d silks and other valuable goods. "I want you," said he, "to open
your feather bed and put all these things into it; they are rightly
mine, but I have my reasons for wishing to hide them; some goods
have been stolen, and the constables are after them, and if they
were to see these they might seize them instead of those they are
searching for, and it would make a great bother."

I had no doubt they were stolen goods, and I said immediately that I
would not do what he wished me to, but as civilly as I could.

"I will," said he, "give you one of the pieces of cambric for your
trouble, and I will never ask you for this last quarter's rent; it
will be a great favor to me, for they know that you are sick, and
you have the credit of being very honest, and the things would not
be touched in your bed, and a great deal of trouble would be saved."

"I will," said I, "keep the credit of being honest; I can have
nothing to do with any of these things; your conscience can best
tell whether they are honestly come by."

"Do you dare," said he, "to say I stole them?" in such a loud voice
as to wake up my poor baby and to make me start.

"I say nothing," I answered, "but that it is against my conscience
to do what you asked me to do."

He flew into a passion, and said, "Conscience or no conscience, you
do as I ask you to, or out of my house you go this very night."

"Not to-night," I said.

"Yes, to-night," he answered. "Do as I tell you, and you have no
rent to pay, and this piece of cambric is yours, and I am your
friend; but refuse me, and out of the house you go this very night;
I have warned you long enough to pay the rent."

I told him that I could not do what was against my conscience for
all the goods of this world, and that if he was so cruel as to turn
me out of doors, God would protect me and my child. "But," said I,
"are you not afraid to do such a wicked thing, it is so dark and
stormy, and my poor baby"--and at the thought that it had no father
to protect it, I burst into tears, and could not speak.

He was silent, and seemed to feel some pity. Presently he said,
"Well, you may stay till daylight, but then you must either hide
these things for me, or you must march. And I suppose it will not
worry your stomach to let these things stay here till then." So he
put the goods on a chair, and laid my cloak and bonnet upon them.

As soon as he was gone, and his door shut, I took the things and put
them all just outsid