The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

'Why,' says I, ''tis a little hard upon me, and 'tis harder upon you.

I am told that Captain ----' (meaning my friend's husband) 'has told

you I had a great deal more money than I ever pretended to have, and I

am sure I never employed him to do so.' 'Well,' says he, 'Captain ---- may have told me so, but what then? If

you have not so much, that may lie at his door, but you never told me

what you had, so I have no reason to blame you if you have nothing at

all.' 'That's is so just,' said I, 'and so generous, that it makes my having

but a little a double affliction to me.' 'The less you have, my dear,' says he, 'the worse for us both; but I

hope your affliction you speak of is not caused for fear I should be

unkind to you, for want of a portion. No, no, if you have nothing,

tell me plainly, and at once; I may perhaps tell the captain he has

cheated me, but I can never say you have cheated me, for did you not

give it under your hand that you were poor? and so I ought to expect

you to be.' 'Well,' said I, 'my dear, I am glad I have not been concerned in

deceiving you before marriage. If I deceive you since, 'tis ne'er the

worse; that I am poor is too true, but not so poor as to have nothing

neither'; so I pulled out some bank bills, and gave him about #160.

'There's something, my dear,' said I, 'and not quite all neither.' I had brought him so near to expecting nothing, by what I had said

before, that the money, though the sum was small in itself, was doubly

welcome to him; he owned it was more than he looked for, and that he

did not question by my discourse to him, but that my fine clothes, gold

watch, and a diamond ring or two, had been all my fortune.

I let him please himself with that #160 two or three days, and then,

having been abroad that day, and as if I had been to fetch it, I

brought him #100 more home in gold, and told him there was a little

more portion for him; and, in short, in about a week more I brought him

#180 more, and about #60 in linen, which I made him believe I had been

obliged to take with the #100 which I gave him in gold, as a

composition for a debt of #600, being little more than five shillings

in the pound, and overvalued too.