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and could never gain any other intelligence of, lived; and she besought me, if ever I loved her, to give it a mother's protection. Elmira then proceeded to acquaint me that when she fled with her infant, on hearing her father and uncle were coming to search my house, from suspecting the cause of her illness, she had left her child at the cottage of a female peasant; but in returning to me to request I would take charge of it and remove it elsewhere as soon as possible, she was met by her father and uncle, who forced her to return home with them; where they kept her for some months in strict confinement, till they obliged her to marry Don Rodrick de Montalvan, treacherously repeating the marriage ceremony when she had fainted and her senses were gone; having first informed her they had disannulled her union with Lord Rossmore, which was easy to effect, they said, because she was a Catholic and his lordship a Protestant.

"Don Rodrick, when some time had elapsed,

elapsed, perceiving," Elmira continued, "that he could not conquer her aversion to him, was enraged in the highest degree; and conducting himself with the greatest brutality had her conveyed to a solitary castle on one of his estates, where she was imprisoned under the guardianship of Padilla, a female more like a fiend than a woman, who used her with the utmost cruelty; which, added to her grief at being torn from her beloved lord, anxiety for her infant, and separated from her dear friend, all conspired at length to produce the event Don Rodrick and her savage uncle wished; for she found her sorrows every day drawing nearer to a close.

"Padilla finding she could not now live long, behaved with more humanity, and with the hope that her supplications at this awful moment would gain a compliance with her entreaties she had written this letter, requesting her gaoler would deliver it to Signora Valeria; and taking a

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and could never gain any oth of, lived; and she besoug loved her, to give it a r Elmira then proceede

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her father and ur heart-rending letter. my house, from

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“I have been vainly seeking

you; but Elmira not mentionere the cottage of the peasant was ed that had the care of you, I was for ead in my inquiries, supposing you

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left in some cottage on the city side the river; nor would I write to Lord Rossmore on the subject till I had discovered his daughter, or at length found my researches were vain; not wishing, till there was an absolute necessity, to probe his wound, having heard how keenly he had suffered. However, thank Heaven, all further anxiety is now finished.-His lordship has discovered a daughter that will be a consolation to him; and he has the hap

THE DOURO.

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knowing that the offspring of cured in future from the or

tunes of life that have hitherto and from Lord Rossmore, opher; and could her sainted mother old, the tender objects of her love thus united, how happy would it make her gentle spirit! I likewise experience myself a comfort inexpressible, at witnessing this fortunate discovery, and termination of anxiety and grief; and to view the child. of my dearest friend, whose voice, manner and figure remind me so forcibly of her, and afford a painful pleasure."

Signora Valeria ceased speaking, and Amelrosa in elegant terms expressed the pleasure she felt at being introduced to her mother's friend, though the drops of affection bathed her beauteous cheek, at the remembrance of that beloved parent's sufferings. Some additional conversation having passed, Valeria observed, that as a convincing proof no true friendship can

subsist

subsist among the wicked, Don Rodrick and Zamara, who were apparently the warmest friends imaginable and agreed in treating Elmira with brutality, quarrelled most bitterly soon after my friend's death, respecting some division of her fortune, and have never met since, except by accident. Having concluded that part of their discourse that they wished Lord Rossmore not to hear repeated, Signora Valeria and Amelrosa went to join him in the garden, where he was walking; and Amelrosa falling on his neck, exclaimed, "How happy am I! for now indeed I know you are really my father, though my heart has long since told me you were.”

Lord Rossmore affectionately embraced her, while the expression of his intelligent countenance betrayed his emotion; and after several minutes had elapsed, mentioned that he was going almost immediately to take some officers of justice to the habitation of Zamara; but Amelrosa interposing thus addressed his lordship.

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