sister, as my conscience and Heaven itself can bear witness; you know
also the diligence with which I have sought her, and the wish I have
felt to have my marriage with her celebrated publicly. But she is not to
be found, and my word cannot be considered eternally engaged to a
shadow. I am a young man, and am not so _blasé_ as to leave ungathered
such pleasures as I find on my path. Before I had ever seen Cornelia I
had given my promise to a peasant girl of this village, but whom I was
tempted to abandon by the superior charms of Cornelia, giving therein a
great proof of my love for the latter, in defiance of the voice of my
conscience. Now, therefore, since no one can marry a woman who does not
appear, and it is not reasonable that a man should eternally run after a
wife who deserts him, lest he should take to his arms one who abhors
him, I would have you consider, Signor Lorenzo, whether I can give you
any further satisfaction for an affront which was never intended to be
one; and further, I would have you give me your permission to accomplish
my first promise, and solemnise my marriage with the peasant girl, who
is now in this house."
While the duke spoke this, Lorenzo's frequent change of colour, and the
difficulty with which he forced himself to retain his seat, gave
manifest proof that anger was taking possession of all his senses. The
same feelings agitated Don Antonio and Don Juan, who were resolved not
to permit the duke to fulfil his intention, even should they be
compelled to prevent it by depriving him of life. Alfonso, reading these
resolves in their faces, resumed: "Endeavour to calm yourself, Signor
Lorenzo; and before you answer me one word, I will have you see the
beauty of her whom I desire to take to wife, for it is such that you
cannot refuse your consent, and it might suffice, as you will
acknowledge, to excuse a graver error than mine."
So saying, the duke rose, and repaired to the apartment where Cornelia
was awaiting him in all the splendour of her beauty and rich
decorations. No sooner was he gone than Don Juan also rose, and laying
both hands on the arms of Lorenzo's chair, he said to him, "By St. James
of Galicia, by the true faith of a Christian, and by my honour as a
gentleman, Signor Lorenzo, I will as readily allow the duke to fulfil
his project as I will become a worshipper of Mahomed. Here, in this
spot, he shall yield up his life at my hands, or he shall redeem the
promise given to your sister, the lady Cornelia. At the least, he shall
give us time to seek her; and until we know to a certainty that she is
dead, he shall not marry."
"That is exactly my own view," replied Lorenzo. "And I am sure,"
rejoined Don Juan, "that it will be the determination of my comrade, Don
Antonio, likewise."
While they were thus speaking, Cornelia appeared at the door between the
duke and the priest, each of whom led her by one hand. Behind them came
Sulpicia, her waiting woman, whom the duke had summoned from Ferrara to
attend her lady, with the infant's nurse, and the Spaniards'
housekeeper. When Lorenzo saw his sister, and had assured himself it was
indeed Cornelia,--for at first the apparently impossible character of
the occurrence had forbidden his belief,--he staggered on his feet, and
cast himself at those of the duke, who, raising him, placed him in the
arms of his delighted sister, whilst Don Juan and Don Antonio hastily
applauded the duke for the clever trick he had played upon them all.
Alfonso then took the infant from Sulpicia, and, presenting it to
Lorenzo, he said, "Signor and brother, receive your nephew, my son, and
see whether it please you to give permission for the public
solemnisation of my marriage with this peasant girl--the only one to
whom I have ever been betrothed."
To repeat the replies of Lorenzo would be never to make an end, and the
rather if to these we added the questions of Don Juan, the remarks of
Don Antonio, the expressions of delight uttered by the priest, the
rejoicing of Sulpicia, the satisfaction of the housekeeper who had made
herself the counsellor of Cornelia, the exclamations of the nurse, and
the astonishment of Fabio, with the general happiness of all.
