d often sollicited
her love on unlawful terms, and being rejected by her, had taken this
dishonourable way of compassing his desires, at a place where he knew
she was alone, and wholly a stranger.

The fright and confusion she had been in, had rendered her so faint,
that it was with infinite difficulty she brought out these words; but
having something given her to refresh her spirits, and being conducted
into another room out of the crowd, she began, by degrees, to
recover herself.

Monsieur du Plessis then informed her, that on coming to Melanthe's, and
hearing she was gone, he immediately took boat, resolving to prevail on
her to alter her resolution of going to England, or dye at her feet:
that he easily found the inn she was at, and that the man of the house
presently told him, such a person as he described was there; but that he
understood she had eloped from her husband, who had pursued, and was now
above with her.

Never, said this faithful lover, did any horror equal what I felt at
this intelligence!--The base count de Bellfleur came presently into my
mind:--I thought it could be no other who had taken this abhored method
of accomplishing the menaces you may remember I repeated to you:--I was
going to fly up stairs that instant, but was withheld, and found it best
to argue the man into reason, who, I found, was fully prepossessed you
were his wife: as I was giving some part of your history, I saw the
count's man passing thro' the hall; he saw me too, and would have
avoided me, but I ran to him, seized him by the throat, and asked him
what business had brought either him or his master to this place: the
disorder he was in, and the hesitation with which he spoke, together
with refusing to give any direct answer, very much staggered the
innkeeper, who was just consenting to go up with me to your chamber, and
examine into the truth of this affair, when we saw you come down, armed
as your virtue prompted, and at the same time flying from the
villain's pursuit.

Louisa could not help confessing that she owed the preservation of her
honour wholly to him; for, said she, the people were so fully persuaded
not only that I was his wife, but also that I had fled from him on some
unwarrantable intent, that all I did, or could have done, would only
have served to render me more guilty in their opinion; and it must have
been by death alone I could have escaped the monster's more
detested lust.

Monsieur du Plessis now m