The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

As soon as I had got the bundle, and the maid was out of sight, I goes

on towards the alehouse, where the porter's wife was, so that if I had

met her, I had then only been going to give her the bundle, and to call

her to her business, as if I was going away, and could stay no longer;

but as I did not meet her, I walked away, and turning into Charterhouse

Lane, then crossed into Batholomew Close, so into Little Britain, and

through the Bluecoat Hospital, into Newgate Street.

To prevent my being known, I pulled off my blue apron, and wrapped the

bundle in it, which before was made up in a piece of painted calico,

and very remarkable; I also wrapped up my straw hat in it, and so put

the bundle upon my head; and it was very well that I did thus, for

coming through the Bluecoat Hospital, who should I meet but the wench

that had given me the bundle to hold. It seems she was going with her

mistress, whom she had been gone to fetch, to the Barnet coaches.

I saw she was in haste, and I had no business to stop her; so away she

went, and I brought my bundle safe home to my governess. There was no

money, nor plate, or jewels in the bundle, but a very good suit of

Indian damask, a gown and a petticoat, a laced-head and ruffles of very

good Flanders lace, and some linen and other things, such as I knew

very well the value of.

This was not indeed my own invention, but was given me by one that had

practised it with success, and my governess liked it extremely; and

indeed I tried it again several times, though never twice near the same

place; for the next time I tried it in White Chapel, just by the corner

of Petticoat Lane, where the coaches stand that go out to Stratford and

Bow, and that side of the country, and another time at the Flying

Horse, without Bishopgate, where the Cheston coaches then lay; and I

had always the good luck to come off with some booty.

Another time I placed myself at a warehouse by the waterside, where the

coasting vessels from the north come, such as from Newcastle-upon-Tyne,

Sunderland, and other places. Here, the warehouses being shut, comes a

young fellow with a letter; and he wanted a box and a hamper that was

come from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I asked him if he had the marks of it;

so he shows me the letter, by virtue of which he was to ask for it, and

which gave an account of the contents, the box being full of linen, and

the hamper full of glass ware. I read the letter, and took care to see

the name, and the marks, the name of the person that sent the goods,

the name of the person that they were sent to; then I bade the

messenger come in the morning, for that the warehouse-keeper would not

be there any more that night.