The Prime Minister
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rowbefore them, while Father Alfonzo carried on a rapid conversation withthe sisters, answering a variety of questions regarding the events whichwere occurring in the city; any fresh piece of scandal, or witty story,affording great amusement to the assembled party.
At length, the more immediate object of the visit was referred to. "Ifear me that our new sister and namesake of our holy patroness isalarmed at finding herself among so many strangers," said the Abbess;"but we will soon teach her to forget the vanities of the world she isabout to quit, in the contemplation of the sacred mysteries of ourreligion." A faint smile crossed the features of the Abbess as shespoke.
Poor Clara was too full of grief to answer, her struggling tears chokingher utterance; but she felt that she was sacrificing herself at theshrine of filial obedience, and she endeavoured to find composure in thethought. She had recovered sufficiently to bid farewell with tolerablepropriety to the old marchioness, who, after some further conversation,retired, accompanied by the friar, and she was left alone with those whowere destined to be her future companions while life lasted, a periodwhich she prayed and felt might be short. The sisters crowded roundher, and assured her that she would be very happy, endeavouring by everymeans in their power to cheer her drooping spirits; but their effortswere ineffectual, for there was that sickness at her heart which deathalone could end. They led her unresistingly over the building, showingher their cells, which were fitted up with more taste and luxury thancould have been expected; then to the novices' apartments, where she wasto take up her residence, till, at the end of the year, her professionwas made, and she had assumed the black veil, the sign of herirrevocable vow. As they approached that part of the building, ringingpeals of laughter broke on her ear, and she was welcomed by a crowd ofyoung and smiling faces, who seemed little oppressed by gloom ordespondency. After being introduced to them, she was conducted throughthe chapel and choir, and from thence to partake of some refreshment inthe refectory; but she turned aside her head with loathing at the verythought of food; and the sisters, seeing that their endeavours to amuseher were vain, showed her the apartment allotted to her as a postulantof the order, and left her to her own reflections.
With her, religion was more of the spirit and principle, than ofdoctrine, or from education; and she ever flew to her Creator, to offerup thanksgivings for blessings, and for strength to bear afflictions,though till now she had scarce known them.
The evening sun was streaming through the open casement, throwing abright refulgence around her seraphic countenance, as, with her handsclasped, she knelt before the altar which adorned her chamber, pouringout her soul in prayer, and beseeching forgiveness for hertransgressions.
According to the custom of the order, it was some weeks before the newpostulant was required to keep strictly the rules of the noviciate;during which time she was expected to become familiarised to the routineof the day, the different forms to be observed, and the duties of thechoir; but everything was carefully avoided that could in any way annoythe young novice, or give her cause to be disgusted with her futurelife. The character of the innocent Clara was at once read by the LadyAbbess; indeed, Father Alfonzo had described it to her as he understoodit, so that the secrets of the prison-house were with vigilant careexcluded from her view.
Now Heaven forgive us, if we have the slightest thought of eastingunjust odium on institutions now happily banished from the greater partof Europe, nor can we do aught but praise that admirable society of theSoeurs de Charite, founded on those great principles which theimpersonification of Love and Charity taught to mankind,--a societyworthy to have been planned in the gentle breast of woman, the veryessence of all that is lovely and tender in human nature,--like an angelof light to a spirit of darkness, when contrasted with the foul andterrible Inquisition,--and blessed must they be who belong to it.
Volume 2, Chapter VI.
We have just discovered that we have been committing a very grave errorduring the previous part of this work, in writing very long chapters,but it is one which we have resolved forthwith to avoid, and canfortunately do so far more easily than most others into which we are aptto fall. We always ourselves object to long chapters, because subjectsand events are too much confused by being run together in them, and aswe suspect that most of our fair readers dislike them, we would notwillingly tire out their patience.
When Don Luis quitted the palace of the Marchioness of Corcunda, hehastened homeward, his heart throbbing with deeper and more ardent lovethan he had ever felt for Donna Theresa, but far more full, also, ofanxious doubts and fears.
