FROM BURGOS TO VIVAR
One morning in summer, shortly after sunrise, two cavaliers set out from
Burgos in the direction of Vivar; both were young and graceful, and rode
on, conversing in an animated and pleasant tone, keeping their steeds
beside each other.
They were Guillen of the Standard and Martin Vengador.
"What a beautiful morning this is!" said Guillen.
"Yes," replied his companion; "and how pleasant it is to breathe the air
of the fields when the sun is rising."
"We, who have passed our lives in the country, smother in cities. See,
Martin, how blue the sky is, listen to the singing of the birds amid the
trees of that dell, and smell the fragrance of the plants which grow
around us."
"This morning reminds me of the one on which we left Cabra, the day
following the arrival of the count, whom it cost so little to have it
restored to him."
"They say that Andalucia is a fairer land than Castile, and certainly
its fields are more fertile and its sky clearer, but may God grant it to
me to live and die in our famed Castile, for there is no country equal
to one's native land."
"So say I also, Guillen; besides, in our Castile there are abundance of
fertile plains, luxuriant woods, and fragrant flowers; we also have a
clear sky and a brilliant and life-giving sun. Castile is, above all
others, the land of chivalry, of honour, and of glory. If Andalucia has
an advantage over Castile in its soil, it has not such with regard to
its inhabitants; here we let our souls be seen as naked as our fields;
there they show their souls concealed with foliage and flowers, like
the fields of that land; as in our land we have permitted scarcely any
infidels to dwell, we have preserved pure the blood of the cavaliers of
Covadonga and Roncesvalles."
"It delights me to wander along the banks of the Guadalquiver, for on
them the trees and flowers are most beautiful; but it delights me more
to walk on the banks of the Ebro, of the Tormes, and of the Duero, for
they are filled with the memories of brave cavaliers and glorious feats
of arms."
"We cannot envy any who dwell in Spain, for God has given us honours, of
which we can justly feel proud, and great natural riches which we can
enjoy."
"And love adorns all, Martin; for my part, I can say that love causes me
to see flowers where others can only see rocks, palaces where there are
only huts, and angels where there are but human beings. Does it not seem
a great happiness to you to have souls that feel as ours do, and to love
so well the land in which we were born?"
"And above all," said Martin, smiling pleasantly, "the love of maidens,
so worthy of being loved as your noble Doña Teresa and my humble
Beatrice."
Guillen sighed, and there disappeared from his face the joy which, till
then, had shone on it.
"Happy you, who can see, as often as you like, her whom you love!"
exclaimed the lover of the Infanta of Carrion.
"Guillen, the day is not far distant when your happiness will be as
complete as mine. Are you indeed discontented with your lot?"
"No, Martin, no. When I think that I, a poor servitor of the Count of
Carrion, the son of a humble peasant, have been made already a member of
the order of chivalry, am treated as an equal by the most noble
cavaliers of Castile, have won the love of the king and of the Cid, and
am richer than many of those who call themselves grandees, it seems that
joy should disturb my reason. But why should you be astonished, Martin,
that my heart becomes sad when I think of the Infanta, whom I love more
and more as days go on, and whom I may not see for a very long time? If
Doña Teresa had a mother by her side, or even anyone who could protect
her, love her, and cheer up the sadness of her heart, living apart from
her would not be so hard to bear; but she is in the power of her
brother, nay, even worse, in the power of that traitor Bellido, since
the king banished Don Suero."
"But how is it possible, Guillen, that the Count of Carrion can trust
the traitor to such an extent, that he not only gives him his
friendship, but also confides to him the care of his household? How is
it possible that he should have put his sister and his nephews in his
charge, during his absence?"
"It appears impossible, Martin, but nothing is more certain."
"But how do you manage to receive news of what takes place in the Castle
of Carrion?"
"I hear from Doña Teresa through a domestic, named Gonzalo, who was
always devoted to his lady and to me; he is bent on revenging himself on
the count, from whom he has received more blows than he has hairs on his
head."
"I am astonished that Bellido permits him to absent himself from the
Castle long enough to go to Burgos."
"For a considerable time the count made use of him to send letters to
his friends; and when he went to Toro, where he now is, he left him in
Carrion, in order that he might perform the same services for Bellido,
spurred on now and then by a sound cudgelling, which the count advised
his friend to apply to him, should he show himself at any time reluctant
to do his bidding. Bellido sends him rather often to Burgos, with
letters to the partisans of the exiled noblemen, for they have still in
Castile some who are desirous to aid them; also to find out what is
going on, and to act as a spy even on the king himself."
