112 The ADVENTURES of her features, the found of her voice, every thing fared me that I was not miftaken. Nevertheless, as if I had miflrulled the evidence of tny eyes and ears, I ailced her name of a cavalier who fat by rne. “ Hey ! (laid he) from whence come vou ? It feems you are juft arrived, fince you don’t know the fair Ellclla.’* The relcinblance was too perfect for me to be deceived by this dilg'iife : I could eafilv conceive, that Laura, when /he changed licr condition, had alfo altered her name; and curious to know her lituation, for the public is generally pretty well acquainted with the affairs of perfons in her fpherc. I begg- d to know of the‘fa me man, if this Eftella had not fome gallant of impoitancc. He anfwered, that a Portugueze nobleman, called the Marquis de Marialva, who had been about two months at Grenada, was at a confi- derable cxpcnce on her account. He might have told tne a great deal more, if I had not been afraid of fatiguing him with queflions. I was more engroffed by the news which this cavalier had told me, than by the repicfemation of the play; and if anybody had afked the fubjett of the piece, when I catnc out, lie would have embarrall’ed me not a little. I did nothing but mufe upon Laura, or Lfiella, and firmly refolvcd to go and vifit her next day; though I was not without anxiety about the reception I fhould meet with. I had reafon to believe, that the fight of me would not yield her much plcafurc in this brilliant fituation of her affairs ; nay, I imagined that fuch a good a&refs, in order to revenge herfelf upon one, with whom (lie had certainly caufe to be diffatisficd, would probably difclaim his acquaintance. All this did not diffuadc me from my defign of going. After a flight repafl, (for fuch only my eating houfe afforded) I went home to my lodging, ■where I waited impatiently for next day.
I flcpt little that night, and got up.before the fun ; but as I concluded that a nobleman’s miftrefs would not be vifible fo early, X fpent three or four boms in