 be rather serious, but this he ought to have foreseen.
He says, in his vile scrawl, for the wretch can hardly write legibly, that he had at first intended carrying her home to her father's—but on finding she freely declared no power on earth should ever compel her to give him her hand! That she abhorred him! That death in any shape would be infinitely preferable to her than being united to a villain who had dared to insult her in the manner he had done! He was so highly provoked, and at the same time fearing her father, on finding her so resolutely determined against him, might retract his promise, that he, in an evilhour, resolved to convey her to a house of his own, and there to treat

her with less ceremony than he had hitherto done in revenge for the contempt with which she had treated him.
He at once put his plan in execution, so that he had her now intirely in his power; but with the violence of her agitations she had thrown herself into a sever; was at the moment he wrote delirious, and by the doctors pronounced in the utmost danger.
After the fatal step I have taken (adds he) it is not in the nature of things I can inform her family of what has happened; this would be setting myself in no very favourable light, and all my hopes must then be at an end, since it is impossible they can pardon this outrage; gladly would I marry her, even now, though convinced her heart is in the possession of another, could I thereby get honourably out of this confounded trouble; should she die, and, if I may believe the physicians, her recovery is very doubtful, I shall have reason to curse the day I ever set eyes on her.
He then, Caroline, implores me to write instantly, and tell him what I would advise

him to do. Were I to give him any advice it should be to hang himself at once, both for his own sake and mine.
The fellow's an errant coward, it is evident, and of course may be tempted by his fears to impeach; yet, as I am not, let him do his worst, with all my soul. The letter I wrote on the subject is all he has to produce against me, and it is wrote in so friendly a stile, so consonant to the wishes of all her family, except the old Aunt, that I think it will acquit me of any evil intention, did I care any thing about it. But the truth is
