THE MASQUERADE
Shortly before the rosy dawn opened wide the windows of the East, Satan,
who rose in a mischievous humour, sent the most knavish and wanton of
the demons to Lancia with orders to awaken it from its slumbers. So the
minister of hell waved his black wings over the city, and gave vent to
loud discordant laughter, which was effectual in arousing all the
inhabitants from their dreams. They awoke with the most immoderate
desires to upset, make fun of, and laugh at all ruling authorities, to
improvise couplets, and say rude things. One of these people, we can
imagine it must have been Jaime Moro, called his servant directly he had
jumped out of bed, and asked him with a smiling countenance if Don
Nicanor, the bass of the cathedral, would lend him his instrument. The
servant without replying, instantly left the room, and soon reappeared
with an enormous serpent (wind instrument) in his hands. And without any
respect for his master, he applied the mouthpiece to his lips and
produced a sound like the roaring of a lion. Moro, lightly attired as he
was, made a pirouet and gave three or four taps of the heel in sign of
great appreciation, as if that barbarous sound had touched the most
delicate fibres of his heart. After trying himself to produce the same
noise and ascertaining that he was quite equal to the achievement, he
dressed himself, and after taking a hurried breakfast, he sallied into
the street, wrapped in his cloak, under the folds of which he had put
the instrument that had so delighted him. He stopped everybody with a
mysterious wink, and retiring to the nearest portico, he, full of
excitement, showed them his hidden treasure. Nobody asked what he was
going to do with it. They smiled, squeezed his hand significantly, and
whispered in his ear:
"When is it to be?"
"To-night. The carriage leaves at twelve."
"They will escape us."
"Bah! all precautions are taken."
And he went on his way muffled up to the eyes, for the cold was indeed
diabolical.
The others not only smiled and pressed his hand, but each of them took
from the pockets of his overcoat or from inside his gabardine some
powerful instrument, albeit of an inferior kind to the above-mentioned
one, and Moro applauded and praised each one, without boasting of his
own superiority. And so he continued his round-about and tiring walk
until he arrived not at Don Romana's confectioner's shop, which was the
usual glorious termination of his morning expeditions, but at the house
of Paco Gomez. The place resounded with the quick steps and many voices
of a number of busy young people. They were all working with great
energy, and with a diligence rarely seen in workshops. Some were cutting
out banners, others were moulding cardboard masks, some were painting
black letters on the sides of a lantern, some were dressing up two guy
figures in gorgeous attire, and some were trying the mouthpieces of
various wind instruments and serpents similar to that brought by Moro.
The scene of action was an immense dismantled room. Paco Gomez lived in
the palace of a marquis, to whom his father was majordomo and who never
came to Lancia. The implacable practical joker was a vigilant and
careful director of all the work of his companions, leaving the room
every minute to give orders to the servants, or to receive some message
sent to him. Never was he more indefatigable. He was generally rather
disagreeable, and even with his jokes he brought to bear a certain
scornful manner, either real or assumed, that made him more formidable.
But now he strained every nerve in the matter, for it was a question of
the most stupendous and best-arranged farce that the town of Lancia had
ever witnessed since the monks of San Vicente came to found it. The
cause of it was that Fernando Estrada-Rosa was to marry (the pen
scarcely dares write it), Fernanda Rosa was to marry (how difficult it
is to say it), was to marry Garnet!
From the time of the memorable scene at the Grange, Fernanda lived in a
stupor of misery, in a depression of body and soul that alarmed her
father. The doctor was sent for, and he said it was nothing more than a
nervous attack, which would be cured by a journey to the court, drives
and amusements. But the girl absolutely refused to try these remedies.
She declined drives, theatres, parties, and, still more, a journey
anywhere. She only went from her room to the dining-room, and from
thence to her father's room, where she only stayed a short time. She had
no energy to go on to the second floor, nor spirit to enter into, and
direct the duties of the servants. She was mostly shut up in her own
room, where she had nothing to do, and she would throw herself into a
chair and remain for a long time motionless with her hands on her knees
and her eyes fixed. Sometimes she began to read, but finding that the
book conveyed nothing to her mind, she ended by casting it aside.
