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of the grossest imposture;-tho' have substituted the child of anperson in the place of the heiress Rosonio (said Alberto, sternly), ou can be content?"

Oh! holy Virgin (cried the ashed Marcella), how has it been disred ?"

It is discovered; and the only way hich you can avoid the punishment threatens you (said Alberto), is by ank and open confession of the ns you used to perpetrate the d."

Pray, pray, signor (exclaimed the ified Marcella, dropping on her es), have mercy upon me, and I I tell you all; indeed, indeed, I 1."

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Alberto raised, and reassured the mbling criminal by a promise of rdon, if she was sincere, and she oceeded.

"For some time after the death of e countess, the count did not see his

wearied Heaven with prayers for his recovery, but in vain; on the twentieth day he expired, and so great was the grief of Corinna, that I thought she would have followed him to the grave.

"Her youth and naturally good constitution prevailed, at length, over the violence of her disorder, and she slowly recovered; but in losing her son, she had lost all that could render life desire able to her. The hope of touching, and at length subduing my heart was vanished, and my poor Corinna found herself an isolated and unhappy being, though surrounded by every thing that in the eye of the world constituted felicity. Some time after the death of my son, I resolved on making a last effort to subdue the resolution of Lauretta, and I wrote to her. This letter I intrusted to the care of, as I imagined, a faithful servant: in it I painted in the most glowing colours, the violence of my love and my despair; I made use of all the sophistry in which I was then but too conversant, to prevail on her to

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sacrifice what I called her prejudices to my happiness; and I solemnly vowed that without she did so, I would not answer for the extremes to which disappointment and despair might' drive.

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"To this rhapsody Lauretta did not deign to return an answer, but as my evil genius would have it, the domestic on whose fidelity I thought I could depend, betrayed my secret to my wife. She read my letter to Lauretta, need I say that it pierced her heart with a thousand daggers? She charged the servant, as I afterwards learned, to bring her the answer to it; and when she found that there was none, she expressed a strong curiosity to see Lauretta; this curiosity she found means to gratify, and she formed the strangest resolution that ever perhaps entered into the head of woman.

"She expressed a wish to visit a convent at some distance from Rome, and as her absence was rather a relief than

otherwise to me, I did not oppose her desire; she set out on her journey, attended by a proper retinue, whom she dismissed when she reached the convent. The time fixed upon for her return had nearly elapsed when I received from her this letter. The friar presented one to Alberto, who read as follows.

LETTER.

"For the first time perhaps Fernando, any thing that comes from me will be welcome to you; yes, I am at last aware of the cause that has converted indifference into disgust, and I am sensible that all hope, all possibility of my gaining your heart is for ever at an end.

"Was the object of your passion a licentious woman, did she willingly resign herself to your unhallowed desires, I might think, satiated by time and possession, you might at last return to me with a heart more sensible than your's has yet been of my love for you; but

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the native purity and nobleness of this young creature's mind, will never suffer her to become your mistress; and tormented by a passion which you can neither gratify nor forget, your future days present the most gloomy prospect.

"Fernando this shall not be; towhat purpose should I suffer you to drag a chain the most galling? Life has not for me a single charm; my infant, for whom alone I wished to live, is gone to the abode of bliss and peace; my husband's heart is for ever alienated from me, alienated did I say, alas! I never possessed it; we are a strong proof how truly involuntary is the passion of love. Caressed, flattered, and admired from my childish days, by parents and relations who doated upon me, and accustomed as I grew up to the voice of adulation wherever I turned my steps, I rashly married you in the hope, or rather certainty, that a very short time would render your affection equal to

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