ay for sale, and that then he
would have me apprehended; how he had made the Jew believe he would join
with him in his design, and that he (the merchant) would get the jewels
into his hands. "Now," says the merchant, "I shall give you bills for
the money you desired, immediately, and such as shall not fail of being
paid. Take your jewels with you, and go this very evening to St.
Germain-en-Laye; I'll send a man thither with you, and from thence he
shall guide you to-morrow to Rouen, where there lies a ship of mine,
just ready to sail for Rotterdam; you shall have your passage in that
ship on my account, and I will send orders for him to sail as soon as
you are on board, and a letter to my friend at Rotterdam to entertain
and take care of you."

This was too kind an offer for me, as things stood, not to be accepted,
and be thankful for; and as to going away, I had prepared everything for
parting, so that I had little to do but to go back, take two or three
boxes and bundles, and such things, and my maid Amy, and be gone.

Then the merchant told me the measures he had resolved to take to delude
the Jew while I made my escape, which was very well contrived indeed.
"First," said he, "when he comes to-morrow I shall tell him that I
proposed to you to leave the jewels with me, as we agreed, but that you
said you would come and bring them in the afternoon, so that we must
stay for you till four o'clock; but then, at that time, I will show a
letter from you, as if just come in, wherein you shall excuse your not
coming, for that some company came to visit you, and prevented you; but
that you desire me to take care that the gentleman be ready to buy your
jewels, and that you will come to-morrow at the same hour, without
fail.

"When to-morrow is come, we shall wait at the time, but you not
appearing, I shall seem most dissatisfied, and wonder what can be the
reason; and so we shall agree to go the next day to get out a process
against you. But the next day, in the morning, I'll send to give him
notice that you have been at my house, but he not being there, have made
another appointment, and that I desire to speak with him. When he comes,
I'll tell him you appear perfectly blind as to your danger, and that you
appeared much disappointed that he did not come, though you could not
meet the night before; and obliged me to have him here to-morrow at
three o'clock. When to-morrow comes," says he, "you shall send word that
you are ta