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.
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