Paris from an eminent lawyer, a counsellor of the
Parliament there, and laying my case before him, he directed me to make
a process in dower upon the estate, for making good my new fortune upon
matrimony, which accordingly I did; and, upon the whole, the manager
went back to England well satisfied that he had gotten the unaccepted
bill of exchange, which was for two thousand five hundred pounds, with
some other things, which together amounted to seventeen thousand livres;
and thus I got rid of him.

I was visited with great civility on this sad occasion of the loss of my
husband, as they thought him, by a great many ladies of quality. And the
Prince of ----, to whom it was reported he was carrying the jewels, sent
his gentleman with a very handsome compliment of condolence to me; and
his gentleman, whether with or without order, hinted as if his Highness
did intend to have visited me himself, but that some accident, which he
made a long story of, had prevented him.

By the concourse of ladies and others that thus came to visit me, I
began to be much known; and as I did not forget to set myself out with
all possible advantage, considering the dress of a widow, which in those
days was a most frightful thing; I say, as I did thus from my own
vanity, for I was not ignorant that I was very handsome; I say, on this
account I was soon made very public, and was known by the name of _La
belle veufeu de Poictou_, or the pretty widow of Poictou. As I was very
well pleased to see myself thus handsomely used in my affliction, it
soon dried up all my tears; and though I appeared as a widow, yet, as we
say in England, it was of a widow comforted. I took care to let the
ladies see that I knew how to receive them; that I was not at a loss how
to behave to any of them; and, in short, I began to be very popular
there. But I had an occasion afterwards which made me decline that kind
of management, as you shall hear presently.

About four days after I had received the compliments of condolence from
the Prince ----, the same gentleman he had sent before came to tell me
that his Highness was coming to give me a visit. I was indeed surprised
at that, and perfectly at a loss how to behave. However, as there was
no remedy, I prepared to receive him as well as I could. It was not many
minutes after but he was at the door, and came in, introduced by his own
gentleman, as above, and after by my woman Amy.

He treated me with abundance of civilit