being
beloved by such a gentleman. As for the gold, I spent whole hours in
looking upon it; I told the guineas over and 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; indeed, I think I rather wished for that ruin
than studied to avoid it.

In the meantime, however, I was cunning enough not to give the least
room to any in the family to suspect me, or to imagine that I had the
least correspondence with this young gentleman. I scarce ever looked
towards him in public, or answered if he spoke to me when anybody was
near us; but for all that, we had every now and then a little
encounter, where we had room for a word or two, an now and then a kiss,
but no fair opportunity for the mischief intended; and especially
considering that he made more circumlocution than, if he had known by
thoughts, 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
opportunity for that wickedness he invites to. It was one evening that
I was in the garden, with his two younger sisters and himself, and all
very innocently merry, when he found means to convey a note into my
hand, by which he directed me to understand that he would to-morrow
desire me publicly to go of an errand for him into the town, 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 his 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 begged pardon
for asking, which they did but of mere course, without any meaning.
'Well, but, brother,' 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 turnover), '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 the
turnover that he showed, to see if they would take my money for the
neckcl