You know, said she, that on the late death of my father, his estate
devolved on my brother, an officer in those troops in Italy commanded by
the prince of Conti:--some wounds, which were looked upon as extremely
dangerous, obliged him, when the campaign was over, to continue in his
winter quarters;--on which he sent to monsieur the count to take
possession in his name; this was done; but an intricate affair relating
to certain sums lodged in a person's hand, and to be brought before the
parliament of Paris, could not be decided without the presence either of
him or myself who had been witness of the transaction.--I was extremely
loth to take so long a journey, being then in very ill health; and
hearing he was recovered, delayed it, as we then expected him in
person:--I sent a special messenger, however, in order to hasten his
return;--but instead of complying with my desires, I received a letter
from him, acquainting me that a business of more moment to him than any
thing in my power to guess at, required his presence in another place,
and insisted, by all the tenderness which had ever been between us, that
I would take on myself the management of this affair:--to enable me the
better to do it, he sent me a deed of trust to act as I should find it
most expedient.

As he did not let me into the secret of what motives detained him at so
critical a juncture, I was at first very much surprized; but on asking
some questions of the messenger I had sent to him, I soon discovered
what it was. He told me that on his arrival, he found my brother had
left his quarters and was gone to Bolognia, on which he followed and
overtook him there;--that he appeared in the utmost discontent, and was
just preparing to proceed to Leghorn, but did not mention to him any
more than he did in his letter to me, what inducement he had to this
journey:--his servant, however, told him privately, that the mystery was
this:--That being passionately in love with a young English lady, whom