andshutmyselfupinit。
Ihadscarceshutthecoachdoorsup，
butIsawthemilliner’smaidandfiveorsixmorecome
runningoutintothestreet，andcryingoutasiftheywere
frightened。
Theydidnotcry’Stopthief！’becausenobodyran
away，butIcouldheartheword’robbed，’and’lace，’twoor
threetimes，andsawthewenchwringingherhands，andrun
staringtoandagain，likeonescared。
Thecoachmanthathad
takenmeupwasgettingupintothebox，butwasnotquiteup，
sothatthehorsehadnotbeguntomove；sothatIwasterrible
uneasy，andItookthepacketoflaceandlaiditreadytohave
droppeditoutattheflapofthecoach，whichopensbefore，
justbehindthecoachman；buttomygreatsatisfaction，inless
thanaminutethecoachbegantomove，thatistosay，assoon
asthecoachmanhadgotupandspokentohishorses；sohe
droveawaywithoutanyinterruption，andIbroughtoffmy
purchase，whichwasworknear#20。
ThenextdayIdressedupagain，butinquitedifferentclothes，
andwalkedthesamewayagain，butnothingofferedtillI
cameintoSt。James’sPark，whereIsawabundanceoffine
ladiesinthePark，walkingintheMall，andamongtherest
therewasalittlemiss，ayoungladyofabouttwelveorthirteen
yearsold，andshehadasister，asIsupposeitwas，withher，
thatmightbeaboutnineyearsold。
Iobservedthebiggest
hadafinegoldwatchon，andagoodnecklaceofpearl，and
theyhadafootmaninliverywiththem；butasitisnotusual
forthefootmantogobehindtheladiesintheMall，soI
observedthefootmanstoppedattheirgoingintotheMall，
andthebiggestofthesistersspoketohim，whichIperceived
wastobidhimbejusttherewhentheycameback。
WhenIheardherdismissthefootman，Isteppeduptohim
andaskedhim，whatlittleladythatwas？andheldalittlechat
withhimaboutwhataprettychilditwaswithher，andhow
genteelandwell-carriagedthelady，theeldest，wouldbe:
how
womanish，andhowgrave；andthefoolofafellowtoldme
presentlywhoshewas；thatshewasSirThomas——’seldest
daughter，ofEssex，andthatshewasagreatfortune；thather
motherwasnotcometotownyet；butshewaswithSir
William——’slady，ofSuffolk，atherlodginginSuffolk
Street，andagreatdealmore；thattheyhadamaidanda
womantowaitonthem，besidesSirThomas’scoach，the
coachman，andhimself；andthatyoungladywasgoverness
tothewholefamily，aswellhereasathometoo；and，inshort，
toldmeabundanceofthingsenoughformybusiness。
Iwasverywelldressed，andhadmygoldwatchaswellas
she；soIleftthefootman，andIputsmyselfinarankwith
thisyounglady，havingstayedtillshehadtakenonedouble
turnintheMall，andwasgoingforwardagain；byandbyI
salutedherbyhername，withthetitleofLadyBetty。
Iasked
herwhensheheardfromherfather；whenmyladyhermother
wouldbeintown，andhowshedid。
Italkedsofamiliarlytoherofherwholefamilythatshecould
notsuspectbutthatIknewthemallintimately。
Iaskedher
whyshewouldcomeabroadwithoutMrs。Chimewithher
thatwasthenameofherwomantotakeofMrs。Judith，that
washersister。
ThenIenteredintoalongchatwithherabout
hersister，whatafinelittleladyshewas，andaskedherifshe
hadlearnedFrench，andathousandsuchlittlethingstoentertain
her，whenonasuddenwesawtheguardscome，andthecrowd
rantoseethekinggobytotheParliamentHouse。
TheladiesranalltothesideoftheMall，andIhelpedmy
ladytostandupontheedgeoftheboardsonthesideofthe
Mall，thatshemightbehighenoughtosee；andtookthelittle
oneandlifterherquiteup；duringwhich，Itookcaretoconvey
thegoldwatchsocleanawayfromtheLadyBetty，thatshe
neverfeltit，normissedit，tillallthecrowdwasgone，andshe
wasgottenintothemiddleoftheMallamongtheotherladies。
Itookmyleaveofherintheverycrowd，andsaidtoher，as
ifinhaste，’DearLadyBetty，takecareofyourlittlesister。’
Andsothecrowddidasitwerethrustmeawayfromher，and
thatIwasobligedunwillinglytotakemyleave。
Thehurryinsuchcasesisimmediatelyover，andtheplace
clearassoonasthekingisgoneby；butasthereisalwaysa
greatrunningandclutterjustasthekingpasses，sohaving
droppedthetwolittleladies，anddonemybusinesswiththem
withoutanymiscarriage，Ikepthurryingonamongthecrowd，
asifIrantoseetheking，andsoIgotbeforethecrowdand
keptsotillIcametotheendoftheMall，whenthekinggoing
ontowardstheHorseGuards，Iwentforwardtothepassage，
