The Countess Of Assis - Romance, revenge and ambition during the Second Reign
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The Countess Of Assis - Romance, revenge and ambition during the Second Reign
JOÃO PAULO FOSCHI
Translated by Vanusa Sobrinho
“The Countess Of Assis - Romance, revenge and ambition during the Second Reign”
Written By JOÃO PAULO FOSCHI
Copyright © 2017 João Paulo Foschi
All rights reserved
Distributed by Babelcube, Inc.
www.babelcube.com
Translated by Vanusa Sobrinho
Cover Design © 2017 João Paulo Melo Fernandes
“Babelcube Books” and “Babelcube” are trademarks of Babelcube Inc.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
The Countess Of Assis - Romance, revenge and ambition during the Second Reign
The Countess of Assis
Contents
Acknowledgements
Warning
PART I | From the Rise to the Culmination
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
BOOK II | From the Culmination to the Downfall
Chapter I
Afterword
João Paulo Foschi
The Countess of Assis
Romance, Revenge and Ambition during the Second Reign
BOOK I
From the Rise to the Culmination
“In honor of the great masters of Brazilian and universal
Literature from the XIX century.”
Contents
Acknowledgements
Warnings
PART I – From the Rise to the Culmination
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
PART II – From the Culmination to the Downfall
Chapter I
Afterword
Acknowledgements
To God, for making this dream come true;
To my parents: Carlos Alberto Fernandes Foschi (in memoriam) and Francisca Melo Fernandes;
To dear Virgínia, Carmen and Lisa;
To the historian and writer Mary Del Priore, for the foundation that allowed me to enrich this narrative about the times of the Second Reign;
To the professors Vládia Mourão and Verônica Barbazán, for their constant support and incentive that guided me to this moment;
To Chiado Publishing, for their unconditional support;
To all of you, thank you very much!
Warning
Here is the fruit of several months of work that now you have in your hands. Enjoy it as you please. You may find a mistake or impropriety, which will most certainly not diminish the beauty of the writing. Machado de Assis also made mistakes, and later notified his readers about corrections made in Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas. Therefore, borrowing the words of Machado himself, I will possibly “correct something and suppress two or three dozen lines”, supposing the honorable critics will be so nice as to point out to me any mistake or contradiction in this text.
However, aside from my own admiration of the “Wizard of the Cosme Velho” and many other writers of the XIX century, I wanted to extract the best I found in them during the years of reading the classics. I call them “mine” because I recognize in each page that I read from those old romances a heritage of priceless value, which undoubtedly served as reference and help to write my first work in prose. In regards to the historiographical aspects of this book, thanks to the reading of renowned researchers’ works, the compilation of a panel of the Brazil of the 1800s was conceived very harmoniously. Every so often, I imagined myself living during that time: walking through the streets of the ancient historic center of the Rio de Janeiro city, or riding the coaches pulled by horses and participating of the lively dances of the soirées...
Now, about The Countess of Assis, what else should I say? Only that I made use of creative humor, irony and sarcasm, among other elements essential in the construction of a good romance, that may attract and capture the attention of those reading it. To conclude, I warn those unsuspecting readers that in this book there are real characters of flesh and bone; and others who exist only in the fiction books...
João Paulo Foschi
“Revenge, the sweetest morsel to the mouth that ever was cooked in hell.”
Walter Scott
PART I
From the Rise to the Culmination
Chapter I
The beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, such as we know it today, still keeps alive the same splendor of before, such as during the time that Emperor D. Pedro II used to reign. The extensive Atlantic Forest that surrounded it, enclosed by thick woods and elevated hills, emphasized with pride the prestigious capital of the Second Reign. Its sandbanks and bays, with high cliffs along the sea, portrayed the tropical panoramic and paradisiacal view, with strong rains during the summer; and so, this marvelous city, born on the shores of the Carioca River[1] was privileged by a mild and enjoyable climate that applauded its local citizens, the Fluminenses.
This same generation of men and women represented the most popular idealization of the Brazilian society. It was an epoch of torrid romances in which honor, feelings and promises still had great value. It was also a time of great effervescence for the elevation of the human minds; and the Court who accompanied the imperial family drank avidly from the cultural waters originated from the Old World. And even if the clamor of the captive by the burning whips of an enslaved society represented an evil to be extinguished, this in no way overshadowed its radiance. Which gentleman or lady would not want to attend the Ouvidor Street[2] and its marvelous ornate shops, decorated as if ready to receive a noble of the most sophisticated level?
