ed me from warning Don Alphonso of his danger: I knew that my
betraying the secret would be immediately punished with death; and
however embittered was my life by calamities, I wanted courage to
sacrifice it for the sake of preserving that of another Person. My only
hope rested upon procuring succour from Strasbourg: At this I resolved
to try; and should an opportunity offer of warning Don Alphonso of his
danger unobserved, I was determined to seize it with avidity. By
Baptiste's orders I went upstairs to make the Stranger's Bed: I spread
upon it Sheets in which a Traveller had been murdered but a few nights
before, and which still were stained with blood. I hoped that these
marks would not escape the vigilance of our Guest, and that He would
collect from them the designs of my perfidious Husband. Neither was
this the only step which I took to preserve the Stranger. Theodore was
confined to his bed by illness. I stole into his room unobserved by my
Tyrant, communicated to him my project, and He entered into it with
eagerness. He rose in spite of his malady, and dressed himself with
all speed. I fastened one of the Sheets round his arms, and lowered
him from the Window. He flew to the Stable, took Claude's Horse, and
hastened to Strasbourg. Had He been accosted by the Banditti, He was
to have declared himself sent upon a message by Baptiste, but
fortunately He reached the Town without meeting any obstacle.
Immediately upon his arrival at Strasbourg, He entreated assistance
from the Magistrature: His Story passed from mouth to mouth, and at
length came to the knowledge of my Lord the Baron. Anxious for the
safety of his Lady, whom He knew would be upon the road that Evening,
it struck him that She might have fallen into the power of the Robbers.
He accompanied Theodore who guided the Soldiers towards the Cottage,
and arrived just in time to save us from falling once more into the
hands of our Enemies.'

Here I interrupted Marguerite to enquire why the sleepy potion had been
presented to me. She said that Baptiste supposed me to have arms about
me, and wished to incapacitate me from making resistance: It was a
precaution which He always took, since as the Travellers had no hopes
of escaping, Despair would have incited them to sell their lives dearly.

The Baron then desired Marguerite to inform him, what were her present
plans. I joined him in declaring my readiness to show my gratitude to
her for the pres