il
my fingers. But if I can't, I hope to make my hands as red as a
blood-pudding, and as hard as a beechen trencher, to accommodate them to
my condition.--But I must break off; here's somebody coming.

'Tis only our Hannah with a message from Mrs. Jervis.--But, hold, here's
somebody else. Well, it is only Rachel.

I am as much frighted, as were the city mouse and the country mouse, in
the same book of fables, at every thing that stirs. O! I have a power of
these things to entertain you with in winter evenings, when I come home.
If I can but get work, with a little time for reading, I hope we shall
be very happy over our peat fires.

What made me hint to you, that I should bring but little with me, is
this:

You must know, I did intend to do, as I have this afternoon: and that
is, I took all my clothes, and all my linen, and I divided them into
three parcels, as I had before told Mrs. Jervis I intended to do; and
I said, It is now Monday, Mrs. Jervis, and I am to go away on Thursday
morning betimes; so, though I know you don't doubt my honesty, I beg you
will look over my poor matters, and let every one have what belongs to
them; for, said I, you know I am resolved to take with me only what I
can properly call my own.

Said she, (I did not know her drift then; to be sure she meant well;
but I did not thank her for it, when I did know it,) Let your things be
brought down in the green-room, and I will do any thing you will have me
do.

With all my heart, said I, green-room or any where; but I think you
might step up, and see 'em as they lie.

However, I fetched 'em down, and laid them in three parcels, as before;
and, when I had done, I went down to call her up to look at them.

Now, it seems, she had prepared my master for this scene, unknown to
me; and in this green-room was a closet, with a sash-door, and a curtain
before it; for there she puts her sweet-meats and such things; and
she did it, it seems, to turn his heart, as knowing what I intended, I
suppose that he should make me take the things; for, if he had, I should
have made money of them, to help us when we got together; for, to be
sure, I could never have appeared in them.

Well, as I was saying, he had got, unknown to me, into this closet; I
suppose while I went to call Mrs. Jervis: and she since owned to me, it
was at his desire, when she told him something of what I intended, or
else she would not have done it: though I have reason, I am sure, to