t? As he passed the angle of the house, he saw
that the jalousies of Count Villabuena's windows were open; doubtless he
was already up, looking anxiously for the arrival of his daughter;
perhaps, alarmed at the prolonged absence of Herrera, he had not been to
rest. Luis dreaded the effect of his painful tidings upon the Count's
feeble health, and he racked his imagination to devise a way of
gradually imparting them, but it was in vain; for his mere appearance,
unaccompanied by Rita, would be sufficient to make her father conjecture
even worse than the truth.

The family of Basilio, the cloth-merchant, were early in their habits,
and the house was already open. With heavy and reluctant step, Luis
ascended the stairs, and then paused, irresolute and unwilling to enter
the Count's apartment. At last, summoning resolution, he was about to
lift the latch, when it was raised, and Count Villabuena, completely
dressed, and pale as if from a sleepless night, stood before him. He
started on beholding Herrera, and his countenance was lighted up with
joy.

"Thanks be to God!" he exclaimed, clasping his hands with a gesture of
profound piety and gratitude--"thanks be to God, you are safe!"

"Alas!" cried Herrera, "my safety matters little. We have been
unsuccessful; Rita"----

He became suddenly mute, for at that moment the door of an inner room
opened, a voice, long unheard but well remembered, uttered his name, and
Rita, more lovely than ever, tears upon her cheeks and joy in her eyes,
threw herself into his arms.

We will leave to our readers' imagination the transports of the two
lovers, who after so long a separation, and sufferings of so many kinds,
found themselves thus happily, and, as far as one of them at least was
concerned, unexpectedly reunited, and will confine ourselves to an
explanation of the circumstances that led to so fortunate a result. It
may be given in a few words.

Although Baltasar's ascendancy over Dona Carmen, partly the consequence
of former complicity in crime, partly attributable to her dread of his
brutal and violent character, had induced her to accept the custody of
Rita, it was most unwillingly that she had done so, and with the full
determination to protect to the utmost of her power the defenceless
girl, of whom she was compelled to become the jailer. Rita's beauty and
amiable qualities, and the angelic sweetness and patience displayed by
her during the severe illness that followed her arr