In one of these nights of the year 1866, at the street called Voluntários da Pátria, in the Botafogo district, Mr. Gaspar Duarte Valão, a businessman in ascension in the manufacturing industry, celebrated, with happiness, the birth of his first daughter, Lorena. The mother, Mrs. Teodora da Penha, dreamed about giving him a son, but
destiny did not allow her to. As a good catholic that he was, Mr. Gaspar often remembered the example of Abraham recited by the priest and believed faithfully that such a blessing could only be achieved at the right time. But how to question the plans of a supreme being that can do everything? So he dedicated himself completely to the faith that he had learned from his parents, and them, from the parents of their parents, that the good God, or even one of the saints, send him the children that he was missing, be them boys or girls. And if God did not want it so, neither did the saints, for Lorena was the only child the couple ever had. The health issues generated from the first birth did not allow Mrs. Teodora to have any more children, and so it happened that all the attention and affection was dedicated to the little one, and her needs and requests promptly satiated. The years transformed the naughty and spoiled girl into a charming and attractive young lady.
It was not surprising to notice her fervent admirers constantly throwing stares at her. Mrs. Teodora, during mass and in between a Hail Mary and another, would glance at her daughter siting by her side and, from her advantage point, she could always note the stares and dalliance of one admirer or another. Besides, she also complained that her husband was not there. With prosperity knocking at the door, Mr. Gaspar didn’t have enough time to dedicate to the holy devotion, unless it was time to celebrate Corpus Christi or during the time of the Advento[3], especially the Rooster’s Mass. However, it was all worth it, even his absence, for the expansion of his business enterprise would also mean bigger contributions during the offering moment in church, and this could already be observed very well when the vicar D. Lázaro, or even the bishop, dedicated way more attention to Mrs. Teodora than to other less favored churchgoers...
When at home, even with all the housekeeping knowledge and all the expensive education she received, which included French, Latin and music, Lorena was still always bored. She commonly spent time doing embroidered, sewed materials and laced garments, as well as cooking and, once in a while, developing her musical abilities on the piano. Her tedious routine made her walk around the house sighing and pouting and, frequently, a warmer afternoon was enough to make her quiet and withdrawn.
In one of these times of apathy, Mrs. Teodora, sick of her daughter’s dissatisfaction, asked her:
“Dear Lord, what’s the matter with my little one? Why are you all grumpy sitting in the corner?”
“Me? Nothing, Mother!” the young lady answered, pretending she had no idea of what her mother was talking about.
“You can’t deceive me, my dear! I know you way to well...”
“Mother, please don’t start! I just feel a little off today. It must be the heat.... If you will excuse me!” and she left hurriedly to her room.
“Child, is that how you must treat your mother? Lorena!” Mrs. Teodora protested. Mr. Gaspar, walking towards the sitting room heard his wife yelling as she, signing with impatience, threw herself in one of the chairs. It was always that way... As soon as she became upset, she became all red and developed hot flashes, and had to sit down somewhere quickly, while fanning herself frenetically with her folding fan.
“But what is happening here? The beginning of a civil war?” Mr. Gaspar joked, unworriedly.
“I can assure you that we are not far from that... Oh, no! My dear husband, you have no idea of what I have to go through being responsible for the hardest part of all this!” complained Mrs. Teodora, still all red in the face, and circling her fan around in the air.
“But what are you talking about?” The husband said, baffled with the answer. He had never noticed his wife so close to a possible hysterical meltdown, even if frequently she had the appearance of constant nervousness.
“Mr. Gaspar, I’m talking about putting some sense in the head of a eighteen-year-old lady! Our daughter!” She stood up from the chair and started to gesticulate nervously. “Don’t you see that I worry about her honor and a marriage for her? Even yesterday, during morning mass, one of these shameless eligible men dared to stare at our Lorena, and even after I stared back at him with displeasure, this wretched individual insisted in continuing to court her with mocking smiles and in my presence, that thug! No, this I cannot admit, and the fault is yours, Mr. Gaspar! You should come with us. It has been a long time since you stepped into a church and received the Blessed Sacrament!”
“Oh, please, Mrs. Teodora! You do know that lately I have been extremely busy with the store; and remember that, if we are living comfortably today, it’s because of me and my complete dedication to the business...”
“I am not denying your efforts, my husband! But you must know that we will not be able to marry this girl without first showing our value as a family. Remember that when you married me, I was not found alone on the streets!
Mrs. Teodora’s words made Mr. Gaspar display a slight smile that grew into an unrestrained booming laughter. And she, completely bewildered with her husband’s attitude, displayed a crimson blush, becoming even more agitated than before.
“Mr. Gaspar, this is not even a bit funny!” scolded her, irritated. “Do you think I am a comedian?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Teodora!” He apologized, trying to control himself. “But the way you spoke was too comical...” And he burst out laughing again, worsening his wife’s bad mood.”
“Well, I’m not here to entertain you! You are laughing now, but be careful not to bring tears upon our family because of your omission!” And with an open display of annoyance, she hurriedly walked towards the kitchen.
