84 THE HISTORY OF

here late last night? And I am well persuad-
ed, knew that you were not at home.”

‘Heaven is my witness,” said the wicked
wonan, * that this is the first I have heard of
his being here.”

Then she affected to be mightily angry with
him: she called him many harsh names, and
said, that, although she had not been brought
up so precisely and stiffly as I had, yet, that
she was as much above doing a bad action as
I could be; and pretended to be greatly offend-
ed at my suspecting her. And, at last, she said
so much, and brought so many arguments to
prove that she knew nothing of the Captain’s
coming, that I began to think I had suspected
her falsely, and begged her pardon for having
said any thing about it.

* Susan,” said she, ‘I forgive you, in consi-
deration of your being, upon the whole, a very
honest and good girl. But, indeed, you have
used me very ill, in thinking I could commit a.
crime for which I should deserve to lose my
life.”

During the rest of the day, my mistress was
kinder to me than she had been for some time.
In the evening, while we were at work, Char-
lotte came in.

I had not seen her since she had taken such
offence against what I said about receiving the
Captain’s money. As soon as she came in at
the door, fixing her eyes upon me, ‘So, so, a
fine lady, in truth, are you, Susan,” said she,
“taking upon you to preach and argue with |
your neighbours, blaming one for this, and con-