On entering the house, he found Captain Pinto awaiting his return. Hisfriend gazed at him for a moment, and then broke forth into a fit oflaughter. Now, Captain Pinto was a very amiable, kind-hearted man; but,as Burke observes, that as we constantly dwell on the misfortunes andmiseries of our fellow-creatures, we must consequently take a pleasurein contemplating them, so he seemed to find much amusement in theforlorn appearance of the young fidalgo.
"What! has another fair lady been unkind? have Cupid's shafts againstruck the wrong object?" he exclaimed, as Luis threw himself into aseat. "Come, rouse up, my friend; 'tis the fortune of war we are allexposed to, so you must try once more, and the third will be thesuccessful shot, depend on it. I dare say this fair Dulcinea delToboso, whom your lance so gallantly rescued from the power of thebrigands, was, after all, not worthy of your devoted affections. Yousaw her but once, I think; and I will answer for it no woman has powerin that time to cause a man a moment's uneasiness, if he will but thinkof her calmly and dispassionately."
"In mercy cease your bantering, my good friend," exclaimed Luis; "youmistake altogether the case. I love, and, I am proud to say, am belovedin return by the most charming of her sex; but she has been betrothed,against her will, to another, or the alternative is offered her ofentering a convent; and I fear her father is a man of that inflexibletemper, that nothing will make him alter his determination."
"What! the thrice-told tale again?" said the Captain, still smiling: "itsounds badly. If she is to marry somebody else, 'tis plain you cannothave her; and if she is to be shut up in a convent, she is equally lostto a man of your honour."
"But I cannot, I will not allow her to be sacrificed," exclaimed Luis,vehemently. "Can you not advise me, my friend?"
"I never even heard of the lady till to-day," answered Captain Pinto,"so I cannot pretend to say; but, from my knowledge of women in general,dear charming creatures as they are, I should advise you to fall in lovewith somebody else, and I dare say the lady will soon recover also fromher fit: they generally do."
"You know not what love is, when you speak thus," cried Luis. "I seethat you are in no humour to enter into my feelings, so I will nottrouble you with them. I must wait till to-morrow to see her father,and beseech him to favour my suit."
"The wisest plan you can pursue; and if your fortune is larger than yourrival's, the chances are that you are successful; if not, I can give youbut small hopes. He, of course, is an affectionate father, andconsiders his daughter's happiness--of which he must be a better judgethan she can possibly be--depends upon the settlement each candidate hasto offer. However, in the mean time, come with me to pay our promisedvisit to Senhor Mendez, as he will be expecting us."
In those days people met in society at a very early hour, considerablybefore the present dinner-time in England, so that the night was not faradvanced when Luis and his friend again left the house, having,fortunately, taken the precaution of ordering Pedro to accompany themwith a torch, and well armed in case of being attacked. Just as thedoor was carefully closed behind them by old Lucas, Luis observed somedark figures, wrapped in cloaks, standing on the opposite side of thestreet; but, supposing them to be casual passers by, he took no furthernotice of them, nor did they make any advance towards his party. Wehave before described the disordered state of the streets in Lisbon;for, though there were some military police, they committed morerobberies than they prevented, stopping every single
passenger to beg ofhim, and, if they were refused, they seldom failed to take what theyrequired by force. Our friends, however, promised, by their appearance,to make too strong a resistance, to tempt either their attacks, or thoseof the professional marauders who were abroad; though had theyencountered any party of the young nobles who delighted to perambulatethe streets in search of adventures, they might have been insulted, todraw them into a conflict; their chief danger, therefore, was from theunsavoury showers which fell, at very frequent intervals, from thewindows of the houses, and from the troops of fierce gaunt dogs whohowled at them, as, in passing, they disturbed them from their loathsomerepast. Rats, also, of enormous size, would constantly cross theirpath, seemingly in good fellowship with the dogs, and perfectly fearlessof the human beings: woe to the unfortunate wretch who should fall,faint or