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of her death to any person, had suffered her remains to decay in this

obscure chamber The ceremony of the veil, however, and the circu been left open, even for a moment, had occasioned

her much wonder and some doubts; but these were not sufficient to

overcome her suspicion of Montoni; and it was the dread of his terrible

vengeance, that had sealed her lips in silence, concerning what she had

seen in the west cha the Marchioness de Villeroi to have been the

sister of Mons St Aubert, was variously affected; but, amidst the

sorrohich she suffered for her untimely death, she was released from

an anxious and painful conjecture, occasioned by the rash assertion of

Signora Laurentini, concerning her birth and the honour of her parents

Her faith in St Aubert's principles would scarcely allow her to suspect

that he had acted dishonourably; and she felt such reluctance to

believe herself the daughter of any other, than her, whom she had always

considered and loved as a mother, that she would hardly admit such a

circumstance to be possible; yet the likeness, which it had frequently

been affirmed she bore to the late Marchioness, the former behaviour

of Dorothee the old housekeeper, the assertion of Laurentini, and the

mysterious attachment, which St Aubert had discovered, awakened doubts,

as to his connection with the Marchioness, which her reason could

neither vanquish, or confirm