246 Mine Hosts Last Story. [Mancu, 
his little vessel. I went down to my customary cup of coffee, but none 
of the girls were there to help me to it. I called, but no one answered. 
I called again; still no reply. Then, in impatience or anxiety, or what 
not, I hurried up to their rooms. That which contained the two elder 
ones was empty; I passed on to the other ; in that were three of my 
daughters, I saw not which; and as they heard my approach, they 
skulked to the further corner, and scarcely seemed willing to look at 
me. I demanded the cause of all this. Their tears and dishevelled looks 
told some part of the tale. I looked for the fourth—I inquired for her ; 
they did not, they could not answer me. Of Gianina, no one might say 
a word. ; 
“It would weary you, Sir, were I to repeat one half of our horrible 
conjectures upon this her strange disappearance. In vain I questioned 
Madelena, and strove to discover something from her as to the probable 
fate of her so recent companion. They had, as usual, retired to rest 
together on the preceding evening, they had recited the customary 
prayers, and she fancied that her sister had been the first to fall asleep ; 
she awoke in the morning, and her place was vacant. My only comfort 
now-a-days was from the little particulars which Madelena afforded me 
of her sister’s love for the Englishman, and his return of it. She said _ 
that Gianina had for a long time been very reserved about her attach- 
ment to him, but that at last she had disclosed every thing, in conse- 
quence of her lover’s making a confidante of her on the evening but 
one before his departure. On that occasion he contrived, when Gianina 
was out of the way, to address himself to her on the subject of her 
sister’s passion. He said, that his object in making her acquainted with 
it was, to enable her to comfort Gianina when he was gone, and use her 
most judicious efforts to obliterate the recollection of him. He confessed 
that, from the first, he had distrusted the character of his own requital of _ 
this regard, and that now he had become convinced that he could not | 
love her as she loved him. His departure was so immediate, and his 
chance of again seeing them so very slight, that he would hazard the 
acknowledgment, that those feelings were won by her which Gianina . 
had every claim to. In a mood of painful excitement, he seized the fair . 
hand of her he was addressing, and imprinting upon it a kiss, which — 
seemed to bear with it his very soul, he cried, ‘ May God and the Virgin 
bless you! Ihave been foolish to say so much; but in telling you, 
who are every body’s darling, that I love you, I do not say aught to 
astonish you or disgrace myself. Yet, I have done wrong—it is the last . 
time! Farewell, dearest! may you be happy!’ She saw him but for 
a moment on the following day ; but Gianina having learnt that her 
attachment was no longer unknown, was, during that day, very explicit _ 
on the subject whenever she had the opportunity, and talked of him as 
one to whom her life and all its energies were devoted. 
« A painful time followed.. Weeks succeeded weeks, but no comfort — 
came. Others perhaps soon forgot poor Gianina; but she was not one | 
whose place with us could be well supplied. At last, a packet one day _ 
brought us a fumigated letter, pierced through and through, and bearing _ 
the post mark of Gibraltar. It was from the Englishman.—I will show 
it you.” 
The old man went to the corner of the room, and opening a rough 
and unwilling drawer, extracted thence a dark, begrimed letter, which 
he handed me to read.—This was its purport :— . 
