首页 >出版文学> MOLL FLANDERS>第44章

第44章

  it,withacandleinmyhand,andsoreachedthepiecesoutto
  him,takingcareasIgavehimsomesotosecureasmuchabout
  myselfasIcouldconvenientlydisposeof。
  Therewasnear
  worthoflaceinthehole,andIsecuredabout#50worth
  ofittomyself。
  Thepeopleofthehousewerenotownersof
  thelace,butamerchantwhohadentrustedthemwithit;so
  thattheywerenotsosurprisedasIthoughttheywouldbe。
  Ilefttheofficeroverjoyedwithhisprize,andfullysatisfied
  withwhathehadgot,andappointedtomeethimatahouse
  ofhisowndirecting,whereIcameafterIhaddisposedofthe
  cargoIhadaboutme,ofwhichhehadnottheleastsuspicion。
  WhenIcametohimhebegantocapitulatewithme,believing
  IdidnotunderstandtherightIhadtoashareintheprize,and
  wouldfainhaveputmeoffwith#20,butIlethimknowthatI
  wasnotsoignorantashesupposedIwas;andyetIwasglad,
  too,thatheofferedtobringmetoacertainty。
  Iasked#100,andheroseupto#30;Ifellto#80,andherose
  againto#40;inaword,heoffered#50,andIconsented,only
  demandingapieceoflace,whichIthoughcametoabout#8
  or#9,asifithadbeenformyownwear,andheagreedtoit。
  SoIgot#50inmoneypaidmethatsamenight,andmadean
  endofthebargain;nordidheeverknowwhoIwas,orwhere
  toinquireforme,sothatifithadbeendiscoveredthatpartof
  thegoodswereembezzled,hecouldhavemadenochallenge
  uponmeforit。
  Iverypunctuallydividedthisspoilwithmygoverness,andI
  passedwithherfromthistimeforaverydexterousmanager
  inthenicestcases。
  Ifoundthatthislastwasthebestand
  easiestsortofworkthatwasinmyway,andImadeitmy
  businesstoinquireoutprohibitedgoods,andafterbuying
  some,usuallybetrayedthem,butnoneofthesediscoveries
  amountedtoanythingconsiderable,notlikethatIrelatedjust
  now;butIwaswillingtoactsafe,andwasstillcautiousof
  runningthegreatriskswhichIfoundothersdid,andinwhich
  theymiscarriedeveryday。
  Thenextthingofmomentwasanattemptatagentlewoman’s
  goodwatch。
  Ithappenedinacrowd,atameeting-house,
  whereIwasinverygreatdangerofbeingtaken。
  Ihadfull
  holdofherwatch,butgivingagreatjostle,asifsomebody
  hadthrustmeagainsther,andinthejuncturegivingthewatch
  afairpull,Ifounditwouldnotcome,soIletitgothatmoment,
  andcriedoutasifIhadbeenkilled,thatsomebodyhadtrod
  uponmyfoot,andthattherewerecertainlypickpocketsthere,
  forsomebodyorotherhadgivenapullatmywatch;foryou
  aretoobservethatontheseadventureswealwayswentvery
  welldressed,andIhadverygoodclotheson,andagoldwatch
  bymyside,aslikealadyasotherfold。
  Ihadnosoonersaidso,buttheothergentlewomancriedout
  ’Apickpocket’too,forsomebody,shesaid,hadtriedtopull
  herwatchaway。
  WhenItouchedherwatchIwasclosetoher,butwhenIcried
  outIstoppedasitwereshort,andthecrowdbearingher
  forwardalittle,shemadeanoisetoo,butitwasatsomedistance
  fromme,sothatshedidnotintheleastsuspectme;butwhen
  shecriedout’Apickpocket,’somebodycried,’Ay,andhere
  hasbeenanother!thisgentlewomanhasbeenattemptedtoo。’
  Atthatveryinstance,alittlefartherinthecrowd,andvery
  luckilytoo,theycriedout’Apickpocket,’again,andreally
  seizedayoungfellowintheveryact。
  This,thoughunhappy
