Eugenia's spirits, and it was to relieve her disquietudes, and by a diversity of objects engage her attention from dwelling on one set of painful ideas, that the Count undertook a journey to Munich, and by a cruel fatality was thrown in my way to complete my misery; we had little doubt but that her lover had been instrumental in her flight, and that a secret correspondence had been carried on between them, but how or which way they could have conducted her escape, so as to baffle all intelligence, has ever remained a mystery to this hour.
I had scarcely attained a state of convalescence, before the old Count fell ill; indignation had for a time supported him, whilst there remained any hopes of discovering her; but when all our different messengers returned unsuccessful, he began to droop, and in proportion as grief and reflection on the loss of an only child, took possession of his mind, his bodily strength decayed. After staying with me near three months, heavily oppressed both in mind and body, hopeless and lan-
