The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

This was the bait; and the devil, who I said laid the snare, as readily

prompted me as if he had spoke, for I remember, and shall never forget

it, 'twas like a voice spoken to me over my shoulder, 'Take the bundle;

be quick; do it this moment.' It was no sooner said but I stepped into

the shop, and with my back to the wench, as if I had stood up for a

cart that was going by, I put my hand behind me and took the bundle,

and went off with it, the maid or the fellow not perceiving me, or any

one else.

It is impossible to express the horror of my soul all the while I did

it. When I went away I had no heart to run, or scarce to mend my pace.

I crossed the street indeed, and went down the first turning I came to,

and I think it was a street that went through into Fenchurch Street.

From thence I crossed and turned through so many ways and turnings,

that I could never tell which way it was, not where I went; for I felt

not the ground I stepped on, and the farther I was out of danger, the

faster I went, till, tired and out of breath, I was forced to sit down

on a little bench at a door, and then I began to recover, and found I

was got into Thames Street, near Billingsgate. I rested me a little

and went on; my blood was all in a fire; my heart beat as if I was in a

sudden fright. In short, I was under such a surprise that I still knew

not wither I was going, or what to do.

After I had tired myself thus with walking a long way about, and so

eagerly, I began to consider and make home to my lodging, where I came

about nine o'clock at night.

When the bundle was made up for, or on what occasion laid where I found

it, I knew not, but when I came to open it I found there was a suit of

childbed-linen in it, very good and almost new, the lace very fine;

there was a silver porringer of a pint, a small silver mug and six

spoons, with some other linen, a good smock, and three silk

handkerchiefs, and in the mug, wrapped up in a paper, 18s. 6d. in money.

All the while I was opening these things I was under such dreadful

impressions of fear, and I such terror of mind, though I was perfectly

safe, that I cannot express the manner of it. I sat me down, and cried

most vehemently. 'Lord,' said I, 'what am I now? a thief! Why, I

shall be taken next time, and be carried to Newgate and be tried for my

life!' And with that I cried again a long time, and I am sure, as poor

as I was, if I had durst for fear, I would certainly have carried the

things back again; but that went off after a while. Well, I went to

bed for that night, but slept little; the horror of the fact was upon

my mind, and I knew not what I said or did all night, and all the next

day. Then I was impatient to hear some news of the loss; and would

fain know how it was, whether they were a poor body's goods, or a rich.

'Perhaps,' said I, 'it may be some poor widow like me, that had packed

up these goods to go and sell them for a little bread for herself and a

poor child, and are now starving and breaking their hearts for want of

that little they would have fetched.' And this thought tormented me

worse than all the rest, for three or four days' time.