choly had never found a suitable habitation in the bosom of this simple and good-natured fellow: he felt himself now in the company of Pensive heav'd her snowy bosom, Grief o'erspread her languid charms: Ah!' she cried, and must I lose him! Then sunk into Antonio's arms. friends, who, though far exalted Forgive, he cried, this fond deceiving; above him in rank, endeavoured to sooth and enliven nim. Their efforts were not thrown away; he in a short time became gay and animated, and giving way to his usual loquacity, cheerfulness began to liven all his features: he forgot all that he had suffered; the horrors of the Inquisition and the grand inquisitor vanished from his mind: he forgot all the restraint which the idea of the superior dignity of his companions had at first imposed upon him, and a thousand witticisms escaped from his fertile imagination. His ideas, which were entirely new to Donna Lucinda, afforded her inexpressible entertainment; and Don Juan felt himself for the time more amused by the untutored remarks of Pedrosa than he would have been in the midst of the most brilliant circle at court, The gay and animated barber drank to the health of his patrons, in several flowing bumpers; and, being willing to let slip no opportunity to improve the harmony of the hour, he seized a guitar, which lay on an adjoining table, and with no indifferent voice sung the following little ballad, which he had picked up in the streets of Madrid; the simple and uncultivated harmony of which not a little entertained Donna Lucinda. Don Antonio lov'd a maiden, Fair and blooming as the morn; Some one said Antonio's wed Mark how quick her colour fled. Tortur'd love had taught me art: Thou art dearest to my heart. Then what pleasure past expressing, Don Juan and Donna Lucinda felt themselves every moment more and more delighted with their guest, and obligingly renewed their professions of friendship to him. Donna Lucinda enquired particularly the number of his family, a thing in which Pedrosa was no less eager in satisfying her: he related with peculiar emphasis all the boyish pranks of his eldest son Stephano, who was about thirteen years of age; expatiated largely upon the many notable qualities of Lisetta his daughter, who was about a year and a half older, and whose character he summed up by observing, that she was every way like her mother: 'but above all,' added he, if your excellanzas saw my little Pedro, it is impossible to say how much you would be delighted with him; he is not yet four years old, and he can say almost all the Legend of St. Anthony by heart; he is a little bashful, and I can't get him to talk before strangers, but if your excellenzas were only to be hid in the dark corner of my little shop, you would doubtless be surprised at his judgment.' I make no doubt of it,' replied Don Juan, and it engages me more in your favour to see you take so much interest in your children: 1 believe I cannot do a more acceptable service to you than to forward them in the world; and if you choose in a short time to place your eldest son Stephano in the army, I can ensure him a more 6 rapid promotion than those who ments. Spain; let the consideration of again` overspread his countenance. The crime which this man has been guilty of,' said he, in a hesitating broken tone of voice, deserves the most exemplary punishment. He has dared to officiate as a minister of our holy religion; he has impiously listened to a confession, in a manner which no mortal but those appointed by God ought to have done; but this, however sacrilegiously obtained, was delivered by my deceased brother, in full security on the inviolable secresy ordained by the church on these occasions: this is no trifling matter. Mark me, Don Juan, I require you upon the faith and honour of a knight, upon that sacred character you bear as a gentleman and a Spaniard, to declare whether this man has directly or indirectly divulged the whole or any part of the confession he so impiously obtained upon your answer depends my future conduct in this affair.' 'He has not,' said Don Juan, solemnly laying his hand upon his heart; and even were he so inclined I should think myself bound in honour not to listen to him.' Then it I am satisfied, returned the inquisitor, as his features recovered their usual expression: your conduct in this affair, Don Juan, as it proceeds from the nobleness of your disposition, I shall overlook; but for this wretch, I must insist upon reconducting him to his prison, from which he has been illegally released.' never,' cried Donna Lucinda, as she fell at his feet; were doubly cruel to snatch that liberty from him, which, but a moment ago, he seemed assured of.' The sacred duties of my function, replied the inquisitor,must not give way to the claims of private friendship: he is my prisoner; I have the sole disposal of him; I find him here in a place and situation which I did not allot to him; I must again insist upon recondueting him to his cell. Don Juan took hold of the arm of the obstinate inquisitor, and led him to the farther end of the apartment; they spoke together in so low a tone of voice, that the trembling and agitated Pedrosa could not distinguish the sounds. Donna Lucinda joined them, and seemed most earnest in her supplications: Don Jerome seemed to hesitate for a moment: he at last said, in a more audible voice, 'Well, I give you my word-upon these conditions.' He then advanced to the terrified Pedrosa, and in a stera voice commanded him to follow. Pedrosa prepared to obey, for he saw that Don Juan and Donna Lucinda no longer opposed it: they only called after him in the most affectionate tone of friendship, Farewell, Pedrosa, and remember what we have said to you!' The poor fellow kiss, ed his hands with an expression of the most heart-felt gratitude, and prepared to follow the impatient inquisitor. They retraced the windings which led the way back to Pedrosa's place of confinement. Don Jerome never once opened his lips, and his fearful prisoner trembled at every step. When they arrived in the middle of the apartment, the former, laying down the lamp, walked for some moments backwards and forwards in the most violent agitation of mind: he two or three times repeated the word Pedrosa,' but the rest of the sentence died away upon his lips: at last making an extraordinary effort to command the turbulence of his feelings, Pedrosa,' said he, the will of Heaven has made you acquainted with a secret dearer to me than life itself: the illustrious blood of Valerda has been but once contaminated, and you alone are conscious of it. My noble brother revenged himself upon Rodozzo, the base-born author of this contamination; he never can rise up to proclaim our dishonour, for I have learned that he died of those wounds which were given him