However, it was not long before he attacked me again, and told me he found that I was backward to trust him with the secret of my circumstances, which he was sorry for; assuring me that he inquired into it with no design to satisfy his own curiosity, but merely to assist me, if there was any occasion; but since I would not own myself to stand in need of any assistance, he had but one thing more to desire of me, and that was, that I would promise him that when I was any way straitened, or like to be so, I would frankly tell him of it, and that I would make use of him with the same freedom that he made the offer; adding, that I should always find I had a true friend, though perhaps I was afraid to trust him.
Mais que, puisque je n'osais avouer que j'avais besoin d'assistance, il n'avait qu'une chose à me demander, qui était de lui promettre si j'étais en quelque manière gênée, de le lui dire franchement, et d'user de lui avec la même liberté qu'il en faisait l'offre, ajoutant que je trouverais toujours en lui un ami dévoué, quoique peut-être j'éprouvasse la crainte de me fier à lui.