ar. She continued to feel that his friendship and
society were requisite to her happiness: She looked upon his failings
with a partial eye, and could not persuade herself that He really had
intended her ruin. However, Elvira had positively commanded her to
drop his acquaintance, and She had too much respect for her orders to
disobey them.

At length She resolved to address herself for advice and protection to
the Marquis de las Cisternas, as being her nearest Relation. She wrote
to him, briefly stating her desolate situation; She besought him to
compassionate his Brother's Child, to continue to her Elvira's pension,
and to authorise her retiring to his old Castle in Murcia, which till
now had been her retreat. Having sealed her letter, She gave it to the
trusty Flora, who immediately set out to execute her commission. But
Antonia was born under an unlucky Star. Had She made her application
to the Marquis but one day sooner, received as his Niece and placed at
the head of his Family, She would have escaped all the misfortunes with
which She was now threatened. Raymond had always intended to execute
this plan: But first, his hopes of making the proposal to Elvira
through the lips of Agnes, and afterwards, his disappointment at losing
his intended Bride, as well as the severe illness which for some time
had confined him to his Bed, made him defer from day to day the giving
an Asylum in his House to his Brother's Widow. He had commissioned
Lorenzo to supply her liberally with money: But Elvira, unwilling to
receive obligations from that Nobleman, had assured him that She needed
no immediate pecuniary assistance. Consequently, the Marquis did not
imagine that a trifling delay on his part could create any
embarrassment; and the distress and agitation of his mind might well
excuse his negligence.

Had He been informed that Elvira's death had left her Daughter
Friendless and unprotected, He would doubtless have taken such
measures, as would have ensured her from every danger: But Antonia was
not destined to be so fortunate. The day on which She sent her letter
to the Palace de las Cisternas was that following Lorenzo's departure
from Madrid. The Marquis was in the first paroxysms of despair at the
conviction that Agnes was indeed no more: He was delirious, and his
life being in danger, no one was suffered to approach him. Flora was
informed that He was incapable of attending to Letters, and that
probably a few