& 



30 Miranda d'Aragon ; QJuLY, 



told you were rich and benevolent : to those who have heart and means, 

 I think we may apply with confidence." 



Henrico looked at her, surprised, and asked with earnestness ; '•' Who 

 will guarantee, should I give the money, that the man will not run off 

 with it, and then laugh at me ?" 



" I !" answered the girl ; " I have confided in you, do I require too 

 much that you should confide in me ? Agree \" said she, holding out 

 her beautiful hand. 



Henrico took it in token of consent, looked long with emotion at her 

 dark eyes, and said, " I trust in you ! Here is my purse, give it the 

 young man, and conduct him to me — but I will not hear a word from 

 him about it." 



Henrico took leave, and begged to be allowed permission to revisit 

 the tranquil abode of this lovely girl, whose eyes were filled with tears 

 of gi'atitude. She held out her hand to him in silence. 



St.Lorent did not long absent himself, he hastened again to the solitary 

 cottage, and was kindly received. The day was sultry, and feeling 

 fatigued by his long ride, he begged a draught of wine. The young 

 girl looked with embarrassment at the old woman, who shrugged up her 

 shoulders, and went covered with blushes into the house. When she 

 was gone, the old woman began to speak : " The poor child," says she, 

 " feels herself much perplexed that she has no wine to offer you, as we 

 gave our last bottles to your soldiers the other day. You doubtless. Sir, 

 find every thing here elegantly arranged, but we have lost our bene- 

 factor from whom all this proceeds, and I must confess to you that we 

 are now living in a degree of poverty, to which we have not been ac- 

 customed.'' 



At this moment the girl returned, bringing a glass of milk. " This is 

 our wine !" said she, smiling as she offered it; " this will also refresh 

 you!" 



Henrico drank the milk with avidity, assuring her it was more deli- 

 cious than wine ! She now related that the young man had kept his 

 word, and had sent the two recruits. The whole occurrence was again 

 talked over, and thus the hours passed lightly away till evening came, 

 like an unwelcome guest. Mira, which was the name of the young girl, 

 went in to fetch some fruits for supper, at which time the old woman 

 took the opportunity to repeat her distressed situation ; ujDon which 

 Henrico had the courage to force her acceptance of a purse of money. 

 She took it, but as she said, only as a loan, and invited the donor to 

 dine with them the next daj'^, promising to prepare him a more comfort- 

 able repast. When Mira returned, the old woman told her of having 

 invited Henrico for the next day. She gently shook her head ; " we 

 ought in truth not to invite you, unless you can be content with very 

 frugal entertainment ?' Henrico declared there was a sufficiency of 

 every thing. " Leave me alone, child," said the old woman, trium- 

 phantly, " I will take care that notliing is wanting !" 



Henrico often repeated his visits, and soon found out he was only 

 happy when hastening over the mountain path to the abode of ISIira. 

 The beautiful garden which surrounded it, and the appropriate arrange- 

 ment of the interior, rendered it a most delightful residence, and shewed 

 the taste of the possessor. The present indigence of the two females 

 appeared to be only of recent date. Henrico, in his intercourse with the 



