The Prime Minister
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will ruin us all,and we shall be sent to prison, or turned into the road to starve."
"I have already said I would make no complaint," answered Don Luis;"and, Senhor Estalajadeiro, I must discharge my bill to you."
"Oh, senhor, I cannot think of such a thing after the inconveniences youhave endured," answered the landlord, bowing; "yet, senhor, I am a poorman with a family. It is but a trifle, four milreas in all, for which Ishall be thankful."
"Very well, here is the amount," said Don Luis, giving him the money;"and I should advise you to be more careful in future what guests youentertain." Saying which, he leapt into his saddle, and, with hisattendants, resumed his journey towards his home, the landlord bowingmost humbly till they were out of sight.
Pedro, eager to let his tongue have full play, took the liberty of anold servant, and rode up to the side of his master, whose horse's headhe allowed to be just a little in advance, as a mark of respect. "Thosepeople at the inn are very great rascals, senhor," he began.
"There can be but little doubt of it," returned his master.
"Ah, senhor, and the greatest of all is the friar. Do you know, senhor,he was one of those who attacked Goncalo Christovao, yesterday? Imarked his slouched hat, his ferret eyes, and the cut on his shoulder,which he declares is a bruise: now I saw plenty of blood about it, andblood does not flow from a bruise in that way."
"I suspected as much," said Don Luis; "but were I to make a complaintagainst him, no notice, probably, would be taken of it; for his robeswill protect a friar as long as he is guilty of no heretical opinions,even though he may have committed murder, and the other people wouldtake an early opportunity to revenge themselves, while I should notbenefit society."
"You were quite right, senhor, in what you did," answered Pedro; "I wishmerely to observe, that we must not trust to any of them; for, dependupon it, both the friar and the landlord are in league with the robbers;though, for some reason or other, it did not suit them to cut ourthroats, as the rest wished to do. I hope that, none of them are on thewatch to pick us off as we ride along; and if it pleases you, senhor,had we not better push on as quick as we can through this grove? Thesetrees afford such close shelter to lurking foes, who may shoot every oneof us without our being able to get near them."
Notwithstanding Pedro's apprehensions, they passed the grove in safety,and again emerged into a more open country, partly cultivated, though ina very careless way, with a few miserable hamlets and cottages scatteredhere and there; and round the fields near them were trained vines,propped up some four or five feet from the ground, from which the thincommon wine used by the poor people is made.
Towards the close of a long day's journey, during which they had twicerested their horses, Don Luis and his followers arrived in front of ahandsome gateway, over the top of which the arms of the Almeidas wereplaced, beautifully carved in stone. He gazed at them with pride for aninstant, while Pedro dismounted to open the gates; and, as he entered along avenue of cork-trees, his heart beat with the fond anticipation ofagain being pressed in the arms of a father who fondly loved him, andfor whom he, in return, felt the most devoted affection and respect.
The sun shone brightly through the trees on the broad open space infront of the house, in the centre of which a bright jet of watersparkled high in the air, throwing on all sides its glittering drops, asit descended again into a large circular tank swarming with fish of goldand silver scales. A flight of broad stone steps, with heavybalustrades, led up to the entrance door of the house, which was, as isusually the case, of a single story, the ground floor being used onlyfor servants' rooms and offices. It was a long low building, with twowings, the centre part receding and forming a court in front betweenthem. Over the entrance were again seen the arms of the family,delicately carved, on a large stone shield; and in many parts of thebuilding were either small shields or devices taken from it; but,besides these ornaments, the house had few lordly pretensions. Just asthey arrived in front of the mansion, a servant belonging to thepremises caught sight of them, and shouting at the top of his voice, ashe ran forward to meet them, "The young Count, Don Luis, our Morgado, isarrived," seized his young master's hand, and covered it with kisses.The noise brought out the heads both of male and female servants fromvarious windows, who, when they saw who had arrived, popped them inagain, and hastened down, each anxious to be the first to welcome theiryoung lord; so that, by the time he reached the steps, a number hadcollected to offer their congratulations. At the same moment, avenerable and dignified-looking person appeared at the door, whom DonLuis no sooner saw, than, leaping from his horse, he sprang up thesteps, regardless of all the smiling faces on each side, and threwhimself, half kneeling, into his arms. His father, for it was the oldCount, embraced him affectionately. "My son, my son," he exclaimed,"your return restores light and joy to my heart; nor have you, Luis,disappointed my fond expectations. I am proud, very proud of you."What words could be more gratifying to a son's ears? and Luis was a sonto appreciate them.
