oke warm and high, my husband,
her brother (as she called him), came into the room, and I desired him
to come and sit down, for I had something of moment to say before them
both, which it was absolutely necessary he should hear.

He looked a little disturbed at the assurance with which I seemed to
speak it, and came and sat down by me, having first shut the door; upon
which I began, for I was very much provoked, and turning myself to him,
'I am afraid,' says I, 'my dear' (for I spoke with kindness on his
side), 'that you have a very great abuse put upon you, and an injury
done you never to be repaired in your marrying me, which, however, as I
have had no hand in it, I desire I may be fairly acquitted of it, and
that the blame may lie where it ought to lie, and nowhere else, for I
wash my hands of every part of it.'

'What injury can be done me, my dear,' says he, 'in marrying you. I
hope it is to my honour and advantage every way.' 'I will soon explain
it to you,' says I, 'and I fear you will have no reason to think
yourself well used; but I will convince you, my dear,' says I again,
'that I have had no hand in it'; and there I stopped a while.

He looked now scared and wild, and began, I believe, to suspect what
followed; however, looking towards me, and saying only, 'Go on,' he sat
silent, as if to hear what I had more to say; so I went on. 'I asked
you last night,' said I, speaking to him, 'if ever I made any boast to
you of my estate, or ever told you I had any estate in the Bank of
England or anywhere else, and you owned I had not, as is most true; and
I desire you will tell me here, before your sister, if ever I gave you
any reason from me to think so, or that ever we had any discourse about
it'; and he owned again I had not, but said I had appeared always as a
woman of fortune, and he depended on it that I was so, and hoped he was
not deceived. 'I am not inquiring yet whether you have been deceived
or not,' said I; 'I fear you have, and I too; but I am clearing myself
from the unjust charge of being concerned in deceiving you.

'I have been now asking your sister if ever I told her of any fortune
or estate I had, or gave her any particulars of it; and she owns I
never did. Any pray, madam,' said I, turning myself to her, 'be so
just to me, before your brother, to charge me, if you can, if ever I
pretended to you that I had an estate; and why, if I had, should I come
down into this country with you on purp