I showed her the two parcels of silk, which I told her I had from
Ireland, and brought up to town with me; and the little diamond ring.
As to the small parcel of plate and spoons, I had found means to
dispose of them myself before; and as for the childbed-linen I had, she
offered me to take it herself, believing it to have been my own. She
told me that she was turned pawnbroker, and that she would sell those
things for me as pawn to her; and so she sent presently for proper
agents that bought them, being in her hands, without any scruple, and
gave good prices too.

I now began to think this necessary woman might help me a little in my
low condition to some business, for I would gladly have turned my hand
to any honest employment if I could have got it. But here she was
deficient; honest business did not come within her reach. If I had
been younger, perhaps she might have helped me to a spark, but my
thoughts were off that kind of livelihood, as being quite out of the
way after fifty, which was my case, and so I told her.

She invited me at last to come, and be at her house till I could find
something to do, and it should cost me very little, and this I gladly
accepted of. And now living a little easier, I entered into some
measures to have my little son by my last husband taken off; and this
she made easy too, reserving a payment only of #5 a year, if I could
pay it. This was such a help to me, that for a good while I left off
the wicked trade that I had so newly taken up; and gladly I would have
got my bread by the help of my needle if I could have got work, but
that was very hard to do for one that had no manner of acquaintance in
the world.

However, at last I got some quilting work for ladies' beds, petticoats,
and the like; and this I liked very well, and worked very hard, and
with this I began to live; but the diligent devil, who resolved I
should continue in his service, continually prompted me to go out and
take a walk, that is to say, to see if anything would offer in the old
way.

One evening I blindly obeyed his summons, and fetched a long circuit
through the streets, but met with no purchase, and came home very weary
and empty; but not content with that, I went out the next evening too,
when going by an alehouse I saw the door of a little room open, next
the very street, and on the table a silver tankard, things much in use
in public-houses at that time. It seems some company had been drinking
the