by Daniel Defoe
hesitations at the step I had taken sohastily.
We enjoyed ourselves that evening completely, and yet all was kept soprivate in the inn that not a servant in the house knew of it, for mylandlady and her daughter waited on me, and would not let any of themaids come upstairs, except while we were at supper. My landlady'sdaughter I called my bridesmaid; and sending for a shopkeeper the nextmorning, I gave the young woman a good suit of knots, as good as thetown would afford, and finding it was a lace-making town, I gave hermother a piece of bone-lace for a head.
One reason that my landlord was so close was, that he was unwilling theminister of the parish should hear of it; but for all that somebodyheard of it, so at that we had the bells set a-ringing the next morningearly, and the music, such as the town would afford, under our window;but my landlord brazened it out, that we were married before we camethither, only that, being his former guests, we would have ourwedding-supper at his house.
We could not find in our hearts to stir the next day; for, in short,having been disturbed by the bells in the morning, and having perhapsnot slept overmuch before, we were so sleepy afterwards that we lay inbed till almost twelve o'clock.
I begged my landlady that we might not have any more music in the town,nor ringing of bells, and she managed it so well that we were veryquiet; but an odd passage interrupted all my mirth for a good while.The great room of the house looked into the street, and my new spousebeing belowstairs, I had walked to the end of the room; and it being apleasant, warm day, I had opened the window, and was standing at it forsome air, when I saw three gentlemen come by on horseback and go intoan inn just against us.
It was not to be concealed, nor was it so doubtful as to leave me anyroom to question it, but the second of the three was my Lancashirehusband. I was frightened to death; I never was in such aconsternation in my life; I though I should have sunk into the ground;my blood ran chill in my veins, and I trembled as if I had been in acold fit of ague. I say, there was no room to question the truth ofit; I knew his clothes, I knew his horse, and I knew his face.
The first sensible reflect I made was, that my husband was not by tosee my disorder, and that I was very glad of it. The gentlemen had notbeen long in the house but they came to the window of their room, as isusual; but my window was shut, you may be sure. However, I could notkeep from peeping at them, and there I saw him again, heard him callout to one of the servants of the house for something he wanted, andreceived all the terrifying confirmations of its being the same personthat were possible to be had.
My next concern was to know, if possible, what was his business there;but that was impossible. Sometimes my imagination formed an idea ofone frightful thing, sometimes of another; sometimes I thought he haddiscovered me, and was come to upbraid me with ingratitude and breachof honour; and every moment I fancied he was coming up the stairs toinsult me; and innumerable fancies came into my head of what was neverin his head, nor ever could be, unless the devil had revealed it to him.
I remained in this fright nearly two hours, and scarce ever kept my eyefrom the window or door of the inn where they were. At last, hearing agreat clatter in the passage of their inn, I ran to the window, and, tomy great satisfaction, saw them all three go out again and travel onwestward. Had they gone towards London, I should have been still in afright, lest I should meet him on the road again, and that he shouldknow me; but he went the contrary way, and so I was eased of thatdisorder.
We resolved to be going the next day, but about six o'clock at night wewere alarmed with a great uproar in the street, and people riding as ifthey had been out of their wits; and what was it but a hue-and-cryafter three highwaymen that had robbed two coaches and some othertravellers near Dunstable Hill, and notice had, it seems, been giventhat they had been seen at Brickhill at such a house, meaning the housewhere those gentlemen had been.
The house was immediately beset and searched, but there were witnessesenough that the gentlemen had been gone over three hours. The crowdhaving gathered about, we had the news presently; and I was heartilyconcerned now another way. I presently told the people of the house,that I durst to say those were not the persons, for that I knew one ofthe gentlemen to be a very honest person, and of a good estate inLancashire.
The constable who came with the hue-and-cry was immediately informed ofthis, and came over to me to be satisfied from my own mouth, and Iassured him that I saw the three gentlemen as I was at the window; thatI saw them afterwards at the windows of the room they dined in; that Isaw them afterwards take horse, and I could assure him I knew one ofthem to be such a man, that he was a gentleman of a very good estate,and an undoubted character in Lancashire, from whence I was just nowupon my journey.