  forthewretch,wasveryopportunelyformycase,thoughI
  hadcarrieditoffhandsomelyenoughbefore;butnowitwas
  outofdoubt,andalltheloosepartofthecrowdranthatway,
  andthepoorboywasdelivereduptotherageofthestreet,
  whichisacrueltyIneednotdescribe,andwhich,however,
  theyarealwaysgladof,ratherthantobesenttoNewgate,
  wheretheylieoftenalongtime,tilltheyarealmostperished,
  andsometimestheyarehanged,andthebesttheycanlookfor,
  iftheyareconvicted,istobetransported。
  Thiswasanarrowescapetome,andIwassofrightedthatI
  venturednomoreatgoldwatchesagreatwhile。
  Therewas
  indeedagreatmanyconcurringcircumstancesinthisadventure
  whichassistedtomyescape;butthechiefwas,thatthewoman
  whosewatchIhadpulledatwasafool;thatistosay,shewas
  ignorantofthenatureoftheattempt,whichonewouldhave
  thoughtsheshouldnothavebeen,seeingshewaswiseenough
  tofastenherwatchsothatitcouldnotbeslippedup。
  Butshe
  wasinsuchafrightthatshehadnothoughtaboutherproper
  forthediscovery;forshe,whenshefeltthepull,screamedout,
  andpushedherselfforward,andputallthepeopleaboutherinto
  disorder,butsaidnotawordofherwatch,orofapickpocket,
  foraleasttwominutes’time,whichwastimeenoughforme,
  andtospare。
  ForasIhadcriedoutbehindher,asIhavesaid,
  andboremyselfbackinthecrowdassheboreforward,there
  wereseveralpeople,atleastsevenoreight,thethrongbeing
  stillmovingon,thatweregotbetweenmeandherinthattime,
  andthenIcryingout’Apickpocket,’rathersoonerthanshe,
  oratleastassoon,shemightaswellbethepersonsuspected
  asI,andthepeoplewereconfusedintheirinquiry;whereas,
  hadshewithapresenceofmindneedfulonsuchanoccasion,
  assoonasshefeltthepull,notscreamedoutasshedid,but
  turnedimmediatelyroundandseizedthenextbodythatwas
  behindher,shehadinfalliblytakenme。
  Thisisadirectionnotofthekindestsorttothefraternity,but
  ’tiscertainlyakeytotheclueofapickpocket’smotions,and
  whoevercanfollowitwillascertainlycatchthethiefashe
  willbesuretomissifhedoesnot。
  Ihadanotheradventure,whichputsthismatteroutofdoubt,
  andwhichmaybeaninstructionforposterityinthecaseofa
  pickpocket。
  Mygoodoldgoverness,togiveashorttouchat
  herhistory,thoughshehadleftoffthetrade,was,asImaysay,
  bornapickpocket,and,asIunderstoodafterwards,hadrun
  throughalltheseveraldegreesofthatart,andyethadnever
  beentakenbutonce,whenshewassogrosslydetected,that
  shewasconvictedandorderedtobetransported;butbeinga
  womanofararetongue,andwithalhavingmoneyinherpocket,
  shefoundmeans,theshipputtingintoIrelandforprovisions,
  togetonshorethere,whereshelivedandpractisedherold
  tradeforsomeyears;whenfallingintoanothersortofbad
  company,sheturnedmidwifeandprocuress,andplayeda
  hundredpranksthere,whichshegavemealittlehistoryofin
  confidencebetweenusaswegrewmoreintimate;anditwas
  tothiswickedcreaturethatIowedalltheartanddexterityI
  arrivedto,inwhichtherewerefewthateverwentbeyondme,
  orthatpractisedsolongwithoutanymisfortune。
  ItwasafterthoseadventuresinIreland,andwhenshewas
  prettywellknowninthatcountry,thatsheleftDublinand
  cameovertoEngland,where,thetimeofhertransportation
