perceive when the lordly heart of man begins totremble with fear, and as Donna Theresa's discerning glance fell on thecountenance of her royal admirer, for the first time a feeling nearlyallied to scorn entered her breast: it was transitory, but it left animpression not easily effaced. She wished to warn, but she loved himthe less that he was so easily alarmed. Such is woman. She will fondlycling to man--she will idolise him, in the full majesty of his power,even though he treat her as an inferior being, so that he exert thatpower to shield her from harm; but let him once show that he is equallyalive with herself to the sensations of fear, which is cowardice in him,he at once sinks in her estimation to a level with herself, and she nolonger regards him as her lord and protector.
The young Marchioness withdrew her eyes from the King, as she answered,"Pardon me, your Majesty, I spoke but of my own womanly fears,indefinite also, and perhaps groundless they are, yet, when once theyhad arisen in my bosom, I could not but speak them; then, if I possessyour Majesty's love, do not press me further. Mine is a cruel, a hardduty to perform, yet for your sake, my King, I will not shrink from it.We must part now and for ever!"
"This is a tyranny, lovely lady, to which I cannot submit," exclaimedthe King, his passion for the moment conquering his fears; "I shouldpine to death were I to be banished from your sight."
"Your Majesty possesses the hearts of many other ladies, who willconsole you for my loss," returned Donna Theresa, with a faint smile.
"What! 'tis but a fit of jealousy then!" thought the King. "No, lovelyone, believe it not," he exclaimed aloud. "None have enchained my heartas you have done. Tell me that you will receive me to-morrow. Let myunswerving devotion, since you first honoured my Court with yourpresence, plead for me: let my ardent love be my excuse if I disobeyyour commands," and he again took her hand, and would have knelt, butrising from her seat, she drew back.
"Let me be the suppliant," she said. "Do not work upon the weakness ofmy sex, but exert your powerful judgment, my King, and ask yourselfwhether the pursuit you follow will repay you for risking both life andcrown. No, Sire, it cannot; and therefore I once more beseech you todesist. I should indeed be doubly guilty were you to suffer for mysake."
Her voice faltered as she uttered the last words. Never had the youngMarchioness looked so lovely as now that she stood with her handsclasped in an attitude of entreaty before the sovereign; the energy ofher feelings throwing the rich blood into her hitherto pallid cheeks.It served unhappily to increase the King's admiration.
"It is useless, lovely Theresa, thus endeavouring to dissuade me; crown,life, all, I would risk to retain your love."
How easily are our most firm resolves turned aside,--how wonderfully isour judgment obscured, when passion intervenes! Man, with all hisboasted power of intellect, in a moment sinks to the level of thesoulless beings, who have but despised instinct for their guide. Lethaughty man remember, secure, as he fancies himself in the strong armourof superior wisdom and calculating judgment, that he, too, is butmortal, and liable any instant to fall; and let him learn not to passtoo harsh a judgment on those whose reason has been, perchance, but forone fatal moment overcome.
Donna Theresa's rising feelings of disdain, her fears for his safety,all other thoughts were forgotten at the King's last passionatedeclaration of his love; and, in a fatal moment, she consented no longerto persist in her determination to see him no more.
Having gained his point, the King soon after took his leave, withfurther protestations of unalterable constancy. On entering hiscarriage, in which Teixeira was waiting for him at the door, he threwhimself back in his seat, exclaiming,--"Truly these women are wonderfulcreatures; changeable and uncertain in their tempers, as the vane on thetopmast head! At one moment, my lovely Marchioness vowed she wouldenter a convent, or see me no more; and the next she was all love andaffection. At one time, overcome by fears that her husband, I suppose,in a fit of jealousy, would attempt my life, and then forgetting allabout the matter. The truth is, she loves me to distraction, when awoman is always full of alarms; but methinks none of my nobles are ofthat jealous disposition, that they would endeavour to revengethemselves for the honour I pay their wives."
