resently.

When I came to him myself, I presently saw such a plainness in his
dealing and such honesty in his countenance that I made no scruple to
tell him my whole story, viz., that I was a widow, that I had some
jewels to dispose of, and also some money which I had a mind to send to
England, and to follow there myself; but being but a woman, and having
no correspondence in London, or anywhere else, I knew not what to do,
or how to secure my effects.

He dealt very candidly with me, but advised me, when he knew my case so
particularly, to take bills upon Amsterdam, and to go that way to
England; for that I might lodge my treasure in the bank there, in the
most secure manner in the world, and that there he could recommend me to
a man who perfectly understood jewels, and would deal faithfully with me
in the disposing them.

I thanked him, but scrupled very much the travelling so far in a strange
country, and especially with such a treasure about me; that, whether
known or concealed, I did not know how to venture with it. Then he told
me he would try to dispose of them there, that is, at Paris, and convert
them into money, and so get me bills for the whole; and in a few days he
brought a Jew to me, who pretended to buy the jewels. As soon as the Jew
saw the jewels I saw my folly, and it was ten thousand to one but I had
been ruined, and perhaps put to death in as cruel a manner as possible;
and I was put in such a fright by it that I was once upon the point of
flying for my life, and leaving the jewels and money too in the hands of
the Dutchman, without any bills or anything else. The case was thus:--

As soon as the Jew saw the jewels he falls a-jabbering, in Dutch or
Portuguese, to the merchant; and I could presently perceive that they
were in some great surprise, both of them. The Jew held up his hands,
looked at me with some horror, then talked Dutch again, and put himself
into a thousand shapes, twisting his body and wringing up his face this
way and that way in his discourse, stamping with his feet, and throwing
abroad his hands, as if he was not in a rage only, but in a mere fury.
Then he would turn and give a look at me like the devil. I thought I
never saw anything so frightful in my life.

At length I put in a word. "Sir," says I to the Dutch merchant, "what is
all this discourse to my business? What is this gentleman in all these
passions about? I wish, if he is to treat with me, he would speak that I
may