第3章

Hewassopleasedwithit，thathewouldcallhislady

andhistwodaughterstohearit，anditmademirthenough

amongthem，youmaybesure。

However，notaweekhadpassedover，butonasuddencomes

Mrs。Mayoressandhertwodaughterstothehousetoseemy

oldnurse，andtoseeherschoolandthechildren。

Whenthey

hadlookedaboutthemalittle，’Well，Mrs——，’saysthe

Mayoresstomynurse，’andpraywhichisthelittlelassthat

intendstobeagentlewoman？’

Iheardher，andIwasterribly

frightedatfirst，thoughIdidnotknowwhyneither；butMrs。

Mayoresscomesuptome。

’Well，miss，’saysshe，’andwhat

areyouatworkupon？’

Thewordmisswasalanguagethat

hadhardlybeenheardofinourschool，andIwonderedwhat

sadnameitwasshecalledme。

However，Istoodup，madea

curtsy，andshetookmyworkoutofmyhand，lookedonit，

andsaiditwasverywell；thenshetookuponeofthehands。

’Nay，’saysshe，’thechildmaycometobeagentlewomanfor

aughtanybodyknows；shehasagentlewoman’shand，’saysshe。

Thispleasedmemightily，youmaybesure；butMrs。Mayoress

didnotstopthere，butgivingmemyworkagain，sheputher

handinherpocket，gavemeashilling，andbidmemindmy

work，andlearntoworkwell，andImightbeagentlewoman

foraughtsheknew。

Nowallthiswhilemygoodoldnurse，Mrs。Mayoress，andall

therestofthemdidnotunderstandmeatall，fortheymeant

onesortofthingbythewordgentlewoman，andImeantquite

another；foralas！allIunderstoodbybeingagentlewomanwas

tobeabletoworkformyself，andgetenoughtokeepme

withoutthatterriblebugbeargoingtoservice，whereasthey

meanttolivegreat，richandhigh，andIknownotwhat。

Well，afterMrs。Mayoresswasgone，hertwodaughterscame

in，andtheycalledforthegentlewomantoo，andtheytalked

alongwhiletome，andIansweredtheminmyinnocentway；

butalways，iftheyaskedmewhetherIresolvedtobea

gentlewoman，IansweredYes。

Atlastoneofthemaskedme

whatagentlewomanwas？

Thatpuzzledmemuch；but，

however，Iexplainedmyselfnegatively，thatitwasonethat

didnotgotoservice，todohousework。

Theywerepleased

tobefamiliarwithme，andlikemylittleprattletothem，which，

itseems，wasagreeableenoughtothem，andtheygaveme

moneytoo。

Asformymoney，Igaveitalltomymistress-nurse，asIcalled

her，andtoldhersheshouldhaveallIgotformyselfwhenI

wasagentlewoman，aswellasnow。

Bythisandsomeother

ofmytalk，myoldtutoressbegantounderstandmeaboutwhat

Imeantbybeingagentlewoman，andthatIunderstoodbyit

nomorethantobeabletogetmybreadbymyownwork；and

atlastsheaskedmewhetheritwasnotso。

Itoldher，yes，andinsistedonit，thattodosowastobea

gentlewoman；’for，’saysI，’thereissuchaone，’naminga

womanthatmendedlaceandwashedtheladies’laced-heads；

’she，’saysI，’isagentlewoman，andtheycallhermadam。’

“Poorchild，’saysmygoodoldnurse，’youmaysoonbesuch

agentlewomanasthat，forsheisapersonofillfame，andhas

hadtwoorthreebastards。’

