Thecompanyweredispersedthroughvariousalleysofthegarden；
thebridegroomandbridewanderedthroughonewherethedeliciousperfumeoftheorangetreesmingleditselfwiththatofthemyrtlesinblow。Ontheirreturntotheball，bothofthemasked，Hadthecompanyheardtheexquisitesoundsthatfloatedthroughthegardenjustbeforetheyquittedit？Noonehadheardthem。Theyexpressedtheirsurprise。TheEnglishmanhadneverquittedthehall；itwassaidhesmiledwithamostparticularandextraordinaryexpressionastheremarkwasmade。Hissilencehadbeennoticedbefore，butitwasascribedtohisignoranceoftheSpanishlanguage，anignorancethatSpaniardsarenotanxiouseithertoexposeorremovebyspeakingtoastranger。Thesubjectofthemusicwasnotagainrevertedtotilltheguestswereseatedatsupper，whenDonnaInesandheryounghusband，exchangingasmileofdelightedsurprise，exclaimedtheyheardthesamedelicioussoundsfloatingroundthem。Theguestslistened，butnooneelsecouldhearit；——everyonefelttherewassomethingextraordinaryinthis。Hush！wasutteredbyeveryvoicealmostatthesamemoment。Adeadsilencefollowed，——youwouldthink，fromtheirintentlooks，thattheylistenedwiththeirveryeyes。Thisdeepsilence，contrastedwiththesplendorofthefeast，andthelighteffusedfromtorchesheldbythedomestics，producedasingulareffect，——itseemedforsomemomentslikeanassemblyofthedead。Thesilencewasinterrupted，thoughthecauseofwonderhadnotceased，bytheentranceofFatherOlavida，theConfessorofDonnaIsabella，whohadbeencalledawayprevioustothefeast，toadministerextremeunctiontoadyingmanintheneighborhood。Hewasapriestofuncommonsanctity，belovedinthefamily，andrespectedintheneighborhood，wherehehaddisplayeduncommontasteandtalentsforexorcism；——infact，thiswasthegoodFather’sforte，andhepiquedhimselfonitaccordingly。ThedevilneverfellintoworsehandsthanFatherOlavida’s，forwhenhewassocontumaciousastoresistLatin，andeventhefirstversesoftheGospelofSt。JohninGreek，whichthegoodFatherneverhadrecoursetobutincasesofextremestubbornnessanddifficulty，——
hereStantonrecollectedtheEnglishstoryoftheBoyofBilson，andblushedeveninSpainforhiscountrymen，——thenhealwaysappliedtotheInquisition；andifthedevilswereeversoobstinatebefore，theywerealwaysseentoflyoutofthepossessed，justas，inthemidstoftheircriesnodoubtofblasphemy，theyweretiedtothestake。Someheldouteventilltheflamessurroundedthem；buteventhemoststubbornmusthavebeendislodgedwhentheoperationwasover，forthedevilhimselfcouldnolongertenantacrispandglutinouslumpofcinders。ThusFatherOlavida’sfamespreadfarandwide，andtheCardozafamilyhadmadeuncommoninteresttoprocurehimforaConfessor，andhappilysucceeded。TheceremonyhehadjustbeenperforminghadcastashadeoverthegoodFather’scountenance，butitdispersedashemingledamongtheguests，andwasintroducedtothem。Roomwassoonmadeforhim，andhehappenedaccidentallytobeseatedoppositetheEnglishman。Asthewinewaspresentedtohim，FatherOlavidawho，asIobserved，wasamanofsingularsanctity
preparedtoutterashortinternalprayer。Hehesitated，——
trembled，——desisted；and，puttingdownthewine，wipedthedropsfromhisforeheadwiththesleeveofhishabit。DonnaIsabellagaveasigntoadomestic，andotherwineofahigherqualitywasofferedtohim。Hislipsmoved，asifintheefforttopronounceabenedictiononitandthecompany，buttheeffortagainfailed；andthechangeinhiscountenancewassoextraordinary，thatitwasperceivedbyalltheguests。Hefeltthesensationthathisextraordinaryappearanceexcited，andattemptedtoremoveitbyagainendeavoringtoliftthecuptohislips。Sostrongwastheanxietywithwhichthecompanywatchedhim，thattheonlysoundheardinthatspaciousandcrowdedhallwastherustlingofhishabitasheattemptedtoliftthecuptohislipsoncemore——invain。Theguestssatinastonishedsilence。FatherOlavidaaloneremainedstanding；butatthatmomenttheEnglishmanrose，andappeareddeterminedtofixOlavida’sregardsbyagazelikethatoffascination。Olavidarocked，reeled，graspedthearmofapage，andatlast，closinghiseyesforamoment，asiftoescapethehorriblefascinationofthatunearthlyglaretheEnglishman’seyeswereobservedbyalltheguests，fromthemomentofhisentrance，toeffuseamostfearfulandpreternaturalluster，exclaimed，”Whoisamongus？——Who？——Icannotutterablessingwhileheishere。I