Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

Nor did our Kindness to the QUAKER end with the forty Pound a Year, for we were always, while we stay’d with her, which was above ten Months, giving her one good thing or another; and, in a word , instead of Lodging with her, she Boarded with us, for I kept the House, and she and all her Family eat and drank with us, and yet we paid her the Rent of the House too; in short , I remember’d my Widowhood , and I made this Widow’s Heart glad many a Day the more, upon that Account.

And now my Spouse and I began to think of going over to Holland , where I had propos’d to him to live, and in order to settle all the Preliminaries of our future Manner of Living, I began to draw in my Effects, so as to have them all at Command, upon whatever Occasion we thought fit; after which, one Morning I call’d my Spouse up to me, hark ye, Sir, said I to him , I have two very weighty Questions to ask of you; I don’t know what Answer you will give to the first , but I doubt [295] doubt : fear. you will be able to give but a sorry Answer to the other , and yet, I assure you , it is of the last Importance to yourself, and towards the future Part of your Life, wherever it is to be.

He did not seem to be much alarm’d, because he could see I was speaking in a kind of merry way, Let’s hear your Questions , my Dear, says he, and I’ll give the best Answer I can to them : Why first, says I ,

1. You have marry’d a Wife here, made her a Lady , and put her in Expectation of being something else still, when she comes Abroad; pray have you examin’d whether you are able to supply all her extravagant Demands when she comes Abroad; and maintain an expensive Englishwoman in all her Pride, and Vanity? In short , have you enquir’d whether you are able to keep her?

2. You have marry’d a Wife here, and given her a great many fine things, and you maintain her like a Princess , and sometimes call her so ; pray what Portion have you had with her? what Fortune has she been to you? and where does her Estate lie, that you keep her so fine? I am afraid you keep her in a Figure a great-deal above her Estate, at least , above all that you have seen of it yet? are you sure you ha’n’t got a Bite ? [296] Bite : swindler. and that you have not made a Beggar a Lady ?

Well, says he , have you any more Questions to ask? let’s have them all together, perhaps they may be all answer’d in a few Words, as well as these two: No, says I , these are the two grand Questions, at least, for the present: Why, then, says he , I’ll answer you in a few Words, That I am fully Master of my own Circumstances, and without farther Enquiry, can let my Wife you speak of, know, that as I have made her a Lady , I can maintain her as a Lady , wherever she goes with me; and this, whether I have one Pistole of her Portion, or whether she has any Portion or no: And as I have not enquir’d whether she has any Portion or not, so she shall not have the less Respect shew’d her from me, or be oblig’d to live meaner, or be any-ways straiten’d on that Account; on the contrary, if she goes Abroad to live with me in my own Country, I will make her more than a Lady and support the Expence of it too, without meddling with any-thing she has; and this I suppose, says he , contains an Answer to both your Questions together.

He spoke this with a great deal more Earnestness in his Countenance, than I had when I propos’d my Questions; and said a great-many kind things upon it, as the Consequence of former Discourses, so that I was oblig’d to be in earnest too; My Dear, says I , I was but in jest in my Questions; but they were propos’d to introduce what I am going to say to you in earnest; namely , that if I am to go Abroad, ’tis time I shou’d let you know how things stand, and what I have to bring you, with your Wife; how it is to be dispos’d, and secur’d, and the like ; and therefore come, says I , sit down, and let me show you your Bargain here; I hope you will find, that you have not got a Wife without a Fortune.

He told me then, that since he found I was in earnest, he desir’d that I wou’d adjourn it till to-Morrow, and then we wou’d do as the poor People do after they Marry, feel in their Pockets, and see how much Money they can bring together in the World; well, says I , with all my Heart; and so we ended our Talk for that time.

As this was in the Morning, my Spouse went out after Dinner to his Goldsmith’s, [297] his Goldsmith’s : Because they had strong rooms, goldsmiths acted as depositories for money and other valuables. as he said , and about three Hours after, returns with a Porter and two large Boxes, with him; and his Servant brought another Box, which I observ’d was almost as heavy as the two that the Porter brought, and made the poor Fellow sweat heartily; he dismiss’d the Porter, and in a little-while after went out again with his Man, and returning at Night, brought another Porter with more Boxes and Bundles, and all was carried up, and put into a Chamber, next to our Bed-Chamber, and in the Morning he call’d for a pretty large round Table, and began to unpack.

When the Boxes were open’d, I found they were chiefly full of Books, and Papers, and Parchments, I mean , Books of Accompts, and Writings, and such things , as were in themselves of no Moment to me, because I understood them not; but I perceiv’d he took them all out, and spread them about him, upon the Table, and Chairs, and began to be very busie with them; so I withdrew, and left him; and he was indeed, so busie among them, that he never miss’d me, till I had been gone a good-while; but when he had gone thro’ all his Papers, and come to open a little Box, he call’d for me again; Now, says he , and call’d me his Countess , I am ready to answer your first Question ; if you will sit down till I have open’d this Box , we will see how it stands.

So we open’d the Box; there was in it indeed, what I did not expect, for I thought he had sunk his Estate, rather than rais’d it; but he produc’d me in Goldsmith’s Bills, [298] Goldsmith’s Bills : see note 209. and Stock in the English East-India Company , [299] the English East-India Company : The English Company was the largest and most important of the eight European companies trading with India and the Far East. Established at the end of the sixteenth century, it became the dominant power in India until it handed over power to the British Government in 1858. about sixteen thousand Pounds Sterling; then he gave into my Hands, nine Assignments [300] Assignments : negotiable documents secured by revenue or property; in effect bills. upon the Bank of Lyons in France , and two upon the Rents of the Town-House in Paris , amounting in the whole to 5800 Crowns [301] 5800 Crowns : worth £1,334. See note 111. per Annum , or annual Rent, as’tis call’d there and lastly , the Sum of 30000 Rixdollars [302] 30000 Rixdollars : 30,000 Rijksdaalders were worth £6,660. in the Bank of Amsterdam ; besides some Jewels and Gold in the Box, to the Value of about 15 or 1600 l . among which was a very good Necklace of Pearl, of about 200 l . Value; and that he pull’d out, and ty’d about my Neck; telling me, That shou’d not be reckon’d into the Account.

I was equally pleas’d and surpriz’d; and it was with an inexpressible Joy, that I saw him so rich: You might well tell me, said I , that you were able to make me Countess , and maintain me as such: In short , he was immensly rich; for besides all this, he shew’d me, which was the Reason of his being so busie among the Books, I say , he shew’d me several Adventures he had Abroad, in the Business of his Merchandize; as particularly, an eighth Share in an East-India Ship then Abroad; an Account-Courant [303] an Account-Courant : a corruption of compte-courant, not a modern current account with a bank, but a private financial arrangement between two people. with a Merchant, at Cadiz in Spain ; about 3000 l . lent upon Bottomree ? [304] Bottomree : bottomry, a maritime contract by which a shipowner borrows money to finance a voyage, pledging the vessel (or bottom) as security. upon Ships gone to the Indies ; and a large Cargo of Goods in a Merchant’s Hands, for Sale, at Lisbon in Portugal ; so that in his Books there was about 12000 l . more; all which put together, made about 27000 l . Sterling, and 1320 l . a Year.