people might, and that if I was searched I should be discovered,
I thought it was best to go off with what I had got, and be
satisfied.
I came accidentally afterwards to hear, that when the young
lady missed her watch, she made a great outcry in the Park,
and sent her footman up and down to see if he could find me
out, she having described me so perfectly that he knew presently
that it was the same person that had stood and talked so long
with him, and asked him so many questions about them; but I
gone far enough out of their reach before she could come at
her footman to tell him the story.
I made another adventure after this, of a nature different from
all I had been concerned in yet, and this was at a gaming-house
near Covent Garden.
I saw several people go in and out; and I stood in the passage
a good while with another woman with me, and seeing a
gentleman go up that seemed to be of more than ordinary
fashion, I said to him, ‘Sir, pray don’t they give women leave
to go up?’ ‘Yes, madam,’ says he, ‘and to play too, if they
please.’ ‘I mean so, sir,’ said I. And with that he said he
would introduce me if I had a mind; so I followed him to the
door, and he looking in, ‘There, madam,’ says he, ‘are the
gamesters, if you have a mind to venture.’ I looked in and
said to my comrade aloud, ‘Here’s nothing but men; I won’t
venture among them.’ At which one of the gentlemen cried
out, ‘You need not be afraid, madam, here’s none but fair
gamesters; you are very welcome to come and set what you
please.’ so I went a little nearer and looked on, and some of
them brought me a chair, and I sat down and saw the box and
dice go round apace; then I said to my comrade, ‘The gentlemen
play too high for us; come, let us go.’
The people were all very civil, and one gentleman in particular
encouraged me, and said, ‘Come, madam, if you please to
venture, if you dare trust me, I’ll answer for it you shall have
nothing put upon you here.’ ‘No, sir,’ said I, smiling, ‘I hope
the gentlemen would not cheat a woman.’ But still I declined
venturing, though I pulled out a purse with money in it, that
they might see I did not want money.
After I had sat a while, one gentleman said to me, jeering,
‘Come, madam, I see you are afraid to venture for yourself;
I always had good luck with the ladies, you shall set for me,
if you won’t set for yourself.’ I told him, ‘sir, I should be very
loth to lose your money,’ though I added, ‘I am pretty lucky
too; but the gentlemen play so high, that I dare not indeed
venture my own.’
‘Well, well,’ says he, ‘there’s ten guineas, madam; set them
for me.’ so I took his money and set, himself looking on. I
ran out nine of the guineas by one and two at a time, and then
the box coming to the next man to me, my gentleman gave
me ten guineas more, and made me set five of them at once,
and the gentleman who had the box threw out, so there was
five guineas of his money again. He was encouraged at this,
and made me take the box, which was a bold venture. However,
I held the box so long that I had gained him his whole money,
and had a good handful of guineas in my lap, and which was
the better luck, when I threw out, I threw but at one or two of
those that had set me, and so went off easy.
When I was come this length, I offered the gentleman all the
gold, for it was his own; and so would have had him play for
himself, pretending I did not understand the game well enough.
He laughed, and said if I had but good luck, it was no matter