Page:Romance & Reality 3.pdf/148

146 which the hours were passing! The weariest time of all seemed the morning after she rose. It was impossible to fix her attention on any thing, while every moment expecting some intelligence from without. At last she heard footsteps, and Minora came running before her father. "Ah, Senhora, we have been so anxious about you! If it had been possible, I would have returned and spent the night with you; for we said, to a stranger our good cave will seem a little dreary. How did you sleep? See—we have brought you some breakfast. I have some chocolate to-day." "Many thanks for your intended breakfast; but, truly, your yesterday's supply was sufficient. If I had expected visitors, I could have feasted them in my cavern. But my nurse and Pedro?"—— "Are well, and in our cottage. As I expected, the soldiers came down, and"—here Alvarez made the usual pause of narrators who have something unpleasant to tell. It usually happens that people by breaking, as they call it, their bad news gradually, contrive to add suspense to our other miseries. "What has happened?" said Beatrice, gasping for breath.