Mr. Gaspar, realizing how upset his wife was, followed her down the hallway, without minding the slave Tereza, who was taking care of the house chores. As if he did not have enough problems at the store, now he would also have to try to convince the homemaker that there was no reason for him to have laughed as he did.
“Sweetheart, please, don’t get upset with me!” The husband, embarrassed, was now trying to remedy the situation. “You know very well that it was not my intention to offend you.”
“The problem, my husband, is that you presume that everything is both simple and of little importance!” She turned her back to him, demonstrating how deeply offended she was. “I am sharing with you the problem I have with this girl and all you do is to laugh about it...”
“Mrs. Teodora, just tell me something: were this young man you saw yesterday, by any chance, reciprocated by the stares of our daughter? Did she pay him any attention or let herself be courted?”
“Well... No! But that does not matter! Your job is to accompany us and to show the people we know that Lorena has a caring father. Only then will we be able to marry her appropriately!”
“Ok, then,” Mr. Gaspar conceded. “I’ll do what you’re asking... But try to understand that it will not always be possible for me to accompany you. The success of an enterprise depends, above all, of our dedication, of which also depends God’s blessing.”
“Oh, my dear!” Mrs. Teodora suddenly became a loving and dedicated wife, same as those days when their marriage still held a certain enchantment... She knew this was the only way to convince the stubborn husband. “I’m not asking you to do this all the time, but at least try to make us honored in the eyes of our neighbors and acquaintances. Can you believe that even yesterday they were asking about you and why lately they haven’t seen you at mass? Besides, don’t you think Lorena deserves to make herself worthy of a good man?”
“Yes, of course! My daughter is my treasure!” He agreed, glowing with pride. “It’s agreed then, we will all go to the next event. Will there not be a mass in the church next Sunday? We will all be there, then!”
“Isn’t this another one of your jokes? Ah, Mr. Gaspar, I am indeed fortunate for having such a dedicated husband!” Mrs. Teodora exclaimed, while she straightened his collar.
• • •
Meanwhile, in Lorena’s room, nothing could be heard besides the quiet noise of her own breathing. Seating by the window in her reading chair, the young lady observed the passers-by a
nd, in the shadows produced by the curtains, imagined scenes of one of the last books she had read. Lorena pronounced, as if in a prayer, the final words of one of her favorite romances. When will I find love? she thought, while she remembered the drama lived by the helpless women, and the countless vicissitudes they overcame until the happy ending of the story. However, unlike these heroes, Lorena felt like a rebel, even though she didn’t dare to externalize these feelings. There was, deep inside herself, an untamed desire to fulfill her dreams, even if it forced her to behave deceitfully and with deception. Oh, how that disturbed her! After all, she had learned from her mother to respect religious and moral principles. Nevertheless, it was exactly this boring life without any expectations that bothered her so much. She wanted to know other places, people who thought differently and had different habits! She hadn’t had the opportunity to travel abroad yet, but from what she had already learned through her readings, she thought that the Carioca lifestyle was so provincial... When she had these moments of restlessness, she sought to avoid the burdensome feelings and tried to forget her miserable condition by diving into the books as if to escape.
In that moment of fascination, she went to stand before her beauty counselor,[4] where, similarly to Narcissus,[5] she would delight herself by contemplating her own image. The slender and delicate appearance and the long ebony hair cascading down in waves highlighted the shapely whiteness of her face. Expressive eyebrows and pink, satiny lips, a long neck and a regal cleavage were perfumed with heliotrope blossom and mallow... Lorena was a combination of purity and seduction and she knew that, although she hadn’t lived that long, she had been born to love and to live life intensely. She felt as if she was an adventurous gypsy taken from a Spanish romance or even as a virgin in love with a fleeting hero.
She wanted Sunday to come as soon as possible so that she could meet her friends Carolina and Mercedes. She could already imagine how the day would be, for, as was the costume, she would go to mass with her mother in the morning, and soon after they would go visit her godparents. In her godparents’ house, her mother felt sheltered and distracted enough to ease her moods, while Lorena also enjoyed the moments when she would share the emotions of the last days with her inseparable confidantes, soon after reading Paulo and Virginia[6] or another romance from Walter Scott[7]. She enjoyed just thinking about the ephemeris of the Court and the bursts of laughter provoked by the malicious comments. She had never been inside the Imperial Castle, and the little she knew she had heard from her father’s clients or from Carolina, her friend who had recently traveled to Europe, visiting France, Italy and Austria. They had been apart for practically a whole year and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to her friend privately since she had come back, in April. How she wanted to be present in one of these big events, and who knows, have the opportunity to become acquainted with the Imperial family....