The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson, Volumes One and Two: Written by HerselfWilson, Harriette
General
The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson, Volumes One and Two: Written by Herself
Wilson, Harriette
Courtesans -- Great Britain -- Biography; Wilson, Harriette, 1786-1846
In spite of all I could say or do to prevent it Lord Worcester got
horridly in debt. He was naturally extravagant, and everybody cheated
him. As for myself, I might have been welcome to have brought away, in
his lordship's name at any time, as many diamonds as either Wirgman
or any other jeweller would have given him credit for; and yet, I can
say with truth, that I never accepted a single trinket from him in my
life, except a small chain and a pair of pink topaz ear-rings, the price
of which was altogether under thirty guineas. I even did my best to
prevent his buying these, which were brought to me, as the man said, by
the desire of Lord Worcester, merely to inquire if I liked them. His
lordship being from home, the man said he would call for them when he
returned.
When I saw Worcester, believing it was not too late to return the
trinkets, and knowing him to be very poor, I told him that I never wore
such things, and should esteem it a favour if he would not buy them. His
lordship assured me that it was now too late to return these; but I
never suffered him to buy any more.
With regard to our house-expenses, I could have regulated them for, at
least, half the cost; but Worcester absolutely refused to allow me to
trouble my head about them. Once I did venture to remark when he was
about to borrow a thousand or two at enormous interest, that, since the
pious Will Haught always carried out of our house daily provision, not
only for himself, but his wife, and put down, in his pious accounts,
more porter than any man could drink in his sober senses, I did not
exactly perceive the fun or amusement of paying him very high weekly
board-wages; but Worcester having slightly hinted this circumstance to
the holy man, he cried and blubbered till he was almost in hysterics,
and I declared myself quite unable to contend with a footman of such
fine nerves. Still it provoked me to see the man to whom I was bound by
gratitude, for his apparent devotions to me, teased and dunned to death,
when I knew everything might have been all square by proper economy, but
it is really incredible how young, careless noblemen are used between
their tradespeople and their servants.
When the Duke of Beaufort discovered at what interest Lord Worcester was
borrowing money, he threatened the money-lender with prosecution for
fraud on a minor, if he did not sign a receipt in full for the bare sum
lent; and these terms were accepted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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