Sometimes she appeared at the window, and remained whole hours with a
miserable face upon the balcony, whilst her eyes were fixed on space, or
on a point of the street without seeing the passers by, or replying to
the many greetings made to her, or noticing that she was making herself
an object of curiosity to the neighbours. But all at once she was seized
with a desire to go to Madrid, and the journey had to be arranged
instantly. She expressed her wish in the morning, and by the evening the
father and daughter were in the diligence, so eager and vehement had the
girl been in demanding the journey. Once started, her state of mind was
completely changed. She threw herself madly and wildly into all the
pleasures of Madrid that were attractive to a rich, beautiful,
provincial girl. She passed two months in the intoxication of theatres,
drives, grand evening parties, and concerts. A nervous sort of
cheerfulness seemed suddenly to have taken possession of her, and she
appeared happy in the midst of the noise and whirl of society, where she
was soon known by the nickname of "The African." To add to the gaiety of
her life, she liked to dine at cafes and restaurants like a dissipated
youth. Don Juan was divided betwixt his pleasure of seeing her
contented, and the acute sense of discomfort that the disorganised life,
so contrary to his usual habits, and age, caused him.
One afternoon, as they were returning from the drive on the Prado,
Fernanda suddenly began sobbing violently. Don Juan was astonished and
taken aback, for she had been laughing all the afternoon, and making fun
of a certain youth who persisted in following the carriage.
"What has come to you? Fernanda, my daughter!"
The girl did not reply. With her handkerchief to her eyes, and her body
shaken by her sobs, she only wept more bitterly.
"Fernanda! _por Dios_! people are looking at you!"
The crying then changed to an attack of nerves, and Don Juan told the
coachman to drive home at once. But before arriving there, the young
girl ceased weeping, raised her head, and said in a tone of
determination:
"Papa, I want to go back to Lancia!"
"All right, my daughter; we will go to-morrow."
"No, no; I want to go now, at once."
"But think, there is only one hour before the train goes."
"There is plenty of time."
There was nothing to be done but to have their things packed in the
trunks and to rush in haste to the station, and the nerves of the
excited girl were only somewhat calmed when the whistle of the engine
announced their departure and they were off over the arid tracts of land
outside Madrid.
The day following her arrival at Lancia, she did not appear to greet her
father, nor to take chocolate with him as usual. When the father was
thinking of calling her, a servant suddenly entered his room looking
pale and agitated.
"The senorita is taken very ill!"
Don Juan repaired to his daughter's apartment, and found her in all the
agonies of violent sickness.
"Quick! fetch the doctor!" cried the poor father.
Fernanda made a negative gesture, and weakly muttered: "No; send for the
father confessor."
But no notice was taken of this remark. The doctor came, and after
carefully considering the case, he called Don Juan aside and said to
him:
"Your daughter has taken a large quantity of laudanum."
"For what?" asked the father without understanding.
"For the reason that these quantities are generally taken--to poison
herself."
"Daughter of my soul! what have you done?" cried the unhappy parent, and
he was about to rush back to his daughter's room, but the doctor
detained him.
"She is in no danger now. She has brought up all the poison, and with
the medicine I am going to give her she will soon be quite herself. The
important thing now is to avoid a repetition of the act."
"Oh, no! I will see about that."
And he ran to his daughter's room, but he could not get a word out of
her; she persisted in asking for the father confessor. At last he went
himself to fetch the priest, and soon returned with him.
During the confession Don Juan walked up and down the wide corridor of
the house, a prey to burning curiosity. At last the father confessor
appeared, and without replying to the father's dumb look of inquiry, he
took him by the hand and conducted him to his own room, where they shut
themselves in. When they came out at the end of an hour the old banker's
cheeks were on fire, his white hair was in disorder, and his eyes showed
signs of weeping. He bade farewell to the canon on the staircase and
went back to his room, where he remained with the door locked. There he
stayed all day and all night, without heeding the messages that his
daughter sent him to come and see her.
