第12章

ItmaybethoughtthatwhileIwasemployedthusIhadforgottentheobjectofmycomingtoSpain，namelytoavengemymother’smurderonthepersonofJuandeGarcia。

Butthiswasnotso。

SosoonasIwassettledinthehouseofAndresdeFonsecaIsetmyselftomakeinquiriesastodeGarcia’swhereaboutswithallpossiblediligence，butwithoutresult。

Indeed，whenIcametoconsiderthemattercoollyitseemedthatI

hadbutaslenderchanceoffindinghiminthiscity。

Hehad，indeed，givenitoutinYarmouththathewasboundforSeville，butnoshipbearingthesamenameashishadputinatCadizorsaileduptheGuadalquivir，norwasitlikely，havingcommittedmurderinEngland，thathewouldspeakthetruthastohisdestination。

StillIsearchedon。

Thehousewheremymotherandgrandmotherhadlivedwasburneddown，andastheirmodeoflifehadbeenretired，aftermorethantwentyyearsofchangefewevenrememberedtheirexistence。

IndeedIonlydiscoveredone，anoldwomanwhomIfoundlivinginextremepoverty，andwhooncehadbeenmygrandmother’sservantandknewmymotherwell，althoughshewasnotinthehouseatthetimeofherflighttoEngland。

FromthiswomanIgatheredsomeinformation，though，needlesstosay，IdidnottellherthatIwasthegrandsonofheroldmistress。

ItseemedthataftermymotherfledtoEnglandwithmyfather，deGarciapersecutedmygrandmotherandhisauntwithlawsuitsandbyothermeans，tillatlastshewasreducedtobeggary，inwhichconditionthevillainlefthertodie。

Sopoorwassheindeed，thatshewasburiedinapublicgrave。

Afterthattheoldwoman，myinformant，saidshehadheardthatdeGarciahadcommittedsomecrimeandbeenforcedtofleethecountry。

Whatthecrimewasshecouldnotremember，butithadhappenedaboutfifteenyearsago。

AllthisIlearnedwhenIhadbeenaboutthreemonthsinSeville，andthoughitwasofinterestitdidnotadvancemeinmysearch。

Somefourorfivenightsafterwards，asIenteredmyemployer’shouseImetayoungwomancomingoutofthedoorwayofthepatio；

shewasthicklyveiledandmynoticewasdrawntoherbyhertallandbeautifulfigureandbecauseshewasweepingsoviolentlythatherbodyshookwithhersobs。

Iwasalreadywellaccustomedtosuchsights，formanyofthosewhosoughtmymaster’scounselhadgoodcausetoweep，andIpassedherwithoutremark。

ButwhenI

wascomeintotheroomwherehereceivedhispatients，ImentionedthatIhadmetsuchapersonandaskedifitwasanyonewhomI

knew。

’Ah！nephew，’saidFonseca，whoalwayscalledmethusbynow，andindeedbegantotreatmewithasmuchaffectionasthoughIwerereallyofhisblood，’asadcase，butyoudonotknowherandsheisnopayingpatient。

Apoorgirlofnoblebirthwhohadenteredreligionandtakenhervows，whenagallantappears，meetshersecretlyintheconventgarden，promisestomarryherifshewillflywithhim，indeeddoesgothroughsomemummeryofmarriagewithher——soshesays——andtherestofit。

Nowhehasdesertedherandsheisintrouble，andwhatismore，shouldthepriestscatchher，likelytolearnwhatitfeelsliketodiebyinchesinaconventwall。

Shecametomeforcounselandbroughtsomesilverornamentsasthefee。

Heretheyare。’

’Youtookthem！’

’Yes，Itookthem——Ialwaystakeafee，butIgaveherbacktheirweightingold。

Whatismore，Itoldherwhereshemighthidefromtheprieststillthehuntisdonewith。

WhatIdidnotliketotellheristhatherloveristhegreatestvillainwhoevertrodthestreetsofSeville。

Whatwasthegood？

Shewillseelittlemoreofhim。

Hist！herecomestheduchess——anastrologicalcasethis。

Wherearethehoroscopeandthewand，yes，andthecrystalball？

There，shadethelamps，givemethebook，andvanish。’

Iobeyed，andpresentlymetthegreatlady，astoutwomanattendedbyaduenna，glidingfearfullythroughthedarkenedarchwaystolearntheanswerofthestarsandpaymanygoodpesosforit，andthesightofhermademelaughsomuchthatIforgotquicklyabouttheotherladyandherwoes。

