She gave it me to read over,
after we had compiled it together, and I still have my copy. It ran as
follows:
"I can hardly hope you will trust me again, but if I betrayed you, you
drove me to it. I have given them your money; it is in the bank now.
M. refuses to give it up, and the C. means to take it to-night. He
will have only a few men, the rest not near. He will be at the bank
at two, with about twenty men. Take your own measures. All here favor
you. He threatens me violence unless I marry him at once. He watches
_The Songstress_, but if you can leave her at anchor and land in a
boat there will be no suspicion. I swear this is true; do not punish
me more by disbelieving me. I make no protest. But if you come back
to me I will give you, in return for pardon, _anything you ask_!
"CHRISTINA.
"P.S.---M. and the C. are on bad terms, and M. will not be active
against you."
Upon the whole I thought this would bring him. I doubted whether he
would believe very much in it, but it looked probable (indeed, it was
word for word true, as far as it went), and held out a bait that he
would find it hard to resist. Again, he was so fond of a bold stroke,
and so devoid of fear, that it was very likely he could come and see
if it were true.
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