qualities, which they admired in a man, made them extremely desirous to scrape acquaintance with me, and to induce me to increase the number of their boarders. This proposal had before been made to me, but I had rejected it, for fear of involving myself in some fresh intrigue. I had even made oath to avoid every snare that love might lay for me, and I did not expect, that in the holy place where I now stood, I should break this oath. Nevertheless, I felt a sort of agitation which so much resembled the first emotions of a growing passion, that I was alarmed at it. “Guzman,” said I to myself, “make not a fool of yourself here. What God did you come to worship in this church? Let not your heart be taken by surprise. Can you wish to lose the fruits of so many years study?” While my reason thus contended with my weakness, the ladies having finished their prayers, rose to leave the church. There were seven or eight of them, all of the same party. They passed by where I sat, and I rose to bow to them. The one whom I had so particularly noticed, and who was in reality the eldest of the three sisters, managed very adroitly, under pretence of adjusting her veil, to afford me a view of her beautiful face. I was so struck with it, that it was with the greatest difficulty I could restrain myself from following her. An impulse, however, which heaven only could have bestowed upon me, held me back from so powerful and dangerous an attraction. I dropped down on my knees again, to continue or rather to begin my prayer, for I had as yet been so absorbed in other thoughts that I had forgotten the duty which brought me to church. I could not, however, divest my mind of the image of the enchantress who occupied it; and more agitated than a vessel without sail or compass in the middle of the ocean, I yielded to the different emotions which possessed my heart. My extreme uneasiness not permitting me to remain any longer in the chapel, I left it, not to trace the steps of the beauty who had made so much impression on me; on the contrary, my wish was to avoid her, and fearing that I should meet her in the road that led to the city, I took another route, and turned my steps towards the river, in the hope that while I walked along its banks, I should insensibly lose all recollection of this redoubtable personage, whom my philosophy had not been able to withstand. And perhaps I should have become tranquil after a little reflection, but my stars willed it otherwise. A voice which I heard at the distance of ten or twelve paces from me, caused me to turn my head towards the spot from whence it came, and the very first thing that struck my eyes was that same Donna Maria Gracia, whose charms I was so assiduously shunning. She was seated on the grass and singing, while her sisters and the other ladies in company were preparing an elegant collation.