Ididnotunderstandanythingofthat；butIanswered，’Iam

suretheycallhermadam，andshedoesnotgotoservicenor

dohousework’；andthereforeIinsistedthatshewasa

gentlewoman，andIwouldbesuchagentlewomanasthat。

Theladiesweretoldallthisagain，tobesure，andtheymade

themselvesmerrywithit，andeverynowandthentheyoung

ladies，Mr。Mayor’sdaughters，wouldcomeandseeme，and

askwherethelittlegentlewomanwas，whichmademenota

littleproudofmyself。

Thisheldagreatwhile，andIwasoftenvisitedbytheseyoung

ladies，andsometimestheybroughtotherswiththem；sothatI

wasknownbyitalmostalloverthetown。

Iwasnowabouttenyearsold，andbegantolookalittle

womanish，forIwasmightygraveandhumble，verymannerly，

andasIhadoftenheardtheladiessayIwaspretty，andwould

beaveryhandsomewoman，soyoumaybesurethathearing

themsaysomademenotalittleproud。

However，thatpride

hadnoilleffectuponmeyet；only，astheyoftengaveme

money，andIgaveittomyoldnurse，she，honestwoman，

wassojusttomeastolayitalloutagainforme，andgave

mehead-dresses，andlinen，andgloves，andribbons，andI

wentveryneat，andalwaysclean；forthatIwoulddo，andif

Ihadragson，Iwouldalwaysbeclean，orelseIwoulddabble

theminwatermyself；but，Isay，mygoodnurse，whenIhad

moneygivenme，veryhonestlylaiditoutforme，andwould

alwaystelltheladiesthisorthatwasboughtwiththeirmoney；

andthismadethemoftentimesgivememore，tillatlastIwas

indeedcalleduponbythemagistrates，asIunderstoodit，to

goouttoservice；butthenIwascometobesogooda

workwomanmyself，andtheladiesweresokindtome，thatit

wasplainIcouldmaintainmyself——thatistosay，Icouldearn

asmuchformynurseasshewasablebyittokeepme——soshe

toldthemthatiftheywouldgiveherleave，shewouldkeep

thegentlewoman，asshecalledme，tobeherassistantand

teachthechildren，whichIwasverywellabletodo；forIwas

verynimbleatmywork，andhadagoodhandwithmyneedle，

thoughIwasyetveryyoung。

Butthekindnessoftheladiesofthetowndidnotendhere，

forwhentheycametounderstandthatIwasnomoremaintained

bythepublicallowanceasbefore，theygavememoneyoftener

thanformerly；andasIgrewuptheybroughtmeworktodo

forthem，suchaslinentomake，andlacestomend，andheads

todressup，andnotonlypaidmefordoingthem，buteven

taughtmehowtodothem；sothatnowIwasagentlewoman

indeed，asIunderstoodthatword，Inotonlyfoundmyself

clothesandpaidmynurseformykeeping，butgotmoneyin

mypockettoobeforehand。

Theladiesalsogavemeclothesfrequentlyoftheirownor

theirchildren’s；somestockings，somepetticoats，somegowns，

someonething，someanother，andthesemyoldwoman

managedformelikeameremother，andkeptthemforme，

obligedmetomendthem，andturnthemandtwistthemto

thebestadvantage，forshewasararehousewife。

Atlastoneoftheladiestooksomuchfancytomethatshe

wouldhavemehometoherhouse，foramonth，shesaid，to

beamongherdaughters。

Now，thoughthiswasexceedingkindinher，yet，asmyold

goodwomansaidtoher，unlesssheresolvedtokeepmefor

goodandall，shewoulddothelittlegentlewomanmoreharm

thangood。

’Well，’saysthelady，’that’strue；andthereforeI’ll

onlytakeherhomeforaweek，then，thatImayseehowmy

daughtersandsheagreetogether，andhowIlikehertemper，

andthenI’lltellyoumore；andinthemeantime，ifanybody

comestoseeherastheyusedtodo，youmayonlytellthem

youhavesentherouttomyhouse。’

Thiswasprudentlymanagedenough，andIwenttothelady’s

house；butIwassopleasedtherewiththeyoungladies，and

theysopleasedwithme，thatIhadenoughtodotocomeaway，

andtheywereasunwillingtopartwithme。

However，Ididcomeaway，andlivedalmostayearmorewith

myhonestoldwoman，andbegannowtobeveryhelpfulto

her；forIwasalmostfourteenyearsold，wastallofmyage，

andlookedalittlewomanish；butIhadsuchatasteofgenteel

livingatthelady’shousethatIwasnotsoeasyinmyold

quartersasIusedtobe，andIthoughtitwasfinetobea

gentlewomanindeed，forIhadquiteothernotionsofa

gentlewomannowthanIhadbefore；andasIthought，Isay，

thatitwasfinetobeagentlewoman，soIlovedtobeamong

gentlewomen，andthereforeIlongedtobethereagain。

AboutthetimethatIwasfourteenyearsandaquarterold，

mygoodnurse，motherIrathertocallher，fellsickanddied。

Iwastheninasadconditionindeed，forasthereisnogreat

bustleinputtinganendtoapoorbody’sfamilywhenonce

theyarecarriedtothegrave，sothepoorgoodwomanbeing

buried，theparishchildrenshekeptwereimmediatelyremoved

bythechurch-wardens；theschoolwasatanend，andthe

childrenofithadnomoretodobutjuststayathometillthey

weresentsomewhereelse；andasforwhatsheleft，herdaughter，

amarriedwomanwithsixorsevenchildren，cameandswept

itallawayatonce，andremovingthegoods，theyhadnomore

tosaytomethantojestwithme，andtellmethatthelittle

gentlewomanmightsetupforherselfifshepleased。

Iwasfrightedoutofmywitsalmost，andknewnotwhattodo，

forIwas，asitwere，turnedoutofdoorstothewideworld，and

thatwhichwasstillworse，theoldhonestwomanhadtwo-and-

twentyshillingsofmineinherhand，whichwasalltheestatethe

littlegentlewomanhadintheworld；andwhenIaskedthe

daughterforit，shehuffedmeandlaughedatme，andtoldme

shehadnothingtodowithit。

Itwastruethegood，poorwomanhadtoldherdaughterofit，

andthatitlayinsuchaplace，thatitwasthechild’smoney，

hadcalledonceortwiceformetogiveitme，butIwas，

unhappily，outofthewaysomewhereorother，andwhenI

camebackshewaspastbeinginaconditiontospeakofit。

However，thedaughterwassohonestafterwardsastogiveit

me，thoughatfirstsheusedmecruellyaboutit。

NowwasIapoorgentlewomanindeed，andIwasjustthat

verynighttobeturnedintothewideworld；forthedaughter

removedallthegoods，andIhadnotsomuchasalodgingto

goto，orabitofbreadtoeat。

Butitseemssomeoftheneighbours，

whohadknownmycircumstances，tooksomuchcompassion

ofmeastoacquainttheladyinwhosefamilyIhadbeenaweek，

asImentionedabove；andimmediatelyshesenthermaidto

fetchmeaway，andtwoofherdaughterscamewiththemaid

thoughunsent。

SoIwentwiththem，bagandbaggage，and

withagladheart，youmaybesure。

Thefrightofmycondition