They all eagerly, the man Smith too, sat down; and she began an account of herself, which I will endeavour to repeat, as nearly in her own words as I possibly can:  for I know you will think it of importance to be apprized of her manner of relating your barbarity to her, as well as what her sentiments are of it; and what room there is for the hopes your friends have in your favour for her.

’At first when I took these lodgings, said she, I thought of staying but a short time in them; and so Mrs. Smith, I told you:  I therefore avoided giving any other account of myself than that I was a very unhappy young creature, seduced from good, and escaped from very vile wretches.

’This account I thought myself obliged to give, that you might the less wonder at seeing a young creature rushing through your shop, into your back apartment, all trembling and out of breath; an ordinary garb over my own; craving lodging and protection; only giving my bare word, that you should be handsomely paid:  all my effects contained in a pocket-handkerchief.

’My sudden absence, for three days and nights together when arrested, must still further surprise you:  and although this gentleman, who, perhaps, knows more of the darker part of my story, than I do myself, has informed you (as you, Mrs. Lovick, tell me) that I am only an unhappy, not a guilty creature; yet I think it incumbent upon me not to suffer honest minds to be in doubt about my character.

’You must know, then, that I have been, in one instance (I had like to have said but in one instance; but that was a capital one) an undutiful child to the most indulgent of parents:  for what some people call cruelty in them, is owing but to the excess of their love, and to their disappointment, having had reason to expect better from me.

’I was visited (at first, with my friends connivance) by a man of birth and fortune, but of worse principles, as it proved, than I believed any man could have.  My brother, a very headstrong young man, was absent at that time; and, when he returned, (from an old grudge, and knowing the gentleman, it is plain, better than I knew him) entirely disapproved of his visits:  and, having a great sway in our family, brought other gentlemen to address me:  and at last (several having been rejected) he introduced one extremely disagreeable:  in every indifferent person’s eyes disagreeable.  I could not love him.  They all joined to compel me to have him; a rencounter between the gentleman my friends were set against, and my brother, having confirmed them all his enemies.

’To be short; I was confined, and treated so very hardly, that, in a rash fit, I appointed to go off with the man they hated.  A wicked intention, you’ll say! but I was greatly provoked.  Nevertheless, I repented, and resolved not to go off with him:  yet I did not mistrust his honour to me neither; nor his love; because nobody thought me unworthy of the latter, and my fortune was not to be despised.  But foolishly (wickedly and contrivingly, as my friends still think, with a design, as they imagine, to abandon them) giving him a private meeting, I was tricked away; poorly enough tricked away, I must needs say; though others who had been first guilty of so rash a step as the meeting of him was, might have been so deceived and surprised as well as I.