_Auristella is taken from her prison in the disguise of a man, in
order to be sacrificed; a battle ensues among the barbarians, and
the island is set on fire. A Spanish barbarian takes Periander,
Auristella, Clelia and the Interpretess, to his father's cave._
Among those who came to settle the purchase of the maiden, was one
named Bradamiro; he was one of the most valiant and illustrious men
in the island, a despiser of all laws, arrogant beyond all arrogance,
and daring as himself alone, for none other could compare with him.
He, believing, as every one else did, that Periander was a woman,
from the moment he first beheld her, determined to have the beautiful
prize for himself, without caring to prove or accomplish the laws of
the prophecy. As soon as Periander had set his foot on the island,
the barbarians strove with one another for the honour of bearing him
on their shoulders, and with great joy and rejoicing they carried him
into a large tent, which stood in the midst of many smaller ones, in a
delicious and peaceful meadow, all covered with the skins of animals
both wild and tame. The woman who had served as interpretess for the
bargain and sale of the fair captive, never quitted his side, and in a
language which he did not the least comprehend, tried to console him.
The governor then gave orders that a message should be sent to the
prison island, and to bring forth a man, if they happened to have one,
in order to make a trial of their deluding hope. He was immediately
obeyed, and at the same time the ground was spread with skins of
animals, dressed, perfumed, cleaned, and soft in texture, to serve as
table-cloths; and on these, without order or neatness, were placed
various kinds of dried fruits. At the sight and odour of this repast,
several of the barbarians began to eat, and by signs invited Periander
to do likewise. Bradamiro alone remained standing, leaning upon his
bow, with his eyes fixed on the supposed woman. The governor bade him
seat himself, but he refused to obey; and after heaving a deep sigh,
he suddenly turned his back upon the party and quitted the tent. At
this moment one of the barbarians entered, and told the governor that
just as he and four of his companions had reached the shore in order to
pass over to the prison where the captives were kept, a raft came in
bringing a man and the woman who was the guardian of the dungeon; which
news put an end speedily to the dinner, and the governor, rising with
all the company, hurried to inspect the raft. Periander desired that he
might accompany them, with which they were well pleased.
By the time they reached the shore, the prisoner and his keeper had
landed. Periander looked at them to ascertain whether by chance he
knew the unfortunate creature, whose hard fate had placed him in the
very situation he himself had so lately been in: but he was not able
to catch a full view of the face because he kept it hung down, and
seemed to wish it should remain concealed; but the woman he knew full
well, the woman whom they called the guardian of the prison. He felt
as if his senses failed him when he looked at her, for clearly and
without any doubt he knew that she was Clelia, the nurse of his beloved
Auristella. Fain would he have spoken but he durst not, for he knew not
what to conjecture about her; and so restrained his feelings and his
tongue, and waited to see what would happen.
The governor, impatient to hasten the trial which was to give a happy
and fitting mate to Periander, gave orders immediately to sacrifice the
boy, (for he seemed no more,) that his heart might furnish powder for
the absurd and lying experiment which the sorcerer had ordained.
He was instantly seized by several of the barbarians, and without any
further ceremony than that of tying a piece of linen over his eyes,
they made him kneel down to have his hands tied behind him, which
he submitted to at once without uttering a word, like a tame lamb
expecting the stroke that was to deprive him of life. But old Clelia,
at the sight, upraised her voice and cried out with more vigour than
might have been expected at her years--"Hold! O great and powerful
governor, and know what you are about to do; for this youth, whom you
are going to slay, can in no way be of any use for the purpose you
require, seeing that he is the most beautiful woman imaginable, and
no man. Speak, most lovely Auristella, and do not allow yourself to
be deprived of life, overwhelmed as you are by the torrent of your
misfortunes, but put your trust in that providence of Heaven, which
has even now the power to save and preserve you, and enable you to
enjoy it once more."
