Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

But what Course can I take to do that, says I , now they have got Notice, that I have them? If they get me into their Hands, they will oblige me to produce them, or perhaps, sentence me to Prison till I do.

Nay, says he , as this Brute says too, put you to the Question, that is, to the Torture, on Pretence of making you confess who were the Murtherers of your Husband.

Confess! says I ; how can I confess what I know nothing of?

If they come to have you to the Rack, said he , they will make you confess you did it yourself, whether you did it or no, and then you are cast. [139] cast : condemned.

The very word Rack frighted me to Death almost, and I had no Spirit left in me: Did it myself! said I ; that’s impossible!

No, Madam, says he , ’tis far from impossible; the most innocent People in the World have been forc’d to confess themselves Guilty of what they never heard of, much less, had any Hand in.

What then must I do? said I ; what wou’d you advise me to?

Why, says he , I wou’d advise you to be gone; you intended to go away in four or five Days, and you may as well go in two Days; and if you can do so, I shall manage it so, that he shall not suspect your being gone, for several Days after: Then he told me, how the Rogue wou’d have me order’d to bring the Jewels the next Day, for Sale; and that then he wou’d have me apprehended; how he had made the Jew believe he wou’d join with him in his Design; and that he [the Merchant] wou’d get the Jewels into his Hands: Now, says the Merchant , I shall give you Bills for the Money you desir’d, immediately, and such as shall not fail of being paid; take your Jewels with you, and go this very Evening to St. Germains en Lay ; I’ll send a Man thither with you, and from thence, he shall guide you to-Morrow, to Roan , [140] Roan : Rouen. where there lies a Ship of mine, just ready to sail for Rotterdam ; you shall have your Passage in that Ship, on my Account, and I will send Orders for him to sail as soon as you are on Board, and a Letter to my Friend at Rotterdam , to Entertain and take Care of you.

This was too kind an Offer for me, as things stood, not to be accepted, and be thankful for; and as to going away, I had prepar’d every thing for parting; so that I had little to do, but to go back, take two or three Boxes and Bundles, and such things, and my Maid Amy , and be gone.

Then the Merchant told me the Measures he had resolv’d to take to delude the Jew , while I made my Escape, which were very well contriv’d indeed: FIRST, said he , when he comes to-Morrow, I shall tell him, that I propos’d to you, to leave the Jewels with me, as we agreed; but that you said, you wou’d come and bring them in the Afternoon, so that we must stay for you till four a-Clock; but then, at that time, I will show a Letter from you, as if just come in, wherein you shall excuse your not coming; for that some Company came to visit you, and prevented you; but that you desire me to take Care that the Gentleman be ready to buy your Jewels; and that you will come to Morrow, at the same Hour, without fail.

When to-Morrow is come, we shall wait at the Time, but you not appearing, I shall seem most dissatisfied, and wonder what can be the Reason; and so we shall agree to go the next Day to get out a Process against you; but the next Day, in the Morning, I’ll send to give him Notice, that you have been at my House, but he not being there, have made another Appointment, and that I desire to speak with him; when he comes, I’ll tell him, you appear perfectly blind, as to your Danger; and that you appear’d much disappointed that he did not come, tho’ you cou’d not meet the Night before; and oblig’d me to have him here to-Morrow at three a-Clock; when to-Morrow comes , says he, you shall send word, that you are taken so ill, that you cannot come out for that Day; but that you will not fail the next Day; and the next Day you shall neither come or send, nor let us ever hear any more of you; for by that time you shall be in Holland, if you please .

I cou’d not but approve all his Measures, seeing they were so well contriv’d, and in so friendly a Manner, for my Benefit; and as he seem’d to be so very sincere, I resolv’d to put my Life in his Hands: Immediately I went to my Lodgings, and sent away Amy with such Bundles as I had prepar’d for my Travelling; I also sent several Parcels of my fine Furniture to the Merchant’s House, to be laid up for me, and bringing the Key of the Lodgings with me, I came back to his House: Here we finish’d our Matters of Money; and I deliver’d into his Hands seven Thousand eight Hundred Pistoles [141] seven Thousand eight Hundred Pistoles : slightly more than £6,70 (see note 53). in Bills and Money; a Copy of an Assignment on the Town-House [142] a Copy of an Assignment on the Town-House : a copy of the legal transfer of the leasehold of the house. of Paris , for 4000 Pistoles, at 3 per Cent . Interest, attested; and a Procuration [143] a Procuration : a formal document giving legal authority for someone else to act for one; in effect, a letter of power of attorney. for receiving the Interest half-yearly; but the Original I kept myself.

I cou’d have trusted all I had with him, for he was perfectly honest, and had not the least View of doing me any Wrong; indeed, after it was so apparent that he had, as it were, sav’d my Life, or at least, sav’d me from being expos’d and ruin’d; I say, after this, how cou’d I doubt him in any thing?

When I came to him, he had every-thing ready as I wanted, and as he had propos’d; as to my Money, he gave me first of all an accepted Bill, payable at Rotterdam , for 4000 Pistoles, and drawn from Genoa upon a Merchant at Rotterdam , payable to a Merchant at Paris , and endors’d by him to my Merchant; this he assur’d me wou’d be punctually paid, and so it was, to a Day; the rest I had in other Bills of Exchange, drawn by himself upon other Merchants in Holland : Having secur’d my Jewels too, as well as I cou’d, he sent me away the same Evening in a Friend’s Coach, which he had procur’d for me, to St. Germains , and the next Morning to Roan ; he also sent a Servant of his own, on Horseback, with me, who provided every thing for me, and who carried his Orders to the Captain of the Ship, which lay about three Miles below Roan , in the River, and by his Directions I went immediately on Board: The third Day after I was on Board, the Ship went away, and we were out at Sea the next Day after that; and thus I took my Leave of France , and got clear of an ugly Business, which, had it gone on, might have ruin’d me, and sent me back as Naked to England , as I was a little before I left it.

And now Amy and I were at Leisure to look upon the Mischiefs that we had escap’d; and had I had any Religion, or any Sence of a Supreme Power managing, directing, and governing in both Causes and Events in this World, such a Case as this wou’d have given any-body room to have been very thankful to the Power who had not only put such a Treasure into my Hand, but given me such an Escape from the Ruin that threaten’d me; but I had none of those things about me; I had indeed, a grateful Sence upon my Mind of the generous Friendship of my Deliverer, the Dutch Merchant; by whom I was so faithfully serv’d, and by whom, as far as relates to second Causes, [144] as far as relates to second Causes : as far as man was responsible. The first or original cause is the creator of the universe; secondary causes are derived from the first cause. I was preserv’d from Destruction.