ned to me, or when
you were in Trapani you wanted common sensibility."

"In truth, Ricardo," replied Mahmoud, "if she whom you have depicted in
such glowing colours is not Leonisa, the daughter of Rodolfo Florencio,
I know not who she is, for that lady alone was famed as you have
described."

"Leonisa it is, Mahmoud," exclaimed Ricardo; "Leonisa is the sole cause
of all my bliss and all my sorrow; it is for her, and not for the loss
of liberty, that my eyes pour forth incessant tears, my sighs kindle the
air, and my wailings weary heaven and the ears of men. It is she who
makes me appear in your eyes a madman, or at least a being devoid of
energy and spirit. This Leonisa, so cruel to me, was not so to another,
and this is the cause of my present miserable plight. For you must know
that, from my childhood, or at least from the time I was capable of
understanding, I not only loved, but adored and worshipped her, as
though I knew no other deity on earth. Her parents and relations were
aware of my affection for her, and never showed signs of disapproving
it, for they knew that my designs were honourable and virtuous; and I
know that they often said as much to Leonisa, in order to dispose her to
receive me as her betrothed; but she had set her heart on Cornelio, the
son of Ascanio Rotulo, whom you well know--a spruce young gallant,
_point-de-vice_ in his attire, with white hands, curly locks,
mellifluous voice, amorous discourse--made up, in short, of amber and
sugar-paste, garnished with plumes and brocade. She never cared to
bestow a look on my less dainty face, nor to be touched in the least by
my assiduous courtship; but repaid all my affection with disdain and
abhorrence; whilst my love for her grew to such an extreme, that I
should have deemed my fate most blest if she had killed me by her scorn,
provided she did not bestow open, though maidenly, favours on Cornelio.
Imagine the anguish of my soul, thus lacerated by her disdain, and
tortured by the most cruel jealousy. Leonisa's father and mother winked
at her preference for Cornelio, believing, as they well might, that the
youth, fascinated by her incomparable beauty, would chose her for his
wife, and thus they should have a wealthier son-in-law than myself. That
he might have been; but they would not have had one (without arrogance,
be it said) of better birth than myself, or of nobler sentiments or more
approved worth.

"Well, in the course of my wooing, I learne