us much she had learned from good hands, that he had
committed a crime, in being concerned in a design to rob a rich banker
at Paris; and that he was fled, and had not been heard of there for
above six years.

IV. For that of my husband, the brewer, she learned, that being
commanded into the field upon an occasion of some action in Flanders, he
was wounded at the battle of Mons, and died of his wounds in the
Hospital of the Invalids; so there was an end of my four inquiries,
which I sent her over to make.

This account of the prince, and the return of his affection to me, with
all the flattering great things which seemed to come along with it; and
especially as they came gilded and set out by my maid Amy--I say this
account of the prince came to me in a very unlucky hour, and in the very
crisis of my affair.

The merchant and I had entered into close conferences upon the grand
affair. I had left off talking my platonics, and of my independency, and
being a free woman, as before; and he having cleared up my doubts too,
as to his circumstances and the misfortunes he had spoken of, I had gone
so far that we had begun to consider where we should live, and in what
figure, what equipage, what house, and the like.

I had made some harangues upon the delightful retirement of a country
life, and how we might enjoy ourselves so effectually without the
encumbrances of business and the world; but all this was grimace, and
purely because I was afraid to make any public appearance in the world,
for fear some impertinent person of quality should chop upon me again
and cry out, "Roxana, Roxana, by ----!" with an oath, as had been done
before.

My merchant, bred to business and used to converse among men of
business, could hardly tell how to live without it; at least it appeared
he should be like a fish out of water, uneasy and dying. But, however,
he joined with me; only argued that we might live as near London as we
could, that he might sometimes come to 'Change and hear how the world
should go abroad, and how it fared with his friends and his children.

I answered that if he chose still to embarrass himself with business, I
supposed it would be more to his satisfaction to be in his own country,
and where his family was so well known, and where his children also
were.

He smiled at the thoughts of that, and let me know that he should be
very willing to embrace such an offer; but that he could not expect it
of me, to whom Engl