoor；thathehadnothingtomake
satisfactionwith，butheshouldcometobegmypardonon
hisknees，ifIdesiredit，asopenlyasIpleased。
Ihadno
spleenatthesaucyrogue，norwerehissubmissionsanything
tome，sincetherewasnothingtobegotbyhim，soIthought
itwasasgoodtothrowthatingenerouslyasnot；soItold
himIdidnotdesiretheruinofanyman，andthereforeathis
requestIwouldforgivethewretch；itwasbelowmetoseek
anyrevenge。
Whenwewereatsupperhebroughtthepoorfellowinto
makeacknowledgment，whichhewouldhavedonewithas
muchmeanhumilityashisoffencewaswithinsulting
haughtinessandpride，inwhichhewasaninstanceofa
completebasenessofspirit，impious，cruel，andrelentless
whenuppermostandinprosperity，abjectandlow-spirited
whendowninaffliction。
However，Iabatedhiscringes，told
himIforgavehim，anddesiredhemightwithdraw，asifIdid
notcareforthesightofhim，thoughIhadforgivenhim。
Iwasnowingoodcircumstancesindeed，ifIcouldhave
knownmytimeforleavingoff，andmygovernessoftensaid
IwastherichestofthetradeinEngland；andsoIbelieveI
was，forIhad#700bymeinmoney，besidesclothes，rings，
someplate，andtwogoldwatches，andallofthemstolen，for
IhadinnumerablejobsbesidestheseIhavementioned。
Oh！
hadIevennowhadthegraceof
repentance，Ihadstillleisure
tohavelookedbackuponmyfollies，andhavemadesome
reparation；butthesatisfactionIwastomakeforthepublic
mischiefsIhaddonewasyetleftbehind；andIcouldnotforbear
goingabroadagain，asIcalleditnow，thananymoreIcould
whenmyextremityreallydrovemeoutforbread。
Itwasnotlongaftertheaffairwiththemercerwasmadeup，
thatIwentoutinanequipagequitedifferentfromanyIhad
everappearedinbefore。
Idressedmyselflikeabeggarwoman，
inthecoarsestandmostdespicableragsIcouldget，andI
walkedaboutpeeringandpeepingintoeverydoorandwindow
Icamenear；andindeedIwasinsuchaplightnowthatIknew
asillhowtobehaveinaseverIdidinany。
Inaturallyabhorred
dirtandrags；Ihadbeenbreduptightandcleanly，andcould
benoother，whateverconditionIwasin；sothatthiswasthe
mostuneasydisguisetomethateverIputon。
Isaidpresently
tomyselfthatthiswouldnotdo，forthiswasadressthat
everybodywasshyandafraidof；andIthoughteverybody
lookedatme，asiftheywereafraidIshouldcomenearthem，
lestIshouldtakesomethingfromthem，orafraidtocomenear
me，lesttheyshouldgetsomethingfromme。
Iwanderedabout
alltheeveningthefirsttimeIwentout，andmadenothingof
it，butcamehomeagainwet，draggled，andtired。
However，
Iwentoutagainthenextnight，andthenImetwithalittle
adventure，whichhadliketohavecostmedear。
AsIwas
standingnearataverndoor，therecomesagentlemanon
horseback，andlightsatthedoor，andwantingtogointothe
tavern，hecallsoneofthedrawerstoholdhishorse。
Hestayed
prettylonginthetavern，andthedrawerheardhismastercall，
andthoughthewouldbeangrywithhim。
Seeingmestandby
him，hecalledtome，’Here，woman，’sayshe，’holdthishorse
awhile，tillIgoin；ifthegentlemancomes，he’llgiveyou
something。’
’Yes，’saysI，andtakesthehorse，andwalksoff
withhimverysoberly，andcarriedhimtomygoverness。
Thishadbeenabootytothosethathadunderstoodit；but
neverwaspoorthiefmoreatalosstoknowwhattodowith
anythingthatwasstolen；forwhenIcamehome，mygoverness
wasquiteconfounded，andwhattodowiththecreature，we
neitherofusknew。
Tosendhimtoasablewasdoingnothing，
foritwascertainthatpublicnoticewouldbegiveninthe
Gazette，andthehorsedescribed，sothatwedurstnotgoto
fetchitagain。
Alltheremedywehadforthisunluckyadventurewastogo
andsetupthehorseataninn，andsendanotebyaporterto
thetavern，thatthegentleman’shorsethatwaslostsuchatime
wasleftatsuchaninn，andthathemightbehadthere；that
thepoorwomanthatheldhim，havingledhimaboutthestreet，
notbeingabletoleadhimbackagain，hadlefthimthere。
We
mighthavewaitedtilltheownerhadpublishedandoffereda
reward，butwedidnotcaretoventurethereceivingthereward。
Sothiswasarobberyandnorobbery，forlittlewaslostbyit，
andnothingwasgotbyit，andIwasquitesickofgoingoutin
abeggar’sdress；itdidnotansweratall，andbesides，Ithought
