e, and was not very high up; besides, there were soft
flower-beds underneath to break my fall; so I thought by tying the
sheets together, and fastening them to an iron bar that divided the
lattice, I might reach the ground in safety. I was a little creature,
and though the space was not large, it sufficed for me to get through;
and when all was quiet, and I thought every body was in bed, I made the
attempt, and succeeded. I had to jump the last few feet, and I was over
my ankles in the soft mould; but that did not signify--I was free; and
taking to my heels, I ran off to my mother's, who lived then in a
cottage hard by, where we are now sitting; and after telling her what
had happened, it was agreed that I should go to bed, and that if anybody
came to inquire for me she should say I was ill of the fever, and could
not be seen. I knew when morning came I should be missed, for doubtless
the count would go to my room; and besides that, I had left the sheets
hanging out of the window.

"For two days, however, to my great surprise, we heard nothing; but on
the third, Philippe (the young man I was engaged to) hearing I was not
at the Beaugency house, came to our cottage to inquire about me. We had
not met for some time, the countess having forbidden all communication
between us, as she had a horrible dread of the fever, so that he could
only hear of me through my mother. 'Rosina is here, and unwell,' said my
mother: 'we think she's got the fever;' for though we might have trusted
Philippe with our lives, we thought it would be safer for him to be
ignorant of what had happened. Upon this he begged leave to see me; and
she brought him into my chamber. After asking about himself, and telling
him I was very poorly, and so forth, he said, 'This is a sad thing for
the countess!' 'What is?' I asked. 'Your being ill at this time,' said
he, 'when she must want you so much.' 'What do you mean?' said I; 'the
countess is not at the house?' 'Don't you know she's come back,' said
he, 'and that she's ill? The doctor has been sent for, and they say
she's very bad.' 'Gracious heavens!' I exclaimed; 'is it possible? My
poor dear mistress ill, and I not with her!' 'Robert, the footman,
says,' continued Philippe--'but he bade me not mention it to any
body--that when they stopped at the inn at Montlouis, Rateau, the
landlord, came to the carriage-door, and asked if she had seen M. Eugene
de Beaugency; and that when the countess turned quite pale a