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"Polly waited on her early on Wednesday morning; and met with a better reception than she had reason to expect. She complained, however, with warmth of her confinement. Polly said there would be an happy end to it (if it were a confinement) next day, she presumed. She absolutely declared to the contrary, in the way Polly meant it; and said, that Mr. Lovelace, on his return, [which looked as if she intended to wait for it] should have reason to repent the orders he had given, as they all should the observance of them: let him send twenty letters, she would not answer one, be the consequence what it would; nor give him hope of the least favour, while she was in that house. She had given Mrs. Sinclair and themselves fair warning, she said: no orders of another ought to make them detain a free person: but having made an open attempt to go, and been detained by them, she was the calmer, she told Polly; let them look to the consequence.

'But yet she spoke this with temper and Polly gave it as her opinion, (with apprehension for their own safety) that having so good a handle to punish them all, she would not go away if she might. And what, inferred Polly, is the indemnity of a man who has committed the vilest of rapes on a person of condition; and must himself, if prosecuted for it, either fly, or be hanged?

'Sinclair [so I will still call her] upon this representation of Polly, foresaw, she said, the ruin of her poor house in the issue of this strange business; and the infamous Sally and Dorcas bore their parts in the apprehension: and this put them upon thinking it advisable for the future, that the street-door should generally in the day-time be only left upon a bolt-latch as they called it, which any body might open on the inside; and that the key should be

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kept in the door; that their numerous comers and goers, as they called their guests, should be able to give evidence, that she might have gone out if she would not forgetting, however, to renew their orders to Will, to Dorcas, to Mabell, and the rest, to redouble their vigilance on this occasion to prevent her escape :-none of them doubting, at the same time, that her love of a man so considerable in their eyes, and the prospect of what was to happen as she had reason to believe on Thursday, her uncle's birth-day, would (though perhaps not till the last hour, for her pride sake, was the word) engage her to change her temper.

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They believe, that she discovered the key to be left in the door; for she was down more than once to walk in the little garden, and seemed to cast her eye each time to the street-door.

'About eight yesterday morning, an hour after Polly had left her, she told Mabell, she was sure she should not live long; and having a good many suits of apparel, which after her death would be of no use to any body she valued, she would give her a brown lustring gown, which, with some alterations to make it more suitable to her degree, would a great while serve her for a Sunday wear; for that she (Mabell) was the only person in that house of whom she could think, without terror or antipathy.

'Mabell expressing her gratitude upon the occasion, the lady said, she had nothing to employ herself about, and if she could get a workwoman directly, she would look over her things then, and give her what she intended for her.

'Her mistress's mantua-maker, the maid replied, lived but a little way off; and she doubted not that she could procure her, or one of her journey-women, to alter the gown out of hand.

I will give you also, said she, a quilted coat, which will require but little alteration, if any; for you are much about my stature: but the gown I will give directions about, because the sleeves and the robings and facings must be altered for your wear, being, I believe, above your station; and try if you can get the workwoman, and we'll advise about it. If she cannot come now, let her come in the afternoon; but I had rather now, because it will amuse me.

"Then stepping to the window, it rains, said she, [and so it had done all the morning]: slip on the hat and short cloak I have seen you wear, and come to me when you are ready to go out, because you shall bring me in something that I want.

'Mabell equipped herself accordingly, and received her commands to buy her some trifles, and then left her; but, in her way out, stept into the back parlour, where Dorcas was with Mrs. Sinclair, telling her where she was going, and on what account, bidding Dorcas look out till she came back. So faithful was the wench to the trust reposed in her, and so little had the lady's generosity wrought upon her.

'Mrs. Sinclair commended her; Dorcas envied her, and took her cue: and Mabell soon returned with the mantua-maker's journeywoman, (she was resolved, she said, she would not come without her ;) and then Dorcas went off guard.

'The lady looked out the gown and petticoat, and before the workwoman, caused Mabell to try it on; and, that it might fit the better, made the willing wench pull off her upper-petticoat, and put on that she gave her. Then she bid them go into Mr. Lovelace's apartment, and contrive about it before the pier-glass there, and stay till she came to them, to give them her opinion.

'Mabell would have taken her own clothes, and hat, and short cloak with her: but her lady said, no matter; you may put them on again here, when we have considered about the alterations : there's no occasion to litter the other room.

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They went, and instantly, as it is supposed, she slipt on Mabell's gown and petticoat over her own, which was white lustring, and put on the wench's hat, short cloak, and ordinary apron, and down she went.

'Hearing somebody tripping along the passage, both Will and Dorcas whipt to the inner-hall door, and saw her; but, taking her for Mabell, Are you going far, Mabell? cried Will.

Without turning her face, or answering, she held out her hand, pointing to the stairs; which they construed as a caution for them to look out in her absence; and supposing she would not be long gone, as she had not in form repeated her caution to them, up went Will, tarrying at the stair's head in expectation of the supposed Mabell's return.

'Mabell and the workwoman waited a good while, amusing themselves not disagreeably, the one with contriving in the way of her business, the other delighting herself with her fine gown and coat: but at last, wondering the lady did not come to them, Mabell tiptoed to her door, and tapping, and not being answered, stept into the chamber.

'Will at that instant, from his station at the stairshead, seeing Mabell in her lady's clothes; for he had been told of the present, [gifts to servants fly from servant to servant in a minute] was very much surprised, having, as he thought, just seen her go out in her own; and stepping up, met her at the door. How the devil can this be? said he : just now you went out in your own dress! How came you here in this? And how could you pass

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me unseen? But nevertheless, kissing her, said, he would now brag he had kissed his lady, or one in her clothes.

'I am glad, Mr. William, cried Mabell, to see you here so diligently. But know you where my lady is?

'In my master's apartment, answered Will. Is she not? Was she not talking with you this moment? No, that's Mrs. Dolins's journeywoman.

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They both stood aghast, as they said; Will again recollecting he had seen Mabell, as he thought, go out in her own clothes. And while they were debating and wondering up comes Dorcas with your fourth letter, just then brought for her lady; and seeing Mabell dressed out, (whom she had likewise beheld a little before, as she supposed, in her common clothes;) she joined in the wonder; till Mabell, re-entering the lady's apartment, missed her own clothes; and then suspecting what had happened, and letting the others into the ground of her suspicion, they all agreed that she had certainly escaped. And then followed such an uproar of mutual accusation, and you should have done this, and you should have done that, as alarmed the whole house; every apartment in both houses giving up its devil, to the number of fourteen or fifteen, including the mother and her partners.

• Will told them his story; and then ran out, as on the like occasion formerly, to make inquiry whether the lady was seen by any of the coachmen, chairmen, or porters, plying in that neighbourhood; while Dorcas cleared herself immediately, and that at the poor Mabell's expense, who made a figure as guilty as awkward, having on the suspected price of her treachery; which Dorcas, out of envy, was ready to tear from her back.

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