The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

I returned, with the same concern for him, that I could not bear to

hear him talk so; that, on the contrary, if he could propose any

probable method of living, I would do anything that became me on my

part, and that I would live as close and as narrow as he could desire.

He begged of me to talk no more at that rate, for it would make him

distracted; he said he was bred a gentleman, though he was reduced to a

low fortune, and that there was but one way left which he could think

of, and that would not do, unless I could answer him one question,

which, however, he said he would not press me to. I told him I would

answer it honestly; whether it would be to his satisfaction or not,

that I could not tell.

'Why, then, my dear, tell me plainly,' says he, 'will the little you

have keep us together in any figure, or in any station or place, or

will it not?' It was my happiness hitherto that I had not discovered myself or my

circumstances at all--no, not so much as my name; and seeing these was

nothing to be expected from him, however good-humoured and however

honest he seemed to be, but to live on what I knew would soon be

wasted, I resolved to conceal everything but the bank bill and the

eleven guineas which I had owned; and I would have been very glad to

have lost that and have been set down where he took me up. I had

indeed another bank bill about me of #30, which was the whole of what I

brought with me, as well to subsist on in the country, as not knowing

what might offer; because this creature, the go-between that had thus

betrayed us both, had made me believe strange things of my marrying to

my advantage in the country, and I was not willing to be without money,

whatever might happen. This bill I concealed, and that made me the

freer of the rest, in consideration of his circumstances, for I really

pitied him heartily.

But to return to his question, I told him I never willingly deceived

him, and I never would. I was very sorry to tell him that the little I

had would not subsist us; that it was not sufficient to subsist me

alone in the south country, and that this was the reason that made me

put myself into the hands of that woman who called him brother, she

having assured me that I might board very handsomely at a town called

Manchester, where I had not yet been, for about #6 a year; and my whole

income not being about #15 a year, I thought I might live easy upon it,

and wait for better things.