I Apologised, And Was Preparing To Retire,
But He Begged Me To Remain, As, In A Few Minutes, The Refection
Would Be Over, When The Principals Of The College Would Do
Themselves The Pleasure Of Waiting On Me.
We sat down on the stone bench, when he commenced surveying me
attentively for some time, and then cast
His eyes on Antonio.
"Whom have we here?" said he to the latter; "surely your features
are not unknown to me." "Probably not, your reverence," replied
Antonio, getting up and bowing most profoundly. "I lived in the
family of the Countess -, at Cintra, when your venerability was her
spiritual guide." "True, true," said the old gentleman, sighing,
"I remember you now. Ah, Antonio, things are strangely changed
since then. A new government - a new system - a new religion, I may
say." Then looking again at me, he demanded whither I was
journeying? "I am going to Spain," said I, "and have stopped at
Lisbon by the way." "Spain, Spain!" said the old man; "surely you
have chosen a strange time to visit Spain; there is much
bloodshedding in Spain at present, and violent wars and tumults."
"I consider the cause of Don Carlos as already crushed," I replied;
"he has lost the only general capable of leading his armies to
Madrid. Zumalacarregui, his Cid, has fallen." "Do not flatter
yourself; I beg your pardon, but do not think, young man, that the
Lord will permit the powers of darkness to triumph so easily; the
cause of Don Carlos is not lost; its success did not depend on the
life of a frail worm like him whom you have mentioned." We
continued in discourse some little time, when he arose, saying that
by this time he believed the refection was concluded.
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