Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

Now I was at Liberty to go to any Part of the World, and take Care of my Money myself; The first thing that I resolv’d to do, was to go directly to England , for there, I thought, being among my Countryfolks, (for I esteem’d myself an English-Woman , tho’ I was born in France,) but there, I say, I thought I cou’d better manage things, than in France , at least, that I would be in less Danger of being circumvented and deceiv’d; but how to get away with such a Treasure as I had with me, was a difficult Point, and what I was greatly at a Loss about.

There was a Dutch merchant in Paris , that was a Person of great Reputation for a Man of Substance, and of Honesty, but I had no manner of Acquaintance with him, nor did I know how to get acquainted with him, so as to discover my Circumstances to him; but at last I employ’d my Maid Amy , such I must be allow’d to call her, (notwithstanding what has been said of her) because she was in the Place of a Maid-Servant; I say, I employ’d my Maid Amy to go to him, and she got a Recommendation to him from somebody else, I knew not who; so that she got Access to him well enough.

But now was my Case as bad as before; for when I came to him, what cou’d I do? I had Money and Jewels, to a vast Value, and I might leave all those with him; that I might indeed, do; and so I might with several other Merchants in Paris , who wou’d give me Bills for it, payable at London , but then I ran a Hazard of my Money; and I had no-body at London to send the Bills to, and so to stay till I had an Account that they were accepted; for I had not one Friend in London , that I cou’d have recourse to, so that, indeed, I knew not what to do.

In this Case I had no Remedy, but that I must trust somebody; so I sent Amy to this Dutch Merchant, as I said above; he was a little surpriz’d when Amy came to him, and talk’d to him of remitting a Sum of about 12000 Pistoles [134] 12000 Pistoles : £10,320. to England , and began to think she came to put some Cheat upon him; but when he found that Amy was but a Servant, and that I came to him myself, the Case was alter’d presently.

When I came to him myself, I presently saw such a plainness in his Dealing, and such Honesty in his Countenance, that I made no Scruple to tell him my whole Story, viz . That I was a Widow; that I had some Jewels to dispose of, and also some Money, which I had a-mind to send to England , and to follow there myself; but being but a Woman, and having no Correspondence in London , or any-where else, I knew not what to do, or how to secure my Effects.

He dealt very candidly with me, but advis’d me, when he knew my Case so particularly, to take Bills upon Amsterdam , and to go that Way to England ; for that I might lodge my Treasure in the Bank there, in the most secure Manner in the World; and that there he cou’d recommend me to a Man who perfectly understood Jewels, and would deal faithfully with me in the disposing them.

I thank’d him, but scrupled very much the travelling so far in a strange Country, and especially with such a Treasure about me; that whether known, or conceal’d, I did not know how to venture with it: Then he told me, he wou’d try to dispose of them there, that is, at Paris , and convert them into Money, and so get me Bills for the whole; and in a few Days he brought a Jew to me, who pretended [135] pretended : professed a desire (without a sense of feigning). to buy the Jewels.

As soon as the yea; saw the Jewels, I saw my Folly; and it was ten Thousand to one but I had been ruin’d, and perhaps, put to Death in as cruel a Manner as possible; and I was put in such Fright by it, that I was once upon the Point of flying for my Life, and leaving the Jewels and Money too, in the Hands of the Dutchman , without any Bills, or any thing else; the Case was thus:

As soon as the Jew saw the Jewels, he falls a jabbering in Dutch , or Portuguese , to the Merchant, and I cou’d presently perceive that they were in some great Surprize, both of them; the Jew held up his Hands, look’d at me with some Horrour, then talk’d Dutch again, and put himself into a thousand Shapes, twisting his Body, and wringing up his Face this Way, and that Way, in his Discourse; stamping with his Feet, and throwing abroad his Hands, as if he was not in a Rage only, but in a meer [136] meer . perfect, absolute. Fury; then he wou’d turn, and give a Look at me, like the Devil; I thought I never saw any thing so frightful in my Life.

At length I put in a Word; Sir, says I , to the Dutch Merchant, What is all this Discourse to my Business? What is this Gentleman in all these Passions about? I wish, if he is to treat with me, he wou’d speak, that I may understand him; or if you have Business of your own between you, that is to be done first, let me withdraw, and I’ll come again when you are at leisure.

No, no, Madam, says the Dutchman , very kindly, you must not go, all our Discourse is about you, and your Jewels, and you shall hear it presently, it concerns you very much, I assure you: Concern me, says I , what can it concern me so much, as to put this Gentleman into such Agonies? and what makes him give me such Devil’s Looks as he does? why he looks as if he wou’d devour me.

The Jew understood me presently, continuing in a kind of Rage, and spoke in French , Yes, Madam, it does concern you much, very much, very much, repeating the Words, shaking his Head, and then turning to the Dutchman , Sir, says he , pray tell her what is the Case; no, says the Merchant , not yet, let us talk a little farther of it by ourselves; upon which, they withdrew into another Room, where still they talk’d very high, but in a Language I did not understand: I began to be a little surpriz’d at what the Jew had said, you may be sure, and eager to know what he meant, and was very impatient till the Dutch Merchant came back, and that so impatient, that I call’d one of his Servants to let him know, I desir’d to speak with him; when he came in, I ask’d his Pardon for being so impatient, but told him I cou’d not be easie, till he had told me what the Meaning of all this was: Why Madam, says the Dutch Merchant , in short, the Meaning is, what I am surpriz’d at too: This Man is a Jew , and understands Jewels perfectly well, and that was the Reason I sent for him, to dispose of them to him, for you; but as soon as he saw them, he knew the Jewels very distinctly, and flying out in a Passion, as you see he did; told me, in short, that they were the very Parcel of Jewels which the English Jeweller had about him, who was robb’d going to Versailles , (about eight Years ago) to show them the Prince d’ —, and that it was for these very Jewels that the poor Gentleman was murther’d; and he is in all this Agony to make me ask you, how you came by them; and he says, you ought to be charg’d with the Robbery and Murther, and put to the Question, [137] the Question : judicial torture. to discover who were the Persons that did it, that they might be brought to Justice: While he said this, the Jew came impudently back, into the Room, without calling, which a little surpriz’d me again.

The Dutch Merchant spoke pretty good English , and he knew that the Jew did not understand English at-all; so he told me the latter Part, when the Jew came into the Room, in English ; at which I smil’d, which put the Jew into his mad Fit again, and shaking his Head, and making his Devil’s Faces again, he seem’d to threaten me for Laughing; saying in French , This was an Affair I shou’d have little Reason to laugh at, and the like; at this, I laugh’d again, and flouted him, letting him see, that I scorn’d him; and turning to the Dutch Merchant, Sir , says I, That those Jewels were belonging to Mr .—, the English Jeweller , naming his Name readily, in that , says I, this Person is right, but that I shou’d be question’d how I came to have them, is a Token of his Ignorance; which , however, he might have manag’d with a little more good Manners, till I had told him who I am; and both he, and you too, will be more easie in that Part, when I should tell you, that I am the unhappy Widow of Mr . —, who was so barbarously murther’d going to Versailles; and that he was not robb’d of those Jewels, but of others; Mr .— having left those behind him, with me, lest he should be robb’d; had I , Sir, come otherwise by them, I should not have been weak enough to have expo’d them to Sale here, where the Thing was done, but have carried them farther off .