CHAP. VIII.
It was a beautiful moonlight night, when. I reached the forest in which the cabal resided. But what was my surprise, to find at day-break that my horse had carried me a quite opposite direction from that whither I imagined to have chosen my way. It was the effect of another enchantment. At sunrising, I saw myself in the charming valley of Placentia, on the river Tago; the river Talavera being on the right, and the town of Oropesa, amidst numberless detached houses, and scattered hamlets and villages on the left. I jogged on between the vineyards and, cornfields which embellish that fertile region, till I arrived at the next village, whose inhabitants were all on foot and drest in their best attire, to go, as I afterwards understood, to a famous annual fair at Oropesa. The groups of peasants of both sexes loudly diverted themselves with my gloomy and melancholy face, which they judged too unfashionable to appear at a fair. They would not, however, speak to me, before I had wished them a good morning; when, with great avidity they thronged around me, to recount the amusements and wonders of the fair. At last, the men almost disputed with each other, who should Have first the pleasure to treat me at the next wine-house.
I could not resist their sincere invitations, and entered several houses on the town-road, to drink, they said, to the pleasures of the fair. The wanton sports of their youths and their engaging brunettes, made my heart Heavier at every step. "How happy," exclaimed I, "could he be, that would live amongst you."
"Why don t you, Sennor?" replied a strong, healthy young peasant, who was con ducting his sprightly confort by the arm. "Why not pick out a wife among our girls? None would refuse you, I am sure."
"But who would help me to do your work my good fellow?"
"Every one of us will bear you a hand. Wouldn't ye now do it, neighbours?"
Here the whole crowd answered: "Aye, aye; and heartily welcome!"
"And thou black-eyed little wanton," said the rustic; addressing himself to a fine, slender brunette more beautiful than the rest; I see your squinting looks. Would you have any objection to take this man for your husband?"
Here the cheeks of the ingenuous-maiden covered themselves with a thousand sweet blushes.
"Don t be such a child, Clara," continued the hardy ploughman. "You see, Sennor, she is my wife's youngest sister, and a pretty girl enough, and though a little saucy at times, yet a downright good-natured faithful wench. Why you blush again? Have I said too much in your favor?"
Here the beautiful brunette modestly advanced to me.
"Don't you believe him," said she; "I am quite good for nothing. But if your honor wishes to wed with me—I have no objection."
"Sweet Clara," interrupted I, I am quite grieved at not being able to accept of so much happiness. My parents are alive still; mine is a proud family; and, alas! I am a nobleman!"
"Oh! As for that," said the peasant, I am your equal. And the question is whose family is the more ancient and respected, yours or mine?—Did you never hear of Count Orello?" added he with a soft whisper.
"Good God!" cried I, "are you Count Orello, who eloped with a young lady, and was afterwards———"
"What? You know my story, Sennor? Who may you be pray?"
I whispered my name in his ear.
He gazed at me with amazement, then turning to his company: "Hark'ee, children," said he, "I am going to fetch something I forgot at the last inn. Go on, never mind me, I'll soon join you again."
They asked what it was, and every one offered to go and fetch it for him. But he only turned and whispered to me:—"Don Carlos, you are a worthy man, but we shall never meet again,"—and disappeared.
The whole company were sorry at his departure, and having waited some time, despaired of his return. "He is sometimes quite down-hearted," said they; what a pity that such a good man should be so melancholy!———Yet he has lands, a comfortable house, an excellent wife, and good children."
Meanwhile I perceived the Count's lady quite bewildered at her husband's departure, and Clara seemed also deeply concerned. The Countess cast some melancholy looks at me, as if she dreaded me as the disturber of her present happiness. I separated purposely from the crowd, and accosting her, asked, what could be the cause of so much distress?
"Ah! Sir," replied she fetching a deep sigh,—"we are very unfortunate! I see, my; husband has been so imprudent as to discover our family to you. This does not vex me, because I believe you are a man of honor;—but why did he retire thus suddenly? Why is he not come back?—I know him well; the very recesses of his heart seemed to be in emotion."
"I promise you, Madonna, to keep your husband's communication respecting his family, as a secret buried in my heart. As to his going away so suddenly, I am in a still greater uncertainty than yourself. No doubt, you know the reports that are spread respecting your marriage, and that your husband gave you his hand in defiance of a certain mystic Cabal?"
"You astonish me, Sennor."
"There's no occasion, Sennora; I, too, am One of the members of that formidable society."
"Gracious Heaven protect us then!"
"Away with such fears, Madonna! I ans perhaps more the victim of that Cabal than yourself, and that without the least prospect of the remedy that you have taken for your safety."
"I understand you perfectly, Sennor, and hope you will be our friend."
