On this message up comes the husband, and clapping down by him took him by the hand, with an abundance of seeming courtesy, said, Pray, Mr. Dyer, don’t let you and I fall out.  I may, in my passion, have let fall some provoking words to your wife, but I can’t help it, ’tis my way, and I really want money so that it almost makes me mad.  I’ll tell you what; your spouse, Mr. Dyer, owes me almost nine pounds, now if you’ll give me five guineas, I’ll give you a receipt in full. Upon which our cully of a robber, thinking to save so much money, paid it him down, and madam seemed to be highly pleased.

As soon as this was over and the receipt given, his lady said to Dyer, Come my dear, we’ll go and take a walk and see Mrs. Sheldon. Thither they went.  No sooner were they in the house, but after the first compliments were passed, Mrs. Sheldon said, We were just talking of you when you came in, Mr. Dyer, and of that small matter your spouse owes us. Says Dyer, How much is it? But two-and-forty shillings, says Mrs. Sheldon.  Upon which the fool took the money out of his pocket and paid it.  A little while after this, Dyer’s mistress thought fit to quarrel with one of her female acquaintances whom she had made her confidante, by which means the story came out that she was not a penny in debt either to her landlord or Mrs. Sheldon, but that she wanted money and was resolved to make hay while the sun shone.

One would have thought that a fellow so versed in villainy, and so given up to all sorts of debauchery, would have immediately discarded a woman who showed him such tricks, but on the contrary he grew fonder of her, removed her to another lodging, and lavished all he had on her.  But as a new misfortune, one morning early a man knocked at the door, which he taking to be one of her gallants, went in his shirt to the window.  The man enquired whether one Mrs. Davis was there, upon which Dyer’s mistress in a great agony, said. O, la, John, it’s my husband come from sea, what shall I do? Upon this, Dyer hustled on his clothes and went downstairs to another harlot, and by there until his first lady and her husband came downstairs.

However, it was not long before the seaman had an account of Dyer’s familiarity with his wife, and thereupon thinking to get money out of him brought his action against him; but Dyer got himself bailed, and soon after arrested him for meat, drink and lodging for his wife for several months, for which he lay in the Compter for a considerable time, and at last was obliged to give Dyer ten pounds to make it up.