I have much to
tell him." The gate was locked, and bidding us stay below in the
courtyard, Antonio followed the young woman up a stone stair,
whilst we remained in darkness below.
After the lapse of about a quarter of an hour we again saw the
candle gleam upon the staircase, and the young female appeared.
Coming up to me, she advanced the candle to my features, on which
she gazed very intently. After a long scrutiny she went to my
guide, and having surveyed him still more fixedly, she turned to
me, and said, in her best Spanish, "Senhor Cavalier, I congratulate
you on your servant. He is the best-looking mozo in all Galicia.
Vaya! if he had but a coat to his back, and did not go barefoot, I
would accept him at once as a novio; but I have unfortunately made
a vow never to marry a poor man, but only one who has got a heavy
purse and can buy me fine clothes. So you are a Carlist, I
suppose? Vaya! I do not like you the worse for that. But, being
so, how went you to Finisterra, where they are all Christinos and
negros? Why did you not go to my village? None would have meddled
with you there. Those of my village are of a different stamp to
the drunkards of Finisterra. Those of my village never interfere
with honest people. Vaya! how I hate that drunkard of Finisterra
who brought you, he is so old and ugly; were it not for the love
which I bear to the Senhor Alcalde, I would at once unlock the gate
and bid you go forth, you and your servant, the buen mozo."
Antonio now descended. "Follow me," said he; "his worship the
alcalde will be ready to receive you in a moment." Sebastian and
myself followed him upstairs to a room where, seated behind a
table, we beheld a young man of low stature but handsome features
and very fashionably dressed. He appeared to be inditing a letter,
which, when he had concluded, he delivered to a secretary to be
transcribed. He then looked at me for a moment fixedly, and the
following conversation ensued between us:-
Alcalde. - I see that you are an Englishman, and my friend Antonio
here informs me that you have been arrested at Finisterra.
Myself. - He tells you true; and but for him I believe that I should
have fallen by the hands of those savage fishermen.
Alcalde. - The inhabitants of Finisterra are brave, and are all
liberals. Allow me to look at your passport? Yes, all in form.
Truly it was very ridiculous that they should have arrested you as
a Carlist.
Myself. - Not only as a Carlist, but as Don Carlos himself.
Alcalde. - Oh! most ridiculous; mistake a countryman of the grand
Baintham for such a Goth!
Myself. - Excuse me, Sir, you speak of the grand somebody.
Alcalde. - The grand Baintham. He who has invented laws for all the
world. I hope shortly to see them adopted in this unhappy country
of ours.
Myself. - Oh! you mean Jeremy Bentham. Yes! a very remarkable man
in his way.
Alcalde. - In his way! In all ways. The most universal genius
which the world ever produced:- a Solon, a Plato, and a Lope de
Vega.
Myself. - I have never read his writings. I have no doubt that he
was a Solon; and as you say, a Plato. I should scarcely have
thought, however, that he could be ranked as a poet with Lope de
Vega.
Alcalde. - How surprising! I see, indeed, that you know nothing of
his writings, though an Englishman. Now, here am I, a simple
alcalde of Galicia, yet I possess all the writings of Baintham on
that shelf, and I study them day and night.
Myself. - You doubtless, Sir, possess the English Language.
Alcalde. - I do. I mean that part of it which is contained in the
writings of Baintham. I am most truly glad to see a countryman of
his in these Gothic wildernesses. I understand and appreciate your
motives for visiting them: excuse the incivility and rudeness
which you have experienced. But we will endeavour to make you
reparation. You are this moment free: but it is late; I must find
you a lodging for the night. I know one close by which will just
suit you. Let us repair thither this moment. Stay, I think I see
a book in your hand.
Myself. - The New Testament.
Alcalde. - What book is that?
Myself. - A portion of the sacred writings, the Bible.
Alcalde. - Why do you carry such a book with you?
Myself. - One of my principal motives in visiting Finisterra was to
carry this book to that wild place.
Alcalde. - Ha, ha! how very singular. Yes, I remember. I have
heard that the English highly prize this eccentric book. How very
singular that the countrymen of the grand Baintham should set any
value upon that old monkish book.
It was now late at night, and my new friend attended me to the
lodging which he had destined for me, and which was at the house of
a respectable old female, where I found a clean and comfortable
room. On the way I slipped a gratuity into the hand of Antonio,
and on my arrival, formally, and in the presence of the alcalde,
presented him with the Testament, which I requested he would carry
back to Finisterra, and keep in remembrance of the Englishman in
whose behalf he had so effectually interposed.
Antonio. - I will do so, your worship; and when the winds blow from
the north-west, preventing our launches from putting to sea, I will
read your present. Farewell, my captain, and when you next come to
Finisterra I hope it will be in a valiant English bark, with plenty
of contrabando on board, and not across the country on a pony, in
company with nuveiros and men of Padron.
