she who, as you heard, has so long been a mother to
me, Middleton--I promised her a visit at this hour. It is the last,
as she thinks, that she can receive from her own child, and I cannot
disappoint her. Go you then to Don Augustin; in one short hour I will
rejoin you."

"Remember it is but an hour!"

"One hour," repeated Inez, as she kissed her hand to him; and then
blushing, ashamed at her own boldness, she darted from the arbour, and
was seen for an instant gliding towards the cottage of her nurse, in
which, at the next moment, she disappeared.

Middleton returned slowly and thoughtfully to the house, often bending
his eyes in the direction in which he had last seen his wife, as if he
would fain trace her lovely form, in the gloom of the evening, still
floating through the vacant space. Don Augustin received him with
warmth, and for many minutes his mind was amused by relating to his new
kinsman plans for the future. The exclusive old Spaniard listened to
his glowing but true account of the prosperity and happiness of those
States, of which he had been an ignorant neighbour half his life, partly
in wonder, and partly with that sort of incredulity with which one
attends to what he fancies are the exaggerated descriptions of a too
partial friendship.

In this manner the hour for which Inez had conditioned passed away, much
sooner than her husband could have thought possible, in her absence. At
length his looks began to wander to the clock, and then the minutes were
counted, as one rolled by after another and Inez did not appear. The
hand had already made half of another circuit, around the face of the
dial, when Middleton arose and announced his determination to go and
offer himself, as an escort to the absentee. He found the night dark,
and the heavens charged with threatening vapour, which in that climate
was the infallible forerunner of a gust. Stimulated no less by the
unpropitious aspect of the skies, than by his secret uneasiness, he
quickened his pace, making long and rapid strides in the direction
of the cottage of Inesella. Twenty times he stopped, fancying that he
caught glimpses of the fairy form of Inez, tripping across the grounds,
on her return to the mansion-house, and as often he was obliged to
resume his course, in disappointment. He reached the gate of the
cottage, knocked, opened the door, entered, and even stood in the
presence of the aged nurse, without meeting the person of her he sought.
S