FormanymonthsweheardnomoreofdeGarciaorofIsabelladeSiguenza。
Bothhadvanishedleavingnosign，andwesearchedfortheminvain。
AsformeIfellbackintomyformerwayoflifeofassistanttoFonseca，posingbeforetheworldashisnephew。
Butitcameaboutthatfromthenightofmyduelwiththemurderer，mymaster’shealthdeclinedsteadilythroughtheactionofawastingdiseaseoftheliverwhichbaffledallskill，sothatwithineightmonthsofthattimehelayalmostbedriddenandatthepointofdeath。
Hismindindeedremainedquiteclear，andonoccasionshewouldevenreceivethosewhocametoconsulthim，recliningonachairandwrappedinhisembroideredrobe。
Butthehandofdeathlayonhim，andheknewthatitwasso。
Astheweekswentbyhegrewmoreandmoreattachedtome，tillatlength，hadIbeenhisson，hecouldnothavetreatedmewithagreateraffection，whileformypartIdidwhatlayinmypowertolessenhissufferings，forhewouldletnootherphysiciannearhim。
Atlengthwhenhehadgrownveryfeebleheexpressedadesiretoseeanotary。
Themanhenamedwassentforandremainedclosetedwithhimforanhourormore，whenheleftforawhiletoreturnwithseveralofhisclerks，whoaccompaniedhimtomymaster’sroom，fromwhichIwasexcluded。
Presentlytheyallwentaway，bearingsomeparchmentswiththem。
ThateveningFonsecasentforme。
Ifoundhimveryweak，butcheerfulandfulloftalk。
’Comehere，nephew，’hesaid，’Ihavehadabusyday。
Ihavebeenbusyallmylifethrough，anditwouldnotbewelltogrowidleatthelast。
DoyouknowwhatIhavebeendoingthisday？’
Ishookmyhead。
’Iwilltellyou。
Ihavebeenmakingmywill——thereissomethingtoleave；notsoverymuch，butstillsomething。’
’Donottalkofwills，’Isaid；’Itrustthatyoumayliveformanyyears。’
Helaughed。
’Youmustthinkbadlyofmycase，nephew，whenyouthinkthatIcanbedeceivedthus。
Iamabouttodieasyouknowwell，andIdonotfeardeath。
Mylifehasbeenprosperousbutnothappy，foritwasblightedinitsspring——nomatterhow。
Thestoryisanoldoneandnotworthtelling；moreover，whicheverwayithadread，ithadallbeenonenowinthehourofdeath。
Wemusttravelourjourneyeachofus；whatdoesitmatteriftheroadhasbeengoodorbadwhenwehavereachedthegoal？
Formypartreligionneithercomfortsnorfrightensmenowatthelast。
Iwillstandorfallupontherecordofmylife。
IhavedoneevilinitandIhavedonegood；theevilIhavedonebecausenatureandtemptationhavebeentoostrongformeattimes，thegoodalsobecausemyheartpromptedmetoit。
Well，itisfinished，andafteralldeathcannotbesoterrible，seeingthateveryhumanbeingisborntoundergoit，togetherwithalllivingthings。
Whateverelseisfalse，Iholdthistobetrue，thatGodexistsandismoremercifulthanthosewhopreachHimwouldhaveustobelieve。’
Andheceasedexhausted。
OftensincethenIhavethoughtofhiswords，andIstillthinkofthemnowthatmyownhourissonear。
AswillbeseenFonsecawasafatalist，abeliefwhichIdonotaltogethershare，holdingasI
dothatwithincertainlimitsweareallowedtoshapeourowncharactersanddestinies。
ButhislastsayingsIbelievetobetrue。
Godisandismerciful，anddeathisnotterribleeitherinitsactorinitsconsequence。
PresentlyFonsecaspokeagain。
’Whydoyouleadmetotalkofsuchthings？
TheywearymeandIhavelittletime。
Iwastellingofmywill。
Nephew，listen。
ExceptcertainsumsthatIhavegiventobespentincharities——notinmasses，mindyou——IhaveleftyouallI
possess。’
’YouhaveleftittoME！’Isaidastonished。
’Yes，nephew，toyou。
Whynot？
IhavenorelationslivingandI
havelearnedtoloveyou，IwhothoughtthatIcouldnevercareagainforanymanorwomanorchild。
