w that they are yours, and that will be such as if
they were my own." And again she embraced and encouraged the seeming
youth, who, somewhat more tranquilised, continued thus:--

"I have spoken the truth with regard to my native place, but not with
regard to my parents; for Don Enrique is not my father but my uncle, and
his brother Don Sancho is my father. I am that unhappy daughter of his
of whom your brother says that she is celebrated for her beauty, but how
mistakenly you now perceive. My name is Leocadia; the occasion of my
disguise you shall now hear.

"Two leagues from my native town there is another, one of the wealthiest
and noblest of Andalusia, where lives a cavalier of quality, who derives
his origin from the noble and ancient Adornos of Genoa. He has a son,
who, unless fame exaggerates his praises as it does mine, is one of the
most gallant gentlemen one would desire to see. Being so near a
neighbour of ours, and being like my father strongly addicted to the
chase, he often came on a visit of five or six days to our house, the
greater part of that time, much of the night even included, being spent
by my father and him in the field. From these visits of his, fortune, or
love, or my own imprudence, took occasion to bring me down to my present
state of degradation. Having observed, with more attention than became a
modest and well-behaved maiden, the graceful person and manners of our
visitor, and taking into consideration his distinguished lineage and the
great wealth of his parents, I thought that to obtain him for my husband
would be the highest felicity to which my wishes could aspire. With this
thought in my head I began to gaze at him most intently, and also, no
doubt, with too little caution, for he perceived it, and the traitor
needed no other hint to discover the secret of my bosom and rob me of my
peace. But why should I weary you by recapitulating every minute detail
of my unfortunate attachment? Let me say at once that he won so far
upon me by his ceaseless solicitations, having plighted his faith under
the most solemn and, as I thought, the most Christian vows that he would
become my husband, that I put myself wholly at his disposal.
Nevertheless, not being quite satisfied with his vows alone, and in
order that the wind might not bear them away, I made him commit them to
writing, and give them to me in a paper signed with his own hand, and
drawn up in terms so strong and unequivocal as to remove a