wife, who received me courteously; but not knowing what exercise I
had been in, and yet was under, nor having heard anything of me
since I had been there before in another garb, were not forward at
first to lay sudden hands on me, which I observed, and did not
dislike. But as they came to see a change in me, not in habit only,
but in gesture, speech, and carriage, and, which was more, in
countenance also (for the exercise I had passed through, and yet was
under, had imprinted a visible character of gravity upon my face),
they were exceedingly kind and tender towards me.

There was then in the family a friend, whose name was Anne Curtis,
the wife of Thomas Curtis, of Reading, who was come upon a visit to
them, and particularly to see Mary Penington's daughter Guli, who
had been ill of the small-pox since I had been there before.
Betwixt Mary Penington and this friend I observed some private
discourse and whisperings, and I had an apprehension that it was
upon something that concerned me. Wherefore I took the freedom to
ask Mary Penington if my coming thither had occasioned any
inconvenience in the family. She asked me if I had had the small-
pox; I told her no. She then told me her daughter had newly had
them, and though she was well recovered of them, she had not as yet
been down amongst them, but intended to have come down and sat with
them in the parlour that evening, yet would rather forbear till
another time, than endanger me; and that that was the matter they
had been discoursing of. I assured her that I had always been, and
then more especially was, free from any apprehension of danger in
that respect, and therefore entreated that her daughter might come
down. And although they were somewhat unwilling to yield to it, in
regard to me, yet my importunity prevailed, and after supper she did
come down and sit with us; and though the marks of the distemper