ed; that I assured him I
had made my will, and that I had left it L5000, and the interest of it
till he should come of age, if I died before that time; that I would
still be as good as that to it; but if he had a mind to take it from me
into his government, I would not be against it; and to satisfy him that
I would perform what I said, I would cause the child to be delivered to
him, and the L5000 also for its support, depending upon it that he would
show himself a father to it by what I saw of his affection to it now.

I had observed that he had hinted two or three times in his discourse,
his having had misfortunes in the world, and I was a little surprised at
the expression, especially at the repeating it so often; but I took no
notice of that part yet.

He thanked me for my kindness to the child with a tenderness which
showed the sincerity of all he had said before, and which increased the
regret with which, as I said, I looked back on the little affection I
had showed to the poor child. He told me he did not desire to take him
from me, but so as to introduce him into the world as his own, which he
could still do, having lived absent from his other children (for he had
two sons and a daughter which were brought up at Nimeguen, in Holland,
with a sister of his) so long that he might very well send another son
of ten years old to be bred up with them, and suppose his mother to be
dead or alive, as he found occasion; and that, as I had resolved to do
so handsomely for the child, he would add to it something considerable,
though, having had some great disappointments (repeating the words), he
could not do for it as he would otherwise have done.

I then thought myself obliged to take notice of his having so often
mentioned his having met with disappointments. I told him I was very
sorry to hear he had met with anything afflicting to him in the world;
that I would not have anything belonging to me add to his loss, or
weaken him in what he might do for his other children; and that I would
not agree to his having the child away, though the proposal was
infinitely to the child's advantage, unless he would promise me that the
whole expense should be mine, and that, if he did not think L5000 enough
for the child, I would give it more.

We had so much discourse upon this and the old affairs that it took up
all our time at his first visit. I was a little importunate with him to
tell me how he came to find me out, but he put it