merchant was to appoint me to come again with the jewels, in order to 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 J, '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 have found out his more immediate design. His design is to have you carried to the Chatelet, that the suspicion may appear just, and then to get the jewels out of your hands if possible; then, at last, to drop the prosecution on your consenting to quit the jewels to him; and how you will do to avoid this is the question which I would have you consider of.'
'My misfortune, sir', said I, 'is that I have no time to consider, and I have no person to consider with or advise about it. I find that innocence may be oppressed by such an impudent fellow as this; he that does not value perjury has any man's life at his mercy. But, sir', said I, 'is the justice such here that, while I may be in the hands of the public and under prosecution, he may get hold of my effects and get my jewels into his hands?'
'I don't know', says he, 'what may be done in that case; but if not he, if the court of justice should get hold of them, I do not know but you may find it as difficult to get them out of their hands again, and, at least,
