have often heard of him, of course?"
"I have heard his name mentioned," answered his sister; "but little elserespecting him."
"You will know more of him soon, then. He is an excellent fellow, and aparticular acquaintance of mine; rather proud and haughty towards thescum of the earth, the lower orders, and not of a very forgiving temperif insulted; but those are qualities ladies seldom find fault with. Iwill bring him up to you presently, to pay his respects."
"Oh no, no, do not inconvenience the count. You will have anotheropportunity of introducing your friend," said Donna Clara.
"What a timid little bird you are," answered the young Fidalgo,laughing. "Now, I dare say your heart is fluttering with agitation.Why, the count is dying to see you, I have so praised you to him; and assoon as he can escape from the side of our father, he will come to throwhimself at your feet."
He soon afterwards rode on and joined his father and the count, when,having contrived to bring their conversation to a close, he returnedwith the latter to the side of his sister's litter. Clara cast ahurried glance at the countenance of her brother's friend, and with thatquick perception with which some women are fortunately endued, in thatone moment she read more of his character than her brother haddiscovered during the whole course of his acquaintance; not that shecould dream of the dark crimes and vices of which he was capable; suchwas impossible to her pure mind; but she saw something there which shedid not like, she knew not what, and she returned a cold bow to the manyflourishes of his hat, and chosen phrases of compliment with which thecount honoured her.
Though rather piqued at her indifference, he was not in the leastabashed; but kept his place on one side, while her brother rode on theother, endeavouring, though in vain, to win her attention by flattery toher beauty and by stories of the day, till they arrived in front of thepalace of the Marchioness of Corcunda, a relation of Goncalo Christovao,where he had been invited to take up his abode during his stay inLisbon. The count threw himself from his horse, and offered to handClara from her litter, an attention she could not, without markedrudeness, refuse; but as her hand touched his, a shudder passed throughher frame, such as, it is said and believed, the victim feels in thepresence of his destroyer; and she turned aside her head, to avoid theglance of those dark baneful eyes, which she felt an undefinedconsciousness were capable of withering her young pure happiness, hervery existence itself.
Again bowing coldly to him, she withdrew her hand, when he was obligedto take his leave, while she flew to join her father, who with greatceremony conducted her upstairs, and introduced her to the oldmarchioness, who, surrounded by a number of old women, more hideous, ifpossible, than the witches in Macbeth, was standing ready to receive herguests at the entrance of the ante-room leading to the state apartment,a mark of very great distinction. She was a lady well advanced inyears, of most grave and formal aspect; every motion of her body, andevery thought of her mind, being regulated by what she considered thestrict rules of etiquette. Her dress, like her mind, was composed ofthe stiffest materials, her gown being of a thick rich silk, capable ofstanding alone without the wearer, making a loud rustling as she movedforward and curtsied to Clara, whom, timid and blushing, her fatherpresented to her; when the old lady bestowed a kiss (rather savoury ofsnuff, it must be owned) on each side of her face. "You are a verypretty young lady," she said, staring at her; "so was I once; but theworld since then has changed with me, as it will with you. I am glad tosee you, Goncalo Christovao," she added, though her looks belied herwords; for it appeared impossible that any feelings of gladness couldexist beneath that rigid aspect. "Remember, you are to make my house,and all it contains, entirely your own during your residence here: adaughter of yours will not be guilty of any of those levities in whichyoung ladies of the present day are too apt to indulge; and I hear thatyou have brought your most excellent confessor with you, who will instilinto her mind those principles of decorum and religion so essential inthe conduct of a young lady." The marchioness having delivered thisoration, led the way to her room of state, her attendants drawing asideto allow her and her guests to pass, and then followed in line, andarranged themselves on each side of the apartment.
The conversation was continued in the same stiff and formal strain, sothat poor Clara was delighted when she was allowed to retire to therooms appropriated to her use, where Senhora Gertrudes was ready toreceive her, not at all more pleased than her young lady with theattendants of the marchioness.
