Minister."
"Your Majesty's wishes are ever my laws," returned the Minister; "and Iwill occupy myself till your return with many important affairs whichdemand my attention."
"Do so, my good friend," said the King.
"I shall not detain you long. Has Teixeira yet come?"
"I will inquire," answered the complaisant Minister; and quitted theroom by an opposite door to that by which the King had entered.
The King walked impatiently about the room till Carvalho returned,accompanied by another person, who bore a large cloak, which he threwover the royal shoulders. The King then wrapping it around himself, soas to conceal his features, left the cabinet, followed by his attendant,while the Minister resumed his previous occupations.
More than two hours thus passed away; not a sound reaching Carvalho'sears, and no one venturing to intrude where his Majesty was supposed tobe occupied in framing laws for the welfare of the kingdom committed tohis charge.
For the first hour he continued writing without rising from his seat;inditing letters which no eye but his own and the persons to whom theywere addressed might see; making notes only of their contents as hefolded and sealed them; for it was his principle never to trust any onewhere it could possibly be avoided: nor did he allow the secretaries andclerks, who were absolutely necessary to carry on the public business,to be acquainted with any affair beyond their immediate office,punishing those severely who betrayed what was committed to them. Hethen rose and strode up and down the room for some minutes, with knittedbrow and compressed lips. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "thus shall all sufferwho dare oppose my will. I have given the people of Oporto a lessonthey will not easily forget. Their chief magistrate and eighteen of hisseditious companions executed; three hundred of the principal peoplesent to the galleys, and their city given up to the licence of a brutalsoldiery. This will, methinks, put a stop to further conspiraciesagainst my authority; and, if not, in every town and village throughoutthe kingdom I will have gibbets erected, and hang every one who dares toutter a word of complaint. By terror alone can these people be ruled--all mild measures are worse than useless; for, instead of conciliating,they cause the nation to suppose that it is through fear, or want ofpower, that they are employed. By Heavens! they shall no longer havereason to suppose so. I have begun my reign of terror, and fromhenceforth I banish all pity or remorse from my bosom; and the abjectwretches on whose necks I will trample, shall feel that, at length, theyhave a man, instead of the drivelling priests or ignorant debauchees whohave hitherto attempted to govern them."
Muttering, rather than speaking, his thoughts aloud, he returned to hisdesk. He was still writing when he felt a hand laid on his shoulder,and, rising from his seat, he bowed to his sovereign, who had entered,if not unperceived, at least unattended to.
"You work hard for our benefit, my faithful Minister," said Joseph,seating himself; "but we wish you would rule a lady's changeful mood aseasily as you can govern our kingdom. The lovely Donna Theresacontinues cruel as ever: she listens to all my passionate speeches witha smile of satisfaction, and entreats me to return again before long,for that she should die were she deprived of my society; and in the samebreath talks of her husband and the honour of her family. Her coldnessprovokes me, while her fascinations increase my love."
"Your Majesty need not despair," said the sagacious Minister. "A womanwho has once consented to admit a lover to an interview without herhusband's knowledge will never draw back if he proceeds with caution;and when that lover has the qualifications of your Majesty, her fate iscertain. A few weeks' more perseverance and she will yield, or I mustrenounce all knowledge of the female heart."
"She must, Carvalho, she must!" exclaimed the King, impatiently. "Thissuspense is dreadful. What advantage is gained by being a King, unlessour subjects will dutifully obey us?"
"Your Majesty is perfectly right; and few there are, I trust, of allyour Majesty's subjects who would prove thus disloyal, except some ofthe haughty nobles of the realm, who appear to suppose your kingdomtheir own; and of one of those families is the lovely Donna Theresa,which will account for her most undutiful hesitation. Yet your Majestyneed have no fears of the result."
"I know, I know," said the King, hastily; "I am convinced she loves me;but some foolish prejudice appears to restrain her from her own wishes."
"'Tis the work of those accursed Jesuits," exclaimed Carvalho; "but yourMajesty need not fear, and will be able to counteract their aims, if youwill follow my advice."