The marriage ceremony was performed by the good priest, and Don Juan de
Gamboa gave away the bride; but it was agreed among the parties that
this marriage also should be kept secret, until he knew the result of
the malady under which the duchess-dowager was labouring; for the
present, therefore, it was determined that Cornelia should return to
Bologna with her brother. All was done as thus agreed on; and when the
duchess-dowager died, Cornelia made her entrance into Ferrara, rejoicing
the eyes of all who beheld her: the mourning weeds were exchanged for
festive robes, the two housekeepers were enriched, and Sulpicia was
married to Fabio. For Don Antonio and Don Juan, they were sufficiently
rewarded by the services they had rendered to the duke, who offered them
two of his cousins in marriage, with rich dowries. But they replied,
that the gentlemen of the Biscayan nation married for the most part in
their own country; wherefore, not because they despised so honourable a
proffer, which was not possible, but that they might not depart from a
custom so laudable, they were compelled to decline that illustrious
alliance, and the rather as they were still subject to the will of their
parents, who had, most probably, already affianced them.
The duke admitted the validity of their excuses, but, availing himself
of occasions warranted by custom and courtesy, he found means to load
the two friends with rich gifts, which he sent from time to time to
their house in Bologna. Many of these were of such value, that although
they might have been refused for fear of seeming to receive a payment,
yet the appropriate manner in which they were presented, and the
particular periods at which Alfonso took care that they should arrive,
caused their acceptance to be easy, not to say inevitable; such, for
example, were those despatched by him at the moment of their departure
for their own country, and those which he gave them when they came to
Ferrara to take their leave of him.
At this period, the Spanish gentlemen found Cornelia the mother of two
little girls, and the duke more enamoured of his wife than ever. The
duchess gave the diamond cross to Don Juan, and the gold agnus to Don
Antonio, both of whom had now no choice but to accept them. They finally
arrived without accident in their native Spain, where they married rich,
noble, and beautiful ladies; and they never ceased to maintain a
friendly correspondence with the duke and duchess of Ferrara, and with
Lorenzo Bentivoglio, to the great satisfaction of all parties.
END OF THE LADY CORNELIA.
RINCONETE AND CORTADILLO:
_Or, Peter of the Corner and the Little Cutter._
At the Venta or hostelry of the Mulinillo, which is situate on the
confines of the renowned plain of Alcudia, and on the road from Castile
to Andalusia, two striplings met by chance on one of the hottest days of
summer. One of them was about fourteen or fifteen years of age; the
other could not have passed his seventeenth year. Both were well formed,
and of comely features, but in very ragged and tattered plight. Cloaks
they had none; their breeches were of linen, and their stockings were
merely those bestowed on them by Nature. It is true they boasted shoes;
one of them wore alpargates,[6] or rather dragged them along at his
heels; the other had what might as well have been shackles for all the
good they did the wearer, being rent in the uppers, and without soles.
Their respective head-dresses were a montera[7] and a miserable
sombrero, low in the crown and wide in the brim. On his shoulder, and
crossing his breast like a scarf, one of them carried a shirt, the
colour of chamois leather; the body of this garment was rolled up and
thrust into one of its sleeves: the other, though travelling without
incumbrance, bore on his chest what seemed a large pack, but which
proved, on closer inspection, to be the remains of a starched ruff, now
stiffened with grease instead of starch, and so worn and frayed that it
looked like a bundle of hemp.
[6] The _alpargates_ are a kind of sandal made of cord.
[7] _Montera_, a low cap, without visor or front to shade the eyes.
Within this collar, wrapped up and carefully treasured, was a pack of
cards, excessively dirty, and reduced to an oval form by repeated paring
of their dilapidated corners. The lads were both much burned by the sun,
their hands were anything but clean, and their long nails were edged
with black; one had a dudgeon-dagger by his side; the other a knife with
a yellow handle.
These gentlemen had selected for their siesta the porch or penthouse
commonly found before a Venta; and, finding themselves opposite each
other, he who appeared to be the elder said to the younger, "Of what
country is your worship, noble Sir, and by what road do you propose to
travel?" "What is my country, Señor Cavalier," returned the other, "I
know not; nor yet which way my road lies."
"Your worship, however, does not appear to have come from heaven,"
rejoined the elder, "and as this is not a place wherein a man can take
up his abode for good, you must, of necessity, be going further." "That
is true," replied the younger; "I have, nevertheless, told you only the
veritable fact; for as to my country, it is mine no more, since all that
belongs to me there is a father who does not consider me his child, and
a step-mother who treats me like a son-in-law. With regard to my road,
it is that which chance places before me, and it will end wherever I may
find some one who will give me the wherewithal to sustain this miserable
life of mine."
