, who now thought nothing more than the
asseveration necessary to quiet his mind, immediately complied: 'I
swear,' said she, 'that to HAMET I have given nothing, which thou
wouldst wish me to with-hold: the power that has devoted my person to
thee, has disunited my heart from HAMET, whom I renounce in thy presence
for ever.'

HAMET, whose fortitude and recollection were again overborne, was thrown
into an agitation of mind, which discovered itself by looks and gestures
very different from those which ALMEIDA had expected, and overwhelmed
her with new confusion and disappointment: that he, who had so lately
solicited her love with all the vehemence of a desire impatient to be
gratified, should now receive a declaration that she was ready to
comply with marks of distress and anger, was a mystery which she could
not solve. In the mean time, the struggle in his breast became every
moment more violent: 'Where then,' said he, 'is the constancy which you
vowed to HAMET; and for what instance of his love is he now forsaken?'

ALMEIDA was now more embarrassed than before; she felt all the force of
the reproof, supposing it to have been given by ALMORAN; and she could
be justified only by relating the particular, which at the expence of
her sincerity she had determined to conceal. ALMORAN was now exalted in
her opinion, while his form was animated by the spirit of HAMET; as much
as HAMET had been degraded, while his form was animated by the spirit
of ALMORAN. In his resentment of her perfidy to his rival, though it
favoured his fondest and most ardent wishes, there was an abhorrence of
vice, and a generosity of mind, which she supposed to have been
incompatible with his character. To his reproach, she could reply only
by complaint; and could no otherwise evade his question, than by
observing the inconsistency of his own behaviour: 'Your words,' said
she, 'are daggers to my heart. You condemn me for a compliance with your
own wishes; and for obedience to that voice, which you supposed to have
revealed the will of Heaven. Has the caprice of desire already wandered
to a new object? and do you now seek a pretence to refuse, when it is
freely offered, what so lately you would have taken by force?'

HAMET, who was now fired with resentment against ALMEIDA, whom yet he
could not behold without desire; and who, at the same moment, was
impatient to revenge his wrongs upon ALMORAN; was suddenly prompted to
satisfy all his passions, by ta