ld not be decided without the presence either of
him or myself who had been witness of the transaction.--I was extremely
loth to take so long a journey, being then in very ill health; and
hearing he was recovered, delayed it, as we then expected him in
person:--I sent a special messenger, however, in order to hasten his
return;--but instead of complying with my desires, I received a letter
from him, acquainting me that a business of more moment to him than any
thing in my power to guess at, required his presence in another place,
and insisted, by all the tenderness which had ever been between us, that
I would take on myself the management of this affair:--to enable me the
better to do it, he sent me a deed of trust to act as I should find it
most expedient.

As he did not let me into the secret of what motives detained him at so
critical a juncture, I was at first very much surprized; but on asking
some questions of the messenger I had sent to him, I soon discovered
what it was. He told me that on his arrival, he found my brother had
left his quarters and was gone to Bolognia, on which he followed and
overtook him there;--that he appeared in the utmost discontent, and was
just preparing to proceed to Leghorn, but did not mention to him any
more than he did in his letter to me, what inducement he had to this
journey:--his servant, however, told him privately, that the mystery was
this:--That being passionately in love with a young English lady, whom
he had placed in a monastery at Bolognia, and expected to find there at
his return, she had in his absence departed, without having acquainted
him with her design; and that supposing she was gone for England, and
unable to live without her, his intention was to take shipping for that
country, and make use of his utmost efforts to find her out.

I must confess, pursued the beautiful countess, this piece of quixotism
very much veved me:--I thought his friends in France deserved more from
him than to be neglected for one who fled from him, and who, as the man
said, he knew not whether he should be able ever to see again. I
resolved, however, to comply with his desires, and came immediately to
Paris; but heaven has shewed him how little it approves his giving me
this unnecessary trouble, for this morning I received a letter from him,
that meeting with robbers in his way, they had taken from him all his
money and bills of exchange, besides wounding him in several places, so
that