The Prime Minister
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he ran byengaging in any conspiracy against the sovereign, his principles,indeed, determining him not to do so, unless driven to it by the mostdireful necessity, yet forgot, for the time, all the warnings he hadreceived from his friends Captain Pinto and Senhor Mendez, also from theMinister himself, not to allow any intimacy to spring up between himselfand the family of the Tavoras. This advice he had disregarded when hegained the friendship of young Joze de Tavora, but he could not resistthe amiability, candour, and high feelings of the youth, though with noother member of that once proud race had he become intimate. Whatfurther befell him we will reserve for a future chapter.
Volume 3, Chapter V.
When the Father Jacinto da Costa quitted the Quinta of the Marchionessof Tavora, he paid several visits, in different parts of the city, toforward the various plots in which he was engaged, and towards the closeof the evening he approached the ruins of the church and convent of SanCaetano, where, as we have described, Malagrida had, some timepreviously, been seized, while preaching against the authority of theKing and his Minister. No attempts had yet been made to restore thebuildings, so that the spot presented a wild scene of havoc anddestruction, increased by the thickening gloom which pervaded the city:here a few blackened and tottering walls, there vast masses of masonrypiled one on the other, among which dank plants and shrubs had begun tospring up, already eager to claim the ground so long the abode of man.
The Priest walked round to the back of the ruins, where a wall, in someplaces thrown down, served to enclose the garden of the convent. Hehere easily climbed over the fragments, and found himself oncomparatively unencumbered ground. He wound his way among themoss-grown paths, impeded by the luxuriant vegetation of the geraniumsand rose trees, which, long unpruned, sent their straggling branches inevery direction, filling the cool night air with the sweet scents oftheir flowers. The once trimly-cut box trees had lost all signs oftheir former shapes; the fountains had ceased to play; the tanks weredry, once stocked with the luscious lamprey, and other rich fish, tofeed the holy friars on their days of fasting and penance; indeed,desolation reigned throughout the domain.
The Priest heeded not these things, his eye was familiarised with them;nor did he cast a pitying thought upon the worthy friars who had beendriven forth to seek another home;--they were his foes--his rivals onthe field he sought to claim as his own. His mind, too, was occupied bymatters of vast import to the safety of his order; yet he doubted notthat he should ultimately come off victorious.
With some little difficulty he reached the centre of the garden, and,looking carefully around, he seated himself on one of the stone benchesby the side of a large circular tank, now empty. He waited for sometime till he heard a step approaching, when, starting up, he beheld thefigure of a man closely shrouded in a cloak, emerging from among thethick-growing shrubs. He advanced towards him with an eager step, whichbetrayed his deep anxiety, so unlike his usually cold and calmdemeanour.
The stranger threw back his cloak as he approached the Jesuit, so as toexhibit by the uncertain light the features apparently of a young andhandsome man. "Father, I have come at your command," he said, "thoughwith great risk of discovery, if I hasten not back to my post."
"It is well, Alfonzo. What news do you bring me?" demanded the Jesuit.
"I have naught but the worst to reveal," answered the young man.
"Speak it without fear: no one can here listen to your words," exclaimedthe Father. "Stay, we will examine well the neighbouring bushes, to seethat no lurking spy is there concealed."
The Jesuit and his young companion, having concluded their search,seated themselves on the stone from which the first had risen. "Now,speak," said the Father.
"I have long watched for an opportunity to ascertain what you desired,"began the stranger. "Yesterday, while the Minister was absent, I openedhis bureau with the key you gave me. With trembling hands I searchedeach paper, and from all of importance I have made notes. At last Icame to one roughly drawn out in Carvalho's writing: it was a plan to besubmitted to the King for abolishing your whole order throughout thekingdom. He proposes to implicate you in some act of rebellion, or someillegal practice; then to surround your colleges, and to embark all whoare professed, on board vessels for the coast of Italy, banishing youfor ever from Portugal. He advises the King to allow no delay inexecuting his plan; for that every day you are increasing in power andmalevolence, and that you will in time sap the very foundation of histhrone."
