terrible. One voice whispered: "You love; you
are beloved. Fight for your rights, struggle, entreat--second Philip's
efforts, work with him for the triumph of your love. Resist his
father's will, and, though you may not conquer at once, your labors will
eventually be crowned with success." But another voice said: "The
Marquis was your benefactor, the Marquise filled your mother's place.
Had it not been for them you would have been reared in shame, in
ignorance and in depravity. You would never have known parental
tenderness, the happiness of a home or the comforts and luxuries that
have surrounded you from your childhood. Is it too much to ask that you
should silence the pleadings of your heart in order not to destroy their
hopes?" The first voice retorted: "Philip will be wretched if you desert
him. He will regret you, he will curse you and you will spend your life
in tears, blaming yourself for having sacrificed his happiness and yours
to exaggerated scruples." But the second voice responded: "Antoinette
will console Philip. If he curses you at first, he will bless you later
when he learns the cause of your refusal. As for you, though you may
weep bitterly, you will be consoled by the thought that you have done
your duty." Such were the conflicts through which Dolores passed; but
before morning came she had resolved to silence her imagination and the
pleadings of her heart. Resigned to her voluntary defeat, she decided
not to combat this growing passion on the part of Antoinette, but to
encourage it. She believed that Philip would not long remain insensible
to the charms of her friend, and in that case she could venture to
deceive him and to declare that she did not love him.

Three months passed in this way; then Philip, weary of waiting for the
reply that was to decide his fate, but not daring to break his promise
and interrogate Dolores directly, concluded to at least make an attempt
to obtain through Antoinette the decision that would put an end to his
intolerable suspense. Knowing how fondly these young girls loved each
other, and how perfect was their mutual confidence, he felt sure that
Antoinette would not refuse to intercede for him.

This project once formed, he began operations by endeavoring to
ingratiate himself into the good graces of Mademoiselle de Mirandol. Up
to this time, he had treated her rather coolly, but he now changed his
tactics and showed her many of those little attentions which he had
hi