aching interview with
her uncle she regarded with some degree of hope, for she determined to
represent to him the distresses of her situation, and to entreat that he
would allow her to return to France with him and Madame Quesnel. Then,
suddenly remembering that her beloved La Vallee, her only home, was no
longer at her command, her tears flowed anew, and she feared that she
had little pity to expect from a man who, like M. Quesnel, could dispose
of it without deigning to consult with her, and could dismiss an aged
and faithful servant, destitute of either support or asylum. But, though
it was certain, that she had herself no longer a home in France, and
few, very few friends there, she determined to return, if possible,
that she might be released from the power of Montoni, whose particularly
oppressive conduct towards herself, and general character as to others,
were justly terrible to her imagination. She had no wish to reside with
her uncle, M. Quesnel, since his behaviour to her late father and to
herself, had been uniformly such as to convince her, that in flying to
him she could only obtain an exchange of oppressors; neither had she the
slightest intention of consenting to the proposal of Valancourt for an
immediate marriage, though this would give her a lawful and a generous
protector, for the chief reasons, which had formerly influenced her
conduct, still existed against it, while others, which seemed to justify
the step, would not be done away; and his interest, his fame were at all
times too dear to her, to suffer her to consent to a union, which, at
this early period of their lives, would probably defeat both. One sure,
and proper asylum, however, would still be open to her in France.
She knew that she could board in the convent, where she had formerly
experienced so much kindness, and which had an affecting and solemn
claim upon her heart, since it contained the remains of her late father.
Here she could remain in safety and tranquillity, till the term, for
which La Vallee might be let, should expire; or, till the arrangement
of M. Motteville's affairs enabled her so far to estimate the remains of
her fortune, as to judge whether it would be prudent for her to reside
there.

Concerning Montoni's conduct with respect to his letters to M. Quesnel,
she had many doubts; however he might be at first mistaken on the
subject, she much suspected that he wilfully persevered in his error, as
a means of intimidating he