ster who bereft me of all I held dear; but were any rich murderer to make a similar application with a heavy purse of gold, no enquiries would probably be made into the reality of the case, his word would pass for the truth, and himself get off triumphant; whereas the poor man would, justly or unjustly, suffer for the crime imputed to him. The Inquisition immediately directed a mandate to the magistrates of Alcantara, declaring me free from all responsibility respecting Bernardos's death, and forbidding them to call me to an account.
From Madrid I returned to Alcantara to appoint a proper person to take care of my estates, as I intended to set out travelling, to Portugal or Italy. On my arrival at Alcantara two letters from Adela's father were delivered to me. He informed me in one of them that Count Selami and Caroline had left France and were gone to Toledo. I answered his letters, and stated to him the reasons of Adela's retreat to the convent at Seville, in the same delicate and plausible manner as I had promised her. The goodnatured baron,