"It is fortunate for you that you have such means of communicating with
the Infanta."
"It certainly is, for if I had them not, I swear by the name I bear,
that before this I would have attacked the Castle of Carrion, and have
either found my death or removed the Infanta from that prison."
"But I think that even still we should strike a blow against the castle,
in order to free the defenceless dove from the claws of the hawk."
"I am thinking of doing so, Martin; and if I have not done so before
this, it is because I feared that the attempt might be vain; the castle
is very strong in itself, and it is defended by good crossbow-men; but I
can now count on friends who will aid me in the enterprise, even Don
Rodrigo himself will lend me his assistance, if not personally, at least
with men-at-arms, and I hope that before a year passes, Guillen of the
Standard and the Infanta of Carrion will be united before the altar. On
the day that I found you in the wood, and induced you to go with me to
the wars, if I had said to a grandee, of even the lowest rank, that I
aspired to the hand of the Infanta of Carrion, he would have spat in my
face and looked on me as a madman; but now even the King of Castile will
support my pretensions."
"Blessed was the day of which you remind me, Guillen," exclaimed Martin,
thinking of what he had been when he commanded his band, and what he now
was, in the service of the Cid. "Blessed also be you," he added, "who,
from being a miserable bandit, made of me a soldier, whom the Campeador
honours with his friendship and confidence--he who is the best cavalier
in the world. You well said that on the fields of battle I would be able
to wash away, with infidel blood, the stain which the world sees on the
brow of the bandit; that on them I would acquire power to chastise the
assassin of my father; that from them I would return a hundred times
more worthy to be united to the girl whom I love."
"We have had many glorious days in the wars, and I hope that we shall
have many more."
"I pray God that we may be soon fighting once more against the Moors,
instead of in those accursed conflicts of Christians against
Christians."
"Unfortunately, Martin, I fear that those battles, of which you speak,
are not yet terminated. As things are, I believe that, before long,
there must be more sanguinary combats between Castilians and Leonese. I
would wager the sword which the Cid girt on me, that, within two months,
there will be a fierce war between Don Sancho and his brother Don
Alfonso. Don Sancho eagerly desires to possess the kingdom of Leon,
especially since he has acquired that of Galicia; and Don Alfonso, who
knows that, and gives ear to evil advisers, affords every day
opportunities for a rupture, by letting the enmity appear which he feels
towards Don Sancho."
The two young men were thus conversing when they came in sight of Vivar;
they were much rejoiced at this, for the day, fresh and pleasant at its
beginning, was becoming oppressive, as the sun was very high, and was
shooting down his beams much fiercer than was agreeable. It was not
alone the hope of rest, shaded from the heat of the sun, that made them
anxious to see the end of their two-hours' journey, for it did not take
much longer time to complete it; Martin loved Beatrice deeply, and was
returning to see her after a long absence in the war between Don Sancho
and Don Garcia, and Guillen was about to see the happiness of his friend
and companion-in-arms, in which he rejoiced as much as if it were his
own.
In front of the farmhouse of Pero was a beautiful orchard, in which was
a great abundance of fruit-trees, which laborious and happy husbandmen
had planted, and made to grow and bear fruit with their constant care;
in it were standing Beatrice and her parents when Martin and Guillen
halted on an eminence which overlooked the farmhouse.
On seeing them, a cry of joy escaped from the lips of Beatrice, who let
fall the fruit which she was carrying in her turned-up skirt, and ran to
meet the two young men; her parents imitated her, for they looked on
Martin as a son, and indeed on Guillen almost as such, for the former
seldom went to Vivar without being accompanied by the latter.
Beatrice was soon serving an appetising meal to her guests and her
parents under a large tree in the garden, and all were conversing
pleasantly together, building castles in the air, and abandoning
themselves to a happiness which only good souls can understand.
Shortly after the termination of the meal the gallop of a horse was
heard on the road which led to Carrion, and which was only about two
stone-throws from the farmhouse. All turned their eyes in that
direction, and Guillen uttered a cry of pleasure, for in the horseman he
recognised Gonzalo, the servant of Don Suero, who now and then brought
him news from Doña Teresa.
Guillen ran across the orchard and went out on the road to meet Gonzalo,
who dismounted at once when he recognised him.
"Gonzalo, you are indeed welcome," said Guillen, in whose face pleasure
and inquietude were depicted. "Do you come from the Castle of Carrion?"
"I left it during the night," answered Gonzalo, "and I bring you a
letter from my mistress. Here it is," he said, and he handed a parchment
to the young man.
Guillen hastened to open it, and then read it eagerly.