"Is your worship acquainted with any craft?" inquired the first speaker.
"With none," returned the other, "except that I can run like a hare,
leap like a goat, and handle a pair of scissors with great dexterity."
"These things are all very good, useful, and profitable," rejoined the
elder. "You will readily find the Sacristan of some church who will give
your worship the offering-bread of All Saints' Day, for cutting him his
paper flowers to decorate the Monument[8] on Holy Thursday."
[8] The Monument is a sort of temporary theatre, erected in the churches
during Passion Week, and on which the passion of the Saviour is
represented.
"But that is not my manner of cutting," replied the younger. "My father,
who, by God's mercy, is a tailor and hose maker, taught me to cut out
that kind of spatterdashes properly called Polainas, which, as your
worship knows, cover the fore part of the leg and come down over the
instep. These I can cut out in such style, that I could pass an
examination for the rank of master in the craft; but my ill luck keeps
my talents in obscurity."
"The common lot, Señor, of able men," replied the first speaker, "for I
have always heard that it is the way of the world to let the finest
talents go to waste; but your worship is still at an age when this evil
fortune may be remedied, and the rather since, if I mistake not, and my
eyes do not deceive me, you have other advantageous qualities which it
is your pleasure to keep secret." "It is true that I have such,"
returned the younger gentleman, "but they are not of a character to be
publicly proclaimed, as your worship has very judiciously observed."
"But I," rejoined the elder, "may with confidence assure you, that I am
one of the most discreet and prudent persons to be found within many a
league. In order to induce your worship to open your heart and repose
your faith on my honour, I will enlist your sympathies by first laying
bare my own bosom; for I imagine that fate has not brought us together
without some hidden purpose. Nay, I believe that we are to be true
friends from this day to the end of our lives.
"I, then, Señor Hidalgo, am a native of Fuenfrida, a place very well
known, indeed renowned for the illustrious travellers who are constantly
passing through it. My name is Pedro del Rincon,[9] my father is a
person of quality, and a Minister of the Holy Crusade, since he holds
the important charge of a Bulero or Buldero,[10] as the vulgar call it.
I was for some time his assistant in that office, and acquitted myself
so well, that in all things concerning the sale of bulls I could hold my
own with any man, though he had the right to consider himself the most
accomplished in the profession. But one day, having placed my affections
on the money produced by the bulls, rather than on the bulls themselves,
I took a bag of crowns to my arms, and we two departed together for
Madrid.
[9] Peter of the Corner; _rincon_ meaning a corner, or obscure nook.
[10] The Spanish authorities, under the pretext of being at perpetual
war with Infidels, still cause "Bulls of the Crusade," to the possession
of which certain indulgences are attached, to be publicly sold in
obscure villages. The product of these sales was originally expended on
the wars with the Moors, but from the time when Granada fell into the
hands of the Spaniards, it has been divided between the church and
state. The bulls are carried about by hawkers, who are called
"Buleros."--_Viardot_.
"In that city, such are the facilities that offer themselves, I soon
gutted my bag, and left it with as many wrinkles as a bridegroom's
pocket-handkerchief. The person who was charged with the collection of
the money, hastened to track my steps; I was taken, and met with but
scant indulgence; only, in consideration of my youth, their worships the
judges contented themselves with introducing me to the acquaintance of
the whipping-post, to have the flies whisked from my shoulders for a
certain time, and commanding me to abstain from revisiting the Court and
Capital during a period of four years. I took the matter coolly, bent my
shoulders to the operation performed at their command, and made so much
haste to begin my prescribed term of exile, that I had no time to
procure sumpter mules, but contented myself with selecting from my
valuables such as seemed most important and useful.
