least for a few moments," said she," till the numbness which has seized you is dissolved." To which the soldier replied, that nothing could save his life, if it should ever be known. The young woman replied, with vivacity," that he would undoubtedly lose it by staying, and that death which was certain must be avoided first. Nor was it certain, or even probable, that the fact should ever be known to any one; and Heaven, that was so merciful, would not be so much against him.”Although it should be unknown," said the soldier, "how could I dare forsake my post so vilely, and leave it defenceless? Neither my duty nor my honour would suffer it."-" Though you go," said she, with a determined voice, "I do not intend that the post should remain abandoned; for a few moments I shall have courage enough to supply your place. Come, then, no more words; give me those arms." She then said so much, and enforced her entreaties with her tears to such a degree, that the soldier, overcome by them, and also urged by pressing necessity, as he saw that it would not be in his power to resist long, in the state in which he found himself, against such piercing cold, and likewise comforting himself with the hope that in a few moments he would be able to return to his post, and that the circumstance would never come to light; he therefore followed her advice, gave her his arms, cap, and great coat, intrusted her with the parole, and departed.

The pleasure of having saved her lover was the cause that the delicate young woman hardly felt the cold, although it was really intolerable; when, alas! soon after, the round made its appearance. Dismayed at the unforeseen event, instead of challenging the round, as usual in such cases, the affrighted young woman found her voice failed, and she kept silent. The round, on receiving no answer, thought that the sentry was asleep or gone; they ran immediately to the post, and found with astonishment in his place, and under his garb, a young woman, who, full of terror and confusion, could not find words to give an account of her coming

here.

She was taken to the guard-house, and when recovered, related with a flood of tears, imploring pity for her lover, all that had happened. A party of soldiers was despatched without delay to her house, where the man was found, but so benumbed and stiff with cold, that they despaired of ever recovering him. They began to warm him, and continued their endeavours so long, that at last they brought him to himself.

The unhappy man found he had been brought back to life, only to suffer a more cruel and lamentable death; for the next day a court-martial was held, and, as he had foreseen, he was condemned. What words could express the anguish and sorrow of the unhappy young woman, who, besides being doomed to lose the sole object of her love in so horrid a manner, felt the remorse of having been the cause of his mournful end!However, her grief, far from discouraging and overcoming her, gave her new courage and strength. With dishevelled hair and loud lamentations, she instantly ran wherever she thought to find pity and assistance for him. The unheard-of new case excited already by itself compassion for both, in the hearts of all who were informed of it, and in particular, admiration for the tender young woman who had given such singular proof of ardent and courageous love. Persons of all ranks, and especially those of the highest, were not slow in interposing their good offices, that, in consideration of the extraordinary circumstances attending the case, the rigour of the law might be mitigated. The ladies in particular, considering her as a new ornament to her sex, employed such strong interest and prevailing entreaties, that the prisoner was pardoned freely and the worthy young woman had not only the happiness of saving his life, but shortly after was united to him in marriage, with a handsome portion, according to her condition, by which she saw the fortunate accomplishment of all her wishes.

THE FATAL REVENGE.

M. DE LA PLACE relates in his memoirs, that as he once entered Brussels, he saw an immense crowd preceding and following the officers of justice, who were conducting a female culprit to the place of execution. She was a young woman of remarkably fine person, and whose features were so peculiarly interesting, that even the horrors of her situation could not destroy their effect. Her appearance was rendered peculiar by her dress, which consisted of a jacket and pantaloons of white satin. He eagerly inquired the nature of her crime, and why she had chosen so unusual a dress in which to undergo her sentence, when an officer of justice said to him, "I can fully satisfy you on these points, as I attended her trial before the ordinary tribunal, the sentence of which was yesterday confirmed by the supreme council of Brabant. When arraigned, she addressed herself to the judge, and said, 'My lord, in order to shorten proceedings, the length of which would be more painful to me than death itself, I entreat you to listen to my story. I shall conceal nothing but the circumstances of my birth and family, which no earthly torture shall induce me to reveal. I was scarcely more than sixteen years old, when I fell a victim to an almost unexampled plan of base and deliberate seduction, which led me in the issue to Paris, where I was reduced to extremities that exposed me to the arts of those wretches who prey upon the miseries of my sex. After every gradation of a vile and hateful course of life, the scenes of which may be imagined, but which it would rack me to death to describe, I was reduced to the last extremity of wretchedness. At that moment I was relieved by a man of the lower order, it is true; but it was one whom, from gratitude and feeling, I found that I could sincerely love. A fortunate lottery ticket produced me ten thousand livres, and enabled me to return the obligations I had been laid under. Our love was mutual; we resolved ' to live for each other alone; we resolved to be united

