IfIdiscoveredit,theleastthingIcouldexpectwasto
losemyhusband,forhewastooniceandtoohonestaman
tohavecontinuedmyhusbandafterhehadknownIhadbeen
hissister;sothatIwasperplexedtothelastdegree。
Ileaveittoanymantojudgewhatdifficultiespresentedto
myview。
Iwasawayfrommynativecountry,atadistance
prodigious,andthereturntomeunpassable。
Ilivedverywell,
butinacircumstanceinsufferableinitself。
IfIhaddiscovered
myselftomymother,itmightbedifficulttoconvinceherof
theparticulars,andIhadnowaytoprovethem。
Ontheother
hand,ifshehadquestionedordoubtedme,Ihadbeenundone,
forthebaresuggestionwouldhaveimmediatelyseparatedme
frommyhusband,withoutgainingmymotherorhim,who
wouldhavebeenneitherahusbandnorabrother;sothat
betweenthesurpriseononehand,andtheuncertaintyonthe
other,Ihadbeensuretobeundone。
Inthemeantime,asIwasbuttoosureofthefact,Ilived
thereforeinopenavowedincestandwhoredom,andallunder
theappearanceofanhonestwife;andthoughIwasnotmuch
touchedwiththecrimeofit,yettheactionhadsomethingin
itshockingtonature,andmademyhusband,ashethought
himself,evennauseoustome。
However,uponthemostsedateconsideration,Iresolvedthat
itwasabsolutelynecessarytoconcealitallandnotmakethe
leastdiscoveryofiteithertomotherorhusband;andthusI
livedwiththegreatestpressureimaginableforthreeyears
more,buthadnomorechildren。
Duringthistimemymotherusedtobefrequentlytellingme
oldstoriesofherformeradventures,which,however,were
nowayspleasanttome;forbyit,thoughshedidnottellitme
inplainterms,yetIcouldeasilyunderstand,joinedwithwhat
Ihadheardmyself,ofmyfirsttutors,thatinheryoungerdays
shehadbeenbothwhoreandthief;butIverilybelievedshe
hadlivedtorepentsincerelyofboth,andthatshewasthena
verypious,sober,andreligiouswoman。
Well,letherlifehavebeenwhatitwouldthen,itwascertain
thatmylifewasveryuneasytome;forIlived,asIhavesaid,
butintheworstsortofwhoredom,andasIcouldexpectno
goodofit,soreallynogoodissuecameofit,andallmy
seemingprosperityworeoff,andendedinmiseryand
destruction。
Itwassometime,indeed,beforeitcametothis,
for,butIknownotbywhatillfateguided,everythingwent
wrongwithusafterwards,andthatwhichwasworse,my
husbandgrewstrangelyaltered,forward,jealous,andunkind,
andIwasasimpatientofbearinghiscarriage,asthecarriage
wasunreasonableandunjust。
Thesethingsproceededsofar,
thatwecameatlasttobeinsuchilltermswithoneanother,
thatIclaimedapromiseofhim,whichheenteredwillingly
intowithmewhenIconsentedtocomefromEnglandwith
him,viz。thatifIfoundthecountrynottoagreewithme,or
thatIdidnotliketolivethere,IshouldcomeawaytoEngland
againwhenIpleased,givinghimayear’swarningtosettle
hisaffairs。
Isay,Inowclaimedthispromiseofhim,andImustconfess
Ididitnotinthemostobligingtermsthatcouldbeinthe
worldneither;butIinsistedthathetreatedmeill,thatIwas
remotefrommyfriends,andcoulddomyselfnojustice,and
thathewasjealouswithoutcause,myconversationhaving
beenunblamable,andhehavingnopretenseforit,andthatto
removetoEnglandwouldtakeawayalloccasionfromhim。
Iinsistedsoperemptorilyuponit,thathecouldnotavoid
comingtoapoint,eithertokeephiswordwithmeortobreak
it;andthis,notwithstandingheusedalltheskillhewasmaster
of,andemployedhismotherandotheragentstoprevailwith
metoaltermyresolutions;indeed,thebottomofthethinglay
atmyheart,andthatmadeallhisendeavoursfruitless,formy
heartwasalienatedfromhimasahusband。
Iloathedthe
thoughtsofbeddingwithhim,andusedathousandpretenses
ofillnessandhumourtopreventhistouchingme,fearing
nothingmorethantobewithchildbyhim,whichtobesure
wouldhaveprevented,oratleastdelayed,mygoingoverto
England。
However,atlastIputhimsooutofhumour,thathetookup
arashandfatalresolution;inshort,IshouldnotgotoEngland;
andthoughhehadpromisedme,yetitwasanunreasonable
thingformetodesireit;thatitwouldberuinoustohisaffairs,
wouldunhingehiswholefamily,andbenexttoanundoing
himintheworld;thatthereforeIoughtnottodesireitofhim,
andthatnowifeintheworldthatvaluedherfamilyandher
husband’sprosperitywouldinsistuponsuchathing。
Thisplungedmeagain,forwhenIconsideredthething
calmly,andtookmyhusbandashereallywas,adiligent,
carefulmaninthemainworkoflayingupanestateforhis
children,andthatheknewnothingofthedreadfulcircumstances
thathewasin,Icouldnotbutconfesstomyselfthatmy
proposalwasveryunreasonable,andwhatnowifethathad
thegoodofherfamilyatheartwouldhavedesired。
Butmydiscontentswereofanothernature;Ilookeduponhim
