sell them. "No," says the merchant, "I will go farther with her than so;
I will desire her to leave the jewels with me, to show to another
person, in order to get the better price for them." "That's right," says
the Jew; "and I'll engage she shall never be mistress of them again;
they shall either be seized by us," says he, "in the king's name, or she
shall be glad to give them up to us to prevent her being put to the
torture."

The merchant said "Yes" to everything he offered, and they agreed to
meet the next morning about it, and I was to be persuaded to leave the
jewels with him, and come to them the next day at four o'clock in order
to make a good bargain for them; and on these conditions they parted.
But the honest Dutchman, filled with indignation at the barbarous
design, came directly to me and told me the whole story. "And now,
madam," says he, "you are to consider immediately what you have to do."

I told him, if I was sure to have justice, I would not fear all that
such a rogue could do to me; but how such things were carried on in
France I knew not. I told him the greatest difficulty would be to prove
our marriage, for that it was done in England, and in a remote part of
England too; and, which was worse, it would be hard to produce authentic
vouchers of it, because we were married in private. "But as to the death
of your husband, madam, what can be said to that?" said he. "Nay," said
I, "what can they say to it? In England," added I, "if they would offer
such an injury to any one, they must prove the fact or give just reason
for their suspicions. That my husband was murdered, that every one
knows; but that he was robbed, or of what, or how much, that none
knows--no, not myself; and why was I not questioned for it then? I have
lived in Paris ever since, lived publicly, and no man had yet the
impudence to suggest such a thing of me."

"I am fully satisfied of that," says the merchant; "but as this is a
rogue who will stick at nothing, what can we say? And who knows what he
may swear? Suppose he should swear that he knows your husband had those
particular jewels with him the morning when he went out, and that he
showed them to him to consider their value, and what price he should ask
the Prince de ---- for them?"

"Nay, by the same rule," said I, "he may swear that I murdered my
husband, if he finds it for his turn." "That's true," said he; "and if
he should, I do not see what could save you;" but added, "I