e. So the house began to look in some tolerable figure,
and clean; the garden also, in about a fortnight's work, began to look
something less like a wilderness than it used to do; and he ordered me
to put up a bill for letting rooms, reserving one for himself, to come
to as he saw occasion.

When all was done to his mind, as to placing the goods, he seemed very
well pleased, and we dined together again of his own providing; and the
upholsterer's man gone, after dinner he took me by the hand. "Come now,
madam," says he, "you must show me your house" (for he had a mind to see
everything over again). "No, sir," said I; "but I'll go show you your
house, if you please;" so we went up through all the rooms, and in the
room which was appointed for himself Amy was doing something. "Well,
Amy," says he, "I intend to lie with you to-morrow night." "To-night if
you please, sir," says Amy very innocently; "your room is quite ready."
"Well, Amy," says he, "I am glad you are so willing." "No," says Amy, "I
mean your chamber is ready to-night," and away she run out of the room,
ashamed enough; for the girl meant no harm, whatever she had said to me
in private.

However, he said no more then; but when Amy was gone he walked about the
room, and looked at everything, and taking me by the hand he kissed me,
and spoke a great many kind, affectionate things to me indeed; as of his
measures for my advantage, and what he would do to raise me again in the
world; told me that my afflictions and the conduct I had shown in
bearing them to such an extremity, had so engaged him to me that he
valued me infinitely above all the women in the world; that though he
was under such engagements that he could not marry me (his wife and he
had been parted for some reasons, which make too long a story to
intermix with mine), yet that he would be everything else that a woman
could ask in a husband; and with that he kissed me again, and took me in
his arms, but offered not the least uncivil action to me, and told me he
hoped I would not deny him all the favours he should ask, because he
resolved to ask nothing of me but what it was fit for a woman of virtue
and modesty, for such he knew me to be, to yield.

I confess the terrible pressure of my former misery, the memory of which
lay heavy upon my mind, and the surprising kindness with which he had
delivered me, and, withal, the expectations of what he might still do
for me, were powerful things, and made me h