on to be
somewhat calmed, and himself better disposed to listen to her
arguments, She proceeded to mention his offence in milder terms, and
convince him that He was not so highly culpable as He appeared to
consider himself. She represented that He had only availed himself of
the rights which Nature allows to every one, those of
self-preservation: That either Elvira or himself must have perished,
and that her inflexibility and resolution to ruin him had deservedly
marked her out for the Victim. She next stated, that as He had before
rendered himself suspected to Elvira, it was a fortunate event for him
that her lips were closed by death; since without this last adventure,
her suspicions if made public might have produced very disagreeable
consequences. He had therefore freed himself from an Enemy, to whom
the errors of his conduct were sufficiently known to make her
dangerous, and who was the greatest obstacle to his designs upon
Antonia. Those designs She encouraged him not to abandon. She assured
him that, no longer protected by her Mother's watchful eye, the
Daughter would fall an easy conquest; and by praising and enumerating
Antonia's charms, She strove to rekindle the desires of the Monk. In
this endeavour She succeeded but too well.

As if the crimes into which his passion had seduced him had only
increased its violence, He longed more eagerly than ever to enjoy
Antonia. The same success in concealing his present guilt, He trusted
would attend his future. He was deaf to the murmurs of conscience, and
resolved to satisfy his desires at any price. He waited only for an
opportunity of repeating his former enterprize; But to procure that
opportunity by the same means was now impracticable. In the first
transports of despair He had dashed the enchanted Myrtle into a
thousand pieces: Matilda told him plainly that He must expect no
further assistance from the infernal Powers unless He was willing to
subscribe to their established conditions. This Ambrosio was
determined not to do: He persuaded himself that however great might be
his iniquity, so long as he preserved his claim to salvation, He need
not despair of pardon. He therefore resolutely refused to enter into
any bond or compact with the Fiends; and Matilda finding him obstinate
upon this point, forbore to press him further. She exerted her
invention to discover some means of putting Antonia into the Abbot's
power: Nor was it long before that means