From this moment I observed, that my candor had done me more harm than good, and and the lady became visibly more reserved in her conversation. Had I been more circumspect, I might in the critical moment of her fright have searched deeper into the secrets of their history, but now she seemed to evade with singular facility, every captious question, and combated me, as it were, with my own weapons.
On our arrival at Oropesa, I lost sight of the Countess and her children in a crowd, and never saw them again afterwards. The fair was well-attended and remarkable for an hundred entertainments that could not but prove agreeable to the country-people.
Having walked about for an hour, I stopt at last among a group of spectators who very attentively saw a large mastiff dance. The dog having done, his master took a green par rot upon his hand, and asked the bird:
"Tell me, pretty Poll, who is the eldest and who the youngest here?"
The bird first mentioned the numbers: eighty-two and eight.
"And what is their name?"
He uttered two names, which the whole company with great applause, declared to be rightly guessed.
—"Now tell me, pretty wag," pursued the show-man, "what nobleman is in the company." The bird very plainly answered, "Don Carlos de Grandez," I was quite thunderstruck, and every eye being directed to me, quitted the crowd, remounted my horse, and precipitately gallopped out of the town.
"Unhappy Carlos," said I to myself, "there is no place on earth where thou can st shelter thyself from thy persecuting fate; no "spot, where the arms of those mysterious strangers do not extend to, where they do not catch thee in their snares. How will it then be, if thou fallest into their vindictive hands? What new torments will they invent," to punish thy disobedience, what new arts devise to dupe thee with thy own folly?/ Believing them in thy reach, thou wilt only grasp the phantom of thy fancy—and power! what will it avail thee? two feeble arms of an enervated frame; against a thousand daring and robust hands; a dagger against a thousand swords!
"Thou certainly carriest poison about thee, which would shorten thy sufferings. But hast thou aught to keep off their insulting pity, their placid contempt? Better were it for thee, to fancy some means of escaping them, instead of going in quest of their infernal cavern with all the madness and ill success of knight-errantry."
Amidst these reflections I met a traveller in a wood on the confines of the valley of Placentia. We entered into conversation about the forest, the dangers of travelling, and hit at last on the proprietor of the whole district, My fellow-traveller, a plain but talkative man, now informed me, that the owner was a widow-lady, whose husband had on a sudden disappeared. After a thousand fruitless researches, she was still left in the cruel uncertainty of what was become of him, and resolved to spend her life to mourn his loss in solitary retirement.
Night drew on apace; no inn was near; and my companion telling me, that the widow received every traveller, however mean and distressed with the most amiable hospitality; her boasted virtues and the tale of her misfortunes made me determine to pay her a visit, and I took leave of my informant on a cross-road.
He showed me the way to the lady's castle, whose outskirts I reached at twilight. The gardens were beautiful, embellished with statues and water-works, and the mansion itself had the magnificent grandeur of a palace. Tying my horse to a tree, I ascended a flight of marble steps, entered the hall, which was entirely deserted. I then went through several apartments, most sumptuously furnished, and still nobody came to speak to me. I stopped in a fourth apartment to look at some paintings, when a person in black, whom I took for a servant, opened another door, without lifting his eyes from the ground. I spoke to him, he made no answer, and ere I could turn to follow him, had vanished from my sight.
"By Heavens! Carlos," exclaimed I, "this exceeds all thou haft hitherto lived to see."
At these words "opened! the door, by which the servant came out, and entered a closet hung in black, where a lady in sable weeds, was kneeling before a silver crucifix and two lighted tapers. On my entrance she beckoned me, not to disturb her in her devotion.
Having continued her pious exercise about ten minutes longer, she rose, wiped off some tears from her large and soft-beaming blue eyes and inviting me to follow her into a drawing room:
—"Who are you, Sennor?" asked she, "what service can I render you?"
—"A straying wanderer Madonna," replied I, "that craves the protection of your hospitable roof for a night."
My dress, which was rather disordered and looked shabby owing to the dust of the roads and a shower in which it had got wet, made her survey me with particular attention.
—"Pardon me, Sennor;" resumed she, "I am at a loss in what manner to entertain you. May I make bold to ask your name?"
Having satisfied her enquiry, and pretended, that a desire of getting acquainted with the world was the motive of my journey, she informed me that she would give orders to her servant to assign a suit of rooms for my reception, but could not think of consenting to my leaving her castle for some days.
Having thanked her for such unmerited kindness, she led me to a saloon with an invitation to sup with her. Spending our time in agreeable conversation, a genteel and handsome young man made his appearance, after whose arrival, an excellent supper, consisting of all the dainties of the season was served. The young gentleman appeared to be universally accomplished, and methought by their looks, they harboured a tender attachment for each other. Thus we spent several days, and the widow being alone in the day-time, I generally had the pleasure to accompany her in taking her morning and afternoon's walk in the gardens.