As ſoon as ſhe miſs’d him, ſhe gave over her Search, concluding he had carried them off, and went directly to the Conſtable, in order to have him apprehended: The young Man was informed, that a Conſtable had been in Search of him, but he regarded it but little, not doubting but all would be well next Day. Three or four Days paſſed, and ſtill he was told, the Conſtable was upon the Hunt for him, this made him lye concealed, he could not comprehend the Meaning of it, he imagined no leſs, than that the Maid had a Mind to convert the Spoons to her own Uſe, and put the Robbery upon him.
It happened, at this Time, that the Miſtreſs being perfectly recovered of her late Indiſpoſition, was return’d Home, in Company with her Mother-in-Law; the firſt News ſhe heard, was of the Loſs of the Spoons, with the Manner how; the Maid telling her, at the ſame Time, that the young Man was run away. The young Fellow had Intelligence of the Miſtreſs’s Arrival, and conſidering with himſelf, that he could never appear again in his Buſineſs, unleſs this Matter was got over, and ſhe being a good natured Woman, he took a Reſolution of going directly to her, and of telling her the whole Story, only with this Difference, that he did it for a Jeſt.
The Miſtreſs could ſcarce believe it, however, ſhe went directly to the Maid’s Room, and turning down the Bed Cloaths, there, to her great Surprize, found the three Spoons; upon this ſhe deſired the young Man to go Home and mind his Buſineſs, for he ſhould have no Trouble about it.
The Miſtreſs could not imagine the Meaning of this, ſhe never had found the Maid guilty of any pilfering, and therefore it could not enter her Head, that ſhe deſigned to ſteal the Spoons her