The assurance with which I delivered this gave the mob gentry a check,and gave the constable such satisfaction, that he immediately sounded aretreat, told his people these were not the men, but that he had anaccount they were very honest gentlemen; and so they went all backagain. What the truth of the matter was I knew not, but certain it wasthat the coaches were robbed at Dunstable Hill, and #560 in moneytaken; besides, some of the lace merchants that always travel that wayhad been visited too. As to the three gentlemen, that remains to beexplained hereafter.
Well, this alarm stopped us another day, though my spouse was fortravelling, and told me that it was always safest travelling after arobbery, for that the thieves were sure to be gone far enough off whenthey had alarmed the country; but I was afraid and uneasy, and indeedprincipally lest my old acquaintance should be upon the road still, andshould chance to see me.
I never lived four pleasanter days together in my life. I was a merebride all this while, and my new spouse strove to make me entirely easyin everything. Oh could this state of life have continued, how had allmy past troubles been forgot, and my future sorrows avoided! But I hada past life of a most wretched kind to account for, some of it in thisworld as well as in another.
We came away the fifth day; and my landlord, because he saw me uneasy,mounted himself, his son, and three honest country fellows with goodfirearms, and, without telling us of it, followed the coach, and wouldsee us safe into Dunstable. We could do no less than treat them veryhandsomely at Dunstable, which cost my spouse about ten or twelveshillings, and something he gave the men for their time too, but mylandlord would take nothing for himself.
This was the most happy contrivance for me that could have fallen out;for had I come to London unmarried, I must either have come to him forthe first night's entertainment, or have discovered to him that I hadnot one acquaintance in the whole city of London that could receive apoor bride for the first night's lodging with her spouse. But now,being an old married woman, I made no scruple of going directly homewith him, and there I took possession at once of a house wellfurnished, and a husband in very good circumstances, so that I had aprospect of a very happy life, if I knew how to manage it; and I hadleisure to consider of the real value of the life I was likely to live.How different it was to be from the loose ungoverned part I had actedbefore, and how much happier a life of virtue and sobriety is, thanthat which we call a life of pleasure.
Oh had this particular scene of life lasted, or had I learned from thattime I enjoyed it, to have tasted the true sweetness of it, and had Inot fallen into that poverty which is the sure bane of virtue, howhappy had I been, not only here, but perhaps for ever! for while Ilived thus, I was really a penitent for all my life past. I lookedback on it with abhorrence, and might truly be said to hate myself forit. I often reflected how my lover at the Bath, struck at the hand ofGod, repented and abandoned me, and refused to see me any more, thoughhe loved me to an extreme; but I, prompted by that worst of devils,poverty, returned to the vile practice, and made the advantage of whatthey call a handsome face to be the relief to my necessities, andbeauty be a pimp to vice.
Now I seemed landed in a safe harbour, after the stormy voyage of lifepast was at an end, and I began to be thankful for my deliverance. Isat many an hour by myself, and wept over
the remembrance of pastfollies, and the dreadful extravagances of a wicked life, and sometimesI flattered myself that I had sincerely repented.
But there are temptations which it is not in the power of human natureto resist, and few know what would be their case if driven to the sameexigencies. As covetousness is the root of all evil, so poverty is, Ibelieve, the worst of all snares. But I waive that discourse till Icome to an experiment.
I lived with this husband with the utmost tranquillity; he was a quiet,sensible, sober man; virtuous, modest, sincere, and in his businessdiligent and just. His business was in a narrow compass, and hisincome sufficient to a plentiful way of living in the ordinary way. Ido not say to keep an equipage, and make a figure, as the world callsit, nor did I expect it, or desire it; for as I abhorred the levity andextravagance of my former life, so I chose now to live retired, frugal,and within ourselves. I kept no company, made no visits; minded myfamily, and obliged my husband; and this kind of life became