Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

When he had obtain’d his End that way, I told him my Mind; Now you see, my Lord, said I , how weakly I have acted, namely , to yield to you without any Capitulation, or any-thing secur’d to me, but that which you may cease to allow, when you please; if I am the less valued for such a Confidence, I shall be injur’d in a Manner that I will endeavour not to deserve.

He told me, that he wou’d make it evident to me, that he did not seek me by way of Bargain, as such things were often done; that as I had treated him with a generous Confidence, so I shou’d find I was in the Hands of a Man of Honour, and one that knew how to value the Obligation; and upon this, he pull’d out a Goldsmith’s Bill [221] a Goldsmith’s Bill : a form of paper currency that preceded the bank note. The practice of depositing money and other valuables with London goldsmiths (because they had strong-rooms) arose in the seventeenth century. The goldsmiths issued receipts – sometimes several receipts of convenient amounts equal to the total value of the deposit – payable on demand. Gradually these receipts became negotiable (by 1668 at the latest), after which they came to be called notes or bills. for 300 l . which, putting it into my Hand, he said he gave me as a Pledge, that I shou’d not be a Loser by my not having made a Bargain with him.

This was engaging indeed, and gave me a good Idea of our future Correspondence; [222] Correspondence : relationship. and in short, as I cou’d not refrain treating him with more Kindness than I had done before, so one thing begetting another, I gave him several Testimonies that I was entirely his own, by Inclination, as well as by the common Obligation of a Mistress; and this pleas’d him exceedingly.

Soon after this private Engagement, I began to consider, whether it were not more suitable to the Manner of Life I now led, to be a little less publick; and as I told my Lord, it wou’d rid me of the Importunities of others, and of continual Visits from a sort of People who he knew of, and who, by the way, having now got the Notion of me which I really deserv’d, began to talk of the old Game, Love and Gallantry, and to offer at what was rude enough; things as nauceous to me now, as if I had been married, and as virtuous as other People: The Visits of these People began indeed, to be uneasie to me, and particularly, as they were always very tedious and impertinent; nor cou’d my Lord — be pleas’d with them at-all, if they had gone on: It wou’d be diverting to set down here, in what manner I repuls’d these sort of People; how in some I resented it as an Affront, and told them, that I was sorry they shou’d oblige me to vindicate myself from the Scandal of such Suggestions, by telling them, that I cou’d see them no more , and by desiring them not to give themselves the trouble of visiting me, who, tho’ I was not willing to be uncivil, yet thought myself oblig’d never to receive any Visit from any Gentleman, after he had made such Proposals as those to me: But these things wou’d be too tedious to bring in here; it was on this Account I propos’d to his Lordship my taking new Lodgings for Privacy; besides I consider’d that as I might live very handsomely, and yet not so publickly, so I needed not spend so much Money, by a great deal; and if I made 500 l . a Year of this generous Person, it was more than I had any Occasion to spend, by a great deal.

My Lord came readily into this Proposal, and went farther than I expected; for he found out a Lodging for me in a very handsome House, where yet he was not known; I suppose he had employ’d somebody to find it out for him; and where he had a convenient Way to come into the Garden, by a Door that open’d into the Park; [223] the Park : St James’s Park. John Kip’s engraving, A Prospect of the City of London, Westminster, and St James’s Park (c . 1700), shows houses on the south and east sides of the park with garden doors that open directly on to the park. a thing very rarely allow’d in those Times.

By this Key he cou’d come in at what time of Night or Day he pleas’d; and as we had also a little Door in the lower Part of the House, which was always left upon a Lock, and his was the Master-Key, so if it was twelve, one, or two a-Clock at Night, he cou’d come directly into my Bed-Chamber. N.B . I was not afraid I shou’d be found a-Bed with any-body else, for, in a word, I convers’d with no-body at-all.

It happen’d pleasantly enough one Night; his Lordship had staid late, and I not expecting him that Night, had taken Amy to-Bed with me, and when my Lord came into the Chamber, we were both fast asleep, I think it was near three a-Clock when he came in, and a little merry, but not at-all fuddl’d, or what they call in Drink; and he came at once into the Room.

Amy was frighted out of her Wits, and cry’d out; I said calmly , indeed my Lord, I did not expect you to-Night, and we have been a little frighted to-Night with Fire: [224] Fire : lightning. O! says he , I see you have got a Bedfellow with you; I began to make an Apology, No, no, says my Lord , you need no Excuse, ’tis not a Man-Bedfellow I see; but then talking merrily enough, he catch’d his Words back; but hark-ye, says he , now I think on’t, how shall I be satisfied it is not a Man-Bedfellow? O, says I , I dare say your Lordship is satisfy’d ’tis poor Amy ; yes, says he , ’tis Mrs. Amy , but how do I know what Amy is? It may be Mr. Amy , for ought I know; I hope you’ll give me Leave to be satisfy’d: I told him, Yes, by all means I wou’d have his Lordship satisfy’d, but I suppos’d he knew who she was.

Well, he fell foul of [225] fell foul of : attacked. poor Amy , and indeed, I thought once he wou’d have carry’d the Jest on before my Face, as was once done in a like Case; but his Lordship was not so hot neither; but he wou’d know whether Amy was Mr. Amy , or Mrs. Amy , and so I suppose he did; and then being satisfy’d in that doubtful Case, he walk’d to the farther-end of the Room, and went into a little Closet, and sat down.

In the mean time Amy and I got up, and I bid her run and make the Bed in another Chamber for my Lord, and I gave her Sheets to put into it; which she did immediately, and I put my Lord to-Bed there; and when I had done, at his Desire, went to-Bed to him: I was backward at first, to come to-Bed to him, and made my Excuse, because I had been in-Bed with Amy , and had not shifted me, [226] shifted me : changed into clean underclothing. but he was past those Niceties at that time; and as long as he was sure it Mrs. Amy , and not Mr. Amy , he was very well satisfy’d, and so the Jest pass’d over; but Amy appear’d no more all that Night, or the next Day, and when she did, my Lord was so merry with her upon his Ecclairicissiment , [227] Ecclairicissiment: éclaircissement , clearing up. as he call’d it, that Amy did not know what to do with herself.

Not that Amy was such a nice Lady in the main, if she had been fairly dealt with, as has appear’d in the former Part of this Work; but now she was surpriz’d, and a little hurried, that she scarce knew where she was; and besides, she was, as to his Lordship, as nice a Lady as any in the World, and for any-thing he knew of her, she appear’d as such; the rest was to us only that knew of it.

I held this wicked Scene of Life out eight Years, reckoning from my first coming to England ; and tho’ my Lord found no Fault, yet I found, without much examining, that any-one who look’d in my Face, might see I was above twenty Years old, and yet, without flattering myself, I carried my Age, which was above Fifty, very well too.