The Colonel took out his handkerchief to wipe them away, but could not see them for his own-thus, without a word they stood, and I believe in innocence, tasted the most refined pleasures of friendship. "I will go and prepare for my departure," said he, collecting himself," and you must be so kind as to order Diego to accompany me, that I may send him on before occasionally; in the mean time," continued he, drawing a paper from his sleeve, " here is the little translation I promised to you; you can read it when you have nothing better to do." My lady took it from him with marked complaisance and put it in her bosom; the Colonel then observed there was no time to be lost, and that to arrive soon enough to prevent the snare, he proposed setting off at 10 o'clock that night, with seventy of his detachment, who had attached them. selves to his person, so that he begged a letter might be ready at that time for the Spanish General her uncle. My lady took him by the hand, with more pleasure in her countenance than I ever saw before in that of any one, and walked down stairs with him, continuing all the way to hold his hand-a piece of imprudence I should not have thought her capable of. Said I to myself, as they passed my hiding hole, if you meet Don Antonio now, what a precious explosion we shall have. However they encountered no one, and she returned in high spirits. About 10 o'clock Don Antonio came home, and found my lady and myself in the saloon; she had been writing, but was now playing and singing. She had very handsomely told me all I knew before, but there was still a strangeness in the matter, the drift of which I could not understand.— "Well my dear," said Don Antonio, "it gives me great pleasure to see you join in the general sensation of the day, for I was afraid that the departure of our guest might not be altogether agreeable to you." "He told me," replied my lady, "that he would go at 10 to-night; I shall be glad when he is gone," continued she; "but I am not uneasy-for I am sure he will keep his word.""It is just 10 now," said Don Antonio. " And there he is," returned she, seeing him enter the door. "Welcome, Colonel,” said Don Antonio. "I have only come to take leave," he replied; "I am just going." "Nay, you shall not go before supper," said Don Antonio. "I cannot stay one moment," rejoined the Colonel." You must stay supper," repeated Don Antonio, embracing him. "Excuse me, my dear friend," rejoined the Colonel, “ I cannot delay." "Let him go,” said my lady, " perhaps he can

not stay." "How do you know any thing about it," replied her husband angrily. "There it is, Colonel! now that you are going away, you may see really who are your friends among us. ."" Then" rejoined my lady," as you are so very kind, let us see you produce some of your liqueur de Barbade, and drink to the Colonel's good health before he goes." "Well, I will," said Don Antonio, and immediately went out of the saloon into the study, where he kept this precious stuff locked up. The instant he turned his back my lady drew a letter from her bosom, which she had written in the early part of the evening, and put it into the Colonel's hand.They seemed to have forgotten that I was in the room, for he kissed the hand that gave it to him, saying, "We will meet again I trust under more propitious circumstances." "May it please God" she replied," to crown our wishes!" They now looked at each other, as if they wished to say, or do something, which they did not dare; but they neither said, nor did any thing, but continued to hold each other's hands, looking I cannot tell how. "Farewell," said my lady, bursting from him; he struck his hand upon his forehead as she fled, and sunk upon the chair that stood near him. In a few minutes Don Antonio returned with a flask, but he solicited the Colonel in vain to taste of it, who turning round to me, as Don Antonio drank his health, said, "Farewell Duenna;" then taking a gold ring from his finger, which he gave to me, he embraced Don Antonio, and took his leave. "Where is Donna Aminta," said her husband to me, as soon as the Colonel had gone down stairs. "In her chamber," I replied; "where should she be?” “I should like to see her then," continued he," for there is no knowing what schemes there may be against me." "Oh," said I, "if you suspect any thing, come along with me." I now walked as slowly as possible to my lady's room, so that he lost all patience before we arrived there; which was just what pleased me. We found my lady sitting in the dark, but the candle which I carried in my hand showed her to be much engaged in thought. When Don Antonio found she was there, he apologized by saying he only wished to know where she would desire to sup. "I am not very well,” said she, “ Duenna, I would like to go to bed." He left us, and my lady proceeded to undress, and hurried herself to rest-but never could I imagine her reasons for it, unless it was to get rid of me; and God knows there was no occasion for that, as I was already in the secret: however, I kissed her hand and re

about a quarter of an hour, "I kiss your Excellency's "Have the goodness, then,"

That

tired to bed also. In the morning she called me to matins, which was the reverse of our custom. She looked as if she had slept little although she went to bed early. "It is late, Duenna," said she," although it be dark; the day is gloomy." I arose immediately, and certainly we were in the church before any body. I felt the morning very cold, and was very glad when we returned home to our chocolate: I took mine with great pleasure, but my lady turned her cup round and round, and stirred it twenty times, and then after dipping the toast, she left it there, and set down the cup. "I do not care for it, Brigida," said she; "tell Senor Juan I wish to speak to him." I obeyed; and in Senor Juan made his appearance. hand," said he, " pray command me." she replied, "to go through the town inquiring for all sorts of public news from Biscay." "I will do it willingly," said he, and withdrew. "Now, Brigida," said my lady, "we will go to our country garden, and there pass the day; I will take my guitar, and you your'spindle, that we may amuse ourselves if we can." is well put in," said I. The sun came out as we left the house, which made our walk extremely pleasant, for the morning had been dark and lowering, with a cold east wind. It was 9 o'clock when we entered the garden, where we amused ourselves counting the bunches on a muscadine vine during the greater part of the forenoon. "This is endless work," said my lady; " I have no genius for counting truly, come." Now, I counted the bunches over and over again patiently, while my lady walked up and down the gravel before me. "How many do you think there are ?" said I. "Perhaps 666," said my lady. "No, indeed," replied I," the good vine is not the beast in the Apocalypse." "I wish it were," exclaimed she, "we should soon root him out, even if he had fourteen crowns and twenty horns, and every crown and every horn was marked Napoleon." "Heaven save us, my lady!" said I, crossing myself. I always have the horrors when one speaks of the devil.""Come, come, Duenna," said she "let us talk no more of him. Come away and help me to gather some laurel and a few roses, that to-morrow I may have a garland ready for ———.” “For whom, my lady ?" said I at once. “ « For a friend of ours, for a friend of our country." "The French Colonel, my life on it!" exclaimed I" Not a word, Brigida," said she. "But in one thing you have been mistaken. He is not a Frenchman, but a Tyrolese,

