A NOVEL WAGER.
Three days afterward Carmen, apprised by his wife of my arrival, returned
to Caracas, and I became their guest, greatly to my satisfaction, for the
duel with Griscelli, besides making me temporarily famous, had brought me
so many friends and invitations that I knew not how to dispose of them.
In discussing the incident with Salvador, I expressed surprise that
Griscelli should have dared to return to a country where he had committed
so many cruelties and made so many enemies.
"He left Venezuela the year after you disappeared, and much is forgotten
in ten years," was the answer. "All the same, I don't suppose he would
have come back if Olivarez--the last president and a Yellow--had not made
it known that he would bestow commissions on Spanish officers of
distinction and give them commands in the national army. It was a most
absurd proceeding. But we shot Olivarez three months ago, and I will see
that these Spanish interlopers are sent out of the country forthwith, that
young spark who threatens to murder you, included."
"Let him stay if he likes. I doubt whether he meant what he said."
"I have no doubt of it, whatever, _amigo mio_, and he shall go. If he
stayed in the country I could not answer for your safety; and if you come
across any of the Griscellis in Europe, take my advice and be as watchful
as if you were crossing a river infested with _caribe_ fish."
Carmen was much discouraged by the state of the republic, as well he might
be. By turning out the Spaniards the former colonies had merely exchanged
despotism for anarchy; instead of being beaten with whips they were beaten
with scorpions. But though discouraged Carmen was not dismayed. He
belonged to the Blues, who being in power, regarded their opponents, the
Yellows, as rebels; and he was confident that the triumph of his party
would insure the tranquillity of the country. As he was careful to explain
to me, he was a Blue because he was a patriot, and he pressed me so warmly
to return with him to La Victoria, accept a command in his army, and aid
in the suppression of the insurrection, that I ended by consenting.
At Carmen's instance, the president gave me the command of a brigade, and
would have raised me to the rank of general. But when I found that there
were about three generals for every colonel I chose the nominally inferior
but actually more distinguished grade.
I remained in Venezuela two years, campaigning nearly all the time. But it
was an ignoble warfare, cruel and ruthless, and had I not given my word to
Carmen, to stand by him until the country was pacified, I should have
resigned my commission much sooner than I did. Ramon, who acted as one of
my orderlies, bore himself bravely and was several times wounded.
In the meanwhile I received several communications from Van Voorst, and
made two visits to Curaçoa. The cutting and disposal of my diamonds being
naturally rather a long business, it was nearly two years after I had
shipped them to Holland before I learned the result of my venture.
After all expenses were paid they brought me nearly three hundred thousand
pounds, which account Goldberg, Van Voorst & Company "held at my
disposal."
It was to arrange and advise with the Amsterdam people, as to the
investment of this great fortune, that I went to Europe. But I did not
depart until my promise was fulfilled. I left Venezuela pacified--from
exhaustion--and Carmen in somewhat better spirits than I had found him.
His last words were a warning, which I have had frequent occasion to
remember: "Beware of the Griscellis."
I sailed from Curaçoa (Ramon, of course, accompanying me), in a Dutch
ship, bound for Rotterdam, whither I arrived in due course, and proceeding
thence to Amsterdam, introduced myself to Goldberg, Van Voorst & Company.
They were a weighty and respectable firm in every sense of the term, and
received me with a ponderous gravity befitting the occasion.
Though extremely courteous in their old-fashioned way, they neither wasted
words nor asked unnecessary questions. But they made me a momentous
proposal--no less than to become their partner. They had an ample capital
for their original trade of diamond merchants; but having recently become
contractors for government loans, they had opportunities of turning my
fortune to much better account than investing it in ordinary securities.
Goldberg & Company did not make it a condition that I should take an
active part in the business--that would be just as I pleased. After being
fully enlightened as to the nature of their transactions, and looking at
their latest balance-sheets, I closed with the offer, and I have never had
occasion to regret my decision. We opened branch houses in London and
Paris; the firm is now one of the largest of its kind in Europe; we reckon
our capital by millions, and, as I have lived long, and had no children to
provide for, the amount standing to my credit exceeds that of all the
other partners put together, and yields me a princely income.
But I could not settle down to the monotonous career of a merchant, and
though I have always taken an interest in the business of the house, and
on several important occasions acted as its special agent in the greater
capitals, my life since that time--a period of nearly fifty years--has
been spent mainly in foreign travel and scientific study. I have revisited
South America and recrossed the Andes, ridden on horseback from Vera Cruz
to San Francisco, and from San Francisco to the headwaters of the
Mississippi and the Missouri. I served in the war between Belgium and
Holland, went through the Mexican campaign of 1846, fought with Sam
Houston at the battle of San Jacinto, and was present, as a spectator, at
the fall of Sebastopol and the capture of Delhi. In the course of my
wanderings I have encountered many moving accidents by flood and field.