by the sacred obligations of marriage; and mutually vowed that the first act of infidelity should be punished by the forfeiture of the life of the guilty party. I can safely affirm, my lord, that from that moment the observance of this duty became a pleasure to me, and that the deceased himself would have done ample justice to me in this particular, had he lived. Each happy in a state of life that set us above want, our situation was really enviable, when the unfortunate death of the Prince of Conti, whom my husband served as coachman, deprived us of more than half our little income. Soon after this, the Count, with whom he had lived previous to his engagement with the deceased prince, promised to exert himself to procure a similar situation for him under Prince Charles of Lorraine, governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands. With this encouragement, we set out for Brussels, where I made use of our remaining money to establish myself in a little way of business, till the promised recommendation in our favour should take effect. But idleness, that root of all evil, and the want of proper occupation, having led my husband among the disorderly houses in the suburbs, the report of an act of his infidelity soon reached me, and produced such an effect, that my life was thought to be in danger. But he appeared to be so sincerely affected by his misconduct, that after having brought the terms of our agreement to his recollection, I suffered myself to be appeased, but with a solemn threat, that I would not forgive his next infidelity, should he offend again. Alas! he deceived me again; and I overlooked his second aggravation, for still I loved him ardently. But finding shortly after, that he not only continued his irregularities, but that after stripping me of the only money I had remaining, and dispossessing me of the few trinkets I possessed, he had concerted a plan to set out, in the dead of the night, for Paris, with my rival, my rage burst its bounds. That night, that fatal night, my hand was unfortunately directed to a sword which he always kept in his bedchamber. I stabbed him-mortally stabbed him with it, while he slept. I did not fly, though, as I had at least

four hours before me, I might have been far from Brussels, and have saved myself before my crime was discovered; but at the sight of his blood-of that blood which a few weeks before I would have given my own to have preserved, I was so overcome, that I fainted on the spot. I recovered in about two hours after, just in time to see my murdered husband expire in my arms, and with his dying looks, for speak he could not, forgive me. I seized the reeking instrument of my revenge, and was about to plunge it in my own bosom. No, cried I, such an act would be too mild a punishment for me: the severest sufferings can scarcely atone for such heavy guilt. I left not the body for a single instant, till the officers of justice appeared to arrest me; and all that I now seek, is to have that execution hastened, which can alone expiate my crime.' Never was I so deeply affected," said the officer to M. de la Place, "as by the calm and solemn dignity of manner with which this address was delivered; and being desirous to know if her courage would equally uphold her in the presence of the supreme tribunal, I attended there likewise, and found her alike firm and undaunted, till the announcement of her sentence, which was, that she should be broken alive on the wheel. The wheel!' said she, with a piercing shriek, that penetrated my very soul: 'do you forget that I am a woman?' Such, she was told, was the law in a case like hers. Ah!' said she, in a voice half broken with sobs, had I known this sooner,'—but recovering herself immediately after, 'Forgive me, gentlemen,' said she, for this transport; there is no degree of suffering or humiliation but I am prepared to undergo. Only allow me, and I shall be resigned to my fate-only allow me to appear upon the scaffold with that decent degree of covering which may screen my naked limbs.'

"Her request was granted; and, returning thanks to her judges, she was re-conducted to prison. The dress was then prepared for her; that dress in which you have just seen her proceeding to execution."