 of death; yet an hour, and I shall be
no more. I may therefore acknowledge without restraint, that to relinquish your
society was very painful to me: but such was the will of a parent, and I dared
not disobey. I die without repugnance: there are few who will lament my leaving
them - there are few whom I lament to leave. Among those few, I lament for none
more than for yourself; but we shall meet again, Ambrosio! we shall one day meet
in heaven: there shall our friendship be renewed, and my mother shall view it
with pleasure!«
    She paused. The abbot shuddered when she mentioned Elvira. Antonia imputed
his emotion to pity and concern for her.
    »You are grieved for me, father,« she continued; »Ah! sigh not for my loss.
I have no crimes to repent, at least none of which I am conscious; and I restore
my soul without fear to him from whom I received it. I have but few requests to
make; yet let me hope that what few I have shall be granted. Let a solemn mass
be said for my soul's repose, and another for that of my beloved mother; not
that I doubt her resting in her grave. I am now convinced that my reason
wandered, and the falsehood of the ghost's prediction is sufficient to prove my
error. But every one has some failing: my mother may have had her's, though I
knew them not: I therefore wish a mass to be celebrated for her repose, and the
expence may be defrayed by the little wealth of which I am possessed. Whatever
may then remain, I bequeath to my aunt Leonella. When I am dead, let the marquis
de las Cisternas know that his brother's unhappy family can no longer importune
him. But disappointment makes me unjust: they tell me that he is ill, and
perhaps, had it been in his power, he wished to have protected me. Tell him,
then, father, only that I am dead, and that if he had any faults to me, I
forgave him from my heart. This done, I have nothing more to ask for than your
prayers. Promise to remember my requests, and I shall resign my life without a
pang or sorrow.«
    Ambrosio engaged to comply with her desires, and proceeded to give her
absolution. Every moment announced the approach of Antonia's fate. Her sight
failed, her heart beat sluggishly, her fingers stiffened and grew cold, and at
two in the morning she
