With great difficulty, upon my solemn assurances of honour, she trusted
herself with me in one of the cabins; and there I tried, what I could, to
prevail upon her to quit her purpose; but all in vain: She said, I had
made her quite unhappy by this interview! She had difficulties enough
upon her mind before; but now I had embittered all her voyage, and given
her the deepest distress.
I could prevail upon her but for one favour, and that with the greatest
reluctance; which was, to accept of the five hundred pounds, as a present
from me; and she promised, at my earnest desire, to draw upon me for a
greater sum, as a person that had her effects in my hands, when she
arrived, if she should find it convenient for her. In short, this was
all the favour I could procure; for she would not promise so much as to
correspond with me, and was determined on going: and, I believe, if I
would have married her, which yet I had not in my head, she would not
have deviated from her purpose.
But how, sir, said I, did you part? I would have sailed with her,
answered he, and been landed at the first port in England or Ireland, I
cared not which, they should put in at; but she was too full of
apprehensions to admit it; And the rough fellow of a master, captain they
called him, (but, in my mind, I could have thrown him overboard,) would
not stay a moment, the wind and tide being quite fair; and was very
urgent with me to go a-shore, or to go the voyage; and being impetuous in
my temper, (spoiled, you know, my dear, by my mother,) and not used to
control, I thought it very strange that wind or tide, or any thing else,
should be preferred to me and my money: But so it was; I was forced to
go; and so took leave of the ladies, and the other passengers; wished
them a good voyage; gave five guineas among the ship's crew, to be good
to the ladies, and took such a leave as you may better imagine than I
express.
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