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186 justice: I will, however, insist no further on this theme till I have the blessing of your presence; if what I have then to say proves ineffectual, I will be dumb for ever on it. On this you may depend, that I shall never have recourse to violence; and if unable to convince you, that what I ask is not a crime to grant, would not receive it on any terms, which, to reflect on hereafter, might give you discontent, or the least shadow of remorse. Believe me, that your peace of mind is of infinite more value to me than my own; and that if it can be preserved by no other means, than relinquishing those hopes to which our contract had given me a pretence, will make a sacrifice of them, and confine myself hereafter to the bounds you set, however painful or fatal they may prove. You are the mistress of my soul; all its faculties are at your devotion, and to be directed by you; dispose, therefore, as you please, of Your ever faithful And most obedient slave, ." Though the beginning of this letter gave me some uneasiness, the latter part of it entirely dissipated it; and I rested assured, that he would be indeed as conformable to my will as he had promised, and resolved to give him a meeting as soon as I could contrive the means. I considered on what he had proposed, and I found nothing in it but what was safe enough; but the tenderness the count had for me would not suffer it to succeed; for when I feigned an indisposition, and desired to sleep in my own bed, that indulgent husband would needs quit his also, and watch by me: but a small time presented me with an opportunity more ample than I could have hoped. Some disturbance happening among the tenants on our land in the country, my father was obliged to go thither in person;