第14章

FormanymonthsweheardnomoreofdeGarciaorofIsabelladeSiguenza。

Bothhadvanishedleavingnosign，andwesearchedfortheminvain。

AsformeIfellbackintomyformerwayoflifeofassistanttoFonseca，posingbeforetheworldashisnephew。

Butitcameaboutthatfromthenightofmyduelwiththemurderer，mymaster’shealthdeclinedsteadilythroughtheactionofawastingdiseaseoftheliverwhichbaffledallskill，sothatwithineightmonthsofthattimehelayalmostbedriddenandatthepointofdeath。

Hismindindeedremainedquiteclear，andonoccasionshewouldevenreceivethosewhocametoconsulthim，recliningonachairandwrappedinhisembroideredrobe。

Butthehandofdeathlayonhim，andheknewthatitwasso。

Astheweekswentbyhegrewmoreandmoreattachedtome，tillatlength，hadIbeenhisson，hecouldnothavetreatedmewithagreateraffection，whileformypartIdidwhatlayinmypowertolessenhissufferings，forhewouldletnootherphysiciannearhim。

Atlengthwhenhehadgrownveryfeebleheexpressedadesiretoseeanotary。

Themanhenamedwassentforandremainedclosetedwithhimforanhourormore，whenheleftforawhiletoreturnwithseveralofhisclerks，whoaccompaniedhimtomymaster’sroom，fromwhichIwasexcluded。

Presentlytheyallwentaway，bearingsomeparchmentswiththem。

ThateveningFonsecasentforme。

Ifoundhimveryweak，butcheerfulandfulloftalk。

’Comehere，nephew，’hesaid，’Ihavehadabusyday。

Ihavebeenbusyallmylifethrough，anditwouldnotbewelltogrowidleatthelast。

DoyouknowwhatIhavebeendoingthisday？’

Ishookmyhead。

’Iwilltellyou。

Ihavebeenmakingmywill——thereissomethingtoleave；notsoverymuch，butstillsomething。’

’Donottalkofwills，’Isaid；’Itrustthatyoumayliveformanyyears。’

Helaughed。

’Youmustthinkbadlyofmycase，nephew，whenyouthinkthatIcanbedeceivedthus。

Iamabouttodieasyouknowwell，andIdonotfeardeath。

Mylifehasbeenprosperousbutnothappy，foritwasblightedinitsspring——nomatterhow。

Thestoryisanoldoneandnotworthtelling；moreover，whicheverwayithadread，ithadallbeenonenowinthehourofdeath。

Wemusttravelourjourneyeachofus；whatdoesitmatteriftheroadhasbeengoodorbadwhenwehavereachedthegoal？

Formypartreligionneithercomfortsnorfrightensmenowatthelast。

Iwillstandorfallupontherecordofmylife。

IhavedoneevilinitandIhavedonegood；theevilIhavedonebecausenatureandtemptationhavebeentoostrongformeattimes，thegoodalsobecausemyheartpromptedmetoit。

Well，itisfinished，andafteralldeathcannotbesoterrible，seeingthateveryhumanbeingisborntoundergoit，togetherwithalllivingthings。

Whateverelseisfalse，Iholdthistobetrue，thatGodexistsandismoremercifulthanthosewhopreachHimwouldhaveustobelieve。’

Andheceasedexhausted。

OftensincethenIhavethoughtofhiswords，andIstillthinkofthemnowthatmyownhourissonear。

AswillbeseenFonsecawasafatalist，abeliefwhichIdonotaltogethershare，holdingasI

dothatwithincertainlimitsweareallowedtoshapeourowncharactersanddestinies。

ButhislastsayingsIbelievetobetrue。

Godisandismerciful，anddeathisnotterribleeitherinitsactorinitsconsequence。

PresentlyFonsecaspokeagain。

’Whydoyouleadmetotalkofsuchthings？

TheywearymeandIhavelittletime。

Iwastellingofmywill。

Nephew，listen。

ExceptcertainsumsthatIhavegiventobespentincharities——notinmasses，mindyou——IhaveleftyouallI

possess。’

’YouhaveleftittoME！’Isaidastonished。

’Yes，nephew，toyou。

Whynot？

IhavenorelationslivingandI

havelearnedtoloveyou，IwhothoughtthatIcouldnevercareagainforanymanorwomanorchild。

Iamgratefultoyou，whohaveprovedtomethatmyheartisnotdead，takewhatIgiveyouasamarkofmygratitude。’

