I said little to him again, but easily discovered that I was a Fool, and that I did not in the least perceive what he meant.

Then he walked about the Room, and taking me by the Hand, I walk'd with him; and by and by taking his Advantage, he threw me down upon the Bed, and kissed me there most Violently; but to give him his Due, offered no manner of Rudeness to me, only kiss'd me a great while; after this he thought he had heard some Body come up Stairs, so he got off from the Bed, lifted me up, professing a great deal of Love for me, but told me it was all an honest Affection, and that he meant no ill to me, and with that put five Guineas into my Hand, and went down Stairs.

I was more confounded with the Money than I was before with the Love; and began to be so elevated, that I scarce knew the Ground I stood on: I am the more particular in this, that if it comes to be read by any innocent young Body, they may learn from it to guard themselves against the Mischiefs which attend an early Knowledge of their own Beauty; if a young Woman once thinks herself Handsome, she never doubts the Truth of any Man that tells her he is in Love with her; for if she believes herself Charming enough to captivate him, 'tis natural to expect the Effects of it.

This Gentleman had now fir'd his Inclination, as much as he had my Vanity, and as if he had found that he had an Opportunity, and was sorry he did not take hold of it, he comes up again in about half an Hour, and falls to work with me again just as he did before, only with a little less Introduction.

And First, when he entered the Room, he turn'd about, and shut the Door. Mrs. Betty, said he, I fancy'd before, some Body was coming up Stairs, but it was not so; However, adds he, if they find me in the Room with you, they shan't catch me a kissing of you. I told him I did not know who should be coming up Stairs, for I believed there was no Body in the House, but the Cook, and the other Maid, and they never came up those Stairs; well, my Dear, says he, ›Tis good to be sure however, and so he sits down and we began to talk; and now, tho‹ I was still on fire with his first Visit, and said little, he did as it were put Words in my Mouth, telling me how passionately he lov'd me, and that tho' he could not till he came to his Estate, yet he was resolv'd to make me happy then, and himself too; that is to say, to marry me, and abundance of such things, which I poor Fool did not understand the drift of, but acted as if there was no kind of Love, but that which tended to Matrimony; and if he had spoken of that, I had no Room, as well as no Power, to have said No; but we were not come to that length yet.

We had not sat long, but he got up, and stopping my very Breath with Kisses, threw me upon the Bed again; but then he went further with me than Decency permits me to mention, nor had it been in my Power to have deny'd him at that Moment, had he offered much more than he did.

However, tho' he took these Freedoms with me, it did not go to that, which they call the last Favour, which, to do him Justice, he did not attempt; and he made that Self-denial of his a Plea for all his Freedoms with me up on other Occasions after this: When this was over, he stay'd but a little while, but he put almost a Handful of Gold in my Hand, and left me a thousand Protestations of his Passion for me, and of his loving me above all the Women in the World.

It will not be strange, if I now began to think; but alas! it was but with very little solid Reflections: I had a most unbounded Stock of Vanity and Pride, and but a very little Stock of Virtue: I did indeed cast sometimes with my self what my young Master aim'd at, but thought of nothing but the fine Words and the Gold; whether he intended to marry me, or not, seem'd a Matter of no great Consequence to me; nor did I so much as think of making any Capitulation for my self, 'till he made a kind of formal Proposal to me, as you shall hear presently.

Thus I gave up my self to Ruin without the least Concern, and am a fair Memento to all young Women, whose Vanity prevails over their Virtue: Nothing was ever so stupid on both Sides, had I acted as became me, and resisted as Virtue and Honour requir'd, he had either desisted his Attacks, finding no room to expect the end of his Design, or had made fair and honourable Proposals of Marriage; in which Case, whoever blam'd him, no Body could have blam'd me. In short, if he had known me, and how easy the Trifle he aim'd at, was to be had, he would have troubled his Head no farther, but have given me four or five Guineas, and have lain with me the next time he had come at me: On the other Hand, if I had known his Thoughts, and how hard he supposed I would be to be gain'd, I might have made my own Terms, and if I had not capitulated for an immediate Marriage, I might for a Maintainance till Marriage, and might have had what I would: for he was Rich to Excess, besides what he had in Expectation; but I had wholly abandoned all such Thoughts, and was taken up only with the Pride of my Beauty, and of being belov'd by such a Gentleman: as for the Gold, I spent whole Hours in looking upon it; I told the Guineas over a Thousand times a Day: Never poor vain Creature was so wrapt up with every Part of the Story, as I was not considering what was before me, and how near my Ruin was at the Door; and indeed I think, I rather wished for that Ruin, than studied to avoid it.

