was at first greatly alarmed for the safe issue of this
escapade; but she assuring me 'twas a dirty night, and she had passed no
one on the road, I felt a little reassured. To be sure, thinks I, Mr.
Godwin by some accident may return, but finding her gone, and hearing
Captain Evans keeps me to my house, he must conclude she has come
hither, and think no harm of her for that neither--seeing we are old
friends and sobered with years, for 'tis the most natural thing in the
world that, feeling lonely and dejected for the loss of her husband, she
should seek such harmless diversion as may be had in our society.

However, for the sake of appearances I thought it would be wise to get
this provision of ham and birds out of sight, for fear of misadventure,
and also I took instant precaution to turn the key in my street door.
Being but two men, and neither of us over-nice in the formalities, I had
set a cheese, a loaf, and a bottle betwixt us on the bare table of my
office room, for each to serve himself as he would; but I now proposed
that, having a lady in our company, we should pay more regard to the
decencies by going upstairs to my parlour, and there laying a tablecloth
and napkins for our repast.

"Aye, certainly!" cries Moll, who had grown mighty fastidious in these
particulars since she had been mistress of Hurst Court; "this dirty
table would spoil the best appetite in the world."

So I carried a faggot and some apple logs upstairs, and soon had a brave
fire leaping up the chimney, by which time Moll and her father, with
abundant mirth, had set forth our victuals on a clean white cloth, and
to each of us a clean plate, knife, and fork, most proper. Then, all
things being to our hand, we sat down and made a most hearty meal of
Mrs. Butterby's good cheer, and all three of us as merry as grigs, with
not a shadow of misgiving.

There had seemed something piteous to me in that appeal of Moll's, that
she might be herself for this night; and indeed I marvelled now how she
could have so trained her natural disposition to an artificial manner,
and did no longer wonder at the look of fatigue and weariness in her
face on her return to London. For the old reckless, careless, daredevil
spirit was still alive in her, as I could plainly see now that she
abandoned herself entirely to the free sway of impulse; the old twinkle
of mirth and mischief was in her eyes; she was no longer a fine lady,
but a merry vagabond again, and when sh