"I will not dwell upon the persecution I endured from the king, whose passion increased in proportion to my resistance--I will not dwell upon the arts, the infamous arts, used to induce me to comply with his wishes--neither will I dwell upon the desperate measure I had determined to resort to, if driven to the last strait--nor would I mention the subject at all, except to assure you I escaped contamination where few escaped it." "You need not give me any such assurance," remarked Leonard.
"While I was thus almost driven to despair," pursued Nizza, "a young female who attended me, and affected to deplore my situation, offered to help me to escape.

I eagerly embraced the offer; and one night, having purloined, as she stated, the key of the chamber in which I was lodged, she conducted me by a back staircase into the palace-gardens.

Thinking myself free, I warmly thanked my supposed deliverer, who hurried me towards a gate, at which she informed me a man was waiting to guide me to a cottage about a mile from the city, where I should be in perfect safety." "I see the device," cried Leonard.

"But, why--why did you trust her ?" "What could I do ?" rejoined Nizza.

"To stay was as bad as to fly, and might have been worse.