In the mean time, however, I was cunning enough, not to give the least room to any in the Family to imagine that I had the least Correspondence with him; I scarce ever look'd towards him in publick, or answer'd if he spoke to me; when, but for all that, we had every now and then a little Encounter, where we had room for a Word or two, and now and then a Kiss, but no fair Opportunity for the Mischief intended; and especially considering that he made more Circumlocution, than he had occasion for, and the Work appearing Difficult to him, he really made it so.

But as the Devil is an unwearied Tempter, so he never fails to find an Opportunity for the Wickedness he invites to: It was one Evening that I was in the Garden, with his two younger Sisters, and himself, when he found Means to convey a Note into my Hand, by which he told me that he would to Morrow desire me publickly to go of an Errand for him, and that I should see him somewhere by the Way.

Accordingly after Dinner, he very gravely says to me, his Sisters being all by, Mrs. Betty, I must ask a Favour of you: What's that? says the Second Sister; nay Sister, says he, very gravely, If you can't spare Mrs. Betty to Day, any other time will do; Yes, they said, they could, spare her well enough, and the Sister beg'd Pardon for asking; Well, but says the eldest Sister, you must tell Mrs. Betty what it is; if it be any private Business that we must not hear, you may call her out, there she is; Why Sister, says the Gentleman very gravely, What do you mean? I only desire her to go into the High-street (and then he pulls out a Turn-over), to such a Shop; and then he tells them a long Story of two fine Neckcloths he had bid Money for, and he wanted to have me go and make an Errand to buy a Neck to that Turn-over that he showed, and if they would not take my Money for the Neckcloths to bid a Shilling more, and haggle with them; and then he made more Errands, and so continued to have such petty Business to do, that I should be sure to stay a good while.

When he had given me my Errands, he told them a long Story of a Visit he was going to make to a Family they all knew, and where was to be such and such Gentlemen, and very formally ask'd his Sisters to go with him, and they as formally excus'd themselves, because of Company that they had Notice was to come and Visit them that Afternoon, all which by the way he had contriv'd on purpose.

He had scarce done speaking, but his Man came up to tell him that Sir W– H–'s Coach stop'd at the Door; so he runs down, and comes up again immediately, Alas! says he aloud, There's all my Mirth spoil'd at once; Sir W– has sent his Coach for me, and desires to speak with me. It seems this Sir W– was a Gentleman who liv'd about three Miles off, to whom he had spoke on purpose to lend him his Charriot for a Particular Occasion, and had appointed it to call for him, as it did, about three a Clock.

Immediately he calls for his best Wig, Hat, and Sword, and ordering his Man to go to the other Place to make his Excuse, that was to say, he made an Excuse to send his Man away, he prepares to go into the Coach: As he was going, he stop'd a while, and speaks mightily earnestly to me about his Business, and finds an Opportunity to say very softly, Come away my dear as soon as ever you can. I said nothing, but made a Court'sy, as if I had done so to what he said in Publick; in about a Quarter of an Hour I went out too; I had no Dress, other than before, except that I had a Hood, a Mask, a Fan, and a pair of Gloves in my Pocket; so that there was not the least Suspicion in the House: He waited for me in a back Lane, which he knew I must pass by, and the Coachman knew whither to go, which was to a certain Place, called Mile-End, where liv'd a Confident of his, where we went in, and where was all the Convenience in the World to be as wicked as we pleas'd.

When we were together, he began to Talk very gravely to me, and to tell me, he did not bring me there to betray me; that his Passion for me, would not suffer him to abuse me; that he resolved to marry me as soon as he came to his Estate; that in the mean time, if I would grant his Request, he would maintain me very Honourably, and made me a thousand Protestations of his Sincerity, and of his Affection to me; and that he would never abandon me, and, as I may say, made a thousand more Preambles than he need to have done.

However, as he press'd me to speak, I told him I had no Reason to question the Sincerity of his Love to me, after so many Protestations, But – and there I stop'd, as if I left him to guess the rest; But what, my Dear, says he, I guess what you mean, what if you should be with Child, is not that it? Why then, says he, I'll take care of you, and provide for you, and the Child too, and that you may see I am not in Jest, says he, here's an Earnest for you, and with that he pulls out a Silk Purse with an Hundred Guineas in it, and gave it me; and I'll give you such another, says he, every Year till I marry you.

