sure, and there is nothing beyond that but
death! I have no friends; what shall I do? I shall be certainly cast!
Lord, have mercy upon me! What will become of me?' This was a sad
thought, you will say, to be the first, after so long a time, that had
started into my soul of that kind, and yet even this was nothing but
fright at what was to come; there was not a word of sincere repentance
in it all. However, I was indeed dreadfully dejected, and disconsolate
to the last degree; and as I had no friend in the world to communicate
my distressed thoughts to, it lay so heavy upon me, that it threw me
into fits and swoonings several times a day. I sent for my old
governess, and she, give her her due, acted the part of a true friend.
She left no stone unturned to prevent the grand jury finding the bill.
She sought out one or two of the jurymen, talked with them, and
endeavoured to possess them with favourable dispositions, on account
that nothing was taken away, and no house broken, etc.; but all would
not do, they were over-ruled by the rest; the two wenches swore home to
the fact, and the jury found the bill against me for robbery and
house-breaking, that is, for felony and burglary.

I sunk down when they brought me news of it, and after I came to myself
again, I thought I should have died with the weight of it. My
governess acted a true mother to me; she pitied me, she cried with me,
and for me, but she could not help me; and to add to the terror of it,
'twas the discourse all over the house that I should die for it. I
could hear them talk it among themselves very often, and see them shake
their heads and say they were sorry for it, and the like, as is usual
in the place. But still nobody came to tell me their thoughts, till at
last one of the keepers came to me privately, and said with a sigh,
'Well, Mrs. Flanders, you will be tried on Friday' (this was but a
Wednesday); 'what do you intend to do?' I turned as white as a clout,
and said, 'God knows what I shall do; for my part, I know not what to
do.' 'Why,' says he, 'I won't flatter you, I would have you prepare
for death, for I doubt you will be cast; and as they say you are an old
offender, I doubt you will find but little mercy. They say,' added he,
'your case is very plain, and that the witnesses swear so home against
you, there will be no standing it.'

This was a stab into the very vitals of one under such a burthen as I
was oppressed with before, and I