It was in her own Chamber, that _Agnes_ examining more freely this Adventure, found it as cruel as Death. She loved _Constantia_ sincerely, and had not till then any thing more than an Esteem, mixt with Admiration, for the Prince of _Portugal_; which indeed, none could refuse to so many fine Qualities. And looking on her self as the most unfortunate of her Sex, as being the Cause of all the Sufferings of the Princess, to whom she was obliged for the greatest Bounties, she spent the whole Night in Tears and Complaints, sufficient to have reveng’d _Constantia_ for all the Griefs she made her suffer. The Prince, on his side, was in no great Tranquillity; the Generosity of his Princess increas’d his Remorse, without diminishing his Love: he fear’d, and with reason, that those who were the occasion of _Constantia’s_ seeing those Verses, should discover his Passion to the King, from whom he hoped for no Indulgence: and he would most willingly have given his Life, to have been free from this Extremity. In the mean time the afflicted Princess languished in a most deplorable Sadness; she found nothing in those who were the Cause of her Misfortunes, but things fitter to move her Tenderness than her Anger: It was in vain that Jealousy strove to combat the Inclination she had to love her fair Rival; nor was there any occasion of making the Prince less dear to her: and she felt neither Hatred, nor so much as Indifference for innocent _Agnes_. While these three disconsolate Persons abandon’d themselves to their Melancholy, _Elvira_, not to leave her Vengeance imperfect, study’d in what manner she might bring it to the height of its Effects. Her Brother, on whom she depended, shew’d her a great deal of Friendship, and judging rightly that the Love of _Don Pedro_ to _Agnes de Castro_ would not be approved by the King, she acquainted _Don Alvaro_ her Brother with it, who was not ignorant of the Passion the Prince had once protested to have for his Sister. He found himself very much interested in this News, from a second Passion he had for _Agnes_; which the Business of his Fortune had hitherto hindred him from discovering: and he expected a great many Favours from the King, that might render the Effort of his Heart the more considerable. He hid not from his Sister this one thing, which he found difficult to conceal; so that she was now possest with a double Grief, to find _Agnes_ Sovereign of all the Hearts to which she had a pretension.