ll gone. Villain!" cried she, pluning on the pedlar, give up my money, or I will have you thrown in o the Inquisition; you shall be broild, bastinadoed, and bedeviled for a on of a Jew and a thief as you are." n her rage she tried to pull the hood ff his head; which he resisted in art, and made his way to the door, owing, and protesting his innocence ll the time." I beg of you, fairest f Duennas," said he, 66 not to take way my character, which is taking way my livelihood. As a proof that did not commit this offence, I am eady to give you credit to any amount. Vill your Ladyship please to accept of his velvet tiara? It becomes a fair omplexion, which your Ladyship as." The Duenna took the tiara with gracious look, and ran back to shew to her mistress. But the Donna osanna had some thoughts passing rough her mind that had nothing to o with velvet tiaras, and she asked e pedlar whether he had any relaons in Granada. He answered, that e had chiefly lived in Navarre, but ad travelled with his merchandize om time to time along the coast, com Cadiz to Barcelona." It is very well,” said she, and then, with a deep gh, covered her face with her veil, ad leaned upon the table. The Duna gave her some smelling salts, and ied to raise her head, but she contiued sighing. "What is life but a ream," escaped her lips." He waits be paid," said the Duenna," and aints preserve me if I have a real."My Lady Duenna,” said the pedlar, it is not my custom to be hard with dies so handsome as you and your istress; let me have any token, any ng you can spare, merely as a mark four bargain, and I will give you a month's time."-" That will do,' id she; "I took you for a Jew, I onfess, but you have the proper repect for a lady's word." She then ook off her ring and gave it to him. And your lady's too," said he She must not be disturbed now," id the Duenna. But her lady silently ok off the ring, and gave it to him, ithout uttering a word. ith The pedlar put his knee to the round, and kissed the ring, and then, many low bows quitted the room. he Duenna still stood with one hand olding her lady's forehead, and with VOL. XI. the salts close to her in the other. "Did he say nothing at going away?" said the lady, after a silence of some minutes. "No, my lady, but he took' leave as gallantly as ever Don Quixote did; and though he did not like to show his face, probably because it is as brown as mahogany, I begin to doubt that he is a Jew. I wish I had my purse, however, with my three duros, my-""You shall have ten in place of them," said the Donna, rather impatiently, "but now help me to my chamber, for I am wondrous weary." And so she was, for before she had gone three steps, she sat down on a couch at the window, and laying her cheek on some vine leaves, that grew into the open casement, seemed to fall into a heavy slumber, It was the afternoon of the next day when the old Walloon came to inquire whether it was his lady's wish to see any of the tricks of a scholar of the renowned Abuelo, who had stopped at the gate on his way from Granada. "If he comes from Granada, Heaven be praised, said she, "for it is my own country; and I love every branch on its trees." Soon after, the sounds of a pipe and tabor were heard in the servants' hall. "Those will be grand tidings in Valencia," said the Duenna; Will not my lady consider the matter ?" "I will" consider nothing," replied the Donna, "I am strangely unhappy." "Had not my lady better send for the priest, and confess ?"-" Can solitude confess?" returned the lady in a deep tone; and then, as if speaking to the clouds that lay like gold piled upon the sky, "What can anguish confess? can the weary life, and the willing death confess? Duenna, there is a load upon my heart, that is sinking me into the grave." And with the word she sank upon her knee, her strength seemed suddenly melted, and with her forehead on her lifted hands, she prayed aloud to the Virgin. Suddenly there came bursts of merriment to the door, and she had scarcely time to throw herself into the great chair, and cover her face with her veil, when the mountebank marched in with the Gitana, who carried his conjuring boxes and other implements. The Duenna kept guard on one side of the chair, and the Walloon on the other, for conjurors are at best but of doubtful honesty; 3 F and all his tricks would not have plied by a sign of affirmation. "Well been worth the repeater at her bosom, then, let me hear a Granadian song. or the pearls in her hair. The con- But let the Gitana sing alone. I have juror was very clever, and made cups heard enough of the rebeck." The and balls, cards and glasses, dance about girl gave an arch look at the conjuror, in a very surprising manner. As the and tried to restrain her laughing, as servants were in the passage, crowding he, evidently chagrined, slowly put up round the open door, there was no- the rebeck in its case. But the lady thing to be seen among them but eyes ordered him a durb, and he seemed and hands turned up every moment, not a little pleased with his mortifica with now and then a sharp look for tion. "What will your illustrious the cloven feet, but the conjuror wore ladyship choose," said