NowIbegantostammermythanks，buthestoppedme。

’Thesumthatyouwillinherit，nephew，amountsinalltoaboutfivethousandgoldpesos，orperhapstwelvethousandofyourEnglishpounds，enoughforayoungmantobeginlifeon，evenwithawife。

IndeedthereinEnglanditmaywellbeheldagreatfortune，andIthinkthatyourbetrothed’sfatherwillmakenomoreobjectiontoyouasason-in-law。

Alsothereisthishouseandallthatitcontains；

thelibraryandthesilverarevaluable，andyouwilldowelltokeepthem。

Allislefttoyouwiththefullestformality，sothatnoquestioncanariseastoyourrighttotakeit；indeed，foreseeingmyend，Ihaveoflatecalledinmymoneys，andforthemostpartthegoldliesinstrongboxesinthesecretcupboardinthewallyonderthatyouknowof。

ItwouldhavebeenmorehadI

knownyousomeyearsago，forthen，thinkingthatIgrewtoorichwhowaswithoutanheir，Igaveawayasmuchaswhatremainsinactsofmercyandinprovidingrefugeforthehomelessandthesuffering。

ThomasWingfield，forthemostpartthismoneyhascometomeasthefruitofhumanfollyandhumanwretchedness，frailtyandsin。

Useitforthepurposesofwisdomandtheadvancingofrightandliberty。

Mayitprosperyou，andremindyouofme，youroldmaster，theSpanishquack，tillatlastyoupassitontoyourchildrenorthepoor。

Andnowonewordmore。

Ifyourconsciencewillletyou，abandonthepursuitofdeGarcia。

TakeyourfortuneandgowithittoEngland；wedthatmaidwhomyoudesire，andfollowafterhappinessinwhateverwayseemsbesttoyou。

WhoareyouthatyoushouldmeetoutvengeanceonthisknavedeGarcia？

Lethimbe，andhewillavengehimselfuponhimself。

Otherwiseyoumayundergomuchtoilanddanger，andintheendloselove，andlife，andfortuneatablow。’

’ButIhavesworntokillhim，’Ianswered，’andhowcanIbreaksosolemnanoath？

HowcouldIsitathomeinpeacebeneaththeburdenofsuchshame？’

’Idonotknow；itisnotformetojudge。

Youmustdoasyouwish，butinthedoingofit，itmayhappenthatyouwillfallintogreatershamesthanthis。

Youhavefoughtthemanandhehasescapedyou。

Lethimgoifyouarewise。

Nowbenddownandkissme，andbidmefarewell。

Idonotdesirethatyoushouldseemedie，andmydeathisnear。

IcannottellifweshallmeetagainwheninyourturnyouhavelainasIlienow，orifweshapeourcoursefordifferentstars。

Ifso，farewellforever。’

ThenIleantdownandkissedhimontheforehead，andasIdidsoI

wept，fornottillthishourdidIlearnhowtrulyIhadcometolovehim，sotrulythatitseemedtomeasthoughmyfatherlaytheredying。

’Weepnot，’hesaid，’forallourlifeisbutaparting。

OnceI

hadasonlikeyou，andourswasthebitterestoffarewells。

NowI

gotoseekforhimagainwhocouldnotcomebacktome，soweepnotbecauseIdie。

Good-bye，ThomasWingfield。

MayGodprosperandprotectyou！

Nowgo！’

SoIwentweeping，andthatnight，beforethedawn，allwasoverwithAndresdeFonseca。

Theytoldmethathewasconscioustotheendanddiedmurmuringthenameofthatsonofwhomhespokeinhislastwordstome。

Whatwasthehistoryofthisson，orofFonsecahimself，Ineverlearned，forlikeanIndianhehidhistrailasstepbystephewandereddownthepathoflife。

Heneverspokeofhispast，andinallthebooksanddocumentsthatheleftbehindhimthereisnoallusiontoit。

Once，someyearsago，IreadthroughtheciphervolumesofrecordsthatIhavespokenof，andofwhichhegavemethekeybeforehedied。