At hearing these words, the cruel barbarians stopped the blow that
was about to fall, for already had the knife touched the throat of
the victim. The governor instantly ordered them to set her hands
at liberty, and to unbind her eyes, when looking upon her more
attentively, they saw that it was indeed the most beautiful face
that ever was seen; and each man present, felt, that except it were
Periander, no other living being could be compared to her. But how can
tongue express or pen describe what were the feelings of Periander,
when he saw that the now free, but lately condemned victim, was his own
Auristella? A mist came over his eyes, his heart ceased to beat, and
with weak and faltering steps he hastened to embrace her, saying, as he
held her closely in his arms, "O beloved half of my soul, O my pillar
of hope, O prize, whether found for good or ill to me, I know not,
but good methinks it must be since no evil can proceed from the sight
of thee! Behold here thy brother, Periander." And these last words he
spoke in a tone so low, that they could be heard by none. He then went
on, "Live, my lady, and my sister; there is no cruelty in this island
towards women. Trust in Heaven, who since it has delivered you from
the many perils and dangers you must have undergone, will surely also
preserve you from those you have to dread henceforward."
"Alas! my brother," answered Auristella, (for she it was who had been
so nearly sacrificed as a man,) "alas! my brother, how can I believe
that this misfortune is the last we have to fear! A joyful thing,
indeed, it has been to meet with thee, but in a most unhappy place and
circumstances we meet."
They wept together in speaking thus, which Bradamiro seeing, and
thinking that Periander wept with grief for fear the newly-discovered
friend or relation he seemed to have found should be sacrificed,
determined to set the captive free, and at once break through every
obstacle; so stepping up to them, he seized Auristella with one hand,
and Periander with the other, and with a threatening air and proud
bearing, he cried with a loud voice, "Let no man if he values his life
at all, dare to touch even so much as a hair of the head of either of
these two persons. This maiden is mine because I love her, and this man
shall be free because he is a friend of the maiden."
He had hardly spoken when the governor of the barbarous isle, in
mighty wrath and indignation, fitted a long sharp arrow to his bow,
and drawing himself back and extending his left arm, he drew the cord
to his ear with his right. The arrow flew with so good an aim and with
such fury that it entered the mouth of Bradamiro,--stopped at once his
utterance, and separated his soul from his body. Whereat all present
remained astonished, surprised and as it were in suspense--but the
deed, bold as it was sure, was not done with such impunity but that the
perpetrator received in the same manner the reward of his daring act;
for a son of Corsicurbo, the barbarian who was overwhelmed in the storm
when Periander escaped, more light of foot than the arrow from the bow,
in two bounds reached the governor, and with his uplifted arm plunged
into his breast a dagger, which, although of stone, was more sharp and
piercing than if it had been of steel. The governor closed his eyes
in everlasting night, and thus by his death Bradamiro was avenged. The
greatest tumult ensued among the friends and relations of both; all
flew to arms, and soon, incited by vengeance and rage, the arrows flew
on all sides, dealing death far and wide. When the arrows were spent,
as hands and poignards did not fail, they fell upon each other without
respect of kindred. The son respected not the father nor the brother
his brother, and as among them were many enemies who owed one another
grudges for former injuries, they fell to work tearing to pieces with
their nails, and cutting with their knives, without any one attempting
to restore peace.
Now whilst arrows and blows, and wounds and death, were busy all
around, the aged Clelia, the interpretess damsel, Periander and
Auristella, all remained huddled close together full of terror and
dismay. In the midst of the confusion a number of barbarians who
belonged to the party of Bradamiro, separated themselves from the
combat and flew to set fire to a wood not far off, where stood the
dwelling of the governor. The trees began to burn, and the wind
favoured the flames, till the smoke and fire increased to such a
height, that it seemed as if every one would soon be first blinded and
then burnt. The night came on--very dark and dismal, the groans of the
dying, the cries of the fierce combatants, the cracking sound of the
fire, carried no terror into the hearts of the barbarians, which were
still breathing nothing but rage and vengeance, but it filled with awe
and fear those of the miserable little cluster of persons, who knew
not what to do or how to find a refuge. But in this hour of alarm and
peril, Heaven forgot not to send succour of so new and remarkable a
kind, that it appeared to them a miracle.
