hich her
supposed Admirer kissed with such sorry grace and constraint so
evident, that Lorenzo with difficulty repressed his inclination to
laugh. Leonella then hastened to quit the Church; The lovely Antonia
followed her in silence; but when She reached the Porch, She turned
involuntarily, and cast back her eyes towards Lorenzo. He bowed to
her, as bidding her farewell; She returned the compliment, and hastily
withdrew.

'So, Lorenzo!' said Don Christoval as soon as they were alone, 'You
have procured me an agreeable Intrigue! To favour your designs upon
Antonia, I obligingly make a few civil speeches which mean nothing to
the Aunt, and at the end of an hour I find myself upon the brink of
Matrimony! How will you reward me for having suffered so grievously
for your sake? What can repay me for having kissed the leathern paw of
that confounded old Witch? Diavolo! She has left such a scent upon my
lips that I shall smell of garlick for this month to come! As I pass
along the Prado, I shall be taken for a walking Omelet, or some large
Onion running to seed!'

'I confess, my poor Count,' replied Lorenzo, 'that your service has
been attended with danger; Yet am I so far from supposing it be past
all endurance that I shall probably solicit you to carry on your amours
still further.'

'From that petition I conclude that the little Antonia has made some
impression upon you.'

'I cannot express to you how much I am charmed with her. Since my
Father's death, My Uncle the Duke de Medina, has signified to me his
wishes to see me married; I have till now eluded his hints, and refused
to understand them; But what I have seen this Evening....'

'Well? What have you seen this Evening? Why surely, Don Lorenzo, You
cannot be mad enough to think of making a Wife out of this
Grand-daughter of "as honest a painstaking Shoe-maker as any in
Cordova"?'

'You forget, that She is also the Grand-daughter of the late Marquis de
las Cisternas; But without disputing about birth and titles, I must
assure you, that I never beheld a Woman so interesting as Antonia.'

'Very possibly; But you cannot mean to marry her?'

'Why not, my dear Conde? I shall have wealth enough for both of us,
and you know that my Uncle thinks liberally upon the subject.

From what I have seen of Raymond de las Cisternas, I am certain that he
will readily acknowledge Antonia for his Niece. Her birth therefore
will be no objection to my offering her my ha