With an eager and throbbing heart did she set forth with the men that
were to conduct her. She little thought, however, that she was merely
changing her prison-house. Don Ambrosio had feared lest she should be
traced to his residence in Granada; or that he might be interrupted
there before he could accomplish his plan of seduction. He had her now
conveyed, therefore, to a mansion which he possessed in one of the
mountain solitudes in the neighbourhood of Granada; a lonely, but
beautiful retreat. In vain, on her arrival, did she look around for
her father or Antonio; none but strange faces met her eye: menials,
profoundly respectful, but who knew nor saw anything but what their
master pleased.
She had scarcely arrived before Don Ambrosio made his appearance, less
stately in his manner, but still treating her with the utmost delicacy
and deference. Inez was too much agitated and alarmed to be baffled by
his courtesy, and became vehement in her demand to be conducted to her
father.
Don Ambrosio now put on an appearance of the greatest embarrassment
and emotion. After some delay, and much pretended confusion, he at
length confessed that the seizure of her father was all a stratagem; a
mere false alarm, to procure him the present opportunity of having
access to her, and endeavouring to mitigate that obduracy, and conquer
that repugnance, which he declared had almost driven him to
distraction.
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