he ran; and as one strong poison will often prove an antidote toanother, so had the new ideas opened to his view banished for a time therecollection of his own griefs and disappointments. He hurried on asfast as the badness of the way would permit, through streets extremelynarrow; the houses being lofty, with many stories, their fronts adornedwith various figures carved in stone, and the upper floors projectingbeyond the lower, little light was afforded to the passenger, from thesky, even when clear and spangled with stars, as it was at the presenttime. He had already reached the street leading to that in which hisfather's house was situated, without meeting any interruption, when,having just passed a shrine dedicated to Saint Anthony placed at acorner house, a small lamp burning in front of it, shedding forth itspale light, like a sad epitome of the glorious illumination that piousman spread among his much loved Lusitanians, his eyes, now directed onthe ground, to pick his way clear of the immundicities which strewed theway, and now in front, in a vain endeavour to pierce the gloom, hefancied that he saw on the white stone wall of a house close to him,which the rays of the lamp reached, the shadow of a man, with armuplifted, in the attitude of one about to strike. His nerves werefortunately well strung, his courage undaunted, and his frame well knitand active to obey his will; but not a moment was there for thought, andas the threatening apparition caught his eye, quick as lightning hesprang round, ere a dagger, gleaming brightly, had time to descend, and,seizing the hand which grasped it, wrenched the weapon from the power ofthe cloaked assassin, who stood behind, and dealing him a heavy blow onthe face with the handle, laid him prostrate on the ground. The ruffianwas, however, not without support; for, at the same moment, a man sprangacross the street with dagger in hand, ready to avenge his comrade. ButDon Luis was not to be taken thus at advantage; for, retreating a step,his own sword was prepared to receive the wretch on its point. Thelatter, however, throwing himself back in time, fled a few paces, andgave a shrill whistle, which was answered at several points, and threemen rushed forward with threatening attitudes and unsheathed weapons.Don Luis was fortunate in his ground, having a wall with a projectingbuttress behind him, and an uneven pavement in front, the lamp of SaintAnthony affording sufficient light to see objects around with tolerabledistinctness. He was, notwithstanding, obliged to exert his utmostactivity and skill to keep his assailants at bay, being happily a goodswordsman, an accomplishment even then considered a necessary part of agentleman's education. The clash of steel rang loudly through thesilence of night, but none put their heads out of their windows toinquire the cause; and, Luis disdaining to give the usual cry forassistance, was well nigh exhausted with his exertions, when, mostopportunely, a person, passing a neighbouring street, was attracted bythe noise, and appeared so suddenly on the scene of action, that thebravoes had scarce time to turn and defend themselves.
"Fight on, gallant sir, for the honour of gentlemen!" shouted a clear,manly voice. "Help here! _Acad el rey_! help, ye lazy citizens, todrive away a set of cowardly rascals, who dare not face us man to man!No matter, we might call till doomsday, and no one could come; so hereis at you, sir villains;" saying which, Captain Pinto, for he was thespeaker, redoubled his efforts to repel the marauders.
"Thanks for your aid, thanks, Captain Pinto," cried Don Luis,recognising his voice; "I have but short breathing time to speak."
"Ah, my young friend, Don Luis, is it you?" answered the Captain."Back, ye villains, back!"
"Don Luis!" exclaimed one of the men, with an oath. "We have made amistake."
"No, no," shouted another,--"cut them both down--they must not escape."
At that instant, a broad glare of red light burst on the scene ofaction, proceeding from several torches borne by a party who wereturning the corner of the street.
"Fly," cried the ruffians, "fly! or we shall be captured."
"You shall not get off so easily," cried the Captain. "We will teachyou not to attack gentlemen in this way in future." The men attemptedto escape; but Don Luis and his friend held them in check on one side;while, on the other, the party with the torches, led on by a person whoseemed of distinction, rapidly approached. Making, however, a desperateeffort, they rushed past them, and were lost in the obscurity, exceptone, through whose arm, Captain Pinto's sword entered, and brought himto the ground.