"Few, perhaps, would harbour a treacherous thought against your Majesty;but all are not equally loyal," answered Teixeira. "The Tavoras are ofa haughty and revengeful disposition, and it would be well to guardagainst them. I told your Majesty how, the other day, the old Marquisalmost struck me in the palace, because, not seeing his Excellencyapproach, I was by chance standing in his way."
"What, do you truly think there is danger to be apprehended from them?"said the King, in a voice expressive of suspicion.
"I have no doubt of their disloyalty, if such a feeling can possibly beharboured by any against your Majesty," answered Teixeira.
"We must speak to Sebastiao Joze about it," said the King. "He willknow well how to discover their feelings."
"Senhor de Carvalho is of my opinion, that they are not to be confidedin," observed the confidant, who had thus the power, with a few words,to cast the taint of disloyalty on a whole noble race.
"I thought that Donna Theresa's fears arose from idle fancies, though Inow suspect she had some foundation for her warnings," observed theKing. "Sebastiao Joze, however, will discover whatever is wrong."
"The country is truly blessed, which possesses so good a King, and sowise a Minister," said the confidant.
"Which way are we going?" asked the King, looking out of the window,though, from the darkness, it was impossible to distinguish the road.
"I ordered him to drive the usual way, past the Quinta da Cima, and downby the Quinta do Meyo," answered Teixeira. "We are now near approachingthe arch of do Meyo."
"'Tis a night, which an assassin would select to commit a deed ofblood," said the King; the thought arising probably from his own fears,and from the observations of his servant. He had scarce uttered thewords, when both were startled by a loud cry from the postilion,Custodio da Costa, and by seeing the flash of a pistol in front; thenext instant two musketoons were discharged, the bright flashes fromwhich lighted up the dark figures of two horsemen, urging their steedstowards the carriage, and several shot rattled past the window.
"Jesu Maria! what means this?" exclaimed the King, in a tone of terror.
"Foul treason! your Majesty," answered Teixeira. "We are betrayed."
"Stop, fool! or you die!" shouted one of the horsemen to the postilion;but he, disregarding the command, boldly galloped on his mules, cryingout, "'Tis the King you are firing at!" when two other horsemen rushedout towards him from behind a high wall. With admirable presence ofmind, though at great risk, he suddenly wheeled round the carriage.
"Stay, mad fool!" cried the assassins; but he heeded them not, andproceeded down a steep path to the left, nearly in the direction fromwhence he had come. Just as he had succeeded in turning, the report oftwo fire-arms was heard.
"Holy Virgin! I am slain!" ejaculated the King, falling backwards.
"My life shall preserve your Majesty's," cried Teixeira; and, with aheroism worthy of a better man, he forced his sovereign down into thebottom of the carriage, covering him to the utmost with his own person.
The urgency of the case added nerve to the postilion's arm, and keennessto his sight; for, avoiding all obstacles, he galloped on throughstreets where it would seem almost impossible that he could pass; which,as the chronicler observes, "was one of the wonderful and miraculousworks performed on the unfortunate night of that most horrid andsacrilegious insult, in order to preserve the inestimable life of hismost sacred Majesty, for the common benefit of these realms ofPortugal."
The postilion, Custodio da Costa, (for he deserves that his name shouldbe commemorated, on account of his gallantry and presence of mind), assoon as he perceived, after driving some way, that he was not followed,stopped the carriage, when his anxiety for his Majesty's safety wasrelieved by hearing his voice ordering him to proceed to the palace ofthe Marquis of Tancos, which
was close at hand.
"Say not what has occurred," said the King to the postilion, as,descending from the carriage with Teixeira's aid, a cloak being thrownover his shoulder, he entered the palace of the Marquis.
The noble host, wondering at the cause of his being honoured by a visitfrom his sovereign at so unusual an hour, hastily rose from his bed, andentered the apartment into which his royal guest had been ushered.
The King, who was seated on a chair, was pale, but perfectly calm. "Ihave met with an accident, my friend, though I know not its extent," hesaid. "Send for Senhor Assiz, my chief surgeon, and speak to no oneelse of the affair."
The Marquis immediately sent
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