ppily been found in Holland he was resolved to have gone to
England to see me, and that it was one of the principal reasons of his
leaving Paris.

I told him I was extremely obliged to him for so far interesting himself
in my affairs, but that I had been so far his debtor before that I knew
not how anything could increase the debt; for I owed my life to him
already, and I could not be in debt for anything more valuable than
that. He answered in the most obliging manner possible, that he would
put it in my power to pay that debt, and all the obligations besides
that ever he had, or should be able to lay upon me.

I began to understand him now, and to see plainly that he resolved to
make love to me, but I would by no means seem to take the hint; and,
besides, I knew that he had a wife with him in Paris; and I had, just
then at least, no gust to any more intriguing. However, he surprised me
into a sudden notice of the thing a little while after by saying
something in his discourse that he did, as he said, in his wife's days.
I started at that word, "What mean you by that, sir?" said I. "Have you
not a wife at Paris?" "No, madam, indeed," said he; "my wife died the
beginning of September last," which, it seems, was but a little after I
came away.

We lived in the same house all this while, and as we lodged not far off
of one another, opportunities were not wanting of as near an
acquaintance as we might desire; nor have such opportunities the least
agency in vicious minds to bring to pass even what they might not intend
at first.

However, though he courted so much at a distance, yet his pretensions
were very honourable; and as I had before found him a most
disinterested friend, and perfectly honest in his dealings, even when I
trusted him with all I had, so now I found him strictly virtuous, till I
made him otherwise myself, even almost whether he would or no, as you
shall hear.

It was not long after our former discourse, when he repeated what he had
insinuated before, namely, that he had yet a design to lay before me,
which, if I would agree to his proposals, would more than balance all
accounts between us. I told him I could not reasonably deny him
anything; and except one thing, which I hoped and believed he would not
think of, I should think myself very ungrateful if I did not do
everything for him that lay in my power.

He told me what he should desire of me would be fully in my power to
grant, or else he shou