had regarded her, though to escape haď never entered the mind of Louisa, whom long confinement had enervated, and rendered almost incapable of exertion.

Miss Freeman was just sinking into a slumber, when, suddenly turning into a narrow lane, they were met by another chaise driving with the utmost rapidity. Their meeting was so sudden, that there was not time for the drivers to avoid running against each other: the chaise in which the ladies were was instantly over turned, and falling on the side Miss Freeman sat, she was hurled with violence against the bank, which was composed of chalk and flints, and lay, apparently de prived of life, bleeding and disfigured.

CHAP. IV.

Her act did not o'ertake her bad intent;

And must be buried, but as an intent

That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects
Intents but merely thoughts.

SHAKESPEAR.

LOUISA received no injury from the accident, except that occasioned by terror; from which she was soon restored by the person in the chaise which had caused her alarm, who instantly leaped out, and flew to rescue the ladies from their perilous situation: he bore Louisa in his arms, and seating her in his carriage, returned to her companion, who lay without any appearance of life. The stranger having placed her by the side of Louisa, applied himself to staunch the blood which flowed profusely from a large wound in her temple. Having suc

ceeded, he endeavoured with Louisa's assistance to restore her senses; but without effect, till the motion of the car

riage (which the stranger had ordered to proceed to the nearest place likely to afford assistance), by causing the most excruciating pain, awoke her to a sense of her misfortune. Uttering a deep groan, she opened her eyes, and, fixing them for a moment on Louisa, (who, with a look of the utmost pity for her sufferings, was trying to alleviate them), she again closed them with a sigh of mental anguish, apparently more hard to bear than that which was occasioned by her wound.

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The stranger observing her emotion, and supposing it arose from a fear that her young companion, (whose clothes were stained with the blood which had flowed from her wound,) was hurt, entreated her in the most soothing tone to be composed. As the young lady had

not received the slightest injury; but was suffering under the greatest anxiety on her account, which, he hoped, would be soon relieved, if she could bear the motion of the chaise till they arrived at the town now in sight; where he had no doubt surgical assistance could be procured, and she would soon be restored to

ease.

Miss Freeman, who had now perfectly recovered her senses, in a voice rendered scarcely articulate by the excess of pain, endeavoured to express the satisfaction 18 it gave her to hear Louisa had escaped unhurt.

"For myself," said she, "I deserve the fate which has overtaken me. Oh! that my sufferings here could expiate the magnitude of my offences; but they are

too great to be forgiven. Deception and ingratitude have been my least faults, but if I am permitted to live, I will en deavour to atone by →→→

As she spoke with difficulty and great pain, Louisa joined the stranger in requesting her to desist from inflicting agony on herself by talking. The lat+ ter appeared to think her brain was disordered, and that her self-accusations were the ravings of insanity. Louisa did not attempt to contradict this opinion; her gentle nature would not suffer her to express to a stranger the reason she had to believe that what the agonised penitent had accused herself of was toe true, or that she herself, at the time the accident happened, was suffering under her malignancy; unconscious of having ever in the slightest degree given occasion for her to dislike or treat her with unkindness.

When they arrived at the nearest house, which fortunately proved to be an inn, a surgeon was sent for, who, upon examining the wound Miss Freeman had received on her temple, pronounced it to