My Colour came and went at the Sight of the Purse, and with the fire of his Proposal together, so that I could not say a Word, and he easily perceiv'd it; so putting the Purse into my Bosom, I made no more Resistance to him, but let him do just what he pleas'd, and as often as he pleas'd; and thus I finish'd my own Destruction at once, for from this Day, being forsaken of my Virtue, and my Modesty, I had nothing of Value left to recommend me, either to God's Blessing, or Man's Assistance.

But things did not end here, I went back to the Town, did the Business he directed me to, and was at Home before any Body thought me long; as for my Gentleman, he stay'd out till late at Night, and there was not the least Suspicion in the Family, either on his Account or on mine.

We had after this, frequent Opportunities to repeat our Crime, and especially at Home when his Mother and the young Ladies went abroad a Visiting, which he watch'd so narrowly, as never to miss; knowing always before-hand when they went out, and then fail'd not to catch me all alone, and securely enough; so that we took our fill of our wicked Pleasures for near half a Year; and yet, which was the most to my Satisfaction, I was not with Child.

But before this half Year was expir'd, his younger Brother, of whom I have made some mention in the beginning of the Story, falls to work with me; and he finding me alone in the Garden one Evening, begins a Story of the same Kind to me, made good honest Professions of being in Love with me; and in short, proposes Fairly and Honourably to marry me.

I was now confounded, and driven to such an Extremity, as the like was never known to me; I resisted the Proposal with Obstinacy, and began to arm my self with Arguments: I laid before him the Inequality of the Match, the Treatment I should meet with in the Family, the Ingratitude it would be to his good Father and Mother, who had taken me into their House upon such generous Principles, and when I was in such a low Condition; and in short, I said everything to disswade him that I could imagine except telling him the Truth, which wou'd indeed have put an End to it all, but that I durst not think of mentioning.

But here happened a Circumstance that I did not expect indeed, which put me to my Shifts; for this young Gentleman, as he was plain and honest, so he pretended to nothing but what was so too; and knowing his own Innocence, he was not so careful to make his having a Kindness for Mrs. Betty a Secret in the House, as his Brother was; and tho' he did not let them know that he had talk'd to me about it, yet he said enough to let his Sisters perceive he lov'd me, and his Mother saw it too, which tho' they took no Notice of to me, yet they did to him, and immediately I found their Carriage to me alter'd more than ever before.

I saw the Cloud, though I did not foresee the Storm; it was easy, I say, to see their Carriage was alter'd, and that it grew worse and worse every Day, 'till at last I got Information that I should in a very little while be desired to remove.

I was not alarm'd at the News, having a full Satisfaction that I should be provided for; and especially considering that I had Reason every Day to expect I should be with Child, and that then I should be obliged to remove without any Pretences for it.

After some time, the younger Gentleman took an Opportunity to tell me, that the Kindness he had for me had got Vent in the Family; he did not charge me with it, he said, for he knew well enough which way it came out; he told me his way of Talking had been the Occasion of it, for that he did not make his Respect for me so much a Secret as he might have done, and the Reason was, that he was at a Point, that if I would consent to have him, he would tell them all openly that he lov'd me, and that he intended to marry me: That it was true, his Father and Mother might resent it, and be unkind, but he was now in a Way to live, being bred to the Law, and he did not fear Maintaining me, and that in short, as he believ'd I would not be asham'd of him, so he was resolv'd not to be ashamed of me, and that he scorn'd to be afraid to own me now, who he resolv'd to own after I was his Wife, and therefore I had nothing to do but to give him my Hand, and he would answer for all the rest.

I was now in a dreadful Condition indeed, and now I repented heartily my Easiness with the eldest Brother, not from any Reflection of Conscience, for I was a stranger to those things, but I could not think of being a Whore to one Brother, and a Wife to the other; it came also into my Thoughts, that the first Brother had promis'd to make me his Wife when he came to his Estate; but I presently remember'd, what I had often thought of, that he had never spoken a Word of having me for a Wife, after he had Conquer'd me for a Mistress; and indeed till now, tho' I said I thought of it often, yet it gave no Disturbance at all, for as he did not seem in the least to lessen his Affection to me, so neither did he lessen his Bounty, tho' he had the Discretion himself to desire me not to lay out a Penny in Cloaths, or to make the least show extraordinary, because it would necessarily give Jealousy in the Family, since every Body knew I could come at such things no manner of ordinary Way, but by some private Friendship, which they would presently have suspected.

