When she had looked it over, without a single comment she gave it to the Marchioness, but her looks prepared her friend for some dreadful intelligence. "Good heavens! (cried she) what a villain! every thing now is past a doubt—most certainly he has destroyed my sister, and by burning the castle, sought to make away with the person privy to his transactions."
When the Marquis had read it, "By all means, (said he) let Joseph be sent for immediately, he will prove a material witness, and I am determined, if no news arrives from her shortly, to enter a process against the Count, and oblige him to produce her.
A servant was ordered to set off the following morning to bring Joseph, and the Marquis wrote to thank the Baron for protecting him.
Various and melancholy were their conjectures relative to the Countess, whosestrange
