Page:The genius - Carl Grosse tr Joseph Trapp 1796.djvu/51

 with another, without his having the least traces of the place of her retreat, Thus the rumor of her assassination was unfounded. Still he adored her—still would he have sacrificed his all, had she returned repentant to his arms.

I then informed him minutely all I the particulars of my own case.

—"Have you no conjectures," asked he, about the secret of the cabal?"

—"None but what might be collected from what Elmira imparted to me; it must be a great and powerful league whose influence reaches even the actions of private families, all over Spain."

—"And could you really never perceive the drift of its tendency?"

—"Not in the least, Sennor; not as much as guess at it."

—"Recollect once more all the circumstances of the hovel in the woods. Was there no latent interest that guided the actions of its tenants? No constraint, no feint in their demeanor?"

—"Certainly not, I surprised them. The women.could have nothing to fear; and such