I was now in a great strait, and knew not what to do; the main Difficulty was this, the younger Brother not only laid close Siege to me, but suffered it to be seen; he would come into his Sister's Room, and his Mother's Room, and sit down, and talk a Thousand kind Things to me, even before their Faces; so that the whole House talk'd of it, and his Mother reprov'd him for it, and their Carriage to me appeared quite altered: In short, his Mother had let fall some Speeches, as if she intended to put me out of the Family, that is in English, to turn me out of Doors. Now, I was sure this could not be a Secret to his Brother, only that he might think, as indeed no Body else yet did, that the youngest Brother had made any Proposal to me about it; but as I easily could see that it would go farther, so I saw likewise there was an absolute Necessity to speak of it to him, or that he would speak of it to me, but knew not whether I should break it to him, or let it alone till he should break it to me.

Upon serious Consideration, for indeed now I began to consider things very seriously, and never till now, I resolv'd to tell him of it first, and it was not long before I had an Opportunity, for the very next Day his Brother went to London upon some Business, and the Family being out a Visiting, just as it happened before, and as indeed was often the Case, he came according to his Custom to spend an Hour or Two with Mrs. Betty.

When he had sate down a while, he easily perceived there was an Alteration in my Countenance, that I was not so free and pleasant with him as I used to be, and particularly, that I had been a Crying; he was not long before he took Notice of it, and ask'd me in very kind Terms what was the Matter, and if anything troubled me: I would have put it off if I could, but it was not to be conceal'd; so after suffering many Importunities to draw that out of me, which I long'd as much as possible to disclose, I told him that it was true, something did trouble me, and something of such a Nature, that I could hardly conceal from him, and yet that I could not tell how to tell him of it neither; that it was a thing that not only surpriz'd me, but greatly perplext me, and that I knew not what Course to take, unless he would direct me: He told me with great Tenderness, that let it be what it would, I should not let it trouble me, for he would protect me from all the World.

I then began at a Distance, and told him I was afraid the Ladies had got some secret Information of our Correspondence; for that it was easy to see that their Conduct was very much chang'd towards me, and that now it was come to pass, that they frequently found Fault with me, and sometimes fell quite out with me, tho' I never gave them the least Occasion: That whereas, I us'd always to lye with the Eldest Sister, I was lately put to lye by my self, or with one of the Maids; and that I had over-heard them several times talking very unkindly about me; but that which confirm'd it all was, that one of the Servants had told me that she had heard I was to be turn'd out, and that it was not safe for the Family that I should be any longer in the House.

He smil'd when he heard of this, and I ask'd him how he could make so light of it, when he must need know, that if there was any Discovery, I was undone, and that it would hurt him, tho' not Ruin him, as it would me: I upbraided him, that he was like the rest of his Sex, that when they had the Character of a Woman at their Mercy, oftentimes made it their Jest, and at least look'd upon it as a Trifle, and counted the Ruin of those they had had their Will of, as a thing of no Value.

He saw me warm and serious, and he chang'd his Stile immediately; he told me, he was sorry I should have such a thought of him: that he had never given me the least Occasion for it, but had been as tender of my Reputation, as he could be of his own; that he was sure our Correspondence had been managed with so much Address, that not one Creature in the Family had so much as a Suspicion of it; that if he smil'd when I told him my Thoughts, it was at the Assurance he lately receiv'd, that our understanding one another, was not so much as guess'd at, and that when he had told me, how much Reason he had to be Easy, I should smile as he did, for he was very certain, it would give me a full Satisfaction.

This is a Mistery I cannot understand, says I, or how it should be to my Satisfaction, that I am to be turn'd out of Doors; for if our Correspondence is not discover'd, I know not what else I have done to change the Faces of the whole Family to me, who formerly used me with so much Tenderness, as if I had been one of their own Children.

Why look you, Child, says he; That they are uneasy about you, that is true, but that they have the least Suspicion of the Case as it is, and as it respects you and I, is so far from being true, that they suspect my Brother Robin, and, in short, they are fully perswaded be makes Love to you: Nay, the Fool has put it into their Heads too himself, for he is continually Bantring them about it, and making a Jest of himself; I confess I think he is wrong to do so, because he cannot but see it Vexes them, and makes them unkind to you; but it is a Satisfaction to me, because of the Assurance it gives me, that they do not suspect me in the least, and I hope this will be to your Satisfaction too.

