 Person entirely or not at all: For a Secret is
often innocently blabbed out by those who know but half of it. Certain it is
that the Maid's Speech communicated a Suspicion to the Mind of Amelia, which the
Behaviour of the Serjeant did not tend to remove; what that is the sagacious
Readers may likewise probably suggest to themselves; if not, they must wait our
Time for disclosing it. We shall now resume the History of Mrs. Bennet, who
after many Apologies, proceeded to the Matters in the next Chapter.
 

                                   Chapter IX

                    The Conclusion of Mrs. Bennet's History.

»When I became sensible,« cries Mrs. Bennet, »of the Injury I had done my
Husband, I threw myself at his Feet, and embracing his Knees, while I bathed
them with my Tears, I begged a patient Hearing, declaring if he was not
satisfied with what I should say, I would become a willing Victim of his
Resentment. I said, and I said truly, that if I owed my Death that Instant to
his Hands, I should have no other Terrour, but of the fatal Consequence which it
might produce to himself.
    He seemed a little pacified, and bid me say whatever I pleased.
    I then gave him a faithful Relation of all that had happened. He heard me
with great Attention, and at the Conclusion, cried, with a deep Sigh - O Molly,
I believe it all. - You must have been betrayed as you tell me; you could not be
guilty of such Baseness, such Cruelty, such Ingratitude. - He then - O 'tis
impossible to describe his Behaviour - he exprest such Kindness, such
Tenderness, such Concern, for the Manner in which he had used me - I cannot
dwell on this Scene - I shall relapse - You must excuse me.«
    Amelia begged her to omit any thing which so affected her; and she proceeded
thus:
    »My Husband, who was more convinced than I was of Mrs. Ellison's Guilt,
declared he would not sleep that Night in her House. He then went out to see for
a Lodging; he gave me all the Money he had, and left me to pay her Bill, and put
up the Cloaths, telling me if I had not Money enough, I might leave the Cloaths
as a Pledge; but he vowed he could not answer for himself, if he saw the Face of
Mrs. Ellison.
    Words cannot scarce express the Behaviour of that artful Woman, it was so
kind and so generous. She said she did not blame my
