The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

'Well, my dear,' says I, 'then I have but one condition more to make

with you, and that is, that as there is nobody concerned in it but you

and I, you shall not discover it to any person in the world, except

your own mother; and that in all the measures you shall take upon the

discovery, as I am equally concerned in it with you, though as innocent

as yourself, you shall do nothing in a passion, nothing to my prejudice

or to your mother's prejudice, without my knowledge and consent.' This a little amazed him, and he wrote down the words distinctly, but

read them over and over before he signed them, hesitating at them

several times, and repeating them: 'My mother's prejudice! and your

prejudice! What mysterious thing can this be?' However, at last he

signed it.

'Well, says I, 'my dear, I'll ask you no more under your hand; but as

you are to hear the most unexpected and surprising thing that perhaps

ever befell any family in the world, I beg you to promise me you will

receive it with composure and a presence of mind suitable to a man of

sense.' 'I'll do my utmost,' says he, 'upon condition you will keep me no

longer in suspense, for you terrify me with all these preliminaries.' 'Well, then,' says I, 'it is this: as I told you before in a heat, that

I was not your lawful wife, and that our children were not legal

children, so I must let you know now in calmness and in kindness, but

with affliction enough, that I am your own sister, and you my own

brother, and that we are both the children of our mother now alive, and

in the house, who is convinced of the truth of it, in a manner not to

be denied or contradicted.' I saw him turn pale and look wild; and I said, 'Now remember your

promise, and receive it with presence of mind; for who could have said

more to prepare you for it than I have done?' However, I called a

servant, and got him a little glass of rum (which is the usual dram of

that country), for he was just fainting away. When he was a little

recovered, I said to him, 'This story, you may be sure, requires a long

explanation, and therefore, have patience and compose your mind to hear

it out, and I'll make it as short as I can'; and with this, I told him

what I thought was needful of the fact, and particularly how my mother

came to discover it to me, as above. 'And now, my dear,' says I, 'you

will see reason for my capitulations, and that I neither have been the

cause of this matter, nor could be so, and that I could know nothing of

it before now.' 'I am fully satisfied of that,' says he, 'but 'tis a dreadful surprise

to me; however, I know a remedy for it all, and a remedy that shall put

an end to your difficulties, without your going to England.' 'That

would be strange,' said I, 'as all the rest.' 'No, no,' says he, 'I'll

make it easy; there's nobody in the way of it but myself.' He looked a

little disordered when he said this, but I did not apprehend anything

from it at that time, believing, as it used to be said, that they who

do those things never talk of them, or that they who talk of such

things never do them.