the Gitana. huge horseman's boots, which kept "Will you have the loves of Maria them as much in the dark as ever. de Fonseca and, the noble cavalier At length, after he had devoured se- Delpinos, or the fair Moresco's escape veral yards of fire, and poured out ribbons to suit every face in Spain, he called the Gitana, and bade her sing a ballad. She was a tall, dark complexioned girl, with a handsome countenance, a crimson cheek, and an eye that, when she began to sing, sparkled like polished jet. The conjuror tuned his rebeck, and the Gitana sang two or three pretty seguidillas, chiefly in praise of Valencia, at every one of which the servants applauded loudly, but the Duenna, as became her station, only bowed. "Duenna," said the lady Rosanna feebly," that girl sings well, but I am not so much charmed with her subject as you seem to be. Did you not tell me they knew some thing of Granada?" The Duenna re " 66 from her cruel father, or the song of The girl took out a small theorbo, and throwing back the thick hair from her forehead, and fixing her eyes on the western sun as it shone through the trellis, sang, in a sweet, deep voice, the following stanzas: Lady, if you love to hear Tales of lofty chivalry, Roselike, always born with May, Twilight on the west was sleeping, Rank o'er rank the dames of Spain. Soon the tapestried kettle-drums Through the distant square were pealing, Soon was seen the toss of plumes First they gallop where the screen To the bowing ladies there... Hark! the trumpet long and loud, Each dismounting from his barb; And the Moorman's turban torn. Closes then the tournament, And the noble squadrons four, Proudly to the banquet-tent, March by Turia's flowery shore. Lovely as the evening sky, Ere the golden sun is down, "I protest," said the Duenna," it 5 a very pretty tune, and I have heard worse voice." "Tell the Gitana to come near me, and the servants to close the door," said the Donna in an under tone. The girl came near, with her eyes cast on the ground. "Where did you learn that song, Gitana?" said the lady; "I have a great wish to know the name of the composer or is it indeed your own?" The girl courtseyed. "You lead a dangerous life, Gitana," said she; "with your taste for music, and your appearance-you may spend many sorrowful years for some delightful days." The Gitana coloured, but said nothing. "I like your modesty," continued the lady; and, if you have no better prospect, will take you into my service. You will be useful to my spirits with your sweet voice and your theorbo, and I will not be ungrateful." The Gitana knelt and kissed her hand, with an ardour that made the Donna blush. "These are the wild manners of your mountain life," said she, raising the Gitana; 66 but, Duenna, you will teach her moderation." This she said with a faint smile, and the Gitana, flinging her scarlet mantle round her shoulders, hastily withdrew to consult her father, the Conjuror. "Do you know," said the Donna, throwing herself back into the chair and reclining her head over its arm, as if she were reading something on the carpet, "that girl pleases me extremely." She then spoke no more for a minute or two, but continued humming the tune that she had just heard. The Duenna stood by in silence, not knowing what turn all this might take, and perhaps not much pleased at her lady's new liking. "I say, Duenna, this same Gitana would make a useful assistant to you." The Duenna was silent." Not, of course," continued she with some em phasis, as a Duenna."- "Heaven forbid !" said the Duenna, "she would make a strange protectress of your ladyship from the snares of Satan; she will, if I am not much mistaken, have enough to do to take care of herself." Why, yes," replied the lady, and sunk into a reverie. Then after a sigh or two-" I should have asked her whether she had ever been in love.""The Saints defend us," cried out the Duenna, "of what is my lady talking?" -"I see no crime in it after all," suddenly observed the lady Rosanna, rai sing her head, with both her hands on the arm of the chair, and fixing her eyes on the Duenna's countenance; it may be sorrow; it has often been ruin-but it may be virtue, honour, and happiness." This she pronounced in a lofty, melancholy tone'; the Duenna reckoning her fingers over rapidly. "Eighteen this month," she murmured, eighteen-not an hour more. What will the Captain-General' say? the next news will be, I suppose, that the rock of Aranjuez is blown away." She rang the bell- What's the matter now, my dear Duenna ?” said the lady, fondly catching her gown.“ I must go to confession," was her answer. -"Then take something more to confess, and tell the priest that you think me in love."