This was my man; but I was to try him to the bottom, and indeed in that consisted my safety; for if he baulked, I knew I was undone, as surely as he was undone if he took me; and if I did not make some scruple about his fortune, it was the way to lead him to raise some about mine; and first, therefore, I pretended on all occasions to doubt his sincerity, and told him, perhaps he only courted me for my fortune. He stopped my mouth in that part with the thunder of his protestations, as above, but still I pretended to doubt.
Ceci était mon homme, mais il fallait le sonder à fond; c'est là qu'était mon salut, car s'il me faisait faux bond, je savais que j'étais perdue aussi sûrement qu'il était perdu s'il me prenait; et si je n'élevais quelque scrupule sur sa fortune, il risquait d'en élever sur la mienne; si bien que d'abord je feignis à toutes occasions de douter de sa sincérité et lui dis que peut-être il ne me courtisait que pour ma fortune, il me ferma la bouche là-dessus avec la tempête des protestations que j'ai dites mais je feignais de douter encore.