The father confessor offered himself to interview Garnet and make all
the arrangements. The Indian chuckled with delight when he learnt what
was wanted. But his plebeian nature and avarice, which had always been
his ruling passion, turned his head. When the canon came to discuss the
matter with him, he found him completely changed; he hesitated, grunted,
shook his head, talked in broken phrases of the luxury that Fernanda had
been brought up to, and of the great expenses accruing to matrimony. In
short, he asked for a _dot_. The father confessor, who was a just man,
full of feeling, could not contain himself before such low conduct, and
he overwhelmed him with insults. But the churl did not mind that. Being
sure of Don Juan's daughter, he stood his ground, laughed like a beast,
scratched his head, and muttered some coarse remark which increased the
canon's anger.
When, with many evasions, he had to acquaint Don Juan with what had
happened, the disgraced parent was nearly mad with despair and anger. He
tore his hair, used very strong language, and spoke of shooting his
daughter and then himself. With much trouble the canon succeeded in
calming him. At last he listened to reason and the negotiations went on,
and after disputing like merchants over the amount of the _dot_, it was
settled what it should be, and Garnet consented to give his toad-like
hand to the most highly prized girl in Lancia at that time.
But the worst had to come. Fernanda had to be told. When she learnt that
a marriage was arranged between her and Don Santos, she was utterly
overwhelmed with dismay, and she fainted away. When she came to, she
plainly said that she would never do it, no, not if they flayed her
alive. Neither her father confessor's remarks, nor the prospect of
disgrace, nor the tears of her father, could persuade her. It was only
when she saw her frantic parent put the mouth of the revolver to his
temple to take his life, that she rushed to stop him, promising to
accede to his wish. And this was how this unnatural marriage came about.
When the noble sons of Lancia learnt the arrangement, they were all
overwhelmed with disgust. An immense wave of shame swept into their
cheeks. This wave of feeling only came to Lancia with such marked effect
when there was a question of fate favouring some Lancian more than was
just. If somebody drew a successful lottery ticket, or got some good
appointment, or if it were a question of a marriage with a rich woman,
or a great success in business, or somebody got famous by his talent,
the fine perspicacity of the inhabitants of Lancia was in revolt, and at
once set to work to depreciate the money, the talent, the instruction or
the industry of the neighbour, and to put things in their true light.
Such a feeling might easily be confounded with envy, nevertheless the
truly observant would soon gather from the remarks in the gatherings at
shops and in the gossips in the streets, that it was only love, albeit
it might be too warm, which prompted them to deteriorate the merits of
their neighbours and thus generously to renounce the reflected glory
which might have accrued to them from a false conception of their value.
The marriage of Garnet caused profound astonishment, which was followed
by an outcry of indignation. Never were the cheeks of Lancians so dyed
with shame as they were at that moment; not even when the press of
Madrid happened to eulogise a certain comedy written by a son of the
place. What rude remarks ensued, first against Don Juan, and then
against Fernanda! Strange to relate, the young men were wild with rage;
they maintained that legislation was deficient if it had no power to
prevent such unnatural proceedings. The result of all this was that the
turbulent feelings aroused by the news were to be vented by the youths
of Lancia in a stupendous farce, of which we have witnessed the
inaugurations, to testify to their profound disgust at such an
out-of-the-way marriage.
The persons concerned heard of the plan, and they tried to evade the
blow by keeping the day of the ceremony secret, and then to have it
celebrated outside the place. But their precautions were of no avail.
The young men found out that the marriage was to be in the early days of
February at the estate that Estrada-Rosa had, half a mile from Lancia.
