sed of in the world to my son,
excepting L1500; out of that there is L500 for you, L500 among my
executors, and the other L500 is to bury me, pay my funeral expenses,
and what is overplus I have ordered to be equally divided among my
servants."

When I had heard him pronounce these words, I stared like one that was
frightened out of his senses. "Five hundred pounds for me!" says I;
"pray, what do you mean? What! am I, that brought you so handsome a
fortune, to be under the curb of my son, and ask him for every penny I
want? No, sir," said I, "I will not accept it. I expect to be left in
full possession of one-half of your fortune, that I may live the
remainder of my life like your wife." "Madam," replied my lord, "you may
expect what you please. If you can make it appear since I found you out
to be a jilt that I have looked upon you as my wife, everything shall be
altered and settled just as you desire, which might then be called your
will; but as the case now stands, the will is mine, and so it shall
remain."

I thought I should have sunk when I had heard him make this solemn and
premeditated declaration. I raved like a mad woman, and, at the end of
my discourse, told him that I did not value what could happen to me,
even if I was forced to beg my bread, for I would stand the test of my
own character; and as I could get nothing by being an honest woman, so
I should not scruple to declare that "the son you have left what you
have to is a bastard you had by me several years before we were
married."

"Oh," says he, "madam, do you think you can frighten me? no, not in the
least; for if you ever mention anything of it, the title, as well as all
the estate, will go to another branch of my family, and you will then be
left to starve in good earnest, without having the least glimpse of hope
to better your fortune; for," added he, "it is not very probable that
you will be courted for a wife by any man of substance at these years;
so if you have a mind to make yourself easy in your present
circumstances, you must rest contented with what I have left you, and
not prove yourself a whore to ruin your child, in whose power it will be
to provide for you in a handsome manner, provided you behave yourself
with that respect to him and me as you ought to do; for if any words
arise about what I have done, I shall make a fresh will, and, as the
laws of this nation will give me liberty, cut you off with a shilling."

My own unhappiness