ave neither justice nor mercy here, and cannot be heard in my
defence, yet a time will come, may be, when I shall be heard, and when
your own guilt will strike you dumb.--Ay! spirit, said she; and
the vulture too! Must we both be dumb? Why that, lambkin, will be
pretty!--Then, said the wicked one, you'll have all the talk to
yourself!--Then how will the tongue of the pretty lambkin bleat out
innocence, and virtue, and honesty, till the whole trial be at an
end!--You're a wicked woman, that's certain, said I; and if you thought
any thing of another world, could not talk thus. But no wonder!--It
shews what hands I'm got into!--Ay, so it does, said she; but I beg
you'll undress, and come to bed, or I believe your innocence won't keep
you from still worse hands. I will come to bed, said I, if you will let
me have the keys in my own hand; not else, if I can help it. Yes, said
she, and then, hey for another contrivance, another escape!--No, no,
said I, all my contrivances are over, I'll assure you! Pray let me have
the keys, and I will come to bed. She came to me, and took me in her
huge arms, as if I was a feather: Said she, I do this to shew you what
a poor resistance you can make against me, if I please to exert myself;
and so, lambkin, don't say to your wolf, I won't come to bed!--And set
me down, and tapped me on the neck: Ah! said she, thou art a pretty
creature, 'tis true; but so obstinate! so full of spirit! if thy
strength was but answerable to that, thou would'st run away with us all,
and this great house too on thy back!--But, undress, undress, I tell
you.

Well, said I, I see my misfortunes make you very merry, and very witty
too: but I will love you, if you will humour me with the keys of the
chamber-doors.--Are you sure you will love me? said she: Now speak your
conscience!--Why, said I, you must not put it so close; neither would
you, if you thought you had not given reason to doubt it!--But I will
love you as well as I can!--I would not tell a wilful lie: and if I did,
you would not believe me, after your hard usage of me. Well, said she,
that's all fair, I own!--But Nan, pray pull off my young lady's shoes
and stockings.--No, pray don't, said I; I will come to bed presently,
since I must.

And so I went to the closet, and scribbled a little about this idle
chit-chat. And she being importunate, I was forced to go to bed; but
with some of my clothes on, as the former night; and she let me hold the
two keys; f