The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

He looked now scared and wild, and began, I believe, to suspect what

followed; however, looking towards me, and saying only, 'Go on,' he sat

silent, as if to hear what I had more to say; so I went on. 'I asked

you last night,' said I, speaking to him, 'if ever I made any boast to

you of my estate, or ever told you I had any estate in the Bank of

England or anywhere else, and you owned I had not, as is most true; and

I desire you will tell me here, before your sister, if ever I gave you

any reason from me to think so, or that ever we had any discourse about

it'; and he owned again I had not, but said I had appeared always as a

woman of fortune, and he depended on it that I was so, and hoped he was

not deceived. 'I am not inquiring yet whether you have been deceived

or not,' said I; 'I fear you have, and I too; but I am clearing myself

from the unjust charge of being concerned in deceiving you.

'I have been now asking your sister if ever I told her of any fortune

or estate I had, or gave her any particulars of it; and she owns I

never did. Any pray, madam,' said I, turning myself to her, 'be so

just to me, before your brother, to charge me, if you can, if ever I

pretended to you that I had an estate; and why, if I had, should I come

down into this country with you on purpose to spare that little I had,

and live cheap?' She could not deny one word, but said she had been

told in London that I had a very great fortune, and that it lay in the

Bank of England.

'And now, dear sir,' said I, turning myself to my new spouse again, 'be

so just to me as to tell me who has abused both you and me so much as

to make you believe I was a fortune, and prompt you to court me to this

marriage?' He could not speak a word, but pointed to her; and, after

some more pause, flew out in the most furious passion that ever I saw a

man in my life, cursing her, and calling her all the whores and hard

names he could think of; and that she had ruined him, declaring that

she had told him I had #15,000, and that she was to have #500 of him

for procuring this match for him. He then added, directing his speech

to me, that she was none of his sister, but had been his whore for two

years before, that she had had #100 of him in part of this bargain, and

that he was utterly undone if things were as I said; and in his raving

he swore he would let her heart's blood out immediately, which

frightened her and me too. She cried, said she had been told so in the

house where I lodged. But this aggravated him more than before, that

she should put so far upon him, and run things such a length upon no

other authority than a hearsay; and then, turning to me again, said

very honestly, he was afraid we were both undone. 'For, to be plain,

my dear, I have no estate,' says he; 'what little I had, this devil has

made me run out in waiting on you and putting me into this equipage.'

She took the opportunity of his being earnest in talking with me, and

got out of the room, and I never saw her more.