Spies were placed in the Calle de Altavilla and round about Garnet's
house to prevent them going off unobserved, and a thousand ingenious
plans for the annoyance of the bridal pair were hatched in the most
fertile brains of the town. As the preparations for the carnival were at
the same time, it was decided that the first blow should be in the form
of a great burlesque masquerade that was to leave the house of Paco
Gomez at twelve o'clock and parade the streets. In a carriage drawn by
four oxen arrayed in pink calico, with their horns adorned with branches
there were three mummers which were supposed to represent Fernanda
Estrada-Rosa, her father, and Garnet, the latter in a cocked hat. From
time to time the carriage stopped, and they performed such a ridiculous
farce that the people roared with delight, and crowds gathered to
witness it. Fernanda was made to kiss Garnet with transports of
enthusiasm, and he being smaller could only encircle her with his arms
below her waist, and Don Juan meanwhile was laughing and shaking a bag
of money. Occasionally another mummer appeared from the bottom of the
carriage, and he was supposed to represent the Conde de Onis. He gave
Fernanda a kiss, turned his back on Garnet, and then vanished as quickly
as he came. As this pantomime was to be performed in the Calle de
Altavilla, in front of Estrada-Rosa's very house, the scandal was
dreadful, and the crowds immense. Don Juan in a paroxysm of anger
acquainted the Governor, who was a great friend of his, with the facts,
and determined to leave with Fernanda the next day. The malicious
youths, who had foreseen this determination, had contrived means to
render it ineffectual, and they had prepared as we have seen a grand
performance of rough music for the night.
It had to be ready betimes, for the marriage had not yet taken place,
but they did not want them to escape without it. Armed then with as many
noisy instruments as they could muster, with great glass slides on which
were painted the same grotesque figures of the carriage, with coarse
designations below, three hundred youths assembled in Altavilla with
torches in their hands, and they were accompanied by half the people of
the place, who encouraged them with their laughter. The noise was
horrible. When it ceased, a voice was heard to shout some indecent
couplet, upon which the hilarity became outrageous. Lieutenant Rubio,
always original, crept along the cornice of the chapel of San Fructuoso,
situated almost in front of Estrada-Rosa's house, and rang a bell. Paco
Gomez went swiftly from one group to another prompting them in the most
insulting couplets, so that the chief points should be given in the
loudest tones. Moro went on blowing his serpent enough to hurt his
lungs, whilst the Chatterbox who had been one of the most active
promoters of the "rough music," treacherously entered the house of Don
Juan, pretending to come like a faithful friend, when in reality he was
spying out what was going on there. But the political chief thought it
was time to officiate as Neptune and calm the stormy waves. When the
"rough music" had got so far, he sent to Altavilla, Nola, the head of
the municipal guards, accompanied by two of the company, who happened to
be Lucan the Floren and Pepe le Mota, with orders to stop the scandal
and clear the street. The Lancians had long given up recognising the
divine origin of authority, when it was represented by Floren, or Pepe
le Mota. And not only did they cast a doubt upon their right divine, but
when they saw them from afar the spirit of rebellion seemed to increase.
Was this because the Lancians were predestined by the blind impulses of
their nature to war against the established order? It is not very
probable. None of the historians of Lancia have noted rebellion against
institutions as an especial characteristic of the race. It is more
natural to suppose that what irritated them most was the nose of Nola,
which was just like the button of an electric bell, and the unpleasant
voice of Lucan the Floren, and the monstrously bent legs of Pepe le
Mota. Besides, these respectable agents of government authority were
quite cognisant of the anarchical tendencies manifested sometimes by the
people of Lancia. But they never thought that their appearing without
proper precautions among the crowd of Altavilla, would entail their
leaving it without truncheons, without sabres, without kepis, and with
buffeted cheeks. Nevertheless, such is the recorded account.
The political chief, not wishing to submit blindly to the decrees of
fate, sent immediately for the lieutenant of the civil guard to come
with eight of his company, to avenge the unfortunate Nola, Lucan,
Floren, and Pepe le Mota. Inflamed with success the harlequins of
Altavilla tried to resist. In the meanwhile the lieutenant, a prey to
martial ardour, ordered all swords to be unsheathed, and with a fierce
smile he charged upon the crowd like a wild boar, and all the Lancians
were terrified at the sight. There was a strong tendency to retire from
the field of battle, but at that moment somebody infused courage into
their hearts by holding out deceptive hopes of victory. "Down with the
civilians!" "Down with the cocked hats!" "Death to the potato-face!"
Such were the seditious cries that issued from the throats of those rash
youths. And some stones were thrown at the same time. The trombones,
bassoons, and cornets a piston, of which the harmonious strains had
accompanied so many mazurkas in the bosom of peace, were suddenly
transformed into warlike weapons, shining formidably in the light of the
torches. The cocked hat of the lieutenant was struck ignominiously to
the ground by one of them. Whereupon he picked it up, and his bellicose
spirit was so stirred, that a line of foam encircled his lips, and he
rushed into the battle with his eyes aflame and breathing hardly. Then
the youths of Lancia rallied with renewed vigour, whilst menacing cries
filled the air, and the swords of the civilians were soon heard upon
some of their backs.
