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368 put up, but that she should see it when we arrived in Holland, she heard her say softly she would go over on purpose then.

After she had ended her observations, I added: 'I observed, too, that the girl talked and looked oddly, and that she was mighty inquisitive, but I could not imagine what it was she aimed at.' 'Aimed at', says the Quaker, '’tis plain to me what she aims at. She believes thou art the same Lady Roxana that danced in the Turkish vest, but she is not certain.' 'Does she believe so?' says I; 'if I had thought that, I would have put her out of her pain.' 'Believe so!' says the Quaker? 'yes, and I began to think so too, and should have believed so still, if thou had'st not satisfied me to the contrary by thy taking no notice of it, and by what thou hast said since.' 'Should you have believed so?' said I warmly; 'I am very sorry for that. Why, would you have taken me for an actress, or a French stage-player?' 'No', says the good kind creature, 'thou carriest it too far; as soon as thou madest thy reflections upon her, I knew it could not be; but who could think any other when she described the Turkish dress which thou hast here, with the head-tire and jewels, and when she named thy maid Amy too, and several other circumstances concurring? I should certainly have believed it', said she, if thou hadst not contradicted it; but as soon as I heard thee speak, I concluded it was otherwise.' 'That was very kind' said I; and I am obliged to you for doing me so much justice; it is more, it seems, than that young talking creature does.' 'Nay', says the Quaker; 'indeed she does not do thee justice; for she as certainly believes it still as ever she did.' 'Does she?' said I. 'Ay', says the Quaker; 'and I warrant thee, she'll make thee another visit about it' 'Will she?' said I; 'then I believe I shall down right affront her.' 'No, thou shalt not affront her', says she (full of her good-humour and temper); 'I'l take that part off thy hands, for I'll affront her for thee, and not let her see thee.' I thought that was a very kind offer, but was at a loss how she would be able to do it; and the thought of seeing her there again half distracted me, not knowing what temper she would come in, much less what manner to receive her in; but my fast friend and constant comforter, the Quaker, said she perceived the girl was impertinent, and that I had no inclination to converse with her, and she was resolved I should not be troubled with her. But I shall have occasion to say more of this presently, for this girl went farther yet than I thought she had.

It was now time, as I said before, to take measures with my husband in order to put off my voyage; so I fell into talk with him one morning as he was dressing, and while I was in bed. I pretended I was very ill; and, as I had but too easy a way to impose upon him, because he so absolutely believed everything I said, so I managed my discourse as that he should understand by it I was a-breeding, though I did not tell him so.

However, I brought it about so handsomely, that, before he went out of the room, he came and sat down by my bedside, and began to talk very seriously to me upon the subject of my being so every day ill, and that, as he hoped I was with child, he would have me consider well of it, whether I had not best alter my thoughts of the voyage to Holland; for that being sea-sick, and which was worse, if a storm should happen, might be very dangerous to me. And, after saying abundance of the kindest things that the kindest of husbands in the world could say, he concluded that it was his request to me, that I would not think any more of going