Mr. Wild hereupon appeared in as great a confusion as the lady, and said he hoped she was not in earnest, but if it were so, begged her not to disturb herself, she should not lose one farthing.  Upon which Jonathan begging her to sit still, stepped over to his own house and gave, as may be supposed, necessary directions, for in less than half an hour a little Jew (called Abraham) that Wild kept, bolted into the room, and told him the woman was taken, and on the point of going to the Compter. You shall see, Madam, said Jonathan, turning to the lady, what exemplary punishment I’ll make of this infamous woman. Then turning himself to the Jew, Abraham, says he, was the green purse of money taken on her?  Yes sir, replied his agent. O la! then said the lady, I’ll take the purse with all my heart; I would not prosecute the poor wretch for the world.  Would not you so, Madam, replied Wild. Well, then, we’ll see what’s to be done. Upon which he first whispered his emissary, and then dispatched him.

He was no sooner gone than Jonathan told the lady that she would be too late at the merchant’s unless they took coach; which thereupon they did, and stopped over against the Compter gate by the Stocks Market.[63] She wondered at all this, but by the time they have been in a tavern a very little space, back comes Jonathan’s emissary with the green purse and the gold in it. She says, sir, said the fellow to Wild she has only broke a guinea of the money for garnish and wine, and here’s all the rest of it.  Very well, says Jonathan, give it to the lady.  Will you please to tell it, madam? The lady accordingly did, and found there were forty-nine. Bless me! says she. I think the woman’s bewitched, she has sent me ten guineas more than I should have had.  No, Madam, replied Wild, she has sent you back again the ten guineas which she received for the book; I never suffer any such practices in my way.  I obliged her, therefore, to give up the money she had taken as well as that she had stole.  And therefore I hope, whatever you may think of her, that you will not have a worse opinion of your humble servant for this accident.

The lady was so much confounded and confuted at these unaccountable incidents, that she scarce knew what she did; at last recollecting herself, Well, Mr. Wild, says she; I think the least I can do is to oblige you to accept of these ten guineas.  No, replied he, nor of ten farthings.  I scorn all actions of such a sort as much as any man of quality in the kingdom.  All the reward I desire, Madam, is that you will acknowledge I have acted like an honest man, and a man of honour. He had scarce pronounced these words, before he rose up, made her a bow, and went immediately down stairs.

The reader may be assured there is not the least mixture of fiction in this story, and yet perhaps there was not a more remarkable one which happened in the whole course of Jonathan’s life.  I shall add but one more relation of this sort, and then go on with the series of my history.  This which I am now going to relate happened within a few doors of the place where I lived, and was transacted in this manner.