d who, therefore, would not have
consented, even supposing they would otherwise have ventured, at the
request of HAMET, to perform a ceremony which they knew would be
displeasing to ALMORAN: but he hoped to take advantage of her tenderness
for his brother, and the particular circumstances of her situation,
which made the solemnities of marriage impossible, to seduce her to
gratify his desires, without the sanction which alone rendered the
gratification of them lawful: if he succeeded in this design, he had
reason to expert, either that his love would be extinguished by
enjoyment; or that, if he should still desire to marry ALMEIDA, he
might, by disclosing to her the artifice by which he had effected his
purpose, prevail upon her to consent, as her connexion with HAMET, the
chief obstacle to her marriage with him, would then be broken for ever;
and as she might, perhaps, wish to sanctify the pleasure which she might
be not unwilling to repeat, or at least to make that lawful which it
would not be in her power to prevent.

In this disposition, and with this design, he was admitted to ALMEIDA;
who, without suspicion of her danger, was exposed to the severest trial,
in which every passion concurred to oppose her virtue: she was solicited
by all the powers of subtilty and desire, under the appearance of a
lover whose tenderness and fidelity had been long tried, and whose
passion she returned with equal constancy and ardour; and she was thus
solicited, when the rites which alone could consecrate their union, were
impossible, and were rendered impossible by the guilty designs of a
rival, in whose power she was, and from whom no other expedient offered
her a deliverance. Thus deceived and betrayed, she received him with an
excess of tenderness and joy, which flattered all his hopes, and for a
moment suspended his misery. She enquired, with a fond and gentle
solicitude, by what means he had gained admittance, and how he had
provided for his retreat. He received and returned her caresses with a
vehemence, in which, to less partial eyes, desire would have been more
apparent than love; and in the tumult of his passion, he almost
neglected her enquiries: finding, however, that she would be answered,
he told her, that being by the permission of ALMORAN admitted to every
part of the palace, except that of the women, he had found means to
bribe the eunuch who kept the door; who was not in danger of detection,
because ALMORAN, wearied w