"Your counsel is always that of wisdom," said the King. "Speak, myCarvalho."
"I would, then, advise your Majesty to make a present to Donna Theresaof your favourite dwarf, Donna Florinda. She is acute and observing,and will very soon become mistress of all the young lady's secrets, atthe same time that she will counsel her no longer to treat your Majestywith her general cruelty."
"Ah! the idea is indeed worthy of following!" exclaimed the King,enraptured at the bright thought. "Thanks, my Carvalho, thanks. Youare truly the most sagacious and first of Ministers. I will persuadeour Queen, who will willingly part with her, to send her to-morrowmorning; and then, if she succeeds, I shall indeed be thankful to onewho has so well aided my wishes."
The King then, holding out his hand, which the zealous and unprejudicedMinister kissed, with every sign of respect, retired to his chamber, andthe latter, securing his papers, some in an iron chest, the key of whichhe kept, and others of more importance about his person, sought hiscarriage, which was in attendance, and returned to his home.
Volume 2, Chapter XXI.
We have, for a considerable time, lost sight of Donna Theresa d'Alorna,now the young Marchioness of Tavora. She was seated in her privateapartment, on the morning following the consultation of the King and hisMinister, in the palace which had been allotted by his father to theyoung Marquis, when one of her female attendants entered to inform herthat her confessor was in attendance below, and requested to know if shewould wish to see him.
"Yes, yes, I will see the holy father; conduct him hither," sheexclaimed hastily, and the attendant retired.
"His requests are indeed commands," she whispered to herself. "Alas! Ifeel a power I cannot see, and know not whence it comes, hurrying me tothe edge of a precipice."
Donna Theresa was but little altered since we introduced her to ourreaders. In beauty she had rather improved; her figure had become morerounded and voluptuous, and the sparkle of her eyes was brighter eventhan before, with greater expression in her countenance, her polishedbrow giving more signs of deep thought, and, alas! it might be, of care.
Though she had been expecting her visitor, she started as he entered,and rose to welcome him. Our readers will recognise, by his tall, yetgraceful and dignified form, the lofty and marble brow, the piercingcold grey eye, and rich melodious voice, the holy Father Jacinto daCosta, the head of the Jesuits' College.
He took the hand of the young lady, and, with respectful courtesy, ledher to a seat, and took one by her side. "I have come, my fairpenitent," he said, in a gentle tone, "to hear the result of yourconference with the King. He visited you, as you expected, yesterday?"
Donna Theresa cast her eyes to the ground, and then gazing up earnestlyat the Jesuit, she exclaimed, with a voice trembling with agitation,"His Majesty did come last night, trusting in my love and faith; but Ihad not the heart--I wanted the courage--I could not be guilty of thetreachery, to ask the questions you dictated. Oh! do not longer imposethis odious task on me! If it be necessary for the safety of my family,if it be advantageous to the service of our holy religion, take someother means to attain the same ends, but I can no longer feign love tomy confiding sovereign. Every time I meet him, I feel myself loweredand degraded far worse than the guilty thing the world will soon supposeme."
The Jesuit smiled encouragement, as he gently shook his head. "Thefoolish girl loves this weak puppet already," he thought; but shedivined not what was passing in his mind. "No matter, my ends areanswered; and if sh
e must be sacrificed, I shall, perhaps, gain themore. Besides, in so holy a cause, I can afford her speedy absolution."
"Theresa," he said aloud, "it pains me to hear one of your soaring andacute mind utter expressions worthy only of a foolish girl. Think ofthe ends proposed. It is not the King I wish to injure; I alone seek tocounteract the machinations of that arch-enemy of your family, and of myorder, the Minister Carvalho. Could you once gain that completeascendency over the King which is within your power, you might not onlyrule him, but the Minister himself would become powerless to injure anyof those connected with you by kindred and by love. Believe me, if youhesitate, that treacherous man has sworn, and will not fail in his oath,to ruin all your
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