While the son of the jeweller was relating his history to me, I inwardly laughed at those astrologers, who had predicted that I should take away his life; and I felt myself so very unlikely to verify their prediction, that he had scarcely finished speaking before I exclaimed with transport, “Have confidence, my dear sir, in the goodness of God, and fear nothing. Esteem it only as a debt you had to pay, and that from this hour you are free from it. I am delighted at finding myself so fortunate as to be here, after having been shipwrecked, in order to guard you against those who would attempt your life. I will not quit you for a moment during the forty days which the vain and absurd conjectures of the astrologers have made you apprehensive of. During this time, I will render you every service in my power, and afterwards I will take advantage, with your and your father’s permission, of embarking in your vessel, in order to return to the continent; and when I shall have got back to my kingdom, I shall never forget the obligation I am under to you, and will endeavour to prove my gratitude by every means in my power.” I encouraged him by this discourse, and thus gained his confidence. I took care, from the fear of alarming him, not to inform him that I was the very person whom he dreaded; nor give him the least suspicion of it. We conversed about various things till night; and I easily discovered that the young man possessed a sensible and well-informed mind.--We eat together out of his store of provisions, which were so abundant that they would have lasted more than the forty days, had there been other guests beside myself. We continued our conversation some time after supper, and then retired to rest. When he got up the next morning, I presented him with a bason and some water. He washed himself while I prepared the dinner, which I served up at a proper time. After our repast, I invented a sort of game to amuse us, not only during that day, but for the following. I prepared the supper in the same way I had done the dinner; we then supped and retired to rest, the same as the preceding day. We had sufficient time to contract a friendship for each other. I perceived that he had an inclination for me, and on my side the regard was so strong, that I often said to myself, “the astrologers who have predicted to the father, that his son should be slain by my hands were impostors, for it was impossible I could commit so horrid a crime.” In short, we passed thirty-nine days in the pleasantest manner possible in this subterraneous habitation.