through his favour was promoted to my government: Grant, Heaven, no misfortune hath befallen my Leonora! ſurely the cannot have offended him and forfeited his favour" "As I know him not," replied the captain, “I can form no judgment of his motives, but this I know, that if a man's heart is capable of cruelty, the fitteſt ſchool to learn it in, muſt be the Inquiſition." The propoſal was now ſuggeſted of ſending letters into Spain, and the Governor retired to his deſk for the purpoſe of writing them; in the afternoon of the ſame day the Miniſter paid a viſit to the Captain, and receiving a packer from the hands of Don Manuel, promiſed to get it forwarded by a ſafe conveyance according to direction.
In due courſe of time this fatal letter from Leonora opened all the horrible tranſaction to the wretched huſband:———
"The guilty hand of an expiring wife, under the agonizing operation of a mortal poiſon, traces theſe few trembling lines to an injured wretched huſband. If thou haſt any pity for my parting ſpirit, fly the ruin that awaits thee and avoid this ſcene of villainy and horror. When I tell thee I have born a child to the monſter, whoſe poiſon runs in my veins, thou wilt abhor thy faithleſs Leonora; had I ſtrength to relate to thee the ſubtle machinations, which betrayed me to diſgrace, thou would'ſt pity and perhaps forgive me. Oh agony! can I write his name?———The Inquiſidor is my murderer———My pen falls from my hand———Farewel for ever.”
Had a ſhot paſſed through the heart of Don Manuel, it could not more effectually have ſtopt its motions, than the peruſal of this fatal writing. He dropped lifeleſs on the couch, and but for the care and aſſiſtance of the Captain and Pedroſa in