itwasominousandthreatening。
WhileIwasinthisdisguise，Ifellinwithaparceloffolksof
aworsekindthananyIeversortedwith，andIsawalittleinto
theirwaystoo。
Thesewerecoinersofmoney，andtheymade
someverygoodofferstome，astoprofit；butthepartthey
wouldhavehadmehaveembarkedinwasthemostdangerous
part。
Imeanthatoftheveryworkingthedie，astheycallit，
which，hadIbeentaken，hadbeencertaindeath，andthatata
stake——Isay，tobeburnttodeathatastake；sothatthoughI
wastoappearancebutabeggar，andtheypromisedmountains
ofgoldandsilvertometoengage，yetitwouldnotdo。
Itis
true，ifIhadbeenreallyabeggar，orhadbeendesperateas
whenIbegan，Imightperhapshaveclosedwithit；forwhat
caretheytodiethatcan’ttellhowtolive？
Butatpresent
thiswasnotmycondition，atleastIwasfornosuchterrible
risksasthose；besides，theverythoughtsofbeingburntata
stakestruckterrorintomyverysoul，chilledmyblood，and
gavemethevapourstosuchadegree，asIcouldnotthink
ofitwithouttrembling。
Thisputanendtomydisguisetoo，forasIdidnotlikethe
proposal，soIdidnottellthemso，butseemedtorelishit，and
promisedtomeetagain。
ButIdurstseethemnomore；forifI
hadseenthem，andnotcomplied，thoughIhaddeclineditwith
thegreatestassuranceofsecrecyintheworld，theywouldhave
goneneartohavemurderedme，tomakesurework，andmake
themselveseasy，astheycallit。
Whatkindofeasinessthatis，
theymaybestjudgethatunderstandhoweasymenarethat
canmurderpeopletopreventdanger。
Thisandhorse-stealingwerethingsquiteoutofmyway，and
ImighteasilyresolveIwouldhavetomoretosaytothem；my
businessseemedtolieanotherway，andthoughithadhazard
enoughinittoo，yetitwasmoresuitabletome，andwhathad
moreofartinit，andmoreroomtoescape，andmorechances
fora-comingoffifasurpriseshouldhappen。
Ihadseveralproposalsmadealsotomeaboutthattime，to
comeintoagangofhouse-breakers；butthatwasathingIhad
nomindtoventureatneither，anymorethanIhadatthe
coiningtrade。
Iofferedtogoalongwithtwomenanda
woman，thatmadeittheirbusinesstogetintohousesby
stratagem，andwiththemIwaswillingenoughtoventure。
Buttherewerethreeofthemalready，andtheydidnotcare
topart，norItohavetoomanyinagang，soIdidnotclose
withthem，butdeclinedthem，andtheypaiddearfortheir
nextattempt。
ButatlengthImetwithawomanthathadoftentoldmewhat
adventuresshehadmade，andwithsuccess，atthewaterside，
andIclosedwithher，andwedroveonourbusinesspretty
well。
OnedaywecameamongsomeDutchpeopleatSt。
Catherine’s，wherewewentonpretencetobuygoodsthat
wereprivatelygotonshore。
Iwastwoorthreetimesina
housewherewesawagoodquantityofprohibitedgoods，
andmycompaniononcebroughtawaythreepiecesofDutch
blacksilkthatturnedtogoodaccount，andIhadmyshareof
it；butinallthejourneysImadebymyself，Icouldnotgetan
opportunitytodoanything，soIlaiditaside，forIhadbeenso
often，thattheybegantosuspectsomething，andweresoshy，
thatIsawnothingwastobedone。
Thisbaulkedmealittle，andIresolvedtopushatsomething
orother，forIwasnotusedtocomebacksooftenwithout
purchase；sothenextdayIdressedmyselfupfine，andtook
awalktotheotherendofthetown。
Ipassedthroughthe
ExchangeintheStrand，buthadnonotionoffindinganything
todothere，whenonasuddenIsawagreatclutteringinthe
place，andallthepeople，shopkeepersaswellasothers，
standingupandstaring；andwhatshoulditbebutsomegreat
duchesscomeintotheExchange，andtheysaidthequeenwas
coming。
Isetmyselfcloseuptoashop-sidewithmybackto
thecounter，asiftoletthecrowdpassby，whenkeepingmy
eyeuponaparceloflacewhichtheshopkeeperwasshowing
tosomeladiesthatstoodbyme，theshopkeeperandhermaid
weresotakenupwithlookingtoseewhowascoming，and
whatshoptheywouldgoto，thatIfoundmeanstoslipapaper
oflaceintomypocketandcomeclearoffwithit；sothe
lady-millinerpaiddearenoughforhergapingafterthequeen。
Iwentofffromtheshop，asifdrivenalongbythethrong，and
minglingmyselfwiththecrowd，wentoutattheotherdoor
oftheExchange，andsogotawaybeforetheymissedtheir
lace；andbecauseIwouldnotbefollowed，Icalledacoach