having, as I confess, more wit in his little finger than we in all our
bodies, and being ever ready with an expedient in the hour of need; and
I know not why, but I look on his going as a sign of coming evil; nor am
I greatly comforted by his telling me privily that when we want him he
shall be found by a letter sent to the Albego Puerto del Sole, Toledo,
in Spain. And I pray Heaven we have no occasion to write to him.

To-night at supper I find Moll all cock-a-hoop with a new delight, by
reason of her dear husband offering to take her to London for a month to
visit the theatres and other diversions, which put me to a new quirk for
fear Moll should be known by any of our former playhouse companions. But
this I now perceive is a very absurd fear; for no one in the world who
had seen Moll three years ago--a half-starved, long-legged, raw
child--could recognise her now, a beautiful, well-proportioned young
woman in her fine clothes; and so my mind is at ease on this head. When
Moll was retired, Mr. Godwin asked if I could let him have a few
hundreds upon his account, and I answered very willingly he shall. And
now setting aside enough to pay all bills and furnish our wants till
next quarter day, I am resolved to give him every farthing left of the
rents paid yesterday, and shall be most hearty glad to be rid of it, for
this money do seem to scar my hands every time I touch it; nor can I
look at it but my heart is wrung with pity for those poor tenants who
paid so gleefully yesterday, for surely their quittances will hold good
for no more than spoilt paper if ever our roguery is discovered.

_December 28._ This day Moll and Mr. Godwin set out for London, all
smiles and gladness, and Moll did make me promise to visit them there,
and share their pleasures. But if I have no more appetite for gaiety
than I feel at this moment, I shall do better to stay here and mind my
business; though I do expect to find little pleasure in that, and must
abide by a month of very dull, gloomy days.

CHAPTER XXVII.

_Of the great change in Moll, and the likely explanation thereof._

A week before the promised month was up, Moll and her husband came back
to the Court, and lest I should imagine that her pleasures had been
curtailed by his caprice, she was at great pains to convince me that he
had yielded to her insistence in this matter, declaring she was sick of
theatres, ridottos, masquerades, and sight-seeing, and had sighed to be