Iamgratefultoyou，whohaveprovedtomethatmyheartisnotdead，takewhatIgiveyouasamarkofmygratitude。’
NowIbegantostammermythanks，buthestoppedme。
’Thesumthatyouwillinherit，nephew，amountsinalltoaboutfivethousandgoldpesos，orperhapstwelvethousandofyourEnglishpounds，enoughforayoungmantobeginlifeon，evenwithawife。
IndeedthereinEnglanditmaywellbeheldagreatfortune，andIthinkthatyourbetrothed’sfatherwillmakenomoreobjectiontoyouasason-in-law。
Alsothereisthishouseandallthatitcontains；
thelibraryandthesilverarevaluable，andyouwilldowelltokeepthem。
Allislefttoyouwiththefullestformality，sothatnoquestioncanariseastoyourrighttotakeit；indeed，foreseeingmyend，Ihaveoflatecalledinmymoneys，andforthemostpartthegoldliesinstrongboxesinthesecretcupboardinthewallyonderthatyouknowof。
ItwouldhavebeenmorehadI
knownyousomeyearsago，forthen，thinkingthatIgrewtoorichwhowaswithoutanheir，Igaveawayasmuchaswhatremainsinactsofmercyandinprovidingrefugeforthehomelessandthesuffering。
ThomasWingfield，forthemostpartthismoneyhascometomeasthefruitofhumanfollyandhumanwretchedness，frailtyandsin。
Useitforthepurposesofwisdomandtheadvancingofrightandliberty。
Mayitprosperyou，andremindyouofme，youroldmaster，theSpanishquack，tillatlastyoupassitontoyourchildrenorthepoor。
Andnowonewordmore。
Ifyourconsciencewillletyou，abandonthepursuitofdeGarcia。
TakeyourfortuneandgowithittoEngland；wedthatmaidwhomyoudesire，andfollowafterhappinessinwhateverwayseemsbesttoyou。
WhoareyouthatyoushouldmeetoutvengeanceonthisknavedeGarcia？
Lethimbe，andhewillavengehimselfuponhimself。
Otherwiseyoumayundergomuchtoilanddanger，andintheendloselove，andlife，andfortuneatablow。’
’ButIhavesworntokillhim，’Ianswered，’andhowcanIbreaksosolemnanoath？
HowcouldIsitathomeinpeacebeneaththeburdenofsuchshame？’
’Idonotknow；itisnotformetojudge。
Youmustdoasyouwish，butinthedoingofit，itmayhappenthatyouwillfallintogreatershamesthanthis。
Youhavefoughtthemanandhehasescapedyou。
Lethimgoifyouarewise。
Nowbenddownandkissme，andbidmefarewell。
Idonotdesirethatyoushouldseemedie，andmydeathisnear。
IcannottellifweshallmeetagainwheninyourturnyouhavelainasIlienow，orifweshapeourcoursefordifferentstars。
Ifso，farewellforever。’
ThenIleantdownandkissedhimontheforehead，andasIdidsoI
wept，fornottillthishourdidIlearnhowtrulyIhadcometolovehim，sotrulythatitseemedtomeasthoughmyfatherlaytheredying。
’Weepnot，’hesaid，’forallourlifeisbutaparting。
OnceI
hadasonlikeyou，andourswasthebitterestoffarewells。
NowI
gotoseekforhimagainwhocouldnotcomebacktome，soweepnotbecauseIdie。
Good-bye，ThomasWingfield。
MayGodprosperandprotectyou！
Nowgo！’
SoIwentweeping，andthatnight，beforethedawn，allwasoverwithAndresdeFonseca。
Theytoldmethathewasconscioustotheendanddiedmurmuringthenameofthatsonofwhomhespokeinhislastwordstome。
Whatwasthehistoryofthisson，orofFonsecahimself，Ineverlearned，forlikeanIndianhehidhistrailasstepbystephewandereddownthepathoflife。
Heneverspokeofhispast，andinallthebooksanddocumentsthatheleftbehindhimthereisnoallusiontoit。
Once，someyearsago，IreadthroughtheciphervolumesofrecordsthatIhavespokenof，andofwhichhegavemethekeybeforehedied。
TheystandbeforemeontheshelfasI
