(Continuing from Part 57)
After our dangerous encounter with the wolves, I was thankful to find myself in a warm and comfortable lodging.
Friday and I had escaped another great danger.
Our fellow travelers were also safe, although everyone was tired and shaken by what had happened.
We remained in the village long enough to recover our strength.
The people told us that the winter had been unusually severe.
Deep snow had covered the mountains, and hungry wolves had become a danger to travelers.
I was glad that we had passed through the worst of the journey.
But I did not wish to remain in the mountains any longer than necessary.
When the weather allowed, we continued toward France.
Our guide led us through safer roads.
The country gradually became less difficult.
The mountains were behind us, and the villages grew more frequent.
We passed through cultivated fields and pleasant towns.
After so much danger, these ordinary sights gave me great satisfaction.
Friday remained interested in everything he saw.
He had traveled farther from his homeland than he could once have imagined.
I wondered what he thought of the crowded towns, the stone houses, and the many different people we encountered.
He had learned much during our travels, and he continued asking questions.
I was pleased to have him beside me.
He had been my companion through some of the most important events of my life.
At last, we reached a place where we could arrange passage to England.
I had chosen to travel overland because I feared another long sea voyage.
Now only a short crossing remained.
Although I still felt uneasy about boarding a ship, I knew that I could not reach England without crossing the water.
We took passage and arrived safely.
I felt grateful when I stepped onto English soil once more.
This time, I did not arrive as a poor man uncertain of his future.
My affairs in Brazil had been settled, and I possessed a considerable fortune.
I had enough money to live comfortably.
But I soon discovered that wealth did not answer every question.
I had been absent from England for so many years that I no longer had a settled home.
My parents were dead.
Most of the people I had known in my youth were gone.
I had relatives, but I could not simply return to the life I had abandoned as a young man.
I had to begin again.
I considered what to do with my money.
I did not wish to risk everything in another business venture.
My earlier desire for wealth had led me into terrible danger.
I wanted security rather than adventure.
I therefore began arranging my affairs so that I could receive a steady income.
I consulted people who understood financial matters.
I also thought about my plantation in Brazil.
It had become extremely valuable, but I was unwilling to return there and manage it myself.
The voyage was long, and I had little desire to cross the Atlantic again.
I decided that it would be better to sell my interest in the plantation.
This would allow me to remain in England without worrying about property so far away.
The arrangements took time.
But at last, I was able to settle the matter satisfactorily.
I now possessed enough wealth to support myself for the rest of my life.
I also remembered the people who had helped me.
The old Portuguese captain had shown me kindness when I was young and helpless.
I had already arranged to provide for him.
I was glad that my fortune allowed me to repay some of my debt of gratitude.
I also wished to help my family.
Two of my sisters were still living.
I considered their circumstances and gave assistance where it was needed.
After so many years of separation, I found satisfaction in being useful to those who remained.
Friday continued living with me.
I could not forget his loyalty.
He had helped me during dangers that might have destroyed us both.
He had worked beside me, defended me, and trusted me when he knew little of the world beyond his own country.
I wished to treat him well.
I also thought often about the island.
Although I had left it behind, it remained vivid in my memory.
Sometimes I dreamed of the shelter I had built and the fields I had planted.
I remembered the sound of the sea against the shore.
I remembered my goats, my parrot, and the quiet paths through the woods.
I had once believed that the island was the worst place in the world.
Yet it had also taught me lessons I might never have learned elsewhere.
I had discovered how much a person could accomplish through patience and steady work.
I had learned to value ordinary food, shelter, and safety.
I had also learned that human companionship was precious.
For years, I had possessed almost everything necessary to survive, but I had lacked another person with whom to share my thoughts.
When Friday arrived, my life changed.
Later, the Spaniard and Friday’s father had brought further hope.
And finally, the English captain had given me the opportunity to return home.
I often wondered what had become of the men I had left on the island.
I hoped that they had followed my instructions.
Perhaps the Spaniard and Friday’s father had returned with the other Europeans.
Perhaps they were all living together peacefully.
I could not know.
But I hoped that the fields, animals, and shelters I had left behind were helping them survive.
As the months passed, I began to enjoy a quieter life.
I had no need to struggle for food or fear attacks from strangers.
I could sleep in a comfortable bed and eat meals prepared without the labor of planting, grinding, and baking everything myself.
These ordinary comforts seemed remarkable.
I had once dreamed of such things while sitting alone beneath the trees of my island.
Now I possessed them.
Yet I discovered that a peaceful life required adjustment.
For so many years, I had been occupied with the daily struggle to survive.
Now I had time to think.
I considered the mistakes of my youth.
I remembered my father’s advice that a moderate and settled life could bring happiness.
I had rejected that advice because I wanted adventure.
My desire to travel had carried me through extraordinary suffering.
Still, I could not say that my experiences had taught me nothing.
I had seen much of the world and learned how quickly fortune could change.
I hoped that I had become wiser.
For a time, I believed that my wandering days were finished.
I wanted to remain in England and enjoy the security I had finally obtained.
But I also knew that the desire to travel had always been strong within me.
Even after so many dangers, part of my mind continued turning toward distant places.
I did not yet know whether I would ever return to the sea.
For the present, I was content to be home.