he would be able to do it; and the thought of seeing her there again
half distracted me, not knowing what temper she would come in, much less
what manner to receive her in; but my fast friend and constant
comforter, the Quaker, said she perceived the girl was impertinent, and
that I had no inclination to converse with her, and she was resolved I
should not be troubled with her. But I shall have occasion to say more
of this presently, for this girl went farther yet than I thought she
had.

It was now time, as I said before, to take measures with my husband, in
order to put off my voyage; so I fell into talk with him one morning as
he was dressing, and while I was in bed. I pretended I was very ill; and
as I had but too easy a way to impose upon him, because he so absolutely
believed everything I said, so I managed my discourse as that he should
understand by it I was a-breeding, though I did not tell him so.

However, I brought it about so handsomely that, before he went out of
the room, he came and sat down by my bedside, and began to talk very
seriously to me upon the subject of my being so every day ill, and
that, as he hoped I was with child, he would have me consider well of
it, whether I had not best alter my thoughts of the voyage to Holland;
for that being sea-sick, and which was worse, if a storm should happen,
might be very dangerous to me. And after saying abundance of the kindest
things that the kindest of husbands in the world could say, he concluded
that it was his request to me, that I would not think any more of going
till after all should be over; but that I would, on the contrary,
prepare to lie-in where I was, and where I knew, as well as he, I could
be very well provided, and very well assisted.

This was just what I wanted, for I had, as you have heard, a thousand
good reasons why I should put off the voyage, especially with that
creature in company; but I had a mind the putting it off should be at
his motion, not my own; and he came into it of himself, just as I would
have had it. This gave me an opportunity to hang back a little, and to
seem as if I was unwilling. I told him I could not abide to put him to
difficulties and perplexities in his business; that now he had hired the
great cabin in the ship, and, perhaps, paid some of the money, and, it
may be, taken freight for goods; and to make him break it all off again
would be a needless charge to him, or, perhaps, a damage to the captain.

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