write，andinthemaremanyhistoriesofshame，sorrow，andevil，offaithdeludedandinnocencebetrayed，ofthecrueltyofpriests，ofavaricetriumphantoverlove，andoflovetriumphantoverdeath——
enough，indeed，tofurnishhalfahundredoftrueromances。
Butamongthesechroniclesofagenerationnowpastandforgotten，thereisnomentionofFonseca’sownnameandnohintofhisownstory。
Itislostforever，andperhapsthisiswell。
Sodiedmybenefactorandbestfriend。
WhenhewasmadereadyforburialIwentintoseehimandhelookedcalmandbeautifulinhisdeathsleep。
Thenitwasthatshewhohadarrayedhimforthegravehandedtometwoportraitsmostdelicatelypaintedonivoryandsetingold，whichhadbeenfoundabouthisneck。
Ihavethemyet。
Oneisoftheheadofaladywithasweetandwistfulcountenance，andtheotherthefaceofadeadyouthalsobeautiful，butverysad。
Doubtlesstheyweremotherandson，butIknownomoreaboutthem。
OnthemorrowIburiedAndresdeFonseca，butwithnopomp，forhehadsaidthathewishedaslittlemoneyaspossiblespentuponhisdeadbody，andreturnedtothehousetomeetthenotaries。
ThenthesealswerebrokenandtheparchmentsreadandIwasputinfullpossessionofthedeadman’swealth，andhavingdeductedsuchsumsaswerepayablefordues，legacies，andfees，thenotariesleftmebowinghumbly，forwasInotrich？
Yes，Iwasrich，wealthhadcometomewithouteffort，andIhadreasontodesireit，yetthiswasthesaddestnightthatIhadpassedsinceIsetfootinSpain，formymindwasfilledwithdoubtsandsorrow，andmoreovermylonelinessgotaholdofme。
Butsadasitmightbe，itwasdestinedtoseemyetmoresorrowfulbeforethemorning。
ForasI
satmakingpretencetoeat，aservantcametomesayingthatawomanwaitedintheouterroomwhohadaskedtoseehislatemaster。
GuessingthatthiswassomeclientwhohadnotheardofFonseca’sdeathIwasabouttoorderthatsheshouldbedismissed，thenbethoughtmethatImightbeofservicetoherorattheleastforgetsomeofmyowntroubleinlisteningtohers。
SoIbadehimbringherin。
Presentlyshecame，atallwomanwrappedinadarkcloakthathidherface。
Ibowedandmotionedtohertobeseated，whensuddenlyshestartedandspoke。
’IaskedtoseeDonAndresdeFonseca，’shesaidinalowquickvoice。
’Youarenothe，senor。’
’AndresdeFonsecawasburiedto-day，’Ianswered。
’Iwashisassistantinhisbusinessandamhisheir。
IfIcanserveyouinanywayIamatyourdisposal。’
’Youareyoung——veryyoung，’shemurmuredconfusedly，’andthematteristerribleandurgent。
HowcanItrustyou？’
’Itisforyoutojudge，senora。’
Shethoughtawhile，thendrewoffhercloak，displayingtherobesofanun。
’Listen，’shesaid。
’Imustdomanyapenanceforthisnight’swork，andveryhardlyhaveIwonleavetocomehitheruponanerrandofmercy。
NowIcannotgobackempty-handed，soImusttrustyou。
ButfirstswearbythineblessedMotherofGodthatyouwillnotbetrayme。’
’Igiveyoumyword，’Ianswered；’ifthatisnotenough，letusendthistalk。’
’Donotbeangrywithme，’shepleaded；’IhavenotleftmyconventwallsformanyyearsandIamdistraughtwithgrief。
Iseekapoisonofthedeadliest。
Iwillpaywellforit。’
’Iamnotthetoolofmurderers，’Ianswered。
’Forwhatpurposedoyouwishthepoison？’
’Oh！Imusttellyou——yethowcanI？
Inourconventtherediesto-
nightawomanyoungandfair，almostagirlindeed，whohasbrokenthevowsshetook。
Shediesto-nightwithherbabe——thus，ohGod，thus！bybeingbuiltaliveintothefoundationsofthehouseshehasdisgraced。
Itisthejudgmentthathasbeenpasseduponher，judgmentwithoutforgivenessorreprieve。
Iamtheabbessofthisconvent——asknotitsnameormine——andIlovethissinnerasthoughsheweremydaughter。
