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I　had　been　robbed　in　the　Dunstable　coach；　and　that　I　would　go　

to　see　the　two　highwaymen。　　But　when　I　came　into　the　press…yard；　

I　so　disguised　myself；　and　muffled　my　face　up　so；　that　he　could　

see　little　of　me；　and　consequently　knew　nothing　of　who　I　was；　

and　when　I　came　back；　I　said　publicly　that　I　knew　them　very　well。



Immediately　it　was　rumoured　all　over　the　prison　that　Moll　

Flanders　would　turn　evidence　against　one　of　the　highwaymen；　

and　that　I　was　to　come　off　by　it　from　the　sentence　of　transportation。



They　heard　of　it；　and　immediately　my　husband　desired　to　see　

this　Mrs。　Flanders　that　knew　him　so　well；　and　was　to　be　an　

evidence　against　him；　and　accordingly　I　had　leave　given　to　go　

to　him。　　I　dressed　myself　up　as　well　as　the　best　clothes　that　I　

suffered　myself　ever　to　appear　in　there　would　allow　me；　and　

went　to　the　press…yard；　but　had　for　some　time　a　hood　over　my　

face。　　He　said　little　to　me　at　first；　but　asked　me　if　I　knew　him。　　

I　told　him；　Yes；　very　well；　but　as　I　concealed　my　face；　so　I　

counterfeited　my　voice；　that　he　had　not　the　least　guess　at　who　

I　was。　　He　asked　me　where　I　had　seen　him。　　I　told　him　between　

Dunstable　and　Brickhill；　but　turning　to　the　keeper　that　stood　

by；　I　asked　if　I　might　not　be　admitted　to　talk　with　him　alone。　　

He　said　Yes；　yes；　as　much　as　I　pleased；　and　so　very　civilly　

withdrew。



As　soon　as　he　was　gone；　I　had　shut　the　door；　I　threw　off　my　

hood；　and　bursting　out　into　tears；　'My　dear；'　says　I；　'do　you　not　

know　me？'　　He　turned　pale；　and　stood　speechless；　like　one　

thunderstruck；　and；　not　able　to　conquer　the　surprise；　said　no　

more　but　this；　'Let　me　sit　down'；　and　sitting　down　by　a　table；　

he　laid　his　elbow　upon　the　table；　and　leaning　his　head　on　his　

hand；　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　ground　as　one　stupid。　　I　cried　so　

vehemently；　on　the　other　hand；　that　it　was　a　good　while　ere　I　

could　speak　any　more；　but　after　I　had　given　some　vent　to　my　

passion　by　tears；　I　repeated　the　same　words；　'My　dear；　do　you　

not　know　me？'　　At　which　he　answered；　Yes；　and　said　no　more　

a　good　while。



After　some　time　continuing　in　the　surprise；　as　above；　he　cast　

up　his　eyes　towards　me　and　said；　'How　could　you　be　so　cruel？'　　

I　did　not　readily　understand　what　he　meant；　and　I　answered；　

'How　can　you　call　me　cruel？　　What　have　I　been　cruel　to　you　in？'　　

'To　come　to　me；'　says　he；　'in　such　a　place　as　this；　is　it　not　to　

insult　me？　　I　have　not　robbed　you；　at　least　not　on　the　highway。'



I　perceived　by　this　that　he　knew　nothing　of　the　miserable　

circumstances　I　was　in；　and　thought　that；　having　got　some　

intelligence　of　his　being　there；　I　had　come　to　upbraid　him　

with　his　leaving　me。　　But　I　had　too　much　to　say　to　him　to　be　

affronted；　and　told　him　in　few　words；　that　I　was　far　from　

coming　to　insult　him；　but　at　best　I　came　to　condole　mutually；　

that　he　would　be　easily　satisfied　that　I　had　no　such　view；　

when　I　should　tell　him　that　my　condition　was　worse　than　his；　

and　that　many　ways。　　He　looked　a　little　concerned　at　the　

general　expression　of　my　condition　being　worse　than　his；　but；　

with　a　kind　smile；　looked　a　little　wildly；　and　said；　'How　can　

that　be？　　When　you　see　me　fettered；　and　in　Newgate；　and　two　

of　my　companions　executed　already；　can　you　can　your　condition　

is　worse　than　mine？'



'Come；　my　dear；'　says　I；　'we　have　along　piece　of　work　to　do；　

if　I　should　be　to　related；　or　you　to　hear；　my　unfortunate　history；　

but　if　you　are　disposed　to　hear　it；　you　will　soon　conclude　with　

me　that　my　condition　is　worse　than　yours。'　　'How　is　that　possible；'　

says　he　again；　'when　I　expect　to　be　cast　for　my　life　the　very　

next　sessions？'　　'Yes；　says　I；　''tis　very　possible；　when　I　shall　

tell　you　that　I　have　been　cast　for　my　life　three　sessions　ago；　

and　am　under　sentence　of　death；　is　not　my　case　worse　than　yours？'　