So it is, says I, one way, but this does not reach my Case at all, nor is this the chief Thing that troubles me, tho' I have been concern'd about that too: What is it then, says he? With which, I fell into Tears, and could say nothing to him at all: He strove to pacifie me all he could, but began at last to be very pressing upon me, to tell what it was; at last I answer'd, that I thought I ought to tell him too, and that he had some right to know it, besides, that I wanted his Direction in the Case, for I was in such Perplexity, that I knew not what Course to take, and then I related the whole Affair to him: I told him, how imprudently his Brother had manag'd himself, in making himself so Publick; for that if he had kept it a Secret, I could but have denied him Positively, without giving any Reason for it, and he would in Time have ceased his Sollicitations; but that he had the Vanity, first, to depend upon it that I would not deny him, and then had taken the Freedom to tell his Design to the whole House.

I told him, how far I had resisted him, and how sincere and honourable his Offers were; but says I, my Case will be doubly hard; for as they carry it I'll to me now, because he desires to have me, they'll carry it worse when they shall find I have deny'd him; and they will presently say, there's something else in it, and that I am marry'd already to somebody else, or that I would never refuse a Match so much above me as this was.

This Discourse surpriz'd him indeed very much: He told me, that it was a critical Point indeed for me to manage, and he did not see which way I should get out of it; but he would consider of it, and let me know next time we met, what Resolution he was come to about it; and in the mean time, desir'd I would not give my Consent to his Brother, nor yet give him a flat Denial, but that I would hold him in Suspence a while.

I seem'd to start at his saying, I should not give him my Consent; I told him, he knew very well, I had no Consent to give; that he had ingag'd himself to marry me, and that I was thereby ingag'd to him; that he had all along told me, I was his Wife, and I look'd upon my self as effectually so, as if the Ceremony had pass'd; and that it was from his own Mouth that I did so, he having all along persuaded me to call my self his Wife.

Well, my Dear, says he, don't be concern'd at that now; if I am not your Husband, I'll be as good as a Husband to you, and do not let those things trouble you now, but let me look a little farther into this Affair, and I shall be able to say more next time we meet.

He pacify'd me as well as he could with this, but I found he was very Thoughtful, and that tho' he was very kind to me, and kiss'd me a thousand Times, and more I believe, and gave me Money too, yet he offer'd no more all the while we were together, which was above two Hours, and which I much wonder'd at, considering how it us'd to be, and what Opportunity we had.

His Brother did not come from London, for five or six Days, and it was two Days more, before he got an Opportunity to talk with him; but then getting him by himself, he talk'd very close to him about it; and the same Evening found Means (for we had a long Conference together) to repeat all their Discourse to me, which as near as I can remember, was to the purpose following. He told him he heard strange News of him since he went, (viz.) that he made Love to Mrs. Betty: Well, says his Brother, a little angrily, And what then? What has any body to do with that? Nay says his Brother, don't be angry Robin, I don't pretend to have any thing to do with it; but I find they do concern themselves about it, and that they have used the poor Girl Ill about it, which I should take as done to my self; Who do you mean by THEY? says Robin. I mean my Mother, and the Girls, says the elder Brother.

But hark ye, says his Brother, are you in Earnest, do you really Love the Girl? Why then, says Robin, I will be free with you, I do love her above all the Women in the World, and I will have her, let them say and do what they will, I believe the Girl will not deny me.

It stuck me to the Heart when he told me this, for tho' it was most rational to think I would not deny him, yet I knew in my own Conscience, I must, and I saw my Ruin in my being oblig'd to do so; but I knew it was my business to Talk otherwise then, so I interrupted him in his Story thus: Ay! said I, does he think I cannot deny him? but he shall find I can deny him for all that. Well my dear, says he, but let me give you the whole Story as it went on between us, and then say what you will.

Then he went on and told me, that he reply'd thus: But Brother, you know She has nothing, and you may have several Ladies with good Fortunes: 'Tis no matter for that, said Robin, I Love the Girl; and I will never please my Pocket in Marrying, and not please my Fancy; And so my Dear, adds he, there is no opposing him.

Yes, yes, says I, I can oppose him, I have learnt to say NO now, tho' I had not learnt it before; if the best Lord in the Land offer'd me Marriage now, I could very chearfully say NO to him.

Well, but my Dear, says he, What can you say to him? You know, as you said before, he will ask you many Questions about it, and all the House will wonder what the meaning of it should be.

Why says I, smiling, I can stop all their Mouths at one Clap, by telling him and them too, that I am Married already to his elder Brother.

