life out here when my children have such a claim upon me, because he whom the world recognizes as my husband has unlimited power and may violate the obligation resting as strongly upon him as me, because he is a man, and I a woman? No! By all these powers God has given me as a wife and mother I will get away from here to proclaim to the world the iniquity of its laws and the baseness of mankind, though my life be the forfeit."
She scanned the distance from her window to the ground, her room being fortunately in the second story, and formed her determination.
"If any human being is willing to assist me," she thought, "I should detest myself if I could not devise some way to raise myself above this degradation. I would jump from this window if only sure of escape afterwards. Let me think. If I should write to him to be here with his carriage and the fleetest horses he could procure, at such time of day as the house is most quiet, would there not be a possibility of getting beyond the reach of pursuit before they would get started?" It was a desperate venture, but she was desperate. Closely watched it required the greatest precaution to manage the affair without exciting suspicion that something was on foot, as well as in writing her letters. If Mr. Livingston should consent to her proposal which might well be doubted, not knowing what rash plan she had formed, of which she had not dared to give him the least intimation because it was rash, how could she be sure of any time when no one would be on the premises to stand in the way of her flight. Her anxiety during that