-" Can that be possible?" cried the Duenna, startled, and taking out her rosary." I don't know but it may," sighed the lady, and again buried her face in her hands. Before the Duenna had gone through above ten beads, a low tap was heard at the door, and the Gitana came in, to say that her father could not spare her for the present, as he was engaged to be in Castile by the Fair of San Ignacio, but that in a month he should be passing back by Valencia, and then-" And then," said the Donna hastily, "I may certainly expect you." The Gitana took out a little tablet and wrote her name, and under it the words," Fiel a lá muerte." She then put it to her lips, and kneeling, would have given it to the lady Rosanna; but the Duenna snatched it from her, and, taking it to the window, held it up to the light from side to side, as if she suspected something concealed. "I am perfectly as tonished at you, Duenna," said her lady, suddenly rising, and taking the tablet from her hands; "this suspi cion is offensive to my feelings of propriety. I dare say by this, you have known something of clandestine correspondence, and that the cavaliers of Segovia did not find you altogether intractable." The Duenna looked a if a thunderbolt had fallen beside her when she heard the voice of contemp and authority in which these word were expressed, and saw the beautifu figure of her mistress, with her veil up the white wreath on her head, an her pale cheeks at once glowing with the colour of vermillion." Leave th room, Duenna," said she; but the Du enna sat down at a distance, and burst into tears. "Well, well," continued the lady, "I am tired of all this, you are forgiven." Then turning, and taking the theorbo from the Gitana, she walked towards the casement, to recover her agitation, and ran her fingers over the strings. As she drew back her head from the wind, which blew the ringlets in wild clusters over her beautiful face, she made a sign to the Gitana, who had, however, been on the point of following her, but for the Duenna's actually seizing the corner of her mantle. "I find," said the lady holding out the instrument, "I have lost my practise. Take it, Gitana, and let me hear that song of the Maestranza again." The girl obediently went through the ballad; the Duenna sitting with her back to them, and now and then putting both her hands to her ears." It is well sung," were the only words of the lady for a while, and looking at the Duenna's posture, she smiled to the Gitana, throwing up her fine eyes in pity of the old woman's idle resentment. "I think, Gitana," she at length remarked, "that your song sounded sweeter than before, and yet your voice seemed to tremble a good deal, particularly towards the close, though, perhaps, that timidity makes a song more touching." She laid her fingers lightly on the girl's arm, who, indeed, trembled more than ever, drew the edge of her mantle deeper over her forehead, and with her eyes cast on the ground, half whispered, "I had forgot, there are two stanzas besides." "I could hear them if they were a hundred," exclaimed the Donna with delight, and drawing the girl towards her chair, sat down, apparently that she might enjoy the song more deeply. The Gitana retuned the theorbo, and after one or two attempts to clear her voice, thus sang: "One still linger'd, pale and last, The last verse could scarcely be called singing, for the voice was little better than a murmur. But as the lady Rosanna heard it, deep sighs swelled her throat, and tear upon tear stole down her cheeks. At length she started up, and saying, "This is magic, this is madness!" walked hastily two or three times from end to end of the room. As she passed by the table the last time, she flung her purse upon it for the Gitana; but the girl stood, without stirring a step, and with her head stooping over the theorbo. "You refuse it," said the lady, suddenly stopping before her, " you dare refuse it! Yes, I knew you would, every thing thwarts me. I am the most miserable creature alive; day and night, night and day, sorrow and disappointment, no sleep, no quiet, no hope. There must soon be an end of this. I must die."-She at once turned as pale as the handkerchief in her hand, and tottered against the tapestry. The Gitana threw down the instrument, and with the help of the Duenna placed her in the current of air. This soon recovered her, and she said in a rather fretful tone." So, Gitana, you refuse my present." "I would rather," replied the girl, "have one of my lady's raven locks, than a chain of diamonds." The Duenna lifted up her hands and eyes. The Lady said nothing; but drawing a single, white finger across her forehead, spread out the ringlets for her choice. "I vow," said the Duenna, as she took out her scissars and rubbed them on her sleeve to brighten them, "she is as gallant as any cavalier of them all." The Gitana was long in choosing, and tried every one of the ringlets in turn-fixing her deep black eyes on the Lady Rosanna's. Two or three times the Duenna insisted on it, that she should cut off the lock and have done. But her Lady commanded that she should not be hurried, and stood patiently. It was at length taken off, and the Gitana rolled it up carefully in silver paper, and put it in her bo som. "Now, farewell, Gitana," said the Donna," and remember."-" I am bound to you for ever," said the Gitana, retiring a few steps, and gazing all over the lovely lady; then with a lofty tone and solemn gesture, as if she was raising some spell, exclaimed," Neither the wild winter nor the summer's storm-neither the mountain ridge nor the trackless sea neither chance nor time, shall divide |