The chief of the new comers, taking a torch from the hand of one of hisattendants, ordered them, in an authoritative tone, to seize thedisturbers of the public peace, and advanced towards the Captain and DonLuis, on whom they were on the point of laying hold.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, "my good friend, Captain Pinto!--not yet tired offighting? I trust you are not injured,--and your companion?" he added,holding the torch nearer Don Luis's countenance.
"Don Luis d'Almeida, my fellow voyager," answered the Captain.
"Ah, the son of an excellent father," observed the stranger; "I hope he,too, is safe?"
"Many thanks to your Excellency, we are both uninjured," returnedCaptain Pinto. "And my young friend, who was the first attacked, foughtas bravely as he did before the enemy."
"I am glad to hear it," said the stranger. "Brave men are more scarcethan cowards. Carry those men off to prison," he added, turning to hisfollowers, who secured the two ruffians who had been unable to escape."The affair must be looked into to-morrow. You, gentlemen, I willaccompany to your houses, for these streets are unfortunately not fit tobe walked by honest men, without guards and lights; but such thingsshall be amended before long."
The stranger was a man of almost gigantic stature, and, as he stroderapidly to the scene of conflict, his movements exhibited strength andactivity; the suit of dark cloth in which he was dressed, such as is nowworn exclusively at Court, setting off to advantage his muscular andwell knit figure. There was also a confident air of authority in hiswords and actions, which betokened one who felt that he had a right tocommand. "Come now, gentlemen, we will proceed," he said; and orderingthe torch-bearers to advance, the party moved forward, the guardsbringing up the rear with the prisoners, who no sooner saw into whosepower they had fallen than they quietly submitted to their fate. DonLuis was at a loss to conceive who the tall stranger could be, and as hefound himself walking on the opposite side of him to his friend, he hadno opportunity of asking.
"All, Senhor Don Luis," he said, "you have lately been travelling, Iunderstand from Captain Pinto, in a country where such disorders asthese do not occur, and where a man may walk the streets at night, orjourney from one end of the kingdom to the other, without fear of losingeither his purse or his life."
"Scarcely so, senhor," answered Don Luis, "robberies are constantlyoccurring even in the public streets; but the English have, in general,an abhorrence of shedding blood, except that of their enemies."
"Ah, that arises from their not being able to purchase absolution at ascheap a rate as do our countrymen," interrupted the stranger, with asarcastic laugh; "aided, perhaps, by a wholesome fear of detection, thebest preventive of crime. However, continue: it gives me pleasure tohear accounts of England, a country I much admired, during my shortresidence there; although, not having time to acquire the harsh languageof its inhabitants, I had some difficulty in becoming acquainted withits internal arrangements. At all events, a person may travel on thepublic roads without arms, or without fear of being robbed as here."
"Pardon me, senhor, such is not the case," answered Don Luis. "Theroads are constantly infested by men on horseback, who levycontributions, even in the very neighbourhood of the capital, on theunarmed traveller."
"Ah! I am glad to hear we are not so very much less civilised than ourold friends and allies, who are apt to boast themselves so much oursuperiors," returned the stranger. "We have now arrived at your house,senhor, and I will not detain you; but as I have many questions to askrespecting England, I should wish to see you to-morrow morning at eighto'clock, and till then, adeos."
"I regret that I cannot do myself that honour, senhor," answered DonLuis; "for I intend to set forward at daybreak to vis
it my father, whois in the country."
"I should advise you to defer your journey to a later hour," said thestranger, in rather an angry tone. "I shall esteem your doing so afavour," he added, more mildly, as if correcting himself. "You alsoforget that you will be obliged to appear at the examinations of theruffians who attacked you. For the present, I will leave Captain Pintowith you, who will perhaps accompany you in the morning. Adeos, SenhorPinto, till the morning, when I shall see you with your young friend."Saying which, the stranger moved on, without waiting for an answer,leaving the Captain respectfully bowing, and Don Luis much amazed, atthe door of the palace, at
The Prime Minister Page 19