The retreat of the fine young fellows of Lancia on that memorable night,
when pursued by the bloodthirsty civilians, was like the flight of a
herd of deer from jackals.
The ground was strewn with bronze instruments, witnesses of the fray.
The indomitable lieutenant gave vent to his anger for some time in the
streets, animating his company with strong interjections, and urging his
party on to the pursuit of the rebels, like a hunter calling his pack of
hounds in pursuit of a stag.
Thus it was that Paco Gomez, being persistently followed by cocked hats,
found himself obliged to avoid a blow by jumping into the larder of the
confectioner shop of Don Romana, where he fell headlong to the ground on
a dish of soft eggs, and completely destroyed a magnificent burrage tart
destined for the precentor of the cathedral. And it was the same with
Jaime Moro, who, after losing Don Nicanor's serpent in the fray,
narrowly escaped being immolated by the magnificent sabre of a civilian.
It was only by taking the precaution of lowering his head, when the
blow was struck, that he escaped an effusion of blood. The sword came in
contact with the wall of a house, doing no little damage thereby; and
months afterwards, Moro delighted in showing as a trophy the piece that
was broken away, to strangers who came to Lancia, and with the relation
of his prowess on that memorable night, his heroic heart was filled with
pleasure.
Many others of those magnanimous youths underwent considerable
discomfort from their conduct; some from the sword-cuts, and the
majority from the falls and the shocks which resulted from the
disbandment. Nevertheless the victory was not gratuitous for the agents
of the government.
Besides the destruction of the cocked hat of the lieutenant, and several
contusions of his subordinates, the constitutional power suffered an
important reverse in the person of one of its oldest representatives--in
the person of Nola, the head of the municipals. As we know, this person,
who was so unpopular in Lancia on account of the shortness and excessive
roundness of his nose, lost in the first struggle his kepis, his sword,
and the honour of his cheeks. Anger and revenge reigned in his heart.
But he could not do anything to gratify these feelings, because he was
deprived of all coercive means. Instead, however, of prudently retiring
to the portal of the Ecclesiastical Court, like Floren and Pepe le Mota,
he remained in the middle of the street contemplating the battle with
anxiety, and on seeing that it was going in favour of the institutions
that he represented, delight overflowed his municipal heart.
"Good luck to the guardians! Long may they have it! Down with the
rabble! These vagabonds are punished for once!"
Such were the bellicose cries that issued from his throat. Nevertheless,
when least expected, considering that his enemies were flying in
complete confusion, he received a blow on his button of a nose from what
turned out to be the smooth, compact surface of a piece of lime. The
whole of his nervous system was affected by the blow, and being unable
to withstand such a shock, he fell senseless to the ground, after his
brave spirit managed to utter the melancholy remark, "I am undone! These
shameless fellows have done for me!"
So fell that valiant supporter of order, that brave fellow, who had
always been victorious in his incessant struggles with the vagabonds of
the suburbs. He was lifted up and taken into Don Matia's apothecary's
shop which happened to be near. From thence he was taken to the
hospital, and the town lost its protecting shield for some days, for
neither Lucan el Floren nor Pepe le Mota could be compared with Nola in
energy. Whilst these events were going on in Altavilla and the adjacent
streets, Don Juan Estrada-Rosa, a prey to indescribable rage, was pacing
his room and tearing his hair. The hypocritical consolations of the
Chatterbox, or as he was also termed the Magpie of Sierra, were
powerless to calm him; and he talked of rushing into the street and
avenging himself upon the insolent mob.
"What has my poor daughter done to them?" he exclaimed with a trembling
voice which nearly broke into sobs.
