misfortune into which I was about to fall, and has revealed to me by your own words the heart of which I was so ignorant.  Having lost the son of the Infante of Fortune, not only by my marriage, but also, as is known to me, by reason of his love for another, and finding myself wedded to a man whom, strive as I may, I cannot love, I resolved to set heart and affection entirely on loving you.  This love I built upon that virtue which I had so often perceived in you, and to which by your own assistance I think I have attained—­I mean the virtue of loving one’s honour and conscience more than life.  I came hither thinking to make this rock of virtue a sure foundation of love.  But you have in a moment shown me, Amadour, that instead of a pure and cleanly rock, this foundation would have been one of shifting sand or filthy mire; and although a great part of the house in which I hoped always to dwell had already been raised, you have suddenly demolished it.  Lay aside, therefore, any hope you had concerning me, and make up your mind not to seek me by look or word wherever I may be, or to hope that I shall ever be able or willing to change my resolve.  It is with the deepest sorrow that I tell you this, though had I gone so far as to swear eternal love with you, I know that my heart could not have lived through this meeting.  Even now I am so confounded to find myself deceived, that I am sure my life will be either short or sad.  With these words I bid you farewell, and for ever.”

I will not try to describe to you the grief that Amadour felt on hearing this speech.  It is impossible not only to describe it, but even to conceive it, except indeed to such as have experienced the like.  Seeing that with this cruel conclusion she was about to leave him, he seized her by the arm, knowing full well that, if he did not remove her evil opinion of him, he would lose her for ever.  Accordingly he dissembled his looks as well as he could, and said—­

“During my whole life, madam, I have desired to love a woman of virtue, and having found so few of them, I was minded to put you to proof, and so discover whether you were as well worthy of esteem as of love.  Now I know for certain that you are; and therefore I give praise to God, who has inclined my heart to the love of such great perfection.  I entreat you to pardon my mad and foolhardy attempt, seeing that the issue of it has turned to your honour and to my great satisfaction.”

Florida was beginning to learn through him the deceitfulness of men; and, just as she had formerly found it difficult to believe in evil where it existed, so did she now find it even more difficult to believe in virtue where there was none.

“Would to God you spoke the truth,” she said to him; “but I am not so ignorant as not to know by my experience in marriage that the blindness of strong passion led you to act as you did.  Had God given me a loose rein I am sure that you would not have drawn bridle.  Those who go in quest of virtue are wont to take a different road to yours.  But enough; if I have been too hasty in crediting you with some goodness, it is time I learned the truth, by which I am now delivered out of your hands.”