"I did not fail to include this pack of cards among them,"--here the
speaker exhibited that oviform specimen already mentioned--"and with
these I have gained my bread among the inns and taverns between Madrid
and this place, by playing at Vingt-et-un. It is true they are somewhat
soiled and worn, as your worship sees; but for him who knows how to
handle them, they possess a marvellous virtue, which is, that you never
cut them but you find an ace at the bottom; if your worship then is
acquainted with the game, you will see what an advantage it is to know
for certain that you have an ace to begin with, since you may count it
either for one or eleven; and so you may be pretty sure that when the
stakes are laid at twenty-one, your money will be much disposed to stay
at home.
"In addition to this, I have acquired the knowledge of certain mysteries
regarding Lansquenet and Reversis, from the cook of an ambassador who
shall be nameless,--insomuch that, even as your worship might pass as
master in the cutting of spatterdashes, so could I, too, take my degrees
in the art of flat-catching.
"With all these acquirements, I am tolerably sure of not dying from
hunger, since, even in the most retired farm-house I come to, there is
always some one to be found who will not refuse himself the recreation
of a few moments at cards. We have but to make a trial where we are; let
us spread the net, and it will go hard with us if some bird out of all
the Muleteers standing about do not fall into it. I mean to say, that if
we two begin now to play at Vingt-et-un as though we were in earnest,
some one will probably desire to make a third, and, in that case, he
shall be the man to leave his money behind him."
"With all my heart," replied the younger lad: "and I consider that your
excellency has done me a great favour by communicating to me the history
of your life. You have thereby made it impossible for me to conceal
mine, and I will hasten to relate it as briefly as possible. Here it is,
then:--
"I was born at Pedroso, a village situate between Salamanca and Medina
del Campo. My father is a tailor, as I have said, and taught me his
trade; but from cutting with the scissors I proceeded--my natural
abilities coming in aid--to the cutting of purses. The dull, mean life
of the village, and the unloving conduct of my mother-in-law, were
besides but little to my taste. I quitted my birthplace, therefore,
repaired to Toledo to exercise my art, and succeeded in it to
admiration; for there is not a reliquary suspended to the dress, not a
pocket, however carefully concealed, but my fingers shall probe its
contents, or my scissors snip it off, though the owner were guarded by
the eyes of Argus.
"During four months I spent in Toledo, I was never trapped between two
doors, nor caught in the fact, nor pursued by the runners of justice,
nor blown upon by an informer. It is true that, eight days ago, a double
spy[11] did set forth my distinguished abilities to the Corregidor, and
the latter, taking a fancy to me from his description, desired to make
my acquaintance; but I am a modest youth, and do not wish to frequent
the society of personages so important. Wherefore I took pains to excuse
myself from visiting him, and departed in so much haste, that I, like
yourself, had no time to procure sumpter-mules or small change,--nay, I
could not even find a return-chaise, nor so much as a cart."
[11] An _alguazil_, who, while in the service of justice, is also in
that of the thieves. He betrays them, nevertheless, whenever it suits
his purpose to do so:
"Console yourself for these omissions," replied Pedro del Rincon; "and
since we now know each other, let us drop these grand and stately airs,
and confess frankly that we have not a blessed farthing between us, nor
even shoes to our feet."
"Be it so," returned Diego Cortado, for so the younger boy called
himself. "Be it so; and since our friendship, as your worship Señor
Rincon is pleased to say, is to last our whole lives, let us begin it
with solemn and laudable ceremonies,"--saying which, Diego rose to his
feet, and embraced the Señor Rincon, who returned the compliment with
equal tenderness and emotion.
They then began to play at Vingt-et-un with the cards above described,
which were certainly "free from dust and straw,"[12] as we say, but by
no means free from grease and knavery; and after a few deals, Cortado
could turn up an ace as well as Rincon his master. When things had
attained this point, it chanced that a Muleteer came out at the porch,
and, as Rincon had anticipated, he soon proposed to make a third in
their game.
[12] "Clean from dust and straw"--_limpios de polvo y paja_--is a phrase
equivalent to "free of the king's dues."
To this they willingly agreed, and in less than half an hour they had
won from him twelve reals and twenty-two maravedis, which he felt as
sorely as twelve stabs with a dagger and twenty-two thousand sorrows.
