Summary

Moll married again. After a fortnight she told her husband it was time for him to know how much money she had brought to their marriage. He declared it did not matter, since he had got the woman he loved. Nevertheless, Moll insisted on telling her husband that she understood the captain had told him that she had a great deal more money than she actually had and that she had never asked the captain to do so. Her husband insisted it did not matter if she had less than he was told, since Moll had not deceived him. At this, Moll gave him ?160. Her husband seemed not too distressed, as Moll had cleverly led him to believe she had nothing at all. Later she brought him ?100 more. After about a week, she brought him ?180 more and about ?60 in linen and led him to believe she had paid a debt with the rest. When she told her husband she had no more money at all, he seemed grateful for what she had given him. Nevertheless, because he had expected more money from Moll and because he was receiving less in income from his plantations than he had counted on, Moll’s husband began talking about taking her to Virginia. Moll agreed that this was the best course of action under the circumstances. He told Moll that he had “a very good house” in Virginia and that his mother, his only relative beside a sister, lived there.

After a long and dangerous voyage, during which most of their possessions were stolen by pirates, they arrived in Virginia, where they went to their plantation. They were affectionately received by his mother and all three lived together on the plantation.

Analysis

Notice how Moll led her husband to believe she had no money at all so that he would not be too disappointed when she gave him the little she did have. In this chapter she warned women that this could be a dangerous step, for it could lead to abuse later on.