"Ah! thinks he so?--he shall find that he is not mistaken!" exclaimedthe Jesuit, with greater vehemence than he had ever before given way to."No time must then be lost in putting our plot into execution, and wewill try the success of both. Alfonzo, you have acted well, and willmeet with the approbation of our general. You will, when you profess,rise rapidly to the highest rank in our order, and will become one ofits brightest ornaments."
"I merit no praise," returned the young neophyte, for such the Fatherdeclared him to be. "I have but done my duty."
"You might yet win far greater praise," said the Father, scarce noticinghis answer. "It would be a noble thing to destroy the great enemy ofour order. It would at once free us from all further fear of danger."
The young aspirant started. "I understand not your words, Father," hesaid.
"I speak of Carvalho's death," answered the Jesuit, calmly. "It is saidthat the dagger of the assassin cannot reach him,--that often has hislife been attempted, but each attempt has failed. What steel cannotaccomplish, the poisoned chalice may."
"What mean you, Father?" gasped forth Alfonzo.
"It is simple to understand, my son: now listen calmly," returned theJesuit, in a voice calculated to soothe his listener's fears. "It is alaw, founded on nature and on justice, that we have a right to defendour lives and properties, at every cost, against those who would depriveus of either. No one would scruple to strike the assassin dead whowould take our life, or the robber who would steal our purse: then canit be a sin to destroy the man who would blast our name, who woulddeprive us of our lawful power, and drive us forth to beggary and todeath? Can Heaven blame us that we seek to deprive him of life whowould thus treat us? No, my son; be assured that the death of that manof crime would be an acceptable sacrifice to the Ruler of the Universe."
The pupil answered not.
"Listen, Alfonzo," continued the Master. "You have determined to becomethe follower of the great Loyola: you seek by that means to gain powerand influence among the men you have learned to despise. The way isopen to you to follow if you will; but while Carvalho lives, our orderin Portugal can never flourish. In him we have the most inveterate anddeceitful foe we have ever known. He must die, or we shall meet acertain destruction. Hear me, Alfonzo: I speak not to a weak andtrembling child, but to a man who has boldly dared, and successfullyperformed, and who will yet do more!"
The Jesuit took from beneath his robes a small box, and extracted fromit a paper closely folded, which he placed in the hands of hiscompanion. "Take this parcel," he continued. "It contains a powder,which, when mixed with a glass of water, will not dim its crystalpurity. Its effects are deadly, but slow, and no antidote has power toact against it; nor will the most clever physician be able to detect itsworkings on the human frame. Watch your opportunity, and mix it withthe first beverage you see prepared for him; but beware no one elsetastes of it, nor do you lose sight of it till he has drunk it to thedregs. Now then will our mighty tyrant have become a thing to loathe!"
"Father!" exclaimed the young man, in a scarcely articulate voice, "Ihave ever obeyed your commands to the utmost; I have acted a part fromwhich my heart revolts; I have betrayed the man who has confided inme,--but I cannot become a murderer. I could not live, and see the manwho has taught me to admire and love him writhing in agony, and knowthat it was the effect of my foul act. In mercy take back the deadlypowder."
"Alfonzo, I expected not a like answer from you," replied the Priest,quietly taking back the paper. "I trusted that you had b
een taught torise above the common and false prejudices of the world,--that you hadbravely conquered the weak feelings of human nature, and were each dayadvancing in qualifying yourself to become a professed member of ourorder; but I see, alas! that I was mistaken, and that you are still heldback by weak bonds, which a bold man would long ere this have brokenthrough."
"Spare me, Father, spare me a task I cannot perform!" cried the youngman, clasping his hands convulsively together; but the other gazed onhim sternly.
"Alfonzo," he answered, "you have another motive than dread of the deedfor your refusal to obey the commands of your superior. I have watchedyou closely, when you little thought it. I know your inmost feelings.You love! Ah, you start, conscious of your