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his closet, to give himself time to think how to delude me better: but
the covering was now too thin, and easy to be seen through.

I went to my chamber, and the first thing I did was to write to him; for
I thought it was best not to see him again, if I could help it; and I put
it under his parlour door, after I had copied it, as follows:

'HONOURED SIR,

'Your last proposal to me convinces me, that I ought not to stay, but to
go to my father, if it were but to ask his advice about Mr. Williams.
And I am so set upon it, that I am not to be persuaded. So, honoured
sir, with a thousand thanks for all favours, I will set out to-morrow
early; and the honour you designed me, as Mrs. Jervis tells me, of your
chariot, there will be no occasion for: because I can hire, I believe,
farmer Brady's chaise. So, begging you will not take it amiss, I shall
ever be 'Your dutiful Servant.'

'As to the purse, sir, my poor father, to be sure, won't forgive me, if I
take it, till he can know how to deserve it which is impossible.'

So he has just now sent Mrs. Jervis to tell me, that since I am resolved
to go, go I may, and the travelling chariot shall be ready; but it shall
be worse for me; for that he will never trouble himself about me as long
as he lives. Well, so I get out of the house, I care not; only I should
have been glad I could, with innocence, have made you, my dear parents,
happy.

I cannot imagine the reason of it, but John, who I thought was gone with
my last, is but now going; and he sends to know if I have any thing else
to carry. So I break off to send you this with the former.

I am now preparing for my journey, and about taking leave of my good
fellow-servants: and if I have not time to write, I must tell you the
rest, when I am so happy as to be with you.

One word more: I slip in a paper of verses, on my going: sad poor stuff!
but as they come from me, you'll not dislike them, may be. I shewed them
to Mrs. Jervis, and she liked them, and took a copy; and made one sing
them to her, and in the green-room too; but I looked into the closet
first. I will only add, that I am Your dutiful DAUGHTER.

Let me just say, That he has this moment sent me five guineas by Mrs.
Jervis, as a present for my pocket: So I shall be very rich; for as she
brought them, I thought I might take them. He says he won't see me: and
I may go when I will in the morning; and Lincolnshire Robin shall drive
me: but he is so angry, he orders that nobody shall go out at the door
with me, not so much as into the coach-yard. Well! I can't help it, not
I! But does not this expose himself more than me?

But John waits, and I would have brought this and the other myself; but
he says, he has put it up among other things, and so can take both as
well as one.

John is very good, and very honest; I am under great obligations to him.
I'd give him a guinea, now I'm so rich, if I thought he'd take it. I
hear nothing of my lady's clothes, and those my master gave me: for I

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