Fernanda had retired early to her room and gone to bed. It is difficult
to know whether the excitement in the street conveyed anything to her or
not. When Don Juan after a sudden resolution went up to her room to
waken her, the eyes which encountered the candle that he lighted, were
dry and brilliant, without signs of having either slept or wept. He told
her to dress immediately, and he gave orders to the servants to light
all the lights of the house, so as to deceive those without, and he then
went out with her by the coachhouse door which led into a little
solitary street. They were only accompanied by Manuel Antonio, and they
went by the quietest streets to the house of the Pensioner. Once there,
they sent a message to Don Santos for him to come immediately and
another to the father confessor. When they had both arrived, the father,
daughter, and these two gentlemen, with Manuel Antonio and Jovita Mateo,
sallied forth secretly from Lancia by the high-road of Castille. After
going some way they waited for the coach that Don Juan had ordered. The
six had to manage as best they could in the little carriage, and it fell
to Manuel Antonio's lot to sit on the box. Half an hour later they were
at the banker's country-house. An altar was quickly erected, and before
the morning broke, the father confessor blessed the union of the
affianced pair. Fernanda did not open her lips the whole way, and she
preserved the same silence during the preparations for the ceremony. She
appeared tranquil, in a state of absolute indifference, or rather of
somnolence, like a person who having been violently awakened from a
dream is hardly conscious of what is going on around. And this lethargy
continued after pronouncing the "Yes" before the altar. Neither the
affectionate, eloquent conversation of the priest, nor the incessant
jokes of Manuel Antonio during the breakfast, nor the caresses of
Jovita, nor the assumed rough sort of cheerfulness of her father, could
draw her from her strange absence of mind. The day broke, a sad, foggy
day that filtered through the windows in a melancholy fashion. They all
did their best to seem cheerful; they talked in a loud voice, they made
fun of the servant's dullness, and Manuel Antonio's fear of some
_contretemps_. Nevertheless, a deep sadness pervaded the atmosphere.
When there was a pause in the conversation, the brows wrinkled and the
countenances darkened, and when it was resumed the words sounded
melancholy in the luxurious dining-room.
The bride retired to change her dress, and she soon reappeared with the
same impassive demeanour.
According to Don Juan's arrangements they were to go immediately to the
next town and there take the postchaise. The insulting people of Lancia
were thus to be frustrated. When they went down to the garden, where
the carriage was waiting, a cold, fine rain was falling. Fernanda kissed
her father and got into the carriage. On receiving that kiss on his
cheek, the poor old man felt as if a current of cold air passed through
him paralysing his members and freezing his heart.
The priest cried:
"Good-bye, Fernanda, take care of yourself, Fernanda. Good-bye, Santos.
Come back soon."
And so they were off. In less than an hour they arrived at Meres, waited
for the diligence, and got in. The attentions of Garnet could not
provoke a smile or gracious word from the lips of his bride, but his
grotesque gestures and the nonsense that he talked sometimes brought a
look of fatigue and disgust into the young girl's marble face. She slept
at intervals or looked with vacant eyes at the landscape. When they
arrived at the neighbourhood of Leon it was night.
But what happened at Leon? On arriving at the place, where the diligence
changed horses, they found a large crowd of people, they heard rough
voices and the discordant sound of musical instruments with the jingling
of bells, and large transparent pictures were seen waving over the
crowd.
Paco Gomez, being richer in resources than Ulysses, had written
beforehand to some friends of his at Leon, suggesting that they should
organise some rough music when Garnet and his bride passed that way.
Everything was in readiness. Nevertheless the preparations would have
come to naught had it not been for the treachery of Manuel Antonio, for
on his arrival at Lancia he secretly made Paco acquainted with all that
was taking place. Whereupon Gomez profited by the telegraphic
communication, recently instituted, and put himself in communication
with his followers. Fernanda was some time in realising that this
excitement was on her account, but when some cries that reached her
ears made her sensible of the fact she turned pale, her eyes dilated,
and uttering a cry she threw herself against the little window with the
intent of throwing herself out, but Garnet caught her by the waist. The
young girl struggled for some moments in fury, but not being able to
free herself from those strong bear-like arms, she threw herself back in
the seat, covered her face with her hands, and burst into passionate
sobbing.
_Dios mio!_ Her sin had indeed been great, but what a fearful
punishment!