he feldom quitted his home, and devoted his whole time to ftudy, hoping, by occupying his mind, to be able to divert his heart. Angelina could not comprehend the caufe of this great change of conduct; it at firft alarmed her, and fhe impatiently waited for an opportunity of coming to an explanation with Camire; but feeing that he no longer paid his ufual vifits to her uncle, neither meeting him in the fields, nor even at the tomb of his father, vexation and anger took poffeffion of her heart. She thought he was no longer beloved, fhe was refolved to become indifferent; and chance having one day placed her at church near Camire, the affected to turn her eyes away from the unhappy Guarani, pretend ed even not to obferve that he was by her fide, and returned home without having taken the leaft notice of him. This was a difficult task which the gentle and affectionate Angelina had impofed on herfelf; but the thought that after the victory fhe had gained over her feelings, nothing would be impoffible, and flattered her felf that the thould foon forget the object who then conftantly occupied her thoughts.

Camire was in defpair! He had fufficient courage to renounce her he loved, he had deprived himself of the fight of her; but he could not fupport her difdain, it had overpowered his foul; and not being able to find any relief for the torments he experienced, he fought Maldonado.

"

6

My father' faid he, hearken and forgive me; I find that I cannot conquer my love; I have firuggled against the dictates of my heart; I have employed all the ftrength with which virtue and reafon infpired me; but I feel that Angelina overcomes every thing; I mult leave you, my father, I must depart. In the name of Heaven hide thofe tears; I fhall flay with you if you weep,-I fhall expire betile you. Let me return to

my native woods: I fhall come back again. If the project I meditate be not above the powers of a human being, I fhall accomplish it, I am certain I fhall; and you will fee.ine return with a clear confcience, and one of the happieft of men. Adieu! my father, my friend, my benefactor; dry up thy tears; it is not thy fon who leaves thee, it is a miferable maniac, devoured by a fatal paffion which rules him at its will, which bears him far from thee, which confumes him. It cannot, however, change his affection, or the gratitude which his heart ftill, carefully preferves, though it be no longer his own.

S

After having faid thefe words, he rushed from the old man, who vainly entreated him to return; but Camire heard him not, and foon he was no longer perceptible to Maldonado's ardent gaze; who, deprived of his beloved child, now thought himself alone in the univérfe.

Angelina was ftill more to be pitied. Feeling all the pangs of a paffi on which the vainly ftruggled to over come, he had experienced as lively a grief as Camire, and had not one friend in whofe bofom the could confide her forrows.-When fhe heard of his fudden flight, the accufed herfelf of having caufed it, and fed tears of anguifh at the recollection of her behaviour towards him when laft they had met. For fome time her mind was foothed with the hope of his return; but ten months having elapfed without any news of her lover, the unhappy maiden determined, ̈ if fhe could obtain her uncle's permiffion, to pass the remainder of her days in one of the convents which were already effablished at the Affumption.

making her wishes known to Pedreras, he warmly feconded them; and on the fame day conducted her himfelf to the fuperior of the order of St. Clare, who immediately fugFlied her with the drefs of a novice,

and

and yielded to the governor's requeft, that Angelina fhould take the veil at the expiration of half the ufual periód.

The miferable girl would willingly have haftened the time that was to fhut her out from the world; the days moved on fo tedioufly fince the no longer faw Camire! She thought that when he had taken the vows, her mind would be more at cafe, and that love would quit a heart which was devoted to God. She faw the withed for time approach, and expeFienced a momentary joy.

The evening previous to the day appointed for Angelina to quit the world, the worthy father, Maldonado, on his return from vifiting the fick, had feated himself on a tone bench at the door of his dwelling. He was thinking of Camire, when he faw a man Funning towards him, who fuddenly uttered a loud fhriek, and rushed into his arms; it was he, it was his fon! The poor jefuit nearly fainted; and Camire was fo exhaufted with the hafte he had made, utterance was denied him; and they entered the house holding each other, but without cither of them fpeaking. When their full hearts could breathe with more freedom, Camire faid to him: It is I, my father; you again behold your fon, and he has not difgraced that title. I have neither betrayed my love or my honour; I am, and can remain, true to my brethren and my Angelina. I am come to give up the gold-mine which the governor required me; and this treafure is far from the road which might conduct him to my country.'

Maldonado listened with transport to his adopted fon, made him again repeat what he had faid, determined to conceal from him Angelina's intention, and repaired inftantly to Pedreras that the ceremony might be put off, to tell him the immenfe riches which Camire came to place in his hands, and to afk the executi

a

which was hidden from him by unjuftifiable means, he determined to adopt a different method, but which, nevertheless, conducted him to what he aimed at. He affembled the whole colony, and declared to them that he had just received orders from the king of Spain immediately to proceed in his exertions to compel the favages to fubmit to their government, and particularly the Guaranis. Then turn ing towards Camire, whom thefe words had greatly affected, my ne phew,' faid he, it is in your hands that I place the interefts of Spain; you are my adopted fon, I give you the rank of my adelantade; and command you, in the name of his majefty, to depart, with fix hundred foldiers to difcover and reduce into our fubjection, the country of the Guaranis.'

All the colony applauded this choice. The astonished Camire had not the power of anfwering their congratulations; he was, he was, however, hailed by every one as the adelantade. Pedreras renewed the orders he had I given, and commanded him to depart before the expiration of the week.

The unhappy Camire flew with his wife to afk the advice of Maklonado.

"

The worthy jefuit remained for a few moments wrapped in thought; then taking a hand each, faid, You are in a perilous fituation; Camire neither can nor ought to obey. If he refufe, he will be fufpected of treachery; in taking up his defence, I hall be thought as culpable; and the governor, I fear, is capable of any thing. You have only one alternative, which is to fly this very night and feek an afylum with the Guaranis. I will follow you, my children; yes, I will, notwithstanding my advanced age. Armed with the crofs, I will preach to Camire's bre

N O T E.

The next poft after that of governor. January, 1808.