He, therefore, with some asperity of tone, inquired
the name of this accomplished knight; and Theodora, who perceived the
inward workings of his soul, with a faultering voice pronounced the name
of Don Antonio de Leyva. The sound operated like an electric shock on
the mind of Gomez Arias, and despite of his habitual self-command, signs
of uncommon perturbation were discernible in his countenance.

"What!" he cried, "Don Antonio de Leyva,--that presumptuous, that
detested youth!"

Here he checked his emotion; pride resumed the mastery over his
irritated feelings, and with a forced gaiety of manner, he continued,--

"Certainly Don Antonio is a gallant cavalier, and well calculated to
captivate a woman's affections."

He stopped; for his surprise had been too abrupt, and his manner too ill
disguised to continue long in this constrained suppression of his real
feelings. Gomez Arias hated Don Antonio on no other plea, than the fame
he was daily acquiring for his valour and brilliant qualities. Besides,
he could not forget his adventure in the tournament, when Don Antonio
crossed him in his career, and well nigh endangered the reputation he
had that day acquired. He looked on him, therefore, as a dangerous
rival, and felt chagrined at the command with which the queen had
invested him, as it would afford him opportunities of grounding his
claims to her royal favor on the firmest foundation.

Theodora was far from suspecting the cause of her lover's agitation. She
naturally attributed to a feeling of jealousy, what was in fact the
effect of restless emulation. A long pause ensued, during which the
state of Theodora became more distressing, as she perceived her lover's
countenance gradually assuming an unusual expression of sternness.
Various passions seemed to be contending for mastery in his bosom, but
the feeling of wounded pride soon appeared to predominate. His eyes
glistened with indignant fire, his lip curled with a bitter smile, and
the flush of anger mantled on his brow.

"Theodora!" he said, fixing earnestly his eyes on the trembling girl;
"Theodora, you have deceived me!"

"Deceive you, Gomez Arias!" She looked petrified at the bare
supposition. "Deceived you! And can you for a moment harbour such a
cruel, such a degrading suspicion? Oh! Lope, is it possible you can
think thus basely of your Theodora?"

"Why was not I made acquainted with this engagement before?"

"I was ignorant of it myself; the marriage h