re myself; and leaving my affairs in the hands of
my mayoral, I set out for my native city.

"Adele had been true; and I returned, bringing her with me.

"I built a house in Valverde, the nearest inhabited district to my mine.

"Valverde was then a thriving place; it is now a ruin, which you may
have seen in your journey down.

"In this place we lived for years, in the enjoyment of wealth and
happiness. I look back upon those days as so many ages of bliss. Our
love was mutual and ardent; and we were blessed with two children, both
girls. The youngest resembled her mother; the other, I have been told,
was more like myself. We doted, I fear, too much on these pledges. We
were too happy in their possession.

"At this time a new Governor was sent to Santa Fe, a man who, by his
wantonness and tyranny, has since then ruined the province. There has
been no act too vile, no crime too dark, for this human monster.

"He offered fair enough at first, and was feasted in the houses of the
ricos through the valley. As I was classed among these, I was honoured
with his visits, and frequently. He resided principally at Albuquerque;
and grand fetes were given at his palace, to which my wife and I were
invited as special guests. He in return often came to our house in
Valverde, under pretence of visiting the different parts of the
province.

"I discovered, at length, that his visits were solely intended for my
wife, to whom he had paid some flattering attentions.

"I will not dwell on the beauty of Adele, at this time. You may imagine
that for yourself; and, monsieur, you may assist your imagination by
allowing it to dwell on those graces you appear to have discovered in
her daughter, for the little Zoe is a type of what her mother was.

"At the time I speak of she was still in the bloom of her beauty. The
fame of that beauty was on every tongue, and had piqued the vanity of
the wanton tyrant. For this reason I became the object of his friendly
assiduities.

"I had divined this; but confiding in the virtue of my wife, I took no
notice of his conduct. No overt act of insult as yet claimed my
attention.

"Returning on one occasion from a long absence at the mines, Adele
informed me what, through delicacy, she had hitherto concealed--of
insults received from his excellency at various times, but particularly
in a visit he had paid her during my absence.

"This was enough for Creole blood. I repaired to Albuquerque