Perſons who live two or three Miles Diſtance in the Country are conſidered as next Door Neighbours, and Tranſactions at the one Houſe fly with incredible Celerity to the other. Mrs. Honour, therefore, had heard the whole Story of Molly’s Shame, which ſhe, being of a very communicative Temper, had no ſooner entered the Apartment of her Miſtreſs, than ſhe began to relate in the following Manner:
‘La Ma’am, what doth your La’ſhip think? the Girl that your La’ſhip ſaw at Church on Sunday, whom you thought ſo handſome; though you would not have thought her ſo handſome neigher, if you had ſeen her nearer; but to be ſure ſhe hath been carried before the Juſtice for being big with Child. She ſeemed to me to look like a confident Slut; and to be ſure ſhe hath laid the Child to young Mr. Jones. And all the Pariſh ſays Mr. Allworthy is ſo angry with young Mr. Jones, that he won’t ſee him. To be ſure, one can’t help pitying the poor young Man, and yet he doth not deſerve much Pity neither, for demeaning himſelf with ſuch Kind of Trumpery. Yet he is ſo pretty a Gentleman, I ſhould be‘ſorry
