een nearly all snatched from me, were of
immense value; and when I remonstrated with him on account of a
liberality so useless to one whom he allowed to want for nothing, he
would reply, 'But remember, Agnes, when I shall be no more, riches will
constitute your best friend, your safest protection; for such is the
order of things in this world.' He generally spent two hours with me
every day, and frequently visited me again in the evening. Thus did time
pass; and at length I come to that incident which will explain the
terror I ere now experienced."

Agnes cast a hasty glance toward the window, as if to assure herself
that the object of her fears was no longer there; and, satisfied on this
head, she proceeded in the following manner:

"It was about six months ago that I repaired as usual on the Sabbath
morning to mass, accompanied by Dame Margaretha, when I found myself the
object of some attention on the part of a lady, who was kneeling at a
short distance from the place which I occupied in the church. The lady
was enveloped in a dark, thick veil, the ample folds of which concealed
her countenance, and meandered over her whole body's splendidly
symmetrical length of limb in such a manner as to aid her rich attire in
shaping, rather than hiding, the contours of that matchless form. I was
struck by her fine proportions, which gave her, even in her kneeling
attitude, a queen-like and majestic air; and I longed to obtain a
glimpse of her countenance--the more so as I could perceive by her
manner and the position of her head that from beneath her dark veil her
eyes were intently fixed upon myself. At length the scrutiny to which I
was thus subjected began to grow so irksome--nay, even alarming, that I
hurriedly drew down my own veil, which I had raised through respect for
the sacred altar whereat I was kneeling. Still I knew that the stranger
lady was gazing on me; I _felt_ that she was. A certain uneasy
sensation--amounting almost to a superstitious awe--convinced me that I
was the object of her undivided attention. Suddenly the priests, in
procession, came down from the altar; and as they passed us, I
instinctively raised my veil again, through motives of deferential
respect. At the same instant I glanced toward the stranger lady; she
also drew back the dark covering from her face. Oh! what a countenance
was then revealed to me--a countenance of such sovereign beauty that,
though of the same sex, I was struck with admirat