Although, during the excitement of the journey, Clara had borne upagainst the effects of the terror she had endured, when she attempted torise on the morning after her arrival, she fell back on her couch weakand feverish, and a severe illness seized her, which for many daysconfined her to her room; during which time numerous were the inquiriesmade at the door of the palace, the fame of her beauty having spreadamong the nobles of the city, all eager to see the new ornament whichthey hoped was to be added to the Court.
The most constant visitor was the Conde de San Vincente, for his fierypassions had been at once captivated by her tranquil beauty; the veryindifference she had exhibited towards him serving to increase theflame, so that, looking on her as his affianced bride, he vowed the mostdeadly vengeance against any who should venture to come between him andthe consummation of his hopes. He had sufficient tact carefully toconceal his character from her father, as he had, indeed, the darkershades from her brother, who would not otherwise have continued on thesame intimate terms with him, though, it is to be feared, from the lowstate of morals at that time in society, he would not have treated himwith the scorn and hatred he deserved.
Unremitting, therefore, in his attentions to the fidalgo, makingpromises of large settlements, and a handsome establishment, hecompletely won him to forward his wishes; indeed, in those times, fewfathers ever thought of asking their daughters' consent in forming forthem a connexion in which the whole happiness of their future life wasconcerned; and the young ladies, having few opportunities allowed themof choosing for themselves, generally yielded to their fate without amurmur; too often afterwards indemnifying themselves at the expense oftheir husband's honour.
In the meantime poor Clara remained in happy ignorance of the fateawaiting her; though the hints carelessly thrown out by her brother hadfor the time alarmed her; but she persuaded herself that he had butspoken in joke, and thought no more on the subject; her only remainingdoubts being occasioned by her not having been informed of the reasonfor her visit to Lisbon. She was occasionally visited by the oldmarchioness, whose conversation was very far from contributing toenliven her, being chiefly long homilies for the regulation of herreligious and moral conduct, and warnings against the sins which thepomps and vanities of the world would lead her to commit. Then shewould launch out into praise of the advantages to be derived from a lifeof seclusion from the temptations of the world, ending with deep regretsthat she herself in her youth had not rather assumed the veil, thansubjected herself to the unhappiness she had endured; though it may beobserved that she had never thought so till she had lost all taste forthe pleasures she reprobated, and had contrived for a long course ofyears to yield very freely to the temptations she spoke of, without veryseriously damaging her reputation; the marquis, her husband, having beenof a very kind and indulgent disposition, and she having discoveredcertain peccadillos of his, which enabled her to keep a constant checkover him, and prevented him from inquiring too minutely into what shechose to do.
The chief cause of her present style of conversation was, that the PadreAlfonzo, who had determined, for reasons of his own, that his fair youngpenitent should assume the veil, and was now employing every means hethought likely to aid his purpose, had for that reason assiduously paidhis court to the marchioness from the moment of his arrival, and easilygained her over to his views, pointing out the advantages which Clarawould find, both in a spiritual and moral point of view, in a monasticlife, and the misery she would endure if united to a man of so bad acharacter as he hinted that of the count to be.
He also assured the oldlady that it would much contribute to gain pardon from heaven for herown trespasses, if she were the means of offering so acceptable asacrifice to the Church; and the last argument completely gained hispoint.
Goncalo Christovao was at first very much alarmed at his daughter'sillness, but being assured by the physicians that there was no danger tobe apprehended, he with resignation awaited her recovery. It must beobserved, that though, in this instance, the doctors were perfectlyright, they knew very little of the subject, their chief specific beingthat of Doctor Sangrado, and a judicious administering of mummy powder,and various drugs long since banished from every pharmacopeia incivilised Europe. Fortunately they came to the determination that Claradid not require bleeding, and thus, under the care of kind nature, shewas allowed to recover without their interference, and all praised thephysicians who had