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mifed to maintain a correfpondence by letters. Out coach could not be refitted till the following day, and as we fhould run fome rifk by fetling out late, it was determined that we fhould ftay at the caftle another night. We, in our turn, were ferved with a profufion of vi&uals, and our beds were no lefs comfortable than our meal.
Next day my miftrefs found new charms in the converfation of Elvira, with whom the dinedin alarge hall, adorned with feveral pi&ures ; one of which was remarkable for the beauty and wonderful ex- preflion of the figures, though it prefented a very tragical feene to the view. A dead cavalier appeared lying on his back, and drowned in his own blood, but feemed ftill to retain a menacing air, even in death. Near him lay a young lady in another attitude, ftrctched alfo upon the ground; a fword wa* feen plunged in her bofom, and the breathed her laft fighs, and fixing her dying eyes upon a young man who feemed mortally grieved at the lofs of her. The painter had likewife drawn another figure which did not efcape iny attention: this was an old man of a good mien, who, ftrongly affe&ed with the obje£ts that ftruck his view, difeovered as much fenfibility as the youth. One would have thought that each of them felt the fame pangs, at fight of thefe doleful images, but that each received the impreflion in a different manner. The old man feemed overwhelmed with the profound forrow in which he was plunged; but there was fury mixed with the affli&ion of the youth. The painter had exprefTcd the whole with fuch ftrength, that we could fcarce withdraw our eves from the performance. My miftrefs having afked what ftory the pi£ture reprefented ; Madam, faid Elvira, it is a faithful reprefentation of the mif- fortuncs of my family.” This anfwer excited the cu- riofity of Aurora, who exprefled fuch an eager inclination to know more, that Don Pedro’s widow could pQt difpenfc with promifing her the fatisfaclion Ihe
defirect