een his child. He was moreover consoled somewhat
by the assurance which I gave him, and in which I myself felt implicit
confidence at the time, that the necessity for the simulation of
deafness and dumbness on my part would cease the moment my father should
be no more. In a word, the kind Dr. Duras promised to act entirely in
accordance with my wishes; and I accordingly became Nisida the deaf and
dumb!"

"Merciful heavens! that immeasurable sacrifice was made for me!" cried
Francisco, throwing himself into the arms of his sister and imprinting a
thousand kisses on her cheeks.

"Yes--for your sake and in order to carry out the dying commands of our
mother, the sainted Vitangela?" responded Nisida. "I shall not weary you
with a description of the feelings and emotions with which I commenced
that long career of duplicity; by the very success that attended the
part which I had undertaken to perform you may estimate the magnitude
and the extent of the exertions which it cost me thus to maintain myself
a living--a constant--and yet undetected lie! Ten years passed away--ten
years, marked by many incidents which made me rejoice, for your sake,
Francisco, that I had accepted the self-martyrdom which circumstances
had suggested to me. At length our father lay upon his death bed: and
then--oh! then I rejoiced--yes, rejoiced, though he was dying; for I
thought that the end of my career of duplicity was at hand. Judge, then,
of my astonishment--my grief--my despair, when I heard the last
injunctions which our father addressed to you, Francisco, on that bed of
death. What could the mystery of the closet mean? Of that I _then_ knew
nothing. Wherefore was I to remain in complete ignorance of the
instructions thus given to you? And what was signified by the words
relative to the disposal of our father's property? For you may remember
that he spoke thus, addressing himself of course to you:--'You will find
that I have left the whole of my property to you. At the same time my
will specifies certain conditions relative to your sister Nisida, for
whom I have made due provision only in the case--which is, alas! almost
in defiance of every hope!--of her recovery from that dreadful
affliction which renders her so completely dependent upon your
kindness.' These ominous and mysterious words seemed to proclaim defeat
and overthrow to all the hopes that I had formed relative to the
certainty of your being left the sole and unconditional heir ali