Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

We made this Journey much longer than we intended; and my Gentleman sent for one of his Managers in London , to come over to us to Paris with some Diamonds, and sent him back to London again, to fetch more; then other Business fell into his Hands so unexpectedly, that I began to think we should take up our constant Residence there, which I was not very averse to it, being my Native Country, and I spoke the Language perfectly well; so we took a good House in Paris , and liv’d very well there; and I sent for Amy to come over to me, for I liv’d gallantly, and my Gentleman was, two or three times, going to keep me a Coach, but I declin’d it, especially at Paris ; but as they have those Conveniences [66] Conveniences : coaches for hire. by the Day there, at a certain Rate, I had an Equipage provided for me whenever I pleas’d, and I liv’d here in a very good Figure, [67] Figure : (social) position. and might have liv’d higher if I pleas’d.

But in the middle of all this Felicity, a dreadful Disaster befel me, which entirely unhing’d all my Affairs, and threw me back into the same state of Life that I was in before; with this one happy Exception however, that whereas before I was Poor, even to Misery, now I was not only provided for, but very Rich.

My Gentleman had the Name in Paris , for a very rich Man, and indeed, he was so, tho’ not so immensely rich as People imagin’d; but that which was fatal to him, was, that he generally carried a shagreen [68] shagreen : rough, untanned leather, often dyed green. Case in his Pocket, especially when he went to Court, or to the Houses of any of the Princes of the Blood, in which he had Jewels of very great Value.

It happened one Day, that being [69] being : having, intending. to go to Versailles , to wait upon the Prince of —, he came up into my Chamber in the Morning, and laid out [70] laid out : set down. his Jewel-Case, because he was not going to show any Jewels, but to get a Foreign Bill accepted, which he had receiv’d from Amsterdam ;, so when he gave me the Case, he said , My Dear, I think I need not carry this with me, because, it may be, I may not come back till Night, and it is too much to venture; I return’d, then My Dear, you sha’n’t go; Why? says he ; because as they are too much for you, so you are too much for me to venture; and you shall not go, unless you will promise me not to stay so as to come back in the Night.

I hope there’s no Danger, said he , seeing I have nothing about me of any Value; and therefore, lest I should, take that too, says he , and gives me his Gold Watch, and a rich Diamond, which he had in a Ring, and always wore on his Finger.

Well, but my Dear, says I , you make me more uneasie now, than before; for if you apprehend no Danger, why do use this Caution? and if you apprehend there is Danger, why do you go at all?

There is no Danger, says he , if I do not stay late, and I do not design to do so.

Well, but promise me then, that you won’t, says I , or else I cannot let you go.

I wont, indeed, my Dear, says he , unless I am oblig’d to it; I assure you I do not intend it; but if I shou’d, I am not worth robbing now; for I have nothing about me, but about six Pistoles in my little Purse, and that little Ring, showing me a small Diamond Ring, worth about ten or twelve Pistoles, which he put upon his Finger, in the room of the rich one he usually wore.

I still press’d him not to stay late, and he said he wou’d not; but if I am kept late, says he , beyond my Expectation, I’ll stay all Night, and come next Morning: This seem’d a very good Caution; but still my Mind was very uneasie about him, and I told him so, and entreated him not to go; I told him, I did not know what might be the reason, but that I had a strange Terror upon my Mind, about his going, and that, if he did go, I was perswaded some Harm wou’d attend him; he smil’d, and return’d, Well, my Dear, if it should be so, you are now richly provided for; all that I have here, I give to you; and with that, he takes up the Casket, or Case, Here, says he , hold your Hand, there is a good Estate for you, in this Case; if any thing happens to me, ’tis all your own; I give it you for yourself; and with that, he put the Casket, the fine Ring, and his Gold Watch, all into my Hands, and the Key of his Scrutore [71] Scrutore : escritoire, writing desk. besides, adding, and in my Scrutore there is some Money, ’tis all your own.

I star’d at him, as if I was frighted, for I thought all his Face look’d like a Death’s-Head; and then, immediately, I thought I perceiv’d his Head all Bloody; and then his Cloaths look’d Bloody too; and immediately it all went off, and he look’d as he really did; immediately I fell a-crying, and hung about him, My Dear said I , I am frighted to Death; you shall not go, depend upon it, some Mischief will befal you; I did not tell him how my vapourish Fancy [72] vapourish Fancy : hysterical imagination. The vapours were thought to be corrupt exhalations which developed in the lower organs, particularly the spleen, and rose to the head, where they had a malign effect upon physical and mental health. See also Introduction. had represented him to me, that I thought was not proper; besides he wou’d only have laugh’d at me, and wou’d have gone away with a Jest about it: But I press’d him seriously not to go that Day, or if he did, to promise me to come Home to Paris again by Day-light: He look’d a little graver then, than he did before; told me, he was not apprehensive of the least Danger; but if there was, he wou’d either take Care to come in the Day, or, as he had said before, wou’d stay all Night.

But all these Promises came to nothing; for he was set upon in the open Day, and robb’d, by three Men on Horseback, mask’d, as he went; and one of them, who, it seems, rifled him, while the rest stood to stop the Coach, stabb’d him into the Body with a Sword, so that he died immediately: He had a Footman behind the Coach, who they knock’d down with the Stock, or But-end of a Carabine: They were suppos’d to kill him, because of the Disappointment they met with, in not getting his Case, or Casket of Diamonds, which they knew he carry’d about him; and this was suppos’d, because after they had kill’d him, they made the Coachman drive out of the Road, a long-Way over the Heath, till they came to a convenient Place, where they pull’d him out of the Coach, and search’d his Cloaths more narrowly, than they cou’d do while he was alive.

But they found nothing but his little Ring, six Pistoles, and the Value of about seven Livres in small Moneys.

This was a dreadful Blow to me; tho’ I cannot say I was so surpriz’d as I should otherwise have been; for all the while he was gone, my Mind was oppress’d with the Weight of my own Thoughts; and I was as sure that I should never see him any more, that I think nothing could be like it; the Impression was so strong, that, I think, nothing could make so deep a Wound, that was imaginary; and I was so dejected, and disconsolate, that when I receiv’d the News of his Disaster, there was no room for any extraordinary Alteration in me: I had cry’d all that Day, eat nothing, and only waited, as I might say, to receive the dismal News, which I had brought to me about Five a-Clock in the Afternoon.

I was in a strange Country; and tho’ I had a pretty many Acquaintances, had but very few Friends that I could consult on this Occasion; all possible Enquiry was made after the Rogues, that had been thus barbarous, but nothing could be heard of them; nor was it possible, that the Footman could make any Discovery of them, by his Description; for they knock’d him down immediately, so that he knew nothing of what was done afterwards; the Coachman was the only Man that cou’d say any thing, and all his Account amounted to no more than this, that one of them had Soldiers’ Cloaths, but he cou’d not remember the Particulars of his Mounting, [73] Mounting : outfit, clothing. so as to know what Regiment he belong’d to; and as to their Faces, that he could know nothing of, because they had all of them Masks on.