He smil'd a little too at the Word, but I could see it Startled him, and he could not hide the disorder it put him into: however, he return'd, Why tho' that may be true, in some Sense, yet I suppose you are but in Jest, when you talk of giving such an Answer as that, it may not be convenient on many Accounts.

No, no, says I pleasantly, I am not so fond of letting that Secret come out, without your Consent.

But what then can you say to them, says he, when they find you possitive against a Match, which would be apparently so much to your Advantage? Why says I, should I be at a loss? First, I am not oblig'd to give them any Reason: on the other hand, I may tell them, I am married already, and stop there, and that will be a full Stop too to him, for he can have no Reason to ask one Question after it.

Ay, says he, but the whole House will teize you about that, and if you deny them possitively, they will be disoblig'd at you, and Suspicious besides.

Why, says I, What can I do? What would you have me do? I was in strait enough before, as I told you, and acquainted you with the Circumstances, that I might have your Advice.

My dear, says he, I have been considering very much upon it, you may be sure, and tho' the Advice has many Mortifications in it to me, and may at first seem Strange to you, yet all Things consider'd, I see no better way for you, than to let him go on; and if you find him hearty and in Earnest, Marry him.

I gave him a look full of Horror at those Words, and turning Pale as Death, was at the very point of sinking down out of the Chair I sat in: When giving a start, my Dear, says he aloud, What's the matter with you? Where are you agoing? and a great many such Things; and with jogging and calling to me, fetch'd me a little to my self, tho' it was a good while before I fully recover'd my Senses, and was not able to speak for several Minutes.

When I was fully recover'd, he began again; My dear, says he, I would have you consider seriously of it: you may see plainly how the Family stand in this Case, and they would be stark Mad if it was my Case, as it is my Brother's, and for ought I see, it would be my Ruin and yours too.

Ay! says I, still speaking angrily; Are all your Protestations and Vows to be shaken by the dislike of the Family? Did I not always object that to you, and you made a light thing of it, as what you were above, and would not Value; and is it come to this now? Is this your Faith and Honour, your Love, and the Solidity of your Promises?

He continued perfectly Calm, notwithstanding all my Reproaches, and I was not sparing of them at all; but he reply'd at last, My Dear, I have not broken one Promise with you yet; I did tell you I would Marry you when I was come to my Estate; but you see my Father is a hail, healthy Man, and may live these thirty Years still, and not be Older than several are round us in the Town; and you never propos'd my Marrying you sooner, because you know it might be my Ruin; and as to the rest, I have not fail'd you in any thing.

I could not deny a Word of this, but why then, says I, can you perswade me to such a horrid step, as leaving you, since you have not left me? Will you allow no Affection, no Love on my Side, where there has been so much on your Side? Have I made you no Returns? Have I given no Testimony of my Sincerity, and of my Passion? Are the Sacrifices I have made of Honour and Modesty to you, no Proof of my being ty'd to you in Bonds too strong to be broken?

But here my Dear, says he, you may come into a safe Station, and appear with Honour, and the Remembrance of what we have done, may be wrapt up in an eternal Silence, as if it had never happen'd; you shall always have my sincere Affection, only then it shall be Honest, and perfectly Just to my Brother; you shall be my Dear Sister, as now you are my Dear – and there he stop'd.

Your dear Whore, says I, you would have said, and you might as well have said it; but I understand you: However, I desire you to remember the long Discourses you have had with me, and the many Hours' pains you have taken to perswade me to believe my self an honest Woman; that I was your Wife intentionally, and that it was as effectual a Marriage that had pass'd between us, as if we had been publickly Wedded by the Parson of the Parish; you know these have been your own Words to me.

I found this was a little too close upon him, but I made it up in what follows; he stood stock still for a while, and said nothing, and I went on thus; you cannot, says I, without the highest injustice believe that I yielded upon all these Perswasions without a Love not to be questioned, not to be shaken again by any thing that could happen afterward: If you have such dishonourable Thoughts of me, I must ask you what Foundation have I given for such a Suggestion.

If then I have yielded to the Importunities of my Affection; and if I have been perswaded to believe that I am really your Wife, shall I now give the Lye to all those Arguments, and call my self your Whore, or Mistress, which is the same thing? And will you Transfer me to your Brother? Can you transfer my Affection? Can you bid me cease loving you, and bid me love him? Is it in my Power think you, to make such a Change at Demand? No Sir, said I, depend upon it 'tis imposible, and whatever the Change on your Side may be, I will ever be true; and I had much rather, since it is come that unhappy Length, be your Whore than your Brother's Wife.

