Page:History of Nicolas Pedrosa, and his escape from the Inquisition in Madrid.pdf/22

 through his favour was promoted to my government: Grant, Heaven, no misfortune hath befallen my Leonora! urely 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 fittet chool to learn it in, mut be the Inquiition." The propoal was now uggeted of ending letters into Spain, and the Governor retired to his dek for the purpoe of writing them; in the afternoon of the ame day the Miniter paid a viit to the Captain, and receiving a packer from the hands of Don Manuel, promied to get it forwarded by a afe conveyance according to direction.

In due coure of time this fatal letter from Leonora opened all the horrible tranaction to the wretched huband:———

"The guilty hand of an expiring wife, under the agonizing operation of a mortal poion, traces thee few trembling lines to an injured wretched huband. If thou hat any pity for my parting pirit, fly the ruin that awaits thee and avoid this cene of villainy and horror. When I tell thee I have born a child to the monter, whoe poion runs in my veins, thou wilt abhor thy faithles Leonora; had I trength to relate to thee the ubtle machinations, which betrayed me to digrace, thou would't pity and perhaps forgive me. Oh agony! can I write his name?———The Inquiidor is my murderer———My pen falls from my hand———Farewel for ever.”

Had a hot paed through the heart of Don Manuel, it could not more effectually have topt its motions, than the perual of this fatal writing. He dropped lifeles on the couch, and but for the care and aitance of the Captain and Pedroa in