s, Marple struck
and abused the woman for daring to tell him a lie.

Amongst the rest of the acquaintance that Marple picked up, was a young
man who had a very rich uncle who, though he was very willing to do
anything which might be for the real good of his nephew, did not think
it at all reasonable to waste his fortune in the supply of the young
man's extravagances. This spark, with another, acquainted Marple how
easy a thing it would be to rob the old man of a considerable sum of
money. They readily came into the project, and accordingly it was put
into execution; Marple and the nephew actually committing the robbery,
and the other man standing at the door till they came out. The booty
they got was about thirty-six guineas, which they divided into three
parts. In a very short time, Marple was apprehended and committed to
Newgate for this very fact. However, the old man would not prosecute
him, because he would not expose his relation.

Yet this was no warning to Marple who continued his old trade, and
committed thirty or forty robberies in a very short space. Drinking was
a vice he abhorred, and the chief cause for which he addicted himself to
this life of rapine was his associating himself with all sorts of lewd
women, amongst whom he became acquainted with the infamous Elizabeth
Lion,[84] mistress to Jack Shepherd, who grew quickly too impudent and
abusive for Marple's conversation, for when he fell under his
misfortunes he declared that she was the vilest and most abominable
wretch that ever lived. However, to the immodest, lascivious carriage of
this woman, he owed the sudden dislike he took to that sort of cattle;
which became so strong that he no longer frequented their company, but
married a second wife, a young woman of a handsome person, of a good
character, and who, as he said, was totally ignorant of the measures he
took for getting money.

Timothy Cotton, the second of these malefactors, was descended of mean,
yet honest parents, who in his infancy had not spared to give him a very
good education, and bred him to get an honest livelihood to the trade of
a poulterer. In this, when he grew up, he was for a time very
industrious, and got thereby sufficient to have maintained himself and
his family, as well as he could reasonably expect; but happening
unluckily to call into the acquaintance and conversation of lewd women,
they soon took up so much of his thoughts, his time and his money, that
he was obliged