The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

I then began to write to my friend at the bank in a more kindly style,

and particularly about the beginning of July I sent him a letter, that

I proposed to be in town some time in August. He returned me an answer

in the most passionate terms imaginable, and desired me to let him have

timely notice, and he would come and meet me, two day's journey. This

puzzled me scurvily, and I did not know what answer to make of it.

Once I resolved to take the stage-coach to West Chester, on purpose

only to have the satisfaction of coming back, that he might see me

really come in the same coach; for I had a jealous thought, though I

had no ground for it at all, lest he should think I was not really in

the country. And it was no ill-grounded thought as you shall hear

presently.

I endeavoured to reason myself out of it, but it was in vain; the

impression lay so strong on my mind, that it was not to be resisted.

At last it came as an addition to my new design of going into the

country, that it would be an excellent blind to my old governess, and

would cover entirely all my other affairs, for she did not know in the

least whether my new lover lived in London or in Lancashire; and when I

told her my resolution, she was fully persuaded it was in Lancashire.

Having taken my measure for this journey I let her know it, and sent

the maid that tended me, from the beginning, to take a place for me in

the coach. She would have had me let the maid have waited on me down

to the last stage, and come up again in the waggon, but I convinced her

it would not be convenient. When I went away, she told me she would

enter into no measures for correspondence, for she saw evidently that

my affection to my child would cause me to write to her, and to visit

her too when I came to town again. I assured her it would, and so took

my leave, well satisfied to have been freed from such a house, however

good my accommodations there had been, as I have related above.

I took the place in the coach not to its full extent, but to a place

called Stone, in Cheshire, I think it is, where I not only had no

manner of business, but not so much as the least acquaintance with any

person in the town or near it. But I knew that with money in the

pocket one is at home anywhere; so I lodged there two or three days,

till, watching my opportunity, I found room in another stage-coach, and

took passage back again for London, sending a letter to my gentleman

that I should be such a certain day at Stony-Stratford, where the

coachman told me he was to lodge.