Once I was captured by Greek brigands, after a desperate fight, in which
both Ramon and myself were wounded, and had to pay four thousand pounds
for my ransom. For the last twenty years, however, I have avoided serious
risks, done no avoidable fighting, and travelled only in beaten tracks;
and, unless I am killed by one of the Griscelli, I dare say I shall live
twenty years longer.
While studying therapeutics and pathology under Professor Giessler, of
Zurich, shortly after my return to Europe, I took up the subject of
longevity, as to which Giessler had collected much curious information,
and formed certain theories, one being that people of sound constitution
and strong vitality, with no hereditary predisposition to disease may, by
observing a correct regimen, easily live to be a hundred, preserving until
that age their faculties virtually intact--in other words, only begin to
be old at a hundred. So far I agree with him, but as to what constituted a
"correct regimen" we differed. He held that the life most conducive to
length of years was that of the scholar--his own, in fact--regular,
uneventful, reflective, and sedentary. I, on the other hand, thought that
the man who passed much of his time in the open air, moving about and
using his limbs, would live the longer--other things being equal, and
assuming that both observed the accepted rules of health.
The result of our discussion was a friendly wager. "You try your way; I
will try mine," said Giessler, "and we will see who lives the longer--at
any rate, the survivor will. The survivor must also publish an account of
his system, _pour encourageur les autres_."
As we were of the same age, equally sound in constitution and strong in
physique, and not greatly dissimilar in temperament, I accepted the
challenge. The competition is still going on. Every New Year's day we
write each other a letter, always in the same words, which both answers
and asks the same questions: "Still alive?" If either fails to receive his
letter at the specified time, he will presume that the other is _hors de
combat_, if not dead, and make further inquiry. But I think I shall win.
Three years ago I met Giessler at the meeting of the British Association,
and, though he denied it, he was palpably aging. His shoulders were bent,
his hearing and eye-sight failing, and the _area senilis_ was very
strongly marked, while I--am what you see.
I have, however, had an advantage over the professor, which it is only
fair to mention. In my wanderings I have always taken occasion, when
opportunity offered, to observe the habits of tribes who are remarkable
for longevity. None are more remarkable in this respect than the
Callavayas of the Andes, and I satisfied myself that they do really live
long, though perhaps not so long as some of them say. Now, these people
are herbalists, and when they reach middle age make a practice of drinking
a decoction which, as they believe, has the power of prolonging life. I
brought with me to Europe specimens and seeds of the plant (peculiar to
the region) from which the simple is distilled, analyzed the one and
cultivated the other. The conclusion at which I arrived was, that the
plant in question did actually possess the property of retarding that
softening of the arteries which more than anything else causes the
decrepitude of old age. It contains a peculiar alkaloid of which, for
thirty years past, I had taken (in solution) a much-diluted dose almost
daily. You see the result. I also give Ramon an occasional dose, and he is
the most vigorous man of his years I know. I sent some to Giessler, but he
said it was an empirical remedy, and declined to take it. He preferred
electric baths. I take my electric baths by horseback exercise, and riding
to hounds.
Yes, I believe I shall finish my century--without becoming senile either
in body or mind--if I can escape the Griscelli. I was in hopes that I had
escaped them by coming here; but I never stay long in Europe that they
don't sooner or later find me out. I think I shall have to spend the
remainder of my life in America or the East. The consciousness of being
continually hunted, that at any moment I may be confronted with a murderer
and perchance be murdered, is too trying for a man of my age. To tell the
truth, I am beginning to feel that I have nerves; though my elixir delays
death, it does not insure perpetual youth; and propitiating these people
is out of the question--I have tried it.
Three years after my return from Venezuela, Guiseppe, son of the man whom
I killed at Caracas, tried to kill me at Amsterdam, fired at me
point-blank with a duelling pistol, and so nearly succeeded that the
bullet grazed my cheek and cut a piece out of my ear. Yet I not only
pardoned him, but bribed the police to let him go, and gave him money.
Well, seven years later he repeated the attempt at Naples, waylaid me at
night and attacked me with a dagger, but I also happened to be armed, and
Guiseppi Griscelli died.
At Paris, too--indeed, while the empire lasted--I found it expedient to
shun France altogether. At that time Corsicans were greatly in favor;
several members of the Griscelli family belonged to the secret police and
had great influence, and as I never took an _alias_ and my name is not
common, I was tracked like a criminal. Once I had to leave Paris by
stealth at dead of night; another time I saved my life by simulating
death. But why recount all the attempts on my life? Another time, perhaps.
The subject is not a pleasant one, but this I will say: I never spared a
Griscelli that I had not cause to regret my clemency. The last I spared
was the young man who tried to murder me down in the wood there; and if he
does not repay my forbearance by repeating the attempt, he will be false
to the traditions of his race.