e weight to me, and that it might bring me respect among people
where I might appear, he had thought since of it, and was resolved to
ask me about it.

I made light of it, and told him that, as he knew I had chosen a retired
life, it was of no value to me to be called lady or countess either; but
that if he intended to drag me, as I might call it, into the world
again, perhaps it might be agreeable to him; but, besides that, I could
not judge of the thing, because I did not understand how either of them
was to be done.

He told me that money purchased titles of honour in almost all parts of
the world, though money could not give principles of honour, they must
come by birth and blood; that, however, titles sometimes assist to
elevate the soul and to infuse generous principles into the mind, and
especially where there was a good foundation laid in the persons; that
he hoped we should neither of us misbehave if we came to it; and that as
we knew how to wear a title without undue elevations, so it might sit as
well upon us as on another; that as to England, he had nothing to do
but to get an act of naturalisation in his favour, and he knew where to
purchase a patent for baronet--that is say, to have the honour and title
transferred to him; but if I intended to go abroad with him, he had a
nephew, the son of his eldest brother, who had the title of count, with
the estate annexed, which was but small, and that he had frequently
offered to make it over to him for a thousand pistoles, which was not a
great deal of money, and considering it was in the family already, he
would, upon my being willing, purchase it immediately.

I told him I liked the last best, but then I would not let him buy it
unless he would let me pay the thousand pistoles. "No, no," says he, "I
refused a thousand pistoles that I had more right to have accepted than
that, and you shall not be at so much expense now." "Yes," says I, "you
did refuse it, and perhaps repented it afterwards." "I never
complained," said he. "But I did," says I, "and often repented it for
you." "I do not understand you," says he. "Why," said I, "I repented
that I suffered you to refuse it." "Well, well," said he, "we may talk
of that hereafter, when you shall resolve which part of the world you
will make your settled residence in." Here he talked very handsomely to
me, and for a good while together; how it had been his lot to live all
his days out of his native country, and to be