while Bernardos returned to the yard; mounted his horse, and pensively jogged along.
This made me come to a final resolution. My intention was either to carry Adela back to France, or put her in a convent, Nevertheless I thought proper to take the advice of a particular friend of my mother's at Alcantara. I called my valet and bade him give directions to the groom to keep my horse ready for a trip to Alcantara, by twelve o'clock the next day. I did so, that the marchioness might hear of it, and prevent in time the execution of my plan, if she could suspect its actually being in agitation. However necessary this step appeared to me, I still found it extremely unpleasant, and would, owing to a concurrence of various circumstances, fain have abandoned it.
At supper-time, I ordered the cloth to be laid in my bed-chamber. On those occasions Adela would join me; but for this night, having previously sent me an invitation to her own room, which I waved with an apology, I heard from her no more. How frail is the heart of man! This trifling incident occasioned me a quite restless night. An hun-
