did not understand then. He added, that his friend should take
nothing of me for his advice or assistance, and this indeed encouraged
me very much.

He appointed the same evening, after the bank was shut and business
over, for me to meet him and his friend. And indeed as soon as I saw
his friend, and he began but to talk of the affair, I was fully
satisfied that I had a very honest man to deal with; his countenance
spoke it, and his character, as I heard afterwards, was everywhere so
good, that I had no room for any more doubts upon me.

After the first meeting, in which I only said what I had said before,
we parted, and he appointed me to come the next day to him, telling me
I might in the meantime satisfy myself of him by inquiry, which,
however, I knew not how well to do, having no acquaintance myself.

Accordingly I met him the next day, when I entered more freely with him
into my case. I told him my circumstances at large: that I was a
widow come over from America, perfectly desolate and friendless; that
I had a little money, and but a little, and was almost distracted for
fear of losing it, having no friend in the world to trust with the
management of it; that I was going into the north of England to live
cheap, that my stock might not waste; that I would willingly lodge my
money in the bank, but that I durst not carry the bills about me, and
the like, as above; and how to correspond about it, or with whom, I
knew not.

He told me I might lodge the money in the bank as an account, and its
being entered into the books would entitle me to the money at any time,
and if I was in the north I might draw bills on the cashier and receive
it when I would; but that then it would be esteemed as running cash,
and the bank would give no interest for it; that I might buy stock with
it, and so it would lie in store for me, but that then if I wanted to
dispose if it, I must come up to town on purpose to transfer it, and
even it would be with some difficulty I should receive the half-yearly
dividend, unless I was here in person, or had some friend I could trust
with having the stock in his name to do it for me, and that would have
the same difficulty in it as before; and with that he looked hard at me
and smiled a little. At last, says he, 'Why do you not get a head
steward, madam, that may take you and your money together into keeping,
and then you would have the trouble taken off your hands?' 'Ay, sir,
and the money