The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

The good minister, whose interest, though a stranger to me, had

obtained me the reprieve, mourned sincerely for this part. He was in

hopes, he said, that I should have ended my days under the influence of

good instruction, that I should not have been turned loose again among

such a wretched crew as they generally are, who are thus sent abroad,

where, as he said, I must have more than ordinary secret assistance

from the grace of God, if I did not turn as wicked again as ever.

I have not for a good while mentioned my governess, who had during

most, if not all, of this part been dangerously sick, and being in as

near a view of death by her disease as I was by my sentence, was a

great penitent--I say, I have not mentioned her, nor indeed did I see

her in all this time; but being now recovering, and just able to come

abroad, she came to see me.

I told her my condition, and what a different flux and reflux of tears

and hopes I had been agitated with; I told her what I had escaped, and

upon what terms; and she was present when the minister expressed his

fears of my relapsing into wickedness upon my falling into the wretched

companies that are generally transported. Indeed I had a melancholy

reflection upon it in my own mind, for I knew what a dreadful gang was

always sent away together, and I said to my governess that the good

minister's fears were not without cause. 'Well, well,' says she, 'but

I hope you will not be tempted with such a horrid example as that.' And

as soon as the minister was gone, she told me she would not have me

discouraged, for perhaps ways and means might be found out to dispose

of me in a particular way, by myself, of which she would talk further

to me afterward.

I looked earnestly at her, and I thought she looked more cheerful than

she usually had done, and I entertained immediately a thousand notions

of being delivered, but could not for my life image the methods, or

think of one that was in the least feasible; but I was too much

concerned in it to let her go from me without explaining herself,

which, though she was very loth to do, yet my importunity prevailed,

and, while I was still pressing, she answered me in a few words, thus:

'Why, you have money, have you not? Did you ever know one in your life

that was transported and had a hundred pounds in his pocket, I'll

warrant you, child?' says she.