whichwentthenthroughagainstthelowerendoftheHaymarket，
andthereIbestowedacoachuponmyself，andmadeoff，andI
confessIhavenotyetbeensogoodasmyword，viz。togoand
visitmyLadyBetty。
IwasonceofthemindtoventurestayingwithLadyBettytill
shemissedthewatch，andsohavemadeagreatoutcryabout
itwithher，andhavegotherintothecoach，andputmyselfin
thecoachwithher，andhavegonehomewithher；forshe
appearedsofondofme，andsoperfectlydeceivedbymyso
readilytalkingtoherofallherrelationsandfamily，thatI
thoughtitwasveryeasytopushthethingfarther，andtohave
gotatleastthenecklaceofpearl；butwhenIconsideredthat
thoughthechildwouldnotperhapshavesuspectedme，other
peoplemight，andthatifIwassearchedIshouldbediscovered，
IthoughtitwasbesttogooffwithwhatIhadgot，andbe
satisfied。
Icameaccidentallyafterwardstohear，thatwhentheyoung
ladymissedherwatch，shemadeagreatoutcryinthePark，
andsentherfootmanupanddowntoseeifhecouldfindme
out，shehavingdescribedmesoperfectlythatheknewpresently
thatitwasthesamepersonthathadstoodandtalkedsolong
withhim，andaskedhimsomanyquestionsaboutthem；butI
gonefarenoughoutoftheirreachbeforeshecouldcomeat
herfootmantotellhimthestory。
Imadeanotheradventureafterthis，ofanaturedifferentfrom
allIhadbeenconcernedinyet，andthiswasatagaming-house
nearCoventGarden。
Isawseveralpeoplegoinandout；andIstoodinthepassage
agoodwhilewithanotherwomanwithme，andseeinga
gentlemangoupthatseemedtobeofmorethanordinary
fashion，Isaidtohim，’Sir，praydon’ttheygivewomenleave
togoup？’’Yes，madam，’sayshe，’andtoplaytoo，ifthey
please。’
’Imeanso，sir，’saidI。
Andwiththathesaidhe
wouldintroducemeifIhadamind；soIfollowedhimtothe
door，andhelookingin，’There，madam，’sayshe，’arethe
gamesters，ifyouhaveamindtoventure。’
Ilookedinand
saidtomycomradealoud，’Here’snothingbutmen；Iwon’t
ventureamongthem。’
Atwhichoneofthegentlemencried
out，’Youneednotbeafraid，madam，here’snonebutfair
gamesters；youareverywelcometocomeandsetwhatyou
please。’
soIwentalittlenearerandlookedon，andsomeof
thembroughtmeachair，andIsatdownandsawtheboxand
dicegoroundapace；thenIsaidtomycomrade，’Thegentlemen
playtoohighforus；come，letusgo。’
Thepeoplewereallverycivil，andonegentlemaninparticular
encouragedme，andsaid，’Come，madam，ifyoupleaseto
venture，ifyoudaretrustme，I’llanswerforityoushallhave
nothingputuponyouhere。’
’No，sir，’saidI，smiling，’Ihope
thegentlemenwouldnotcheatawoman。’
ButstillIdeclined
venturing，thoughIpulledoutapursewithmoneyinit，that
theymightseeIdidnotwantmoney。
AfterIhadsatawhile，onegentlemansaidtome，jeering，
’Come，madam，Iseeyouareafraidtoventureforyourself；
Ialwayshadgoodluckwiththeladies，youshallsetforme，
ifyouwon’tsetforyourself。’
Itoldhim，’sir，Ishouldbevery
lothtoloseyourmoney，’thoughIadded，’Iamprettylucky
too；butthegentlemenplaysohigh，thatIdarenotindeed
venturemyown。’
’Well，well，’sayshe，’there’stenguineas，madam；setthem
forme。’
soItookhismoneyandset，himselflookingon。
I
ranoutnineoftheguineasbyoneandtwoatatime，andthen
theboxcomingtothenextmantome，mygentlemangave
metenguineasmore，andmademesetfiveofthematonce，
andthegentlemanwhohadtheboxthrewout，sotherewas
fiveguineasofhismoneyagain。
Hewasencouragedatthis，
andmademetakethebox，whichwasaboldventure。
However，
IheldtheboxsolongthatIhadgainedhimhiswholemoney，
andhadagoodhandfulofguineasinmylap，andwhichwas
thebetterluck，whenIthrewout，Ithrewbutatoneortwoof
thosethathadsetme，andsowentoffeasy。
WhenIwascomethislength，Iofferedthegentlemanallthe
gold，foritwashisown；andsowouldhavehadhimplayfor
himself，pretendingIdidnotunderstandthegamewellenough。
Helaughed，andsaidifIhadbutgoodluck，itwasnomatter
whetherIunderstoodthegameorno；butIshouldnotleave
off。
However，hetookoutthefifteenguineasthathehadput
inatfirst，andbademeplaywiththerest。
Iwouldhavetold
themtoseehowmuchIhadgot，buthesaid，’No，no，don’t
tellthem，Ibelieveyouareveryhonest，and’tisbadluckto
tellthem’；soIplayedon。
Iunderstoodthegamewellenough，thoughIpretendedIdid
not，andplayedcautiously。
Itwastokeepagoodstockinmy