Of the uncertainty of the
times, and the poverty which pervaded the land; I therefore felt
much dispirited. This incident, however, admonished me not to be
cast down when things look gloomiest, as the hand of the Lord is
generally then most busy; that men may learn to perceive, that
whatever good is accomplished is not their work but his.
Two or three days after this adventure, I was once more seated in
my large scantily-furnished room; it was about ten, of a dark
melancholy morning, and the autumnal rain was again falling. I had
just breakfasted, and was about to sit down to my journal, when the
door was flung open and in bounded Antonio.
"Mon maitre," said he, quite breathless, "who do you think has
arrived?"
"The pretender, I suppose," said I, in some trepidation; "if so, we
are prisoners."
"Bah, bah!" said Antonio, "it is not the pretender, but one worth
twenty of him; it is the Swiss of Saint James."
"Benedict Mol, the Swiss!" said I, "What! has he found the
treasure? But how did he come? How is he dressed?"
"Mon maitre," said Antonio, "he came on foot if we may judge by his
shoes, through which his toes are sticking; and as for his dress,
he is in most villainous apparel."
"There must be some mystery in this," said I; "where is he at
present?"
"Below, mon maitre," replied Antonio; "he came in quest of us. But
I no sooner saw him, than I hurried away to let you know."
In a few minutes Benedict Mol found his way up stairs; he was, as
Antonio had remarked, in most villainous apparel, and nearly
barefooted; his old Andalusian hat was dripping with rain.
"Och, lieber herr," said Benedict, "how rejoiced I am to see you
again. Oh, the sight of your countenance almost repays me for all
the miseries I have undergone since I parted with you at Saint
James."
Myself. - I can scarcely believe that I really see you here at
Oviedo. What motive can have induced you to come to such an out-
of-the-way place from such an immense distance?
Benedict. - Lieber herr, I will sit down and tell you all that has
befallen me. Some few days after I saw you last, the canonigo
persuaded me to go to the captain-general to apply for permission
to disinter the schatz, and also to crave assistance. So I saw the
captain-general, who at first received me very kindly, asked me
several questions, and told me to come again. So I continued
visiting him till he would see me no longer, and do what I might I
could not obtain a glance of him. The canon now became impatient,
more especially as he had given me a few pesetas out of the
charities of the church.