nolongerasahusband,butasanearrelation,thesonofmy
ownmother,andIresolvedsomehoworothertobeclearof
him,butwhichwayIdidnotknow,nordiditseempossible。
Itissaidbytheill-naturedworld,ofoursex,thatifweare
setonathing,itisimpossibletoturnusfromourresolutions;
inshort,Ineverceasedporinguponthemeanstobringto
passmyvoyage,andcamethatlengthwithmyhusbandatlast,
astoproposegoingwithouthim。
Thisprovokedhimtothe
lastdegree,andhecalledmenotonlyanunkindwife,butan
unnaturalmother,andaskedmehowIcouldentertainsucha
thoughtwithouthorror,asthatofleavingmytwochildren
foronewasdeadwithoutamother,andtobebroughtupby
strangers,andnevertoseethemmore。
Itwastrue,hadthings
beenright,Ishouldnothavedoneit,butnowitwasmyreal
desirenevertoseethem,orhimeither,anymore;andastothe
chargeofunnatural,Icouldeasilyanswerittomyself,while
Iknewthatthewholerelationwasunnaturalinthehighest
degreeintheworld。
However,itwasplaintherewasnobringingmyhusbandto
anything;hewouldneithergowithmenorletmegowithout
him,anditwasquiteoutofmypowertostirwithouthis
consent,asanyonethatknowstheconstitutionofthecountry
Iwasin,knowsverywell。
Wehadmanyfamilyquarrelsaboutit,andtheybeganin
timetogrowuptoadangerousheight;forasIwasquite
estrangedformmyhusbandashewascalledinaffection,so
Itooknoheedtomywords,butsometimesgavehimlanguage
thatwasprovoking;and,inshort,stroveallIcouldtobring
himtoapartingwithme,whichwaswhataboveallthingsin
theworldIdesiredmost。
Hetookmycarriageveryill,andindeedhemightwelldoso,
foratlastIrefusedtobedwithhim,andcarryingonthebreach
uponalloccasionstoextremity,hetoldmeoncehethoughtI
wasmad,andifIdidnotaltermyconduct,hewouldputme
undercure;thatistosay,intoamadhouse。
Itoldhimhe
shouldfindIwasfarenoughfrommad,andthatitwasnotin
hispower,oranyothervillain’s,tomurderme。
Iconfessat
thesametimeIwasheartilyfrightedathisthoughtsofputting
meintoamadhouse,whichwouldatoncehavedestroyedall
thepossibilityofbreakingthetruthout,whatevertheoccasion
mightbe;forthatthennoonewouldhavegivencredittoa
wordofit。
Thisthereforebroughtmetoaresolution,whatevercameof
it,tolayopenmywholecase;butwhichwaytodoit,orto
whom,wasaninextricabledifficulty,andtookmemanymonths
toresolve。
Inthemeantime,anotherquarrelwithmyhusband
happened,whichcameuptosuchamadextremeasalmost
pushedmeontotellithimalltohisface;butthoughIkeptit
insoasnottocometotheparticulars,Ispokesomuchasput
himintotheutmostconfusion,andintheendbroughtoutthe
wholestory。
Hebeganwithacalmexpostulationuponmybeingsoresolute
togotoEngland;Idefendedit,andonehardwordbringing
onanother,asisusualinallfamilystrife,hetoldmeIdidnot
treathimasifhewasmyhusband,ortalkofmychildrenasif
Iwasamother;and,inshort,thatIdidnotdeservetobeused
asawife;thathehadusedallthefairmeanspossiblewithme;
thathehadarguedwithallthekindnessandcalmnessthata
husbandoraChristianoughttodo,andthatImadehimsuch
avilereturn,thatItreatedhimratherlikeadogthanaman,
andratherlikethemostcontemptiblestrangerthanahusband;
thathewasverylothtouseviolencewithme,butthat,inshort,
hesawanecessityofitnow,andthatforthefutureheshould
beobligedtotakesuchmeasuresasshouldreducemetomy
duty。
Mybloodwasnowfiredtotheutmost,thoughIknewwhat
hehadsaidwasverytrue,andnothingcouldappearmore
provoked。
Itoldhim,forhisfairmeansandhisfoul,they
wereequallycontemnedbyme;thatformygoingtoEngland,
Iwasresolvedonit,comewhatwould;andthatastotreating
himnotlikeahusband,andnotshowingmyselfamotherto
mychildren,theremightbesomethingmoreinitthanhe
understoodatpresent;but,forhisfurtherconsideration,I
thoughtfittotellhimthusmuch,thatheneitherwasmylawful
husband,northeylawfulchildren,andthatIhadreasonto
regardneitherofthemmorethanIdid。
IconfessIwasmovedtopityhimwhenIspokeit,forhe
turnedpaleasdeath,andstoodmuteasonethunderstruck,
andonceortwiceIthoughthewouldhavefainted;inshort,
itputhiminafitsomethinglikeanapoplex;hetrembled,a
sweatordewranoffhisface,andyethewascoldasaclod,
sothatIwasforcedtorunandfetchsomethingforhimto
keeplifeinhim。
Whenherecoveredofthat,hegrewsickand
vomited,andinalittleafterwasputtobed,andthenext
morningwas,ashehadbeenindeedallnight,inaviolentfever。
However,itwentoffagain,andherecovered,thoughbut
slowly,andwhenhecametobealittlebetter,hetoldmeI
hadgivenhimamortalwoundwithmytongue,andhehad
onlyonethingtoaskbeforehedesiredanexplanation。