“It was now impossible for me to follow the impulse of my heart by hastening to undeceive my Sovereign; would he believe a tale so horribly improbable?--would he not deem it a malicious fabrication prompted by jealousy, or disappointment?--I was obliged to smother it in my own breast, and be content to watch the conduct of Gonsalva. Her third reception of me sealed the truth of Urracca. “Your Majesty must now guess at the motive of my former inexplicable conduct: I sought only to gain time; I wished but to struggle with my sovereign’s desires, till the condition of Donna Gonsalva should become apparent to every eye, and the birth of her child render her shame notorious. If I erred in not hazarding my life by avowing at once”---- “I should not have believed you, noble, injured De Castro!” interrupted the King, stopping and fervently squeezing his hand, “how mad I was then, you well remember. I loved that pernicious woman to such delirious excess--no, no, it was not love,--let me not disgrace the sacred sentiment which sympathizes with Aziek’s, by affixing the same name to each!” Sebastian had now afforded Don Emanuel an opportunity of giving a turn to their discourse.--Familiar with the name of Kara Aziek, on which Gasper had frequently dwelt in his narrative of their captivity, and yielding to pleasurable surprize, De Castro inquired the meaning of his Sovereign’s apostrophe.-- The succeeding explanation gave rise to a variety of sweet emotions in the bosom of Sebastian, which spreading over his countenance the glow of love and happiness, communicated to Don Emanuel a portion of his own delight.--That faithful noble contemplated his royal master’s character and person after a separation of nearly four years, with wonder and satisfaction: how much more of character was visible on those admirable lineaments! The smiling beauty there, which was wont first to catch the sense, and charm the fancy, was now lost in the majesty of nobler expression: it was an expression that spoke sufferings magnanimously endured, passions bravely subdued, virtues rapidly matured. De Castro felt it penetrate his heart, and exalt the poignant feeling with which he revolved the wrongs and the privations of so interesting a creature. With what attention did he listen to the recital of Sebastian’s visit to Portugal, his second captivity, his honorable reception at the court of Persia, and the rare attachment of Kara Aziek! in return he distinctly stated his own limited powers in Brazil.