Then　indeed；　he　stood　silent　again；　like　one　struck　dumb；　and　

after　a　while　he　starts　up。　　'Unhappy　couple！'　says　he。　　'How　

can　this　be　possible？'　　I　took　him　by　the　hand。　　'Come；　my　

dear；'　said　I；　'sit　down；　and　let　us　compare　our　sorrows。　　I　am　

a　prisoner　in　this　very　house；　and　in　much　worse　circumstances　

than　you；　and　you　will　be　satisfied　I　do　not　come　to　insult　you；　

when　I　tell　you　the　particulars。'　　Any　with　this　we　sat　down　

together；　and　I　told　him　so　much　of　my　story　as　I　thought　was　

convenient；　bringing　it　at　last　to　my　being　reduced　to　great　

poverty；　and　representing　myself　as　fallen　into　some　company　

that　led　me　to　relieve　my　distresses　by　way　that　I　had　been　

utterly　unacquainted　with；　and　that　they　making　an　attempt　at　

a　tradesman's　house；　I　was　seized　upon　for　having　been　but　

just　at　the　door；　the　maid…servant　pulling　me　in；　that　I　neither　

had　broke　any　lock　nor　taken　anything　away；　and　that　

notwithstanding　that；　I　was　brought　in　guilty　and　sentenced　

to　die；　but　that　the　judges；　having　been　made　sensible　of　the　

hardship　of　my　circumstances；　had　obtained　leave　to　remit　the　

sentence　upon　my　consenting　to　be　transported。



I　told　him　I　fared　the　worse　for　being　taken　in　the　prison　for　

one　Moll　Flanders；　who　was　a　famous　successful　thief；　that　

all　of　them　had　heard　of；　but　none　of　them　had　ever　seen；　but　

that；　as　he　knew　well；　was　none　of　my　name。　　But　I　placed　all　

to　the　account　of　my　ill　fortune；　and　that　under　this　name　I　

was　dealt　with　as　an　old　offender；　though　this　was　the　first　

thing　they　had　ever　known　of　me。　　I　gave　him　a　long　particular　

of　things　that　had　befallen　me　since　I　saw　him；　but　I　told　him　

if　I　had　seen　him　since　he　might　thing　I　had；　and　then　gave　

him　an　account　how　I　had　seen　him　at　Brickhill；　how　furiously　

he　was　pursued；　and　how；　by　giving　an　account　that　I　knew　

him；　and　that　he　was　a　very　honest　gentleman；　one　Mr。；　

the　hue…and…cry　was　stopped；　and　the　high　constable　went　

back　again。



He　listened　most　attentively　to　all　my　story；　and　smiled　at　

most　of　the　particulars；　being　all　of　them　petty　matters；　and　

infinitely　below　what　he　had　been　at　the　head　of；　but　when　I　

came　to　the　story　of　Brickhill；　he　was　surprised。　　'And　was　it　

you；　my　dear；'　said　he；　'that　gave　the　check　to　the　mob　that　

was　at　our　heels　there；　at　Brickhill？'　　'Yes；'　said　I；　'it　was　I　

indeed。'　　And　then　I　told　him　the　particulars　which　I　had　

observed　him　there。　　'Why；　then；'　said　he；　'it　was　you　that　

saved　my　life　at　that　time；　and　I　am　glad　I　owe　my　life　to　you；　

for　I　will　pay　the　debt　to　you　now；　and　I'll　deliver　you　from　

the　present　condition　you　are　in；　or　I　will　die　in　the　attempt。'



I　told　him；　by　no　means；　it　was　a　risk　too　great；　not　worth　his　

running　the　hazard　of；　and　for　a　life　not　worth　his　saving。　　

'Twas　no　matter　for　that；　he　said；　it　was　a　life　worth　all　the　

world　to　him；　a　life　that　had　given　him　a　new　life；　'for；'　says　

he；　'I　was　never　in　real　danger　of　being　taken；　but　that　time；　

till　the　last　minute　when　I　was　taken。'　　Indeed；　he　told　me　his　

danger　then　lay　in　his　believing　he　had　not　been　pursued　that　

way；　for　they　had　gone　from　Hockey　quite　another　way；　and　

had　come　over　the　enclosed　country　into　Brickhill；　not　by　the　

road；　and　were　sure　they　had　not　been　seen　by　anybody。



Here　he　gave　me　a　long　history　of　his　life；　which　indeed　would　

make　a　very　strange　history；　and　be　infinitely　diverting。　　He　

told　me　he　took　to　the　road　about　twelve　years　before　he　

married　me；　that　the　woman　which　called　him　brother　was　not　

really　his　sister；　or　any　kin　to　him；　but　one　that　belonged　to　

their　gang；　and　who；　keeping　correspondence　with　him；　lived　

always　in　town；　having　good　store　of　acquaintance；　that　she　

gave　them　a　perfect　intelligence　of　persons　going　out　of　town；　

and　that　they　had　made　several　good　booties　by　her　correspondence；　

that　she　thought　she　had　fixed　a　fortune　for　him　when　she　brought　

me　to　him；　but　happened　to　be　disappointed；　which　he　really　

could　not　blame　her　for；　that　if　it　had　been　his　good　luck　that　

I　had　had　the　estate；　which　she　was　informed　I　had；　he　had　

resolved　to　leave　off　the　road　and　live　a　retired；　sober　live　but　

never　to　appear　in　public　till　some　general　pardon　had　been　

passed；　or　till　he　could；　for　money；　have　got　his　name　into　

some　particular　pardon；　that　so　he　might　have　been　perfectly　

easy；　but　that；　as　it　had　proved　otherwise；　he　was　obliged　to　

put　off　his　equipage　and　take　up　the　old　trade　again。



He　gave　me　a　long　account　of　some　of　his　adventures；　and　

particularly　one　when　he　robbed　the　West　Chester　coaches　

near　Lichfield；　when　he　got　a　very　great　booty；　and　after　that；　

how　he　robbed　five　graziers；　in　the　west；　going　to　Burford　Fair　

in　Wiltshire　to　buy　sheep。　　He　told　me　he　got　so　much　money　

on　those　two　occasions；　that　if　he　had　known　where　to　have　

found　me；　he　would　certainly　have　embraced　my　proposal　of　

going　with　me　to　Virginia；　or　to　have　settled　in　a　plantation　

on　some　other　parts　of　the　English　colonies　in　America。



He　told　me　he　wrote　two　or　three　letters