Presuming that the young chaps would not venture to defend themselves,
he thought to get back his money by force; but the two friends laying
hands promptly, the one on his dudgeon dagger and the other on his
yellow handled knife, gave the Muleteer so much to do, that if his
companions had not hastened to assist him, he would have come badly out
of the quarrel.
At that moment there chanced to pass by a company of travellers on
horseback, who were going to make their siesta at the hostelry of the
Alcalde, about half a league farther on. Seeing the affray between the
Muleteer with two boys, they interposed, and offered to take the latter
in their company to Seville, if they were going to that city.
"That is exactly where we desire to go," exclaimed Rincon, "and we will
serve your worships in all that it shall please you to command."
Whereupon, without more ado, they sprang before the mules, and departed
with the travellers, leaving the Muleteer despoiled of his money and
furious with rage, while the hostess was in great admiration of the
finished education and accomplishments of the two rogues, whose dialogue
she had heard from beginning to end, while they were not aware of her
presence.
When the hostess told the Muleteer that she had heard the boys say the
cards they played with were false, the man tore his beard for rage, and
would have followed them to the other Venta, in the hope of recovering
his property; for he declared it to be a serious affront, and a matter
touching his honour, that two boys should have cheated a grown man like
him. But his companions dissuaded him from doing what they declared
would be nothing better than publishing his own folly and incapacity;
and their arguments, although they did not console the Muleteer, were
sufficient to make him remain where he was.
Meanwhile Cortado and Rincon displayed so much zeal and readiness in the
service of the travellers, that the latter gave them a lift behind them
for the greater part of the way. They might many a time have rifled the
portmanteaus of their temporary masters, but did not, lest they should
thereby lose the happy opportunity of seeing Seville, in which city they
greatly desired to exercise their talents. Nevertheless, as they entered
Seville--which they did at the hour of evening prayer, and by the gate
of the custom-house, on account of the dues to be paid, and the trunks
to be examined--Cortado could not refrain from making an examination, on
his own account, of the valise which a Frenchman of the company carried
with him on the croup of his mule. With his yellow-handled weapon,
therefore, he gave it so deep and broad a wound in the side that its
very entrails were exposed to view; and he dexterously drew forth two
good shirts, a sun-dial, and a memorandum book, things that did not
greatly please him when he had leisure to examine them. Thinking that
since the Frenchman carried that valise on his own mule, it must needs
contain matters of more importance than those he had captured, Cortado
would fain have looked further into it, but he abstained, as it was
probable that the deficiency had been already discovered, and the
remaining effects secured. Before performing this feat the friends had
taken leave of those who had fed them on their journey, and the
following day they sold the two shirts in the old clothes' market, which
is held at the gate of the Almacen or arsenal, obtaining twenty reals
for their booty.
Having despatched this business, they went to see the city, and admired
the great magnificence and vast size of its principal church, and the
vast concourse of people on the quays, for it happened to be the season
for loading the fleet. There were also six galleys on the water, at
sight of which the friends could not refrain from sighing, as they
thought the day might come when they should be clapped on board one of
those vessels for the remainder of their lives. They remarked the large
number of basket-boys, porters, &c., who went to and fro about the
ships, and inquired of one among them what sort of a trade it
was--whether it was very laborious--and what were the gains.
An Asturian, of whom they made the inquiry, gave answer to the effect
that the trade was a very pleasant one, since they had no harbour-dues
to pay, and often found themselves at the end of the day with six or
seven reals in their pocket, with which they might eat, drink, and enjoy
themselves like kings. Those of his calling, he said, had no need to
seek a master to whom security must be given, and you could dine when
and where you please, since, in the city of Seville, there is not an
eating-house, however humble, where you will not find all you want at
any hour of the day.
The account given by the Asturian was by no means discouraging to the
two friends, neither did his calling seem amiss to them; nay, rather, it
appeared to be invented for the very purpose of enabling them to
exercise their own profession in secresy and safety, on account of the
facilities it offered for entering houses. They consequently determined
to buy such things as were required for the instant adoption of the new
trade, especially as they could enter upon it without undergoing any
previous scrutiny.