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,
第44章