  beingnotexpired,sheleftherformertrade,forfearoffalling
  intobadhandsagain,forthenshewassuretohavegoneto
  wreck。
  Hereshesetupthesametradeshehadfollowedin
  Ireland,inwhichshesoon,byheradmirablemanagementand
  goodtongue,arrivedtotheheightwhichIhavealready
  described,andindeedbegantoberich,thoughhertradefell
  offagainafterwards,asIhavehintedbefore。
  Imentionedthusmuchofthehistoryofthiswomanhere,the
  bettertoaccountfortheconcernshehadinthewickedlifeI
  wasnowleading,intoalltheparticularsofwhichsheledme,
  asitwere,bythehand,andgavemesuchdirections,andIso
  wellfollowedthem,thatIgrewthegreatestartistofmytime
  andworkedmyselfoutofeverydangerwithsuchdexterity,
  thatwhenseveralmoreofmycomradesranthemselvesinto
  Newgatepresently,andbythattimetheyhadbeenhalfayear
  atthetrade,Ihadnowpractisedupwardsoffiveyears,and
  thepeopleatNewgatedidnotsomuchasknowme;theyhad
  heardmuchofmeindeed,andoftenexpectedmethere,butI
  alwaysgotoff,thoughmanytimesintheextremestdanger。
  OneofthegreatestdangersIwasnowin,wasthatIwastoo
  wellknownamongthetrade,andsomeofthem,whosehatred
  wasowingrathertoenvythananyinjuryIhaddonethem,
  begantobeangrythatIshouldalwaysescapewhentheywere
  alwayscatchedandhurriedtoNewgate。
  Theseweretheythat
  gavemethenameofMollFlanders;foritwasnomoreof
  affinitywithmyrealnameorwithanyofthenameIhadever
  goneby,thanblackisofkintowhite,exceptthatonce,as
  before,IcalledmyselfMrs。Flanders;whenIshelteredmyself
  intheMint;butthattheseroguesneverknew,norcouldIever
  learnhowtheycametogivemethename,-KanbaAPp点com-orwhattheoccasion
  ofitwas。
  Iwassooninformedthatsomeofthesewhoweregottenfast
  intoNewgatehadvowedtoimpeachme;andasIknewthat
  twoorthreeofthemwerebuttooabletodoit,Iwasunder
  agreatconcernaboutit,andkeptwithindoorsforagood
  while。
  Butmygoverness——whomIalwaysmadepartnerinmy
  success,andwhonowplayedasuregamewithme,forthat
  shehadashareofthegainandnoshareinthehazard——Isay,
  mygovernesswassomethingimpatientofmyleadingsucha
  useless,unprofitablelife,asshecalledit;andshelaidanew
  contrivanceformygoingabroad,andthiswastodressmeup
  inmen’sclothes,andsoputmeintoanewkindofpractice。
  Iwastallandpersonable,butalittletoosmooth-facedfora
  man;however,Iseldomwentabroadbutinthenight,itdid
  wellenough;butitwasalongtimebeforeIcouldbehavein
  mynewclothes——Imean,astomycraft。
  Itwasimpossibleto
  besonimble,soready,sodexterousatthesethingsinadress
  socontrarytonature;andIdideverythingclumsily,soIhad
  neitherthesuccessnortheeasinessofescapethatIhadbefore,
  andIresolvedtoleaveitoff;butthatresolutionwasconfirmed
  soonafterbythefollowingaccident。
  Asmygovernessdisguisedmelikeaman,soshejoinedme
  withaman,ayoungfellowthatwasnimbleenoughathis
  business,andforaboutthreeweekswedidverywelltogether。
  Ourprincipaltradewaswatchingshopkeepers’counters,and
  slippingoffanykindofgoodswecouldseecarelesslylaid
  anywhere,andwemadeseveralgoodbargains,aswecalled
  them,atthiswork。
  Andaswekeptalwaystogether,sowe
  grewveryintimate,yetheneverknewthatIwasnotaman,