TheystandbeforemeontheshelfasI

write，andinthemaremanyhistoriesofshame，sorrow，andevil，offaithdeludedandinnocencebetrayed，ofthecrueltyofpriests，ofavaricetriumphantoverlove，andoflovetriumphantoverdeath——

enough，indeed，tofurnishhalfahundredoftrueromances。

Butamongthesechroniclesofagenerationnowpastandforgotten，thereisnomentionofFonseca’sownnameandnohintofhisownstory。

Itislostforever，andperhapsthisiswell。

Sodiedmybenefactorandbestfriend。

WhenhewasmadereadyforburialIwentintoseehimandhelookedcalmandbeautifulinhisdeathsleep。

Thenitwasthatshewhohadarrayedhimforthegravehandedtometwoportraitsmostdelicatelypaintedonivoryandsetingold，whichhadbeenfoundabouthisneck。

Ihavethemyet。

Oneisoftheheadofaladywithasweetandwistfulcountenance，andtheotherthefaceofadeadyouthalsobeautiful，butverysad。

Doubtlesstheyweremotherandson，butIknownomoreaboutthem。

OnthemorrowIburiedAndresdeFonseca，butwithnopomp，forhehadsaidthathewishedaslittlemoneyaspossiblespentuponhisdeadbody，andreturnedtothehousetomeetthenotaries。

ThenthesealswerebrokenandtheparchmentsreadandIwasputinfullpossessionofthedeadman’swealth，andhavingdeductedsuchsumsaswerepayablefordues，legacies，andfees，thenotariesleftmebowinghumbly，forwasInotrich？

Yes，Iwasrich，wealthhadcometomewithouteffort，andIhadreasontodesireit，yetthiswasthesaddestnightthatIhadpassedsinceIsetfootinSpain，formymindwasfilledwithdoubtsandsorrow，andmoreovermylonelinessgotaholdofme。

Butsadasitmightbe，itwasdestinedtoseemyetmoresorrowfulbeforethemorning。

ForasI

satmakingpretencetoeat，aservantcametomesayingthatawomanwaitedintheouterroomwhohadaskedtoseehislatemaster。

GuessingthatthiswassomeclientwhohadnotheardofFonseca’sdeathIwasabouttoorderthatsheshouldbedismissed，thenbethoughtmethatImightbeofservicetoherorattheleastforgetsomeofmyowntroubleinlisteningtohers。

SoIbadehimbringherin。

Presentlyshecame，atallwomanwrappedinadarkcloakthathidherface。

Ibowedandmotionedtohertobeseated，whensuddenlyshestartedandspoke。

’IaskedtoseeDonAndresdeFonseca，’shesaidinalowquickvoice。

’Youarenothe，senor。’

’AndresdeFonsecawasburiedto-day，’Ianswered。

’Iwashisassistantinhisbusinessandamhisheir。

IfIcanserveyouinanywayIamatyourdisposal。’

’Youareyoung——veryyoung，’shemurmuredconfusedly，’andthematteristerribleandurgent。

HowcanItrustyou？’

’Itisforyoutojudge，senora。’

Shethoughtawhile，thendrewoffhercloak，displayingtherobesofanun。

’Listen，’shesaid。

’Imustdomanyapenanceforthisnight’swork，andveryhardlyhaveIwonleavetocomehitheruponanerrandofmercy。

NowIcannotgobackempty-handed，soImusttrustyou。

ButfirstswearbythineblessedMotherofGodthatyouwillnotbetrayme。’

’Igiveyoumyword，’Ianswered；’ifthatisnotenough，letusendthistalk。’

’Donotbeangrywithme，’shepleaded；’IhavenotleftmyconventwallsformanyyearsandIamdistraughtwithgrief。

Iseekapoisonofthedeadliest。

Iwillpaywellforit。’

’Iamnotthetoolofmurderers，’Ianswered。

’Forwhatpurposedoyouwishthepoison？’

’Oh！Imusttellyou——yethowcanI？

Inourconventtherediesto-

nightawomanyoungandfair，almostagirlindeed，whohasbrokenthevowsshetook。

Shediesto-nightwithherbabe——thus，ohGod，thus！bybeingbuiltaliveintothefoundationsofthehouseshehasdisgraced。

Itisthejudgmentthathasbeenpasseduponher，judgmentwithoutforgivenessorreprieve。

Iamtheabbessofthisconvent——asknotitsnameormine——andIlovethissinnerasthoughsheweremydaughter。