s above.

You may be sure there were several other kind things happened between
Amy and him, as you shall hear afterwards; but the two main things were,
first, that Amy inquired about his lord, and had a full account of him,
of which presently; and, in the next place, telling him whither she was
going and for what, he bade her not go yet, for that he would have a
particular account of it the next day from a merchant that knew him;
and, accordingly, he brought her word the next day that he had been for
six years before that gone for Holland, and that he lived there still.

This, I say, was the first news from Amy for some time--I mean about my
merchant. In the meantime Amy, as I have said, inquired about the other
persons she had in her instructions. As for the prince, the gentleman
told her he was gone into Germany, where his estate lay, and that he
lived there; that he had made great inquiry after me; that he (his
gentleman) had made all the search he had been able for me, but that he
could not hear of me; that he believed, if his lord had known I had been
in England, he would have gone over to me; but that, after long inquiry,
he was obliged to give it over; but that he verily believed, if he could
have found me, he would have married me; and that he was extremely
concerned that he could hear nothing of me.

I was not at all satisfied with Amy's account, but ordered her to go to
Rouen herself, which she did, and there with much difficulty (the
person she was directed to being dead)--I say, with much difficulty she
came to be informed that my merchant had lived there two years, or
something more, but that, having met with a very great misfortune, he
had gone back to Holland, as the French merchant said, where he had
stayed two years; but with this addition, viz., that he came back again
to Rouen, and lived in good reputation there another year; and
afterwards he was gone to England, and that he lived in London. But Amy
could by no means learn how to write to him there, till, by great
accident, an old Dutch skipper, who had formerly served him, coming to
Rouen, Amy was told of it; and he told her that he lodged in St.
Laurence Pountney's Lane, in London, but was to be seen every day upon
the Exchange, in the French walk.

This, Amy thought, it was time enough to tell me of when she came over;
and, besides, she did not find this Dutch skipper till she had spent
four or five months and been again in Paris, and then com