Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

You and I will adjust that Matter easily, says he , now we are so near together; pray where do you Lodge? says he .

In a very honest good House, said I , where that Gentleman, your Friend, recommended me; pointing to the Merchant in whose House we then were.

And where you may Lodge too, Sir, says the Gentleman , if it suits with your Business, and your other Conveniency.

With-all my Heart, says he ; then Madam, adds he , turning to me, I shall be near you, and have Time to tell you a Story, which will be very long, and yet many ways very pleasant to you, how troublesome that devilish Fellow, the Jew , has been to me, on your Account; and what a hellish Snare he had laid for you, if he cou’d have found you.

I shall have Leisure too, Sir, said I , to tell you all my Adventures since that; which have not been a few, I assure you.

In short, he took up his Lodgings in the same House where I lodg’d, and the Room he lay in, open’d as he was wishing it wou’d, just opposite to my Lodging-Room; so we cou’d almost call out of Bed to one another, and I was not at-all shy of him on that Score, for I believ’d him perfectly honest, and so indeed, he was; and if he had not, that Article was at present, no Part of my Concern.

It was not till two or three Days, and after his first Hurries of Business were over, that we began to enter into the History of our Affairs on every side, but when we began, it took up all our Conversation, for almost a Fortnight: First, I gave him a particular Account of every thing that happen’d material upon my Voyage; and how we were driven into Harwich by a very terrible Storm; how I had left my Woman behind me, so frighted with the Danger she had been in, that she dorst not venture to set her Foot into a Ship again, any more; and that I had not come myself, if the Bills I had of him, had not been payable in Holland ; but that Money, he might see, wou’d make a Woman go any-where.

He seem’d to laugh at all our womanish Fears upon the Occasion of the Storm; telling me, it was nothing but what was very ordinary in those Seas; but that they had Harbours on every Coast, so near, that they were seldom in Danger of being lost indeed; for, says he , if they cannot fetch one Coast, they can always stand away for another, and run afore it, as he call’d it , for one side or other: But when I came to tell him what a crazy Ship it was, and how, even when they got into Harwich , and into smooth Water, they were fain to run the Ship on Shore, or she wou’d have sunk in the very Harbour; and when I told him, that when I look’d out at the Cabin-Door, I saw the Dutchmen , one upon his Knees here, and another there, at their Prayers, then indeed, he acknowledg’d I had reason to be alarm’d; but smiling, he added , But you, Madam, says he , are so good a Lady, and so pious, you wou’d but have gone to Heaven a little the sooner, the Difference had not been much to you.

I confess, when he said this, it made all the Blood burn in my Veins, and I thought I shou’d have fainted; poor Gentleman! thought I, you know little of me; what wou’d I give to be really what you really think me to be! He perceiv’d the Disorder, but said nothing till I spoke; when shaking my Head, O Sir ! said I, Death in any Shape has some Terror in it ; but in the frightful Figure [159] Figure : situation. of a Storm at Sea, and a sinking Ship, it comes with a double, a trebble, and indeed, an inexpressible Horrour; and if I were that Saint you think me to be, which, God knows, I am not, ’tis still very dismal; I desire to die in a Calm, if I can: He said a great many good things, and very prettily order’d his Discourse, between serious Reflection and Compliment; but I had too much Guilt to relish it as it was meant, so I turn’d it off to something else, and talk’d of the Necessity I had on me to come to Holland ; but I wish’d myself safe on Shore in England again.

He told me, he was glad I had such an Obligation upon me to come over into Holland , however; but hinted, that he was so interested in my Wellfare, and besides, had such farther Designs upon me, that if I had not so happily been found in Holland , he was resolv’d to have gone to England to see me; and that it was one of the principal Reasons of his leaving Paris .

I told him, I was extremely oblig’d to him for so far interesting himself in my Affairs; but that I had been so far his Debtor before, that I knew not how any thing could encrease the Debt; for I ow’d my Life to him already, and I could not be in Debt for any-thing more valuable than that.

He answer’d in the most obliging Manner possible, that he wou’d put it in my Power to pay that Debt, and all the Obligations besides, that ever he had, or should be able to lay upon me.

I began to understand him now, and to see plainly, that he resolv’d to make Love to me ; but I would by no means seem to take the Hint, and besides I knew that he had a Wife with him in Paris ; and I had, just then, at least , no Gust [160] Gust : taste, inclination. to any more intriguing; however, he surpriz’d me into a sudden Notice of the thing a little-while after, by saying something in his Discourse, that he did as he said , in his Wife’s Days; I started at that Word; What mean you by that ? Sir, said I; Have you not a Wife at Paris? No, Madam, indeed, said he , my Wife died the beginning of September last; which, it seems, was but a little after I came away.

We liv’d in the same House all this while; and as we lodg’d not far off of one-another, Opportunities were not wanting of as near an Acquaintance as we might desire; nor have such Opportunities the least Agency in vicious Minds, to bring to pass even what they might not intend at first.

However, tho’ he courted so much at a distance, yet his Pretensions [161] Pretensions : intentions, professions. were very honourable; and as I had before found him a most disinterested Friend, and perfectly honest in his Dealings, even when I trusted him with all I had; so now I found him strictly virtuous, till I made him otherwise myself, even almost, whether he wou’d or no; as you shall hear.

It was not long after our former Discourse, when he repeated what he had insinuated before, namely, that he had yet a Design to lay before me, which, if I wou’d agree to his Proposals, wou’d more than ballance all Accounts between us: I told him, I cou’d not reasonably deny him any-thing; and except one thing, which I hop’d and believ’d he wou’d not think of , I should think myself very ungrateful if I did not do every thing for him that lay in my Power.

He told me, what he should desire of me, wou’d be fully in my Power to grant, or else he shou’d be very unfriendly to offer it, and still, all this while, he declin’d making the Proposal, as he call’d it , and so, for that time, we ended our Discourse, turning it off to other things; so that, in short , I began to think he might have met with some Disaster in his Business, and might have come away from Paris in some Discredit; or had had some Blow on his Affairs in general; and as really I had Kindness enough to have parted with a good Sum to have help’d him, and was in Gratitude, bound to have done so, he having so effectually sav’d to me all I had ; so I resolv’d to make him the Offer, the first time I had an Opportunity, which, two or three Days after, offer’d itself, very much to my Satisfaction.

He had told me at large, tho’ on several Occasions , the Treatment he had met with from the Jew , and what Ex-pence he had put him to; how at length he had cast [162] cast : defeated. him, as above , and had recover’d good Damage of him, but that the Rogue was unable to make him any considerable Reparation; he had told me also, how the Prince d ’;— ’s Gentleman had resented his Treatment of his Master; and how he had caus’d him to be us’d upon the Pont Neuf , &c. as I have mention’d above ; which I laugh’d at most heartily.