This assured him of her respectability. He
very gallantly offered his arm which, after a little demur, was
accepted, and Mr Vanslyperken conveyed her to her house. Of course she
could do no less than ask him to walk up, and Mr Vanslyperken, who had
never been in anything approaching to good society, was in astonishment
at the furniture. All appeared to denote wealth. He was soon in an
interesting conversation, and by degrees found out that the lady was a
young widow of the name of Malcolm, whose husband had been factor to the
new company, called the East India Company; that she had come down to
Portsmouth expecting him home, and that she had learnt that he had died
on shore a few days before his intended embarkation for England. Since
which, as she liked the place and the society, she had thoughts of
remaining here.
"They say that gold in India is to be had for nothing."
"It must be very plentiful," replied the widow, "if I am to judge by the
quantity my poor husband sent me home, and he was not out more than
three years. He left me a week after our marriage."
Here the lovely widow put her handkerchief up to her eyes, and Mr
Vanslyperken attempted to console her.
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