The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

But the kindness of the ladies of the town did not end here, for when

they came to understand that I was no more maintained by the public

allowance as before, they gave me money oftener than formerly; and as I

grew up they brought me work to do for them, such as linen to make, and

laces to mend, and heads to dress up, and not only paid me for doing

them, but even taught me how to do them; so that now I was a

gentlewoman indeed, as I understood that word, I not only found myself

clothes and paid my nurse for my keeping, but got money in my pocket

too beforehand.

The ladies also gave me clothes frequently of their own or their

children's; some stockings, some petticoats, some gowns, some one

thing, some another, and these my old woman managed for me like a mere

mother, and kept them for me, obliged me to mend them, and turn them

and twist them to the best advantage, for she was a rare housewife.

At last one of the ladies took so much fancy to me that she would have

me home to her house, for a month, she said, to be among her daughters.

Now, though this was exceeding kind in her, yet, as my old good woman

said to her, unless she resolved to keep me for good and all, she would

do the little gentlewoman more harm than good. 'Well,' says the lady,

'that's true; and therefore I'll only take her home for a week, then,

that I may see how my daughters and she agree together, and how I like

her temper, and then I'll tell you more; and in the meantime, if

anybody comes to see her as they used to do, you may only tell them you

have sent her out to my house.' This was prudently managed enough, and I went to the lady's house; but

I was so pleased there with the young ladies, and they so pleased with

me, that I had enough to do to come away, and they were as unwilling to

part with me.

However, I did come away, and lived almost a year more with my honest

old woman, and began now to be very helpful to her; for I was almost

fourteen years old, was tall of my age, and looked a little womanish;

but I had such a taste of genteel living at the lady's house that I was

not so easy in my old quarters as I used to be, and I thought it was

fine to be a gentlewoman indeed, for I had quite other notions of a

gentlewoman now than I had before; and as I thought, I say, that it was

fine to be a gentlewoman, so I loved to be among gentlewomen, and

therefore I longed to be there again.