He appear'd pleas'd, and touch'd with the impression of this last Discourse, and told me that he stood where he did before; that he had not been Unfaithful to me in any one Promise he had ever made yet, but that there were so many terrible things presented themselves to his View in the Affair before me, that he had thought of the other as a Remedy, only that he thought this would not be an entire parting us, but we might love as Friends all our Days, and perhaps with more Satisfaction than we should in the Station we were now in: That he durst say, I could not apprehend any thing from him, as to betraying a Secret, which could not but be the Destruction of us both if it came out: That he had but one Question to ask of me, that could lye in the way of it, and if that Question was answer'd, he could not but think still it was the only Step I could take.

I guess'd at his Question presently, viz. Whether I was not with Child? As to that, I told him, he need not be concern'd about it, for I was not with Child; why then my Dear, says he, we have no time to Talk farther now; Consider of it, I cannot but be of the Opinion still, that it will be the best Course you can take; and with this, he took his Leave, and the more hastily too, his Mother and Sisters Ringing at the Gate, just at the Moment he had risen up to go.

He left me in the utmost Confusion of Thought; and he easily perceiv'd it the next Day, and all the rest of the Week, but he had no Opportunity to come at me all that Week, till the Sunday after, when I being indispos'd did not go to Church, and he making some Excuse stay'd at Home.

And now he had me an Hour and Half again by my self, and we fell into the same Arguments all over again; at last, I ask'd him warmly, what Opinion he must have of my Modesty, that he could suppose, I should so much as entertain a thought of lying with two Brothers? And assur'd him it could never be: I added, if he was to tell me that he would never see me more, than which nothing but Death could be more Terrible, yet I could never entertain a Thought so Dishonourable to my self, and so Base to him; and therefore, I entreated him, if he had one Grain of Respect or Affection left for me, that he would speak no more of it to me, or that he would pull his Sword out and Kill me. He appear'd surpriz'd at my Obstinacy, as he call'd it, told me I was unkind to my self, and unkind to him in it; that it was a Crisis unlook'd for upon us both, but that he did not see any other way to save us both from Ruin, and therefore he thought it the more Unkind; but that if he must say no more of it to me, he added with an unusual Coldness, that he did not know any thing else we had to talk of; and so he rose up to take his leave; I rose up too, as if with the same indifference, but when he came to give me as it were a parting Kiss, I burst out into such a Passion of Crying, that tho' I would have spoke, I could not, and only pressing his Hand, seem'd to give him the Adieu, but cry'd vehemently.

He was sensibly mov'd with this; so he sat down again, and said a great many kind things to me, but still urg'd the necessity of what he had proposed; all the while insisting, that if I did refuse, he would notwithstanding provide for me; but letting me plainly see, that he would decline me in the main Point; nay, even as a Mistress; making it a point of Honour not to lye with the Woman, that for ought he knew, might one time or other come to be his Brother's Wife.

The bare loss of him as a Gallant was not so much my Affliction, as the loss of his Person, whom indeed I lov'd to Distraction; and the loss of all the Expectations I had, and which I always built my Hopes upon, of having him one Day for my Husband: These things oppress'd my Mind so much, that in short, the agonies of my Mind, threw me into a high Fever, and long it was, that none in the Family expected my Life.

I was reduc'd very low indeed, and was often Delirious; but nothing lay so near me, as the fear, that when I was light Headed, I should say something or other to his Prejudice, I was distress'd in my Mind also to see him, and so he was to see me, for he really lov'd me most passionately; but it could not be; there was not the least Room to desire it on one side, or other.

It was near five Weeks that I kept my Bed, and tho' the violence of my Fever abated in three Weeks, yet it several times return'd; and the Physicians said two or three times they could do no more for me, but that they must leave Nature and the Distemper to fight it out: After the end of five Weeks I grew better, but was so weak, so alter'd, and recover'd so slowly, that the Physicians apprehended I should go into a Consumption; and which vex'd me most, they gave their Opinion, that my Mind was oppress'd, that something troubl'd me, and, in short, that I was IN LOVE; upon this, the whole House set upon me to press me to tell, whether I was in Love or not, and with who[m]? but as I well might, I deny'd my being in Love at all.

