The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

At length, yielding to the importunities of my crime, I cast off all

remorse and repentance, and all the reflections on that head turned to

no more than this, that I might perhaps come to have one booty more

that might complete my desires; but though I certainly had that one

booty, yet every hit looked towards another, and was so encouraging to

me to go on with the trade, that I had no gust to the thought of laying

it down.

In this condition, hardened by success, and resolving to go on, I fell

into the snare in which I was appointed to meet with my last reward for

this kind of life. But even this was not yet, for I met with several

successful adventures more in this way of being undone.

I remained still with my governess, who was for a while really

concerned for the misfortune of my comrade that had been hanged, and

who, it seems, knew enough of my governess to have sent her the same

way, and which made her very uneasy; indeed, she was in a very great

fright.

It is true that when she was gone, and had not opened mouth to tell

what she knew, my governess was easy as to that point, and perhaps glad

she was hanged, for it was in her power to have obtained a pardon at

the expense of her friends; but on the other hand, the loss of her, and

the sense of her kindness in not making her market of what she knew,

moved my governess to mourn very sincerely for her. I comforted her as

well as I could, and she in return hardened me to merit more completely

the same fate.

However, as I have said, it made me the more wary, and particularly I

was very shy of shoplifting, especially among the mercers and drapers,

who are a set of fellows that have their eyes very much about them. I

made a venture or two among the lace folks and the milliners, and

particularly at one shop where I got notice of two young women who were

newly set up, and had not been bred to the trade. There I think I

carried off a piece of bone-lace, worth six or seven pounds, and a

paper of thread. But this was but once; it was a trick that would not

serve again.

It was always reckoned a safe job when we heard of a new shop, and

especially when the people were such as were not bred to shops. Such

may depend upon it that they will be visited once or twice at their

beginning, and they must be very sharp indeed if they can prevent it.