as the punishment of his guilty presumption: you are likewise acquainted with all the circumstances of this adventure; it is you alone I have to fear in this world.' O never shall your holy reverence fear me,' cried Pedrosa: restore me to my liberty, my wife and children, and the secret shall never escape my lips.'' Hear me to an end,' interrupted the inquisitor, while the frown of indignation arose upon his brow: were I not convinced that you came most unwillingly to the knowledge of those events, I would this moment insure your eternal silence, by your death: but mark what I am now going to say; let my words never be absent from your memory: I am now to give you your liberty; but remember, if in three hours you are seen in Madrid, and in the same number of days in the kingdom of Spain, that moment, by all that my soul holds sacred, will be the last of your existence; more over, in whatever spot of the world shall be your future residence, if you dare to divulge the most distant hint of the important secrets with which you are acquainted, the most excrusiating tortures await you, and all that is yours. Were you to fly to the most savage desert upon earth, you would not be safe from my resentment: I have agents every where, and the most intricate labyrinths of a mine, dug to the centre of the earth, could not hide you from my pursuit.' Never shall your holy reverence have occasion to complain of me,' returned Pedrosa: industry and frugality will Stop, interrupted the impatient inquisitor, I had forgot one thing: Í have ever observed that meanmess of idea is the inseparable at tendant on poverty and a wretched means of subsistence; I consider it as an additional security for your silence to raise you above necessity, even to a comparative state of opulence in respect to your former condition: wherever you are, this paper will entitle you to draw upon any mercantile house, who knows the opulence of our family, for the sum of one thousand ducats; and at the expiration of a year from this date I shall take care to transmit another of the same kind to you, Nay, do not thank me; I scorn to pretend that I do you an act of kindness, for were this moment the last of your existence, I should rejoice. What I am going to observe to your holy reverence,' replied Pedrosa, 'is, that your bounty is useless; Don Juan has already provided for me, by a pension of eight hundred ducats.' The inqui sitor looked at him with great earnestness for a moment:'Pedrosa,' said he, in a caimer voice than be had hitherto used, you are simple and honest; these are virtues un known to many in your condition of life; I respect them: keep what I have given you, you are deserving of it; you shall now obtain your liberty, but remember the conditions; whereever you go your steps are watched; remember, your disobedience of my commands will be followed by consequences the most terrible. Lest you should meet with any interruption in your journey through Spain, take this seal, it is that of the holy office: if you find yourself in any perplexity, shew it to the spiritual director of the place where you may be, and it will be your sure passport; but be certain to destroy it when you pass the frontiers, Come, follow me.' Don Jerome gave Pedrosa the lamp, who proceeded through the mouldy damp passages with cheerfulness and alacrity. They passed through a great hall, which led to a range of dungeons, the doors of which seemed to be strongly fastened with large iron bars. No sound but their own footsteps were heard in this dreary mansion of misery; and they at last arrived at a passage which led to a door, which was hardly three feet in height, but strongly secured in the inside. Put out the light,' said the inquisitor: Pedrosa tremblingly obeyed; for he could not tell what to think of an order which was to involve them in total darkness. Don Jerome with difficulty drew back the bolts; a sudden gust of the external air blew along the passage; he took hold of the shoulder of Pedrosa, in a moment pushed him into the street, and the door was shut with violence behind him.' after mov Pedrosa stood for a moment almost stupified with the sudden effect which the open air had upon his agitated nerves; at last, ing forwards a few paces, he easily recollected the spot where he then was. In his simple uncultivated mind, his joy began to shew itself in a thousand different modes, which to an observer would have been highly entertaining: he stretched forth his limbs, ran from one side of the street to the other, sometimes stopping for a moment, and turning round and round as if to assure himself he was free; then clapping his hand above his head, and leaping up, he would barry rapidly along. In this manner, like a person in a fit of intoxication, without thinking precisely on the matter, for he was too confused to think, he, as it were instinctively, took the way to his home. The clock struck one as Pedrosa turned the corner of the church of San Nicholas; and the streets seemed to be deserted of every living Creature: he was thereforesecure from Vol. XXXVIII. that interruption which the singu larity of his manner might have occasioned; and a few minutes brought him to the upper end of the Strada, de Toledo. Let us enter his humble habitation. It was not long after the hour which, in happier times, used to call to rest the smiling family of Pedrosa. His daughter Lisetta had just awaked from a short slumber, and beheld her mother still sitting by the fire bathed in tears: she arose, and putting on a part of her clothes, endeavoured to comfort her. The more robust Stephano had fallen into a deep sleep after the fatigue of a third day's unsuccessful search for his father, over most part of the city of Madrid; while little Pedro, who had cried all day, now slumbered, unconscious of the misery around him. Suddenly a knocking is heard at the door, accompanied with the exclamation of Rise up, Janetta, and up the door; it is I.' My father! my father!' cried Lisetta, and clapped her hands together with rapture. Her mother and she flew to the door together, and in a moment Pedrosa felt himself encircled in both their arms.'Where have you been?' cried Janetta, in a tone of the fondest affection. 'Where have you been, father?* But had Pedrosa echoed Lisetta. been willing to have informed them, they were too much agitated to have listened to him. The noise they made awakened Stephano, who in stantly sprung up and flew to his father. Pedrosa kissed them all; they all hung by him, they all spoke to him at once: at last he entreated them to hear what he had to say. rise open Janetta, my love,' said he, addressing his wife, we are rich. I am no longer poor; you are a lady: but we must go from hence immediate ly. Go where!' cried Janetta; where does my Pedrosa wish to go?' Se |