tions exceeded those of the ladies with whom I was acquainted, and as the difficulty of the undertaking seemed great, I became the more desirous of securing to myself the affection she seemed disposed to lavish on her husband alone. You see how bad I was; but prepare yourself for worse deeds than even what I have said promises.

"Mrs. Montreville, who at this time had a sister residing with her, being light-hearted and active, was very desirous of obtaining permission to accompany her husband on the expedition; her sister, she said, would take care of the children, and she would be useful to her husband in many little offices which a woman alone can perform. In vain the hardship and danger she would incur were set before her; in vain she was urged by all (myself excepted) to give up the wild scheme; she seemed so anxious to accompany her husband now, at the first time she would have it in her power to do so, as at another, her sister would not be on the spot to take care of her children, that our superior, Mr. Lambert, reluctantly consented, in consideration of the merits of Montreville, who we feared, should the request be denied, might abandon the expedition altogether. I was delighted with the arrangement. I saw in it only a series of opportunities for gaining affections which were pledged to another; reckless wretch that I was! regardless of the consequences to myself, to the man, to the woman had set my whole soul on ruining.

"After a stay of two nights at Montreville's cottage, we once more resumed our journey. Mrs. Montreville fully acted up to all she had advanced of her powers of enduring fatigue and hardship; and so unsuspicious was she of any sinister design on my part, that she permitted me to improve my acquaintance with her, and to perform many little services for which there occur frequent opportunities, on a long and perilous journey, sometimes performed on foot, sometimes on horses, sometimes in canoes. Her ready and grateful reception of my attentions, and the rational degree of satisfaction she appeared to take in my society, encouraged me in believing myself peculiarly favoured; and moreover, an incident occurred, which materially contributed to confirm that impression. On one of those occasions, when it fell to my turn to become a pedestrian, I accidentally drove a thorn into my foot. The pain and inflammation became so acute that it was vain for me to attempt to ride, much less walk; and the further prosecution of our journey was in consequence delayed for two days. Mrs. Montreville was the only female of the party; on her, therefore, especially devolved the office of nurse, She tended me with an assiduity and carefulness, which confirmed my belief of having materially gained ground in her affections. The vanity of man is ever on the alert; and very little encouragement suffices to induce the belief that he is signally peferred. Those offices of kindness in Mrs. Montreville, which women

rarely fail in conferring on their patients, I looked upon as tokens of especial favour towards myself individually; and fully impressed with the idea, I took an early opportunity after my recovery, of making advances towards the lady, which were met with surprise and incredulity, rather than anger or disdain. Nothing daunted, however, and giving little credit to Mrs. Montreville for any other quality than an unwillingness to appear ready to yield too easily, a few days afterwards I repeated my attack; but this time was answered by an indignant rebuff, and an intreaty not to force her to seek the protection of her husband. This nettled me to the quick. Provoked beyond control at my attempts having proved unsuccessful, enraged that a man, and that man my inferior, should be held in terrorem over me, I resolved to brave him. That very day I laid a plan forcibly to carry off Mrs. Montreville; and I determined on the following evening to carry my nefarious plan into execution.

"We were all remarkably well furnished with horses; mine was a superior one, and on him I mainly calculated to effect my purpose.

"Montreville was, I knew, in his turn to keep watch when we encamped for the night; his wife would not, therefore, have the benefit of his protection, nor I the obstacle of his presence in accomplishing the end I had in view. My intention was to entice her from her tent after the watch was set, on pretence of shewing her a curious wild flower which opened its petals only

at dusk; and imperceptibly leading her on towards the spot where my horse was in readiness saddled and bridled, to place her upon it before me, and set off full gallop to a distant part of the wood with which I was acquainted, for we had not yet advanced beyond that country with which from previous excursions I was familiar.

"It was our custom to set the watch at sun-set; immediately after that time I sought Montreville's tent; and found his wife engaged in preparing the food with which it was her custom to supply her husband on those evenings when he was employed in the manner I have described. She looked pale, and seemed suffering. To my enquiries after her health, she replied she had caught a cold and severe head ache, but expressed a confidence that she should soon be better. In her answers and deportment I thought I perceived a coldness and distrust, probably the consequences of my previous conduct towards her, which induced me to put forth all my powers of pleasing, and to assume a respectfulness of manner which should lull any suspicion she might have formed of the object of my visit at an hour which might be deemed somewhat unseasonable. I succeeded so far; and she soon resumed her usual placid and unreserved manner. Not even her suffering appearance could turn me from my purpose. I had determined, come what might, to be no longer baffled by a woman and an American; nor did

I for a moment waver in the plan I was resolved to

pursue.

"In my acquaintance with Mrs. Montreville, I had discovered in her a taste for botany; and one of my modes of ingratiating myself, had been my searching for, and bringing her, such rare and curious plants, as I know to be worthy the attention of the botanist. Imperceptibly leading the conversation to this topic, I requested her to show me the specimens she had already collected, and mentioned to her, that in the course of my walk that morning, I had seen a plant, which I thought would please her particularly, and which would be a desirable sample to add to her present collection. I then proposed to her to go with me. and look at it, alleging that she would be enabled better to see its remarkable properties on its native stem, than if I gathered and brought it to her. She hesitated, I urged her, saying the evening was fine, the distance from the encampment a mere trifle, and the air would be likely to prove of service to her health. At length she suffered herself to be persuaded, and we left the tent together.

"We passed the boundary of the camp. As the twilight increased, and then rapidly deepened into gloom, she stopped and seemed unwilling to proceed.

"It is but a short distance beyond where we are,' said I; 'do not go back now, the light will last us long enough.' As I said this, a malignant smile perhaps played upon my features, for with some indication of