forced into Napoleon's service, and hating its crimes.” “Oh, I am so glad!" said I, " now I understand the mystery of your loves." "No, Brigida," she replied, " do not mislead yourself. If I were inclined to love him I dare not, my heart will never admit an unbecoming sentiment." "But you looked at him as if you could love him," said I. "Perhaps I did, Brigida; but you make no distinction between the action and the person. It is abundantly easy to abhor an action, and yet to love the person guilty of it. I own it to be the case with Don Antonio. Now if I can separate Don Antonio and his conduct, why not Monsieur Walstein and his ?"— "You are perhaps right, my child," observed I: "but remember what you yourself said to the Colonel about the danger of tempting love in any shape. "Depend upon it, Duenna," she replied, "it is a mistake to say that love overcomes all things, or that he is the tyrant of our liberty. To attribute all to fate and necessity, is but the weak stratagem of lovers to excuse their own faults." “I cannot argue with you, my dear," said I; "but pray keep in mind the fable of the moth and the taper" She made no reply, but smiled; then taking a paper from her bosom, she said, “ Neither you nor Armida's bird shall have any influence over my sentiments." 66 Pray, my lady, what says Armida's bird to the question ?" She read it as translated by the Colonel. Well," said she, it is very pretty," as she finished it, and folded up the paper.

66

66

"And now let us gather the roses and laurels; but I will mix no myrtle with my garland I assure you. Would to heaven that I could in reality entwine it with the olive!" I do not know how I could have made the mistake, but so it was, that I plucked cypress instead of laurel. She took it from me, then looking wistfully on me, dropped it on the ground, and burst into tears. "Blessed saints!" said I " my lady, what is the matter?" Nothing, nothing," said she, recovering herself; "a sudden thought occurred that had almost overpowered me, but it was too like a fuolish superstition. I will think no more of it. But we must gather some of this laurel," continued she, going to a shrub, and without looking at it pulling the leaves. I was surprised. "What would you do with that, my lady? it is aconite." "You know nothing about these things, I see," said she, rather displeased. along, we will go home."

"Come

We arrived just time enough for dinner. But my lady sat at ta

ble, like the statue of thought feeding upon itself. Once or twice she attempted to eat something, but seemed to forget that she had put it to her lips. Don Antonio took his cigar, and my lady and I retired to her room. "I shall not lie down," said she, on entering it," for I cannot rest. But Brigida, bring me my father's and mother's hair from the wardrobe, that I may employ myself in plaiting it." "Dear my lady," observed I what puts such a fancy into your head, as to think of plaiting dead people's hair? Rosina can do it at any time, and there is no chance of making her melancholy" "I am rather unhappy, Duenna, though I do not know why; and I think looking at my father's and mother's hair may comfort me." " 'If so, my lady, it shall be done;" and so saying, I brought it out. «Now, Brigida, send for Rosina, to settle my own hair, while I employ myself with this." I called Rosina, who set about her work, but after she had taken out the braids, and let the hair fall, she was desired to leave it, and help to arrange the long tresses of the dead. By my assistance they were soon set in order, and looked, what they were, the true and plain procfs of Iberian blood. My lady fastened them together, and hung them thus round her own neck. She stood up to admire their length; and indeed it was admirable, for they hung down to her feet, like a sable tippet, such as you may have seen worn by some beautiful maiden of England or Russia. As she stood, her figure engaged me much, but her countenance still more; I would have given the world to know what thoughts passed in her mind, as she gazed upon the dark tresses of her parents, but whatever they were, her soul seemed entirely occupied, it was perhaps filled with a presentiment of what was so soon to come.

The door of the chamber opened. I thought it was accident, and went to shut it. To my astonishment I saw Diego, pale and covered with dust; he looked like a ghost escaped from a charnel house. "What ails you," cried I. He spoke not a word, but opened his mouth as if exhausted. "Who is it?" said my lady. "Diego," said I," and the picture of death, Senora." She flew to the door, and catching him by the arm, looked him eagerly in the face, and shook her head. "It is all over then?" He made no answer, but with a trembling hand drew a paper from his breast; she looked at it for a moment, and then dropt it from her hand, exclaiming, "O my God!" She sunk upon the floor. While Rosina ran for water, I knowing it was no time for ceremony, picked up the paper; it was thus :