she adduced powerful reasons in her answer to the
supplicants, to prove her inability to comply with their request,
without at the same time giving her subjects an example of unjustifiable
partiality. A week had not elapsed, since six men had been executed in
the _Plaza de Bivarrambla_, on account of the same offence for which Don
Lope stood condemned. With this melancholy precedent, even the most
sanguine in their expectations began to droop, and the death of Gomez
Arias was looked upon as an inevitable misfortune.

Theodora heard the opinion generally entertained with a feeling of
horror. In vain she cast herself at the feet of the queen, and there
implored the royal clemency with all the fervid eloquence of grief;
Isabella received her with tenderness, but allowed the wretched girl no
room for hope: Theodora's feelings were wrought to the wildest paroxysm
of anguish. She flung herself violently on the ground, and in all the
poignancy of her affliction, prayed, fervently prayed for the life of
her husband, the mere life, though by incurring banishment, she might be
doomed to see him no more; the tears of the unfortunate bride fell
profusely; her hands were franticly clasped, and trembled in the
intensity of her emotion. It was a picture of distress unutterable. The
queen beheld it with compassion--she was astonished at the sight of such
affliction in one so injured as Theodora, but she could not remove her
sorrows without a partiality in the administration of justice, which it
had been the pride of her life to avoid.

Evidently distressed, she kindly bade Theodora rise, but with noble
dignity she pronounced those memorable words:--

"As a woman, I might forgive a treason against love; as a queen, I can
never forget one committed against my country."

The wretched Theodora was then ordered to retire, but she was unable to
obey the mandate. She clung earnestly to the foot of the throne, fondly
imagining that as long as she retained sight of Isabella, she could not
lose every hope. Again she was invited to withdraw, the queen humanely
wishing to spare her feelings another unnecessary shock, but the object
of her solicitude was not conscious of the kindness of her motive. An
officer of the governor now entering, proceeded to deliver a roll of
paper into the hands of the queen. Isabella appeared suddenly agitated
as she received the scroll, whilst a ray of horrible light glancing
across the mind of the wretched supplic