oat some time after, and leave Amy behind at Harwich, but
with directions to go to London and stay there to receive letters and
orders from me what to do. Now I was become, from a lady of pleasure, a
woman of business, and of great business too, I assure you.

I got me a servant at Harwich to go over with me, who had been at
Rotterdam, knew the place, and spoke the language, which was a great
help to me, and away I went. I had a very quick passage and pleasant
weather, and, coming to Rotterdam, soon found out the merchant to whom I
was recommended, who received me with extraordinary respect. And first
he acknowledged the accepted bill for four thousand pistoles, which he
afterwards paid punctually; other bills that I had also payable at
Amsterdam he procured to be received for me; and whereas one of the
bills for one thousand two hundred crowns was protested at Amsterdam, he
paid it me himself, for the honour of the indorser, as he called it,
which was my friend the merchant at Paris.

There I entered into a negotiation by his means for my jewels, and he
brought me several jewellers to look on them, and particularly one to
value them, and to tell me what every particular was worth. This was a
man who had great skill in jewels, but did not trade at that time, and
he was desired by the gentleman that I was with to see that I might not
be imposed upon.

All this work took me up near half a year, and by managing my business
thus myself, and having large sums to do with, I became as expert in it
as any she-merchant of them all. I had credit in the bank for a large
sum of money, and bills and notes for much more.

After I had been here about three months, my maid Amy writes me word
that she had received a letter from her friend, as she called him. That,
by the way, was the prince's gentleman, that had been Amy's
extraordinary friend indeed, for Amy owned to me he had lain with her a
hundred times, that is to say, as often as he pleased, and perhaps in
the eight years which that affair lasted it might be a great deal
oftener. This was what she called her friend, who she corresponded with
upon this particular subject, and, among other things, sent her this
particular news, that my extraordinary friend, my real husband, who rode
in the _gens d'armes_, was dead, that he was killed in a rencounter, as
they call it, or accidental scuffle among the troopers; and so the jade
congratulated me upon my being now a real free woman. "A