"To-day," wrote the Infanta to him, "Bellido, my jailer sets out for
Toro, and he cannot be back for at least eight days. Guillen, it is a
long time since I saw you last, and for a long time I feared to die
without seeing you again; ask Gonzalo, when he delivers this letter to
you, when he can be back to the castle, for, if you can come to see me,
he will facilitate your entrance into it. Have pity on me, do not allow
me to die within those gloomy walls without again seeing you--you on
whom I place the only hope which I have in this world."
The loving youth pressed his lips on those lines, partly effaced by the
tears of Teresa, and felt his eyes moist, as on that night, both sad and
joyous, in which he revealed his love to the unhappy maiden in the camp
of the bandits.
"Gonzalo!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms round the neck of the
messenger, "if I had a hundred lives I would willingly give them in
exchange for the happiness which you have brought me, and even then I
would consider it but poorly paid! I am no longer the humble servitor of
Don Suero, such as you formerly knew me; I have power and wealth, with
which I can recompense your services. Continue in the household of the
count, in order that you may watch over Doña Teresa; and on the day when
your mistress shall no longer have need of your care, I will say to you,
'In future you shall not have to go into the employment of any person; I
have wealth which I have won in the wars; take what you require in order
to live free and happy wherever you may desire!'"
Gonzalo was not mercenary, but how was it possible for him not to feel
happy, when he saw shining before him the hope of being able to live as
Guillen had said, instead of being constantly exposed to the outrages
and bad treatment to which he was subjected in the service of the Count
of Carrion.
"My lady and you," he replied, "can dispose of me, as I am resolved to
serve both of you, as far as is in my power, without any recompense but
that of being useful to those who need my services."
"Do you believe, Gonzalo, that it will be possible for me to enter the
castle during the absence of Bellido?"
"My lady and I have had long talks on the subject, and we have come to
the conclusion that such is possible, by making our arrangements
beforehand."
"When can you be in Carrion again?"
"To-morrow night; I am now going to Burgos with letters, which Bellido
gave me before his departure, with instructions to go with them
to-day."
"Well, then, to-morrow night, at whatever hour you now tell me, I shall
be outside the castle."
"At midnight you must come to the postern very cautiously, although
there is not much risk of the crossbow-men hearing you; for, as Bellido
makes them keep watch every night, under pain of anyone who falls asleep
being hung on the battlements in the morning, they will try to make up
for that by sleeping well whilst he is away from the castle. I shall
watch for your arrival through the loopholes, and as soon as I see you
approach I will open the postern and let you in, and will facilitate
your getting through the castle, so that you may see Doña Teresa for a
short time."
"Very well, I shall not fail to be there to-morrow night at the hour you
have mentioned."
"Take care that you are not surprised by a band of robbers, who, people
say, have appeared recently in the district of Carrion, where bandits
have not been seen since the Vengador and his men went away."
"All right, Gonzalo, I shall not forget your caution; I thank you for
it. What have you to tell me of the Infanta?"
"If her troubles do not soon cease, God will be as unjust to her as men
have been."
"No, Gonzalo, God is not unjust, as men often are; God will make up for
the sufferings of the Infanta with many years of perfect happiness; tell
her that, for you will see her before I can."
After a few more words Guillen and Gonzalo separated, the former
returning to where Martin and the Pero family were awaiting him, and the
latter continuing his journey to Burgos.
Guillen showed Martin the letter from the Infanta, and told him that he
would go to Carrion before he returned to Burgos, with the intention of
removing Teresa from the castle.
"I will accompany you, Guillen," said the Vengador, "and I will die with
you if necessary."
"Thanks, Martin," exclaimed Guillen, holding out his hand affectionately
to his friend; "but I know the danger which threatens both you and me
when we approach Carrion; I cannot therefore accept your generous offer,
for--what would become of your good and loving Beatrice if she were to
lose you?"
"Beatrice," replied Martin, "would look on me as a coward, and would
despise me, with very good cause, if I saw you going into danger without
accompanying you. Do I not value more than my life the friendship with
which you honour me, and the good fortune which you procured me, when
you induced me to exchange the vile career of a bandit for that of a
soldier? Guillen, let us set out for Carrion as soon as it may please
you, for I will follow you gladly to the end of the world, even though
there were dangers at every step. I wish that Rui-Venablos could
accompany us, but he must remain in command of the Cid's troops during
our absence."
Guillen finally accepted the offer of Martin. They spent the remainder
of the day and the following night in the farmhouse of Pero, and at a
very early hour in the morning they started for Carrion.