The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

Accordingly she came to me, and told me all the discourse; in short,

she soon biassed me to consent, in a case which I had some regret in my

mind for declining before; so I prepared to see him. I dressed me to

all the advantage possible, I assure you, and for the first time used a

little art; I say for the first time, for I had never yielded to the

baseness of paint before, having always had vanity enough to believe I

had no need of it.

At the hour appointed he came; and as she observed before, so it was

plain still, that he had been drinking, though very far from what we

call being in drink. He appeared exceeding pleased to see me, and

entered into a long discourse with me upon the old affair. I begged

his pardon very often for my share of it, protested I had not any such

design when first I met him, that I had not gone out with him but that

I took him for a very civil gentleman, and that he made me so many

promises of offering no uncivility to me.

He alleged the wine he drank, and that he scarce knew what he did, and

that if it had not been so, I should never have let him take the

freedom with me that he had done. He protested to me that he never

touched any woman but me since he was married to his wife, and it was a

surprise upon him; complimented me upon being so particularly agreeable

to him, and the like; and talked so much of that kind, till I found he

had talked himself almost into a temper to do the same thing over

again. But I took him up short. I protested I had never suffered any

man to touch me since my husband died, which was near eight years. He

said he believed it to be so truly; and added that madam had intimated

as much to him, and that it was his opinion of that part which made his

desire to see me again; and that since he had once broke in upon his

virtue with me, and found no ill consequences, he could be safe in

venturing there again; and so, in short, it went on to what I expected,

and to what will not bear relating.

My old governess had foreseen it, as well as I, and therefore led him

into a room which had not a bed in it, and yet had a chamber within it

which had a bed, whither we withdrew for the rest of the night; and, in

short, after some time being together, he went to bed, and lay there

all night. I withdrew, but came again undressed in the morning, before

it was day, and lay with him the rest of the time.