Six months had passed away, during which, by bribes to the portress, and the yielding of my mistress, I had contrived to obtain admittance by night into the convent garden.  One evening I informed her that her parents, menaced by their confessor, had rescinded their promise to me, and had decided upon not obtaining her dispensation.  Every thing had been prepared, that she might have no time for reflection:  hurried away by her own feelings, my persuasions, and my protestations, she consented to fly with me to my own country.  I bore the trembling, fainting girl in my arms—­effected my escape from the convent and the city—­embarked on board of a vessel which I had ready to weigh at a moment’s warning, and was soon far distant from the port of Cadiz.

It was near midnight when we embarked, and I bore my treasure down into the cabin of the vessel, muffled up in my cloak.  Her nun’s dress had not been laid aside; for I had not provided myself with any other change of raiment.

Before morning it blew fresh.  Rosina, who, as well as I, had abandoned herself to that powerful love which engrossed us, lay supported in my arms, when the captain of the vessel, coming down to speak to me, perceived that she was arrayed in the religious attire.  He started when he viewed it, and hastily quitted the cabin.  I had a presentiment that all was not right, and, removing my arms from Rosina, repaired on deck, where I found him in consultation with the crew.  The subject in agitation was their immediate return to Cadiz to deliver us to the Inquisition.  I resisted the suggestion; claimed the vessel as my own, having chartered her, and threatened immediate death to any one who should attempt to alter her course; but it was in vain.  Their horror at the sacrilege, and their fear of being implicated in, and suffering the dreadful penalties attending it, bore down all my arguments; my promises and my threats were alike disregarded.

I was seized, overpowered, and the vessel steered in for land.  I raved, stamped, and imprecated in vain:  at last I declared that we all should suffer together, as I would denounce them as having been aware of my intentions, and state that it was only in consequence of my having refused to submit to farther extortion, that they had not fulfilled their agreement.  This startled them; for they knew that the Inquisition gladly seized upon all pretexts; and that even if not convicted, their imprisonment would be long.  Again they consulted; and heaving the vessel to the wind, they hoisted out the long boat.  Having thrown into her a scanty supply of provisions and water, with a few necessaries, they brought up the terrified Rosina from the cabin, and, placing her in the boat, released and ordered me to follow.  As soon as I was in the boat, they cut the rope by which it was towed, and we were soon left at a distance astern.