was not unworthy. That he still loved her, was some consolation to Estela, but it piqued her that he should be unwilling to admit that there might be some explanation of her strange disappearance that would relieve her of blame. While devising in her mind some plan for bringing Don Carlos to reason, she learned that the governor of her native city had suddenly died. This suggested a means of accomplishing her purpose, and she accordingly applied to the emperor for the vacant office. Her request was granted, and she set off immediately to take possession of the governorship, Don Carlos going with her, feeling sure that, as one of the new governor's household, he would be free from molestation on account of the old charge against him, or, at least, that he would be able to receive a fair and impartial trial.
So soon as the new governor was installed, and it was found that Don Carlos was in his suite, the parents of Estela, and other prominent citizens, stated what the accusations against him were, and demanded that he be brought to trial, and punished according to law. The governor promised that strict justice should be done, and appointed a day for the trial to take place, refusing, however, to permit Don Carlos to be sent to prison, and promising to be responsible for him.
Up to the time of the trial the conferences between the governor and the secretary were frequent, and Estela redoubled her efforts to make her lover acknowledge, not only that he loved, but that he still had infinite faith in his lady.
This, as I recollect it, was the most intensely interesting and exciting part of the story, and it made a strong impression on my imagination. I thought the lady cruel in unnecessarily prolonging the misery of her lover, and at the same time, although I was but a child when I read the story, I could not but appreciate the feelings which induced her to desire that Don Carlos should confess that he had banished all unworthy suspicion of her from his mind before she cleared up the mystery of her disappearance.
At length the confession was forced from the unhappy man, that, as Estela had never given him reason to think, by any levity of conduct, that she was capable of loving another than himself, much less that she was capable of basely forsaking him for one less worthy, he still, in his inmost soul, had faith in her honor, and that the dream of his life was, that he might be able to be reunited to her.
The day of trial came, and Estela, as the chief magistrate