After the first greetings with his father were over, he turned to theold domestics, who, with smiling countenances, stood around, anxious toshow their pleasure; nor was their zeal feigned, for there is inPortugal that kindly communication kept up between master and servantwhich causes the latter to take a warm interest in all connected withthe welfare of his superior. Suffice it to say, that sincere were therejoicings throughout the household at the return of their young lord;nor was Pedro forgotten, as he took very good care to assure himself.
Volume 1, Chapter XII.
Here we have arrived at the last chapter of our first volume, withouthaving advanced any way in our story; but it is, we conceive, an erroron the right side, as the chief interest will be found in the twofollowing ones, without any fear of our materials being exhausted.
We have also placed ourselves in a dilemma; for while we are anxious todescribe certain events which befell Don Luis, our gallantry would leadus to follow the fair Donna Clara on her journey to Lisbon; for,although far advanced, as we are, down the vale of years, andinvulnerable to the soft blandishments of the sex, that feeling, orsentiment, still retains its influence over us, owing to our having beeneducated before the civilisation of our countrymen was refined by theirintercourse with the Indians of North America, or the intellectualinhabitants of Australia--before, indeed, the days of modern chivalry.
It is remarkable that, although Senhora Gertrudes exerted herself to theutmost to amuse her young lady, Donna Clara found her journey fromLeiria to Lisbon very long and tedious; and it more than once occurredto her, how far more agreeable it would have been had Don Luis d'Almeidabeen travelling in the same instead of in a contrary direction; but shedid not utter her thoughts to her old nurse--indeed, she scarcelyacknowledged them to herself. The weather, too, had become dark andgloomy, and the horses of a small body of cavalry, whom her father hadprocured as an escort for part of the way, created a dust anddisturbance, the men looking much more like banditti than soldiers, sothat she was very glad when the towers of Lisbon, and the broad flowingTagus, appeared in sight. When the travellers were within a shortdistance of the city, a party of cavaliers were seen approaching, whodrew in their reins as they came close to the fidalgo; one of theforemost leaping from his horse, and advancing towards him. He was ayoung man of graceful and refined exterior, dressed rather in theextreme of fashion, with an abundance of lace to his ruffles and shirt,his waistcoat richly flowered, and jewels glittering on the handle ofhis sword; his countenance, also, bore strong marks of dissipation, andthere was a wild, careless manner in his whole air.
"Welcome to Lisbon, my honoured father; and my fair sister, I trust shehas not suffered from the journey. I have brought my friend, SanVincente, out to meet you," he added, introducing a young man, whosedark handsome countenance was disfigured by a lowering brow, and afurtive glance of the eye. Both gentlemen bowed low and often.
"I am most happy in having so early an opportunity to make the personalacquaintance of one of whom I h
ave heard so much, and with whom I hopeshortly to be yet more intimate." The count bowed lower still at thecompliment, and the priest, who rode near his patron, eyed him narrowly.
"We received notice of your approach but at a late hour, and instantlymounted our horses to ride forward to meet you," said the young Fidalgo."Excuse me, I will now go and address my sister;" and he rode up to theside of her litter. "Ah, my pretty Clara, blooming and fresh as ever!"he said, after the first greetings were over. "I am delighted to seeyou drawn out of the seclusion of that horrid place, Oporto, to enjoythe gaieties of the capital, where you will soon get rid of that bashfultimidity which sits so ill upon you. Ah! I have a friend whom I mustintroduce to you, the Conde de San Vincente; see, he is riding by theside of our father. You