The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

I kept close a great while upon the occasion of this woman's disaster.

I knew that if I should do anything that should miscarry, and should be

carried to prison, she would be there and ready to witness against me,

and perhaps save her life at my expense. I considered that I began to

be very well known by name at the Old Bailey, though they did not know

my face, and that if I should fall into their hands, I should be

treated as an old offender; and for this reason I was resolved to see

what this poor creature's fate should be before I stirred abroad,

though several times in her distress I conveyed money to her for her

relief.

At length she came to her trial. She pleaded she did not steal the

thing, but that one Mrs. Flanders, as she heard her called (for she did

not know her), gave the bundle to her after they came out of the shop,

and bade her carry it home to her lodging. They asked her where this

Mrs. Flanders was, but she could not produce her, neither could she

give the least account of me; and the mercer's men swearing positively

that she was in the shop when the goods were stolen, that they

immediately missed them, and pursued her, and found them upon her,

thereupon the jury brought her in guilty; but the Court, considering

that she was really not the person that stole the goods, an inferior

assistant, and that it was very possible she could not find out this

Mrs. Flanders, meaning me, though it would save her life, which indeed

was true--I say, considering all this, they allowed her to be

transported, which was the utmost favour she could obtain, only that

the Court told her that if she could in the meantime produce the said

Mrs. Flanders, they would intercede for her pardon; that is to say, if

she could find me out, and hand me, she should not be transported.

This I took care to make impossible to her, and so she was shipped off

in pursuance of her sentence a little while after.

I must repeat it again, that the fate of this poor woman troubled me

exceedingly, and I began to be very pensive, knowing that I was really

the instrument of her disaster; but the preservation of my own life,

which was so evidently in danger, took off all my tenderness; and

seeing that she was not put to death, I was very easy at her

transportation, because she was then out of the way of doing me any

mischief, whatever should happen.