Of her guilt, and that of his cousin Antonio, he could scarcely doubt; her own confession, and the existence of the child, were proofs undeniable, and from the apparent age of the latter it was evident, that their criminal intercourse must have begun ere the period of his attachment to Gonsalva: the conduct and conversation of Don Emanuel, (hitherto so mysterious) then flashed across his mind, and his blood froze when he thought that, but for his persevering conduct, he might have become the husband of Antonio’s mistress. With what piercing regret did he recall the harsh treatment of the generous De Castro, who had too surely suspected, if not known, the guilty secret!--A groan now escaped him that made the company start: fearful of exciting curiosity, he drew his cloak round his face, and moved further from the light, complaining of a sudden pain.--The travellers eyed him suspiciously and laid fire-arms on the table. Of his Crown and his people, Sebastian thought no more; the monstrous ingratitude of Antonio, the perfidy of Gonsalva, and their mutual duplicity, (which he vainly endeavoured to trace back to some suspicious circumstances,) alone occupied him; he did not even glance towards the measures he should pursue for the recovery of his rights as a sovereign; but while he sat lost in rumination, the sound of his own name made him start: it was spoken in a conversation now held in Latin by the two superior travellers.--Attention completely roused, enabled him to catch every word, though the men spoke in low tones, and seemed afraid that not even a learned language was a sufficient guard for their subject. The moment these travellers laid aside their large feathered hats, Sebastian recognized two of his own courtiers. “You will find it difficult to convince me of this,” said the younger. “What! you don’t doubt the fact?” cried his companion, “do you disbelieve that a man, arrived from Africa, who asserted it to be true?” “No, I do not question that;” rejoined the other, “but I believe the fellow told an impudent lie. Don Sebastian fell at Alcazar, as sure as yon poor rogue stands shivering in the corner.” “I am not of your opinion:” answered the elder gentleman, “I was present when this man from Barbary brought the intelligence to Don Antonio; his account was so clear and circumstantial that I did not scruple to avow my faith in it: and though Don Antonio pretended to treat it with contempt; I saw it alarmed him dreadfully; and well it might, for the return of Don Sebastian would be a day of awkward reckoning for him.” “Pshaw!” exclaimed the other cavalier, “had Don Antonio believed the impostor, policy would have made him stop the news-bringer’s mouth.” “The Portuguese seemed to guess as much,” returned the former speaker, “for though he promised to come again on the ensuing day, he posted off from Crato to the houses of different nobles, telling the same story, and praying to have it carried to the King.”