Everything the good man said was full of affection, and I could hardly refrain from tears while he spoke; in short, I took one hundred of the moidores, and called for a pen and ink to give him a receipt for them: then I returned him the rest, and told him if ever I had possession of the plantation I would return the other to him also (as, indeed, I afterwards did); and that as to the bill of sale of his part in his son’s ship, I would not take it by any means; but that if I wanted the money, I found he was honest enough to pay me; and if I did not, but came to receive what he gave me reason to expect, I would never have a penny more from him.
Tout ce que me disait ce galant homme était si affectueux que je pouvais à peine retenir mes larmes. Bref, je pris une centaine de MOIDORES, et lui demandai une plume et de l'encre pour lui en faire un reçu; puis je lui rendis le reste, et lui dis: «--Si jamais je rentre en possession de ma plantation, je vous remettrai toute la somme,--comme effectivement je fis plus tard;--et quant au titre de propriété de votre part sur le navire de votre fils, je ne veux en aucune façon l'accepter; si je venais à avoir besoin d'argent, je vous tiens assez honnête pour me payer; si au contraire je viens à palper celui que vous me faites espérer, je ne recevrai plus jamais un penny de vous.»