They had on this Occasion a Squabble one Day about me at Table, that had like to put the whole Family in an Uproar, they happen'd to be all at Table, but the Father; as for me I was Ill, and in my Chamber; At the beginning of the Talk, the old Gentlewoman who had sent me somewhat to Eat, bid her Maid go up, and ask me if I would have any more; but the Maid brought down Word, I had not Eaten half what she had sent me already. Alas, says the old Lady, that poor Girl; I am afraid she will never be well. Well! says the elder Brother, How should Mrs. Betty be well, they say she is in Love? I believe nothing of it, says the old Gentlewoman, I don't know, says the eldest Sister, what to say to it, they have made such a rout about her being so Handsome, and so Charming, and I know not what, and that in her hearing too, that has turn 'd the Creature's Head I believe, and who knows what possessions may follow such doings? for my Part I don't know what to make of it.

Why Sister, you must acknowledge she is very Handsome, says the elder Brother. Ay, and a great deal Handsomer than you Sister, says Robin, and that's your Mortification. Well, well, that is not the Question, says his Sister, the Girl is well enough, and she knows it, she need not be told of it to make her Vain.

We don't talk of her being Vain, says the elder Brother, but of her being in Love; may be she is in Love with herself, it seems my Sisters think so.

I would she was in Love with me, says Robin, I'd quickly put her out of her Pain. What d'ye mean by that Son? says the old Lady, how can you talk so? Why Madam, says Robin again, very honestly, do you think I'd let the poor Girl die for Love, and of me too, that is so near at hand to be had. Fye Brother, says the second Sister, how can you talk so? Would you take a Creature that has not a Groat in the World? Prithee Child, says Robin, Beauty's a Portion, and good Humour with it, is a double Portion; I wish thou hadst half her Stock of both for thy Portion: So there was her Mouth stop'd.

I find, says the eldest Sister, if Betty is not in Love, my Brother is; I wonder he has not broke his Mind to Betty, I warrant she won't say NO. They that yield when they are ask'd, says Robin, are one step before them that were never ask'd to yield, and two Steps before them that yield before they are ask'd; And that's an Answer to you Sister.

This fir'd the Sister, and she flew into a Passion, and said, things were come to that pass, that it was time the Wench, meaning me, was out of the Family; and but that she was not fit to be turn'd out, she hop'd her Father and Mother would consider of it, as soon as she could be remov'd.

Robin reply'd, That was for the Master and Mistress of the Family, who were not to be taught by One, that had so little Judgment as his eldest Sister.

It run up a great deal farther; the Sister Scolded, Robin Rally'd and Banter'd, but poor Betty lost ground by it extreamly in the Family: I heard of it, and cry'd heartily, and the old Lady came up to me, some body having told her that I was so much concern'd about it; I complain'd to her, that it was very hard the Doctors should pass such a Censure upon me, for which they had no Ground; and that it was still harder, considering the Circumstances I was under in the Family; that I hop'd I had done nothing to lessen her Esteem for me, or given any occasion for the Bickering between her Sons and Daughters; and I had more need to think of a Coffin, than of being in Love, and beg'd she would not let me suffer in her Opinion for anybody's Mistakes, but my own.

She was sensible of the Justice of what I said, but told me, since there had been such a Clamour among them, and that her younger Son talk'd after such a rattling way as he did; she desir'd I would be so Faithful to her, as to Answer her but one Question sincerely; I told her I would, and with the utmost Plainness and Sincerity: Why then the Question was, Whether there was any thing between her son Robert and me? I told her with all the Protestations of Sincerity that I was able to make, and as I might well do, that there was not, nor ever had been; I told her, that Mr. Robert had rattled and jested, as she knew it was his way, and that I took it always as I suppos'd he meant it, to be a wild airy way of Discourse that had no Signification in it; And assured her, that there was not the least tittle of what she understood by it between us; and that those who had Suggested it, had done me a great deal of Wrong, and Mr. Robert no Service at all.

The old Lady was fully satisfy'd, and kiss'd me, spoke chearfully to me, and bid me take care of my Health, and want for nothing, and so took her leave: But when she came down, she found the Brother and all his Sisters together by the Ears; they were angry even to Passion, at his upbraiding them with their being Homely, and having never had any Sweet hearts, never having been ask'd the Question, their being so forward as almost to ask first, and the like: He rallied them with Mrs. Betty; how Pretty, how good Humour'd, how she Sung better than they did, and Danc'd better, and how much Handsomer she was; and in doing this, he omitted no Ill-natur'd Thing that could vex them.