As We Drew Nigh We Overtook Numerous Cars Laden With
Avellanas Proceeding In The Direction Of The Town.
I was informed
that several small English vessels were lying in the harbour.
Singular as it may seem, however,
Notwithstanding we were in the
capital of the Avellanas, it was with the utmost difficulty that I
procured a scanty handful for my dessert, and of these more than
one half were decayed. The people of the house informed me that
the nuts were intended for exportation, and that they never dreamt
either of partaking of them themselves or of offering them to their
guests.
At an early hour on the following day we reached Colunga, a
beautiful village on a rising ground, thickly planted with chestnut
trees. It is celebrated, at least in the Asturias, as being the
birth-place of Arguelles, the father of the Spanish constitution.
As we dismounted at the door of the posada, where we intended to
refresh ourselves, a person who was leaning out of an upper window
uttered an exclamation and disappeared. We were yet at the door,
when the same individual came running forth and cast himself on the
neck of Antonio. He was a good-looking young man, apparently about
five and twenty, genteelly dressed, with a Montero cap on his head.
Antonio looked at him for a moment, and then with a Ah, Monsieur,
est ce bien vous? shook him affectionately by the hand. The
stranger then motioned him to follow him, and they forthwith
proceeded to the room above.
Wondering what this could mean, I sat down to my morning repast.
Nearly an hour elapsed, and still Antonio did not make his
appearance; through the boards, however, which composed the ceiling
of the kitchen where I sat, I could hear the voices of himself and
his acquaintance, and thought that I could occasionally distinguish
the sound of broken sobs and groans; at last there was a long
pause. I became impatient, and was about to summon Antonio, when
he made his appearance, but unaccompanied by the stranger. "What,
in the name of all that is singular," I demanded, "have you been
about? Who is that man?" "Mon maitre," said Antonio, "c'est un
monsieur de ma connoissance. With your permission I will now take
a mouthful, and as we journey along I will tell you all that I know
of him."
"Monsieur," said Antonio, as we rode out of Colunga, "you are
anxious to know the history of the gentleman whom you saw embrace
me at the inn. Know, mon maitre, that these Carlist and Christino
wars have been the cause of much misery and misfortune in this
country, but a being so thoroughly unfortunate as that poor young
gentleman of the inn, I do not believe is to be found in Spain, and
his misfortunes proceed entirely from the spirit of party and
faction which for some time past has been so prevalent.
"Mon maitre, as I have often told you, I have lived in many houses
and served many masters, and it chanced that about ten years ago I
served the father of this gentleman, who was then a mere boy. It
was a very high family, for monsieur the father was a general in
the army, and a man of large possessions. The family consisted of
the general, his lady, and two sons; the youngest of whom is the
person you have just seen, the other was several years older.
Pardieu! I felt myself very comfortable in that house, and every
individual of the family had all kind of complaisance for me. It
is singular enough, that though I have been turned out of so many
families, I was never turned out of that; and though I left it
thrice, it was of my own free will. I became dissatisfied with the
other servants or with the dog or the cat. The last time I left
was on account of the quail which was hung out of the window of
madame, and which waked me in the morning with its call. Eh bien,
mon maitre, things went on in this way during the three years that
I continued in the family, out and in; at the end of which time it
was determined that the young gentleman should travel, and it was
proposed that I should attend him as valet; this I wished very much
to do. However, par malheur, I was at this time very much
dissatisfied with madame his mother about the quail, and I insisted
that before I accompanied him the bird should be slaughtered for
the kitchen. To this madame would by no means consent; and even
the young gentleman, who had always taken my part on other
occasions, said that I was unreasonable: so I left the house in a
huff, and never entered it again.
"Eh bien, mon maitre, the young gentleman went upon his travels,
and continued abroad several years; and from the time of his
departure until we met him at Colunga, I have not set eyes upon,
nor indeed heard of him. I have heard enough, however, of his
family; of monsieur the father, of madame, and of the brother, who
was an officer of cavalry. A short time before the troubles, I
mean before the death of Ferdinand, monsieur the father was
appointed captain-general of Coruna. Now monsieur, though a good
master, was rather a proud man, and fond of discipline and all that
kind of thing, and of obedience. He was, moreover, no friend to
the populace, to the canaille, and he had a particular aversion to
the nationals. So when Ferdinand died, it was whispered about at
Coruna, that the general was no liberal, and that he was a better
friend to Carlos than to Christina. Eh bien, it chanced that there
was a grand fete, or festival at Coruna, on the water; and the
nationals were there, and the soldiers. And I know not how it
befell, but there was an emeute, and the nationals laid hands on
monsieur the general, and tying a rope round his neck, flung him
overboard from the barge in which he was, and then dragged him
astern about the harbour until he was drowned.
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