Night had closed in, and as I said before, dark and cloudy; only the
flames of the blazing wood gave light enough to distinguish objects,
when a young barbarian came up to Periander, and in the Castilian
tongue, which he well understood, said, "Follow me, beautiful maiden,
and tell the others who are with you to do the same, and I will place
you in safety, Heaven helping me." Periander did not reply, but he
rose up, signed to Auristella, Clelia, and the interpretess, that they
should pluck up courage and go with him, and so, treading over dead
corpses, and trampling upon weapons at every step, they followed the
young barbarian who was their guide. The flames of the burning wood
reached very near to them, and lighted them on their way. The advanced
age of Clelia, and the great youth of Auristella, made it difficult
for them to keep up with the rapid steps of the guide. Perceiving
which, the barbarian, who was young and strong, caught up Clelia, and
seated her on his shoulder; Periander did the same by Auristella;
the interpretess less delicate, and more active, followed with manly
vigour: and in this way, sometimes mounting, sometimes descending, they
reached the sea-shore, and after coasting along for about a mile in a
northerly direction, the guide stopped before the mouth of a spacious
cavern, into which the tide came and went. They waded through the
water a little way, turning first to the right and then to the left;
and now narrowing, now widening, sometimes bending almost double and
crawling on the ground, sometimes walking upright; they moved on till
they came out into what seemed to them an open plain, where they might
walk freely, at least so their guide told them, for they could discern
nothing through the darkness, as the light of the burning forest,
which still blazed fiercely, did not reach them here.
"Blessed be God," exclaimed the barbarian, in the same Castilian
tongue, "who hast brought us here in safety, for although there is
still some danger to fear, it is not that of death."
Then they saw that there approached rapidly a great light like a comet,
or rather a meteor, which seemed to move through the darkness. They
expected its coming with some alarm, but the barbarian said, "This is
my father coming to receive me."
Periander, who could speak the Castilian language, though not very
fluently, said to him, "May Heaven reward thee, O human angel,
or whoever thou mayest be, for the kind deed thou hast done; and
even though our death should only be delayed, we still gratefully
acknowledge the benefit received."
The light now came near, carried by a person seemingly a barbarian,
whose age appeared to be about fifty years. On approaching them he put
down the light, which was a thick pine-branch, and embraced his son
with open arms; asking, in Castilian, what had happened that he had
brought so large a company. "Father," he replied, "let us go to our
den, for I have much to say and more to consider. The island is in a
blaze; all the inhabitants are now either ashes or half-burnt corpses.
These few persons that you see I have stolen from the fire and the
knife of the barbarians: let us go, sir, as I said to our retreat, that
my mother and sister may exercise their charity in behalf of these poor
weary and frightened guests."
The father acted as guide, and they all followed. Clelia, now somewhat
revived, was able to walk, but Periander would not part with the lovely
burden he had carried. It was not possible that he should find _that_
heavy, Auristella being the sole joy he had on earth.
They had not gone very far when they arrived in front of a high and
steep rock, at the foot of which they perceived a very narrow opening
or cave, the walls and roof of which were this same rock. Two women
drest in the barbarian costume, came forth with lighted pine-branches
in their hands. One was a girl about fifteen years of age; the other,
who seemed approaching to thirty, was beautiful, but the younger
one was surpassingly fair. One of them cried, "Ah my father and my
brother;" the elder only said, "Welcome, beloved son of my affections."
The interpretess was amazed to hear any one speak in this country
(especially women who looked like the native islanders) any language
but the customary dialect, but when she was about to ask them by what
mystery they spoke the Castilian tongue, she was prevented by the
father bidding his wife and daughter spread the hard floor of the cave
with woolly fleeces. They obeyed, placing their torches against the
walls. They then hastened to bring from an inner cave the fleeces of
sheep and goats, and other animals, with which they adorned the place,
and shielded their guests from the cold they were beginning to feel
severely.
[Illustration]