e back to Rouen
for farther information. But in the meantime she wrote to me from Paris
that he was not to be found by any means; that he had been gone from
Paris seven or eight years; that she was told he had lived at Rouen, and
she was agoing thither to inquire, but that she had heard afterwards
that he was gone also from thence to Holland, so she did not go.

This, I say, was Amy's first account; and I, not satisfied with it, had
sent her an order to go to Rouen to inquire there also, as above.

While this was negotiating, and I received these accounts from Amy at
several times, a strange adventure happened to me which I must mention
just here. I had been abroad to take the air as usual with my Quaker, as
far as Epping Forest, and we were driving back towards London, when, on
the road between Bow and Mile End, two gentlemen on horseback came
riding by, having overtaken the coach and passed it, and went forwards
towards London.

They did not ride apace though they passed the coach, for we went very
softly; nor did they look into the coach at all, but rode side by side,
earnestly talking to one another and inclining their faces sideways a
little towards one another, he that went nearest the coach with his face
from it, and he that was farthest from the coach with his face towards
it, and passing in the very next tract to the coach, I could hear them
talk Dutch very distinctly. But it is impossible to describe the
confusion I was in when I plainly saw that the farthest of the two, him
whose face looked towards the coach, was my friend the Dutch merchant of
Paris.

If it had been possible to conceal my disorder from my friend the Quaker
I would have done it, but I found she was too well acquainted with such
things not to take the hint. "Dost thou understand Dutch?" said she.
"Why?" said I. "Why," says she, "it is easy to suppose that thou art a
little concerned at somewhat those men say; I suppose they are talking
of thee." "Indeed, my good friend," said I, "thou art mistaken this
time, for I know very well what they are talking of, but 'tis all about
ships and trading affairs." "Well," says she, "then one of them is a man
friend of thine, or somewhat is the case; for though thy tongue will not
confess it, thy face does."

I was going to have told a bold lie, and said I knew nothing of them;
but I found it was impossible to conceal it, so I said, "Indeed, I think
I know the farthest of them; but I have neither spoke