AndnowImusttellhowImetmycousinandmyenemydeGarciaforthesecondtime。

TwodaysaftermymeetingwiththeveiledladyitchancedthatIwaswanderingtowardsmidnightthroughalonelypartoftheoldcitylittlefrequentedbypassers-by。

Itwasscarcelysafetobethusaloneinsuchaplaceandhour，butthebusinesswithwhichIhadbeenchargedbymymasterwasonethatmustbecarriedoutunattended。

AlsoIhadnoenemieswhomIknewof，andwasarmedwiththeveryswordthatIhadtakenfromdeGarciainthelaneatDitchingham，theswordthathadslainmymother，andwhichIboreinthehopethatitmightservetoavengeher。

IntheuseofthisweaponIhadgrownexpertenoughbynow，foreverymorningItooklessonsintheartoffence。

MybusinessbeingdoneIwaswalkingslowlyhomeward，andasIwentIfelltothinkingofthestrangenessofmypresentlifeandofhowfaritdifferedfrommyboyhoodinthevalleyoftheWaveney，andofmanyotherthings。

AndthenIthoughtofLilyandwonderedhowherdayspassed，andifmybrotherGeoffreypersecutedhertomarryhim，andwhetherornoshewouldresisthisimportunitiesandherfather’s。

AndsoasIwalkedmusingIcametoawater-gatethatopenedontotheGuadalquivir，andleaninguponthecopingofalowwallIrestedthereidlytoconsiderthebeautyofthenight。

Intruthitwasalovely，night，foracrossalltheseyearsIrememberit。

LetthosewhohaveseenitsayiftheyknowanyprospectmorebeautifulthanthesightoftheAugustmoonshiningonthebroadwatersoftheGuadalquivirandtheclusteringhabitationsoftheancientcity。

NowasIleaneduponthewallandlooked，Isawamanpassupthestepsbesidemeandgoonintotheshadowofthestreet。

ItooknonoteofhimtillpresentlyIheardamurmurofdistantvoices，andturningmyheadIdiscoveredthatthemanwasinconversationwithawomanwhomhehadmetattheheadofthepaththatrandowntothewater-gate。

Doubtlessitwasalovers’meeting，andsincesuchsightsareofinteresttoall，andmoreespeciallytotheyoung，I

watchedthepair。

SoonIlearnedthattherewaslittleoftendernessinthistryst，atleastonthepartofthegallant，whodrewcontinuallybackwardstowardmeasthoughhewouldseektheboatbywhichdoubtlesshehadcome，andImarvelledatthis，forthemoonlightshoneuponthewoman’sface，andevenatthatdistanceIcouldseethatitwasveryfair。

Theman’sfaceIcouldnotseehowever，sincehisbackwastowardsmeforthemostpart，moreoverheworealargesombrerothatshadedit。

Nowtheycamenearertome，themanalwaysdrawingbackwardandthewomanalwaysfollowing，tillatlengththeywerewithinearshot。

Thewomanwaspleadingwiththeman。

’Surelyyouwillnotdesertme，’shesaid，’aftermarryingmeandallthatyouhavesworn；youwillnothavethehearttodesertme。

Iabandonedeverythingforyou。

Iamingreatdanger。

I——’andherehervoicefellsothatIcouldnotcatchherwords。

Thenhespoke。

’Fairest，nowasalwaysIadoreyou。

Butwemustpartawhile。

Youowememuch，Isabella。

Ihaverescuedyoufromthegrave，Ihavetaughtyouwhatitistoliveandlove。

Doubtlesswithyouradvantagesandcharms，yourgreatcharms，youwillprofitbythelesson。

MoneyIcannotgiveyou，forIhavenonetospare，butIhaveendowedyouwithexperiencethatismorevaluablebyfar。

ThisisourfarewellforawhileandIambrokenhearted。

Yet

“’NeathfairerskiesShineothereyes，“

andI——’andagainhespokesolowthatIcouldnotcatchhiswords。

Ashetalkedon，allmybodybegantotremble。

Thescenewasmovingindeed，butitwasnotthatwhichstirredmesodeeply，itwastheman’svoiceandbearingthatremindedme——no，itcouldscarcelybe！

’Oh！youwillnotbesocruel，’saidthelady，’toleaveme，yourwife，thusaloneandinsuchsoretroubleanddanger。

Takemewithyou，Juan，Ibeseechyou！’andshecaughthimbythearmandclungtohim。

Heshookherfromhimsomewhatroughly，andashedidsohiswidehatfelltothegroundsothatthemoonlightshoneuponhisface。

