The mistress could scarce believe it, however, she went directly to the maid’s room, and turning down the bed clothes, there, to her great surprise, 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 herself; upon the whole, she concluded the maid had not been in her bed, from the time the spoons were miss’d, she grew immediately jealous upon it, and suspected, that the maid supplied her place with her husband, during her absence, and this was the reason why the spoons were no sooner found.
She call’d to mind several actions of kindness, her husband had showed the maid, things that pass’d unheeded by, when they happened, but now she had got that tormentor, jealousy, in her head, amounted to proofs of their intimacy; another circumstance which strengthen’d the whole, was, that though her husband knew she was to come home that day, and had had no communication with her in four months, which was before her last lying in, yet he took an opportunity of going out of town that morning, upon some slight pretence:—all these things put together, confirm’d her in her jealousy.
As women seldom forgive injuries of this kind, she thought of discharging her revenge upon the maid: in order to this, she leaves the spoons where she found them, and orders the maid to put clean sheets upon the bed, telling her, she intended to lie there herself that night, because her mother-in-law was to lie in her bed, and that she (the maid) must lie in another part of the house; the maid in making the bed, was surprised with the sight of the spoons, but there were very good reasons, why it was not proper for her to tell where she found them, therefore she takes them up, puts them in her trunk, intending to leave them in some place, where they might be found by chance.
The mistress, that everything might look to be done without design, lies that night in the maid’s bed, little dreaming of what an adventure it would produce: after she had been abed some time, thinking on what had pass’d, for jealousy kept her awake, she heard somebody enter the room; at first she apprehended it to be thieves, and was so fright’ned, she had not courage enough to call out; but when she heard these words, Mary, are you awake? She knew it to be her husband’s voice; then her fright was over, yet she made no answer, lest he should find her out, if she spoke, therefore she resolved to counterfeit sleep, and take what followed.
The husband came to bed, and that night play’d the vigorous lover; but one thing spoil’d the diversion on the wife’s side, which was, the reflection that it was not design’d for her; however she was very passive, and bore it like a Christian. Early before day, she stole out of bed, leaving him asleep, and went to her mother-in-law, telling her what had passed, not forgetting how he had used her, as taking her for the maid; the husband also stole out, not thinking it convenient to be catch’d in that room; in the meantime, the revenge of the mistress was strongly against the maid, and without considering, that to her she ow’d the diversion of the night before, and that one good turn should deserve another; she sent for a constable, and charged her with stealing the spoons: the maid’s trunk was broke open, and the spoons found, upon which she was carried before a justice of peace, and by him committed to gaol.
The husband loiter’d about till , then comes home, pretended he was just come to town; as soon as he heard what had passed, in relation to the maid, he fell into a great passion with his wife; this set the thing into a greater flame, the mother takes the wife’s part against her own son, insomuch that the quarrel increasing, the mother and wife took horse immediately, and went back to the mother’s house, and the husband and wife never bedded together after.
The maid lay a long time in the prison, it being near half a year to the assizes; but before it happened, it was discovered she was with child; when she was arraign’d at the bar, she was discharged for want of evidence; the wife’s conscience touch’d her, and as she did not believe the maid guilty of any theft, except that of love, she did not appear against her; soon after her acquittal, she was delivered of a girl.
But what alarm’d the husband most, was, that it was discovered the wife was with child also, he taking it for granted, he had had no intimacy with her, since her last lying in, grew jealous of her, in his turn, and made this a handle to justify himself, for his usage of her, pretending now he had suspected her long, but that here was proof; she was delivered of twins, a boy and a girl.
The mother fell ill, sent to her son to reconcile him to his wife, but he would not harken to it; therefore she made a will, leaving all she had in the hands of certain trustees, for the use of the wife and two children
