 intended victim. She took care
therefore to give the lover of Agnes no cause to suppose that his design was
discovered, and his mistress on the point of suffering the punishment of her
fault. The same reason made her reject the idea of arresting the unknown seducer
in the garden: such a proceeding would have created much disturbance, and the
disgrace of her convent would have been noised about Madrid. She contented
herself with confining Agnes closely: as to the lover, she left him at liberty
to pursue his designs. What she had expected was the result. The marquis and
Lorenzo waited in vain till the break of day; they then retired without noise,
alarmed at the failure of their plan, and ignorant of the cause of its ill
success.
    The next morning Lorenzo went to the convent, and requested to see his
sister. The prioress appeared at the grate with a melancholy countenance. She
informed him that for several days Agnes had appeared much agitated; that she
had been pressed by the nuns in vain to reveal the cause, and apply to their
tenderness for advice and consolation; that she had obstinately persisted in
concealing the cause of her distress; but that on Thursday evening it had
produced so violent an effect upon her constitution, that she had fallen ill,
and was actually confined to her bed. Lorenzo did not credit a syllable of this
account: he insisted upon, seeing his sister; if she was unable to come to the
grate, he desired to be admitted to her cell. The prioress crossed herself! she
was shocked at the very idea of a man's profane eye pervading the interior of
her holy mansion, and professed herself astonished that Lorenzo could think of
such a thing. She told him that his request could not be granted; but that, if
he returned the next day, she hoped that her beloved daughter would then be
sufficiently recovered to join him at the parlour grate. With this answer
Lorenzo was obliged to retire, unsatisfied, and trembling for his sister's
safety.
    He returned the next morning at an early hour. »Agnes was worse; the
physician had pronounced her to be in imminent danger; she was ordered to remain
quiet, and it was utterly impossible for her to receive her brother's visit.«
Lorenzo stormed at this answer, but there was no resource. He raved, he
entreated, he threatened; no means were left untried to obtain a sight of Agnes.
His endeavours were as fruitless as those of the day before, and he returned in
despair to the marquis. On his side, the latter had spared