ByHeaven！itwashe——JuandeGarciaandnoother！

Icouldnotbemistaken。

Therewasthedeeplycarved，cruelface，thehighforeheadwiththescaronit，thethinsneeringmouth，thepeakedbeardandcurlinghair。

Chancehadgivenhimintomyhand，andI

wouldkillhimorheshouldkillme。

Itookthreepacesandstoodbeforehim，drawingmyswordasI

came。

’What，mydove，haveyouabullyathand？’hesaidsteppingbackastonished。

’Yourbusiness，senor？

Areyouheretochampionbeautyindistress？’

’Iamhere，JuandeGarcia，toavengeamurderedwoman。

DoyourememberacertainriverbankawayinEngland，whereyouchancedtomeetaladyyouhadknown，andtoleaveherdead？

Orifyouhaveforgotten，perhapsatleastyouwillrememberthis，whichIcarrythatitmaykillyou，’andIflashedtheswordthathadbeenhisbeforehiseyes。

’MotherofGod！

ItistheEnglishboywho——’andhestopped。

’ItisThomasWingfieldwhobeatandboundyou，andwhonowpurposestofinishwhathebeganyonderashehassworn。

Draw，or，JuandeGarcia，Iwillstabyouwhereyoustand。’

DeGarciaheardthisspeech，thatto-dayseemstometosmackofthetheatre，thoughitwasspokeningrimmestearnest，andhisfacegrewlikethefaceofatrappedwolf。

YetIsawthathehadnomindtofight，notbecauseofcowardice，fortodohimjusticehewasnocoward，butbecauseofsuperstition。

Hefearedtofightwithmesince，asIlearnedafterwards，hebelievedthathewouldmeethisendatmyhand，anditwasforthisreasonchieflythathestrovetokillmewhenfirstwemet。

’Theduellohasitslaws，senor，’hesaidcourteously。

’Itisnotusualtofightthusunsecondedandinthepresenceofawoman。

Ifyoubelievethatyouhaveanygrievanceagainstme——thoughIknownotofwhatyourave，orthenamebywhichyoucallme——Iwillmeetyouwhereandwhenyouwill。’

Andallthewhilehelookedoverhisshoulderseekingsomewayofescape。

’Youwillmeetmenow，’Ianswered。

’DraworIstrike！’

Thenhedrew，andwefelltoitdesperatelyenough，tillthesparksflew，indeed，andtherattleofsteeluponsteelrangdownthequietstreet。

Atfirsthehadsomewhatthebetterofme，formyhatemademewildinmyplay，butsoonIsettledtotheworkandgrewcooler。

Imeanttokillhim——more，IknewthatIshouldkillhimifnonecamebetweenus。

HewasstillabetterswordsmanthanI，who，tillIfoughtwithhiminthelaneatDitchingham，hadneverevenseenoneoftheseSpanishrapiers，butIhadtheyouthandtherightonmyside，asalsoIhadaneyelikeahawk’sandawristofsteel。

SlowlyIpressedhimback，andevermyplaygrewcloserandbetterandhisbecamewilder。

NowIhadtouchedhimtwice，onceintheface，andIheldhimwithhisbackagainstthewallofthewaythatleddowntothewater-gate，andithadcometothis，thathescarcelystrovetothrustatmeatall，butstoodonhisdefencewaitingtillIshouldtire。

Then，whenvictorywasinmyhanddisasterovertookme，forthewoman，whohadbeenwatchingbewildered，sawthatherfaithlessloverwasindangerofdeathandstraightwayseizedmefrombehind，atthesametimesendingupshriekaftershriekforhelp。

Ishookherfrommequicklyenough，butnotbeforedeGarcia，seeinghisadvantage，haddealtmeacoward’sthrustthattookmeintherightshoulderandhalfcrippledme，sothatinmyturnImuststandonmydefenceifI

wouldkeepmylifeinme。

Meanwhiletheshriekshadbeenheard，andofasuddenthewatchcamerunningroundthecornerwhistlingforhelp。

DeGarciasawthem，anddisengagingsuddenly，turnedandranforthewater-gate，theladyalsovanishing，whitherIdonotknow。

Nowthewatchwasonme，andtheirleadercameatmetoseizeme，holdingalanterninhishand。

Istruckitwiththehandleofthesword，sothatitfellupontheroadway，whereitblazeduplikeabonfire。