l
allurements of manner. Many had already been the victims of his seducing
arts; were they to blame?--perhaps they were only to be pitied. He
possessed every resource that professed libertines employ, to inveigle
the affections of the innocent maiden, or attract the admiration of the
more experienced woman. Besides his courage and resolution--qualities as
much more prized by females, as they seldom fall to their share, Gomez
Arias was engaging in his deportment and without any alloy of servility
in his address; indeed he seemed rather to command attention, than to
court it, and the general expression of his features was that of pride,
tempered with the polish of gentlemanly bearing.

In his personal appearance he was remarkably handsome, being of tall and
majestic stature, to which his finely turned limbs were in strict
proportion. There was an intelligence in the piercing glance of his dark
eye, and a smile of mixed gaiety and satire sat habitually upon his lip.
To his other attractions he added a set of regular though somewhat large
features, which were shaded by a profusion of black glossy curls, and
the superb mustachios and _pera_[12] that clothed his upper lip and
chin.

Such was the principal hero of this tale. Spite of all the resources of
his mind, Gomez Arias found himself at the present moment involved in
deep perplexity, and much at a loss how to extricate himself therefrom.
He had received a letter from Don Alonso de Aguilar, father of his
future bride, announcing the perfect recovery of his rival, Don Rodrigo,
and urging a speedy return to Granada. But, unluckily, Gomez Arias felt
in no hurry to return. Certainly, Granada was at the time particularly
interesting, and far preferable to Guadix. Again, the beauty of Leonor
was unrivalled at court--a great consideration to Don Lope. She was rich
and of the first rank--greater consideration still; and bearing in mind
the influence that her father, the celebrated Aguilar, enjoyed with the
queen, a marriage with his daughter would open the road to the highest
preferment, and yet our hero felt loath to return to Granada. The
blooming Theodora de Monteblanco was then the reigning idol of the
moment. She had fixed for a time his errant heart, and it was now that
Don Lope perceived the great inconveniency of the unity of man; and
certainly a lover of his description ought to be duplex for the
opportunity of satisfying both duty and inclination.

In this state of i