-by looking at me,--such thoughts are
inspired!" said she, in an accent of piercing anguish. "Are you an
English youth?"

"Yes, Senhora, as much as an Irishman can call himself."

"And is this the morality of your native land," said she, in English,
"that you can feel an elevation of heart and sentiment from the
contemplation of such as I am? Shame, sir,--shame upon your falsehood,
or worse shame upon your principle."

"I only know you as my day and night dreams have made you, lady,--as the
worshipper creates his own idol."

"But you have heard of me?" said she, speaking with a violence and
rapidity that betokened a disordered mind. "All the world has heard of
me, from the Havannah to Guajuaqualla, as the poisoner and the forger!"

I shook my head dissentingly.

"It is, then, because you are less than human," said she, scoffingly,
"or you _had_ heard it. But mind, sir, it is untrue; I am neither." She
paused, and then, in a voice of terrible emotion, said, "There is enough
of crime upon this poor head, but not that! And where have you lived,
not to have heard of La Senhora Dias?" said she, with an hysteric laugh.

In a few words I told her how I had made part of a great gold-searching
expedition, and been utterly ruined by the calamity which destroyed my
companions.

"You would have sold yourself for gold wherewith to buy pleasure!"
muttered she to herself.

"I was poor, lady; I must needs do something for my support."

"Then why not follow humble labor? What need of wealth? Where had you
learned its want, or acquired the taste to expend it? You could only
have imitated rich men's vices, not their virtues, that sometimes
ennoble them."

The wild vehemence of her manner, as with an excessive rapidity she
uttered these words, convinced me that her faculties were not under
the right control of reason, and I followed her with an interest even
heightened by that sad impression.

"You see no one, you speak to none," said she, turn-, ing round
suddenly, "else I should bid you forget that you have ever seen me."

"Are we to meet again, Senhora?" said I, submissively, as I stood beside
the door, of which she held the key in her hand.

"Yes--perhaps--I don't know;" and, so saying, she left me.

Two months crept over--and how slowly they went!--without my again
seeing the Senhora. Were it not that the bouquets which each morning
I fastened to the window-bars were removed before noon, I could have
fancied that sh