The Prime Minister

"I would wish you to protectthe high order to which you belong from the encroachments of the Kingand his Minister, and I would wish you to take fitting vengeance forevery insult offered you."

  "In overthrowing the Minister, am I ready to hazard all; and never willI act otherwise than as becomes a high noble of the realm; nor will mysword be slow to avenge any insult offered to me or mine; but of theKing have I ever been a faithful servant, and faithful will I die. Urgeme then no more to engage in conspiracies which can but end in thedestruction of all concerned." The Marquis rose as he spoke, andquitted the apartment, as the most easy way of finishing the discussion.

  His lady gazed at his retiring form, but attempted not to stop him."Oh! that I were a man, to lead the faint-hearted beings with whom I amassociated!" she exclaimed. "The slightest shadow of danger frightensthem from the most noble undertakings; the prophets of Heaven counselthem, but they will not listen to their words; even if the dead were toarise to assure them of it, they would not believe that the deed is arighteous one, and must be successful. Yet have I still some hopes thatmy lord will not close his ears to the divine words of the holyMalagrida, and that he may be brought round to follow his counsels. Iwill pray to the Blessed Virgin that she will turn his heart to theright path."

  The Marchioness then retired to her own chamber, and, throwing herselfon her knees before her private altar, she poured forth her prayers toher patron saint for the success of an enterprise, which was for thedestruction of a King, the placing an usurper on his throne, therestoration of a tyrannical order of the priesthood, and the enslaving awhole people with the grossest of superstitions; yet not for a momentdid it occur to her that she was performing an act otherwise thangrateful to Heaven. No; she fully believed that her motives were pureand holy; and she felt assured that pride, ambition, and hatred formedno part of her incentives to action. Yet were they the chief motives,veiled from her own eyes by a fancied zeal for religion.

  In the mean time, Antonio and Manoel Ferreira, two of the principalservants of the Marquis, as soon as they were released from attendanceon their master, hurried off to the Quinta of the Duke of Aveiro, whichwas at no great distance from that of the Tavoras.

  "What think you that villain Teixeira deserves for thus daring to insultour lord?" said Manoel to his brother, as they walked along.

  "Nothing less than his death would satisfy me, if I were in our master'splace," answered Antonio.

  "My very thought," said the other.

  "But then, you know that it would be beneath the dignity of so great alord as our master to slay with his own hand a man of such low birth asthis upstart Teixeira," observed Antonio.

  "The very thing I was going to say; but should we not be doing a serviceto our lord, think you, and be well paid for it too, if we were to put apiece of lead into this impudent servant of the King's," said Manoel."For my part, I should have no scruples on the subject, and we shouldhave plenty of opportunities as he drives about at night in hiscarriage, for no good purpose either--the base villain--I warrant. Howproud he has become, too, with his fine clothes and his carriage! Why,I recollect him no better than either of us were at that time, when hewas glad enough to call us his friends, and now he would not speak to usif he met us."

  "True enough, brother," observed Antonio. "Yet, where is thedifference? We are honest men, and serve a Marquis, he is a rogue, andserves a King;--so he rides inside a carriage of his own, while we rideoutside our master's."

  "The vain upstart! He does serve a King, in more ways than one; but heshall pay dearly for it," exclaimed Manoel. "You heard what our ladysaid at dinner to-day, and I think it is our duty to take the hint."

  "What mean you?" asked Antonio.

  "Mean I? it is clear enough--that we are bound to shoot him, of course,"returned the other. "You have grown dull, Antonio. You see we shallthus serve ourselves and our master into the bargain."

  "I understand you clearly enough now; but should we not to a certaintybe discovered?" asked the less daring Antonio.

  "It would matter little if we were, after the deed was done. Our mastercould protect us," returned Manoel.

  "We will think about it to-morrow," said Antonio. "I wonder what SenhorPolicarpio wanted with us this evening, that he insisted we must visithim."

  "We shall soon learn, for here we are at the gate. Now, he is a man Ilike; though he is chief servant of a duke, there is no pride or vanityabout him. He is just as friendly with us as ever."

  Manoel having pronounced this eulogium on Senhor Policarpio, theyentered the gates of the Quinta, and went in search of their friend. Hereceived them with all imaginable courtesy, and conducted them to hisown apartment, where a repast was spread in readiness for them by hisown servant.

  "Welcome, senhors," said Senhor Policarpio. "I have done my best toentertain you; for, when such friends as you are honour me with theircompany, I like to be hospitable." The two followers of the Marquisbowed at the compliment. "Ah! it is not every day I have thispleasure," continued the host. "But never mind, we shall soon all seebetter days, when a certain friend of mine becomes higher than he evennow is, and Senhor Don Joseph finishes his life. The sooner he does sothe better, as far as I am concerned."

  We do not intend to detail the conversation of these worthy personages;indeed, it is so nearly illegible in the manuscript before us, that itwould be a work of great labour to decipher it. During the time, SenhorPolicarpio went to a closet, from which he produced three guns, orrather blunderbusses, praising their excellent qualities. At firstsight of them, his guests seemed much alarmed by the observations he atthe same time made; but, quickly recovering, he persuaded them to repairwith him to a retired part of the garden, where they might exercisethemselves by firing at a mark.

  While they were thus occupied, the lovely Duchess of Aveiro was seatedin her drawing-room, with her embroidery frame before her, gazing overthe orange groves at the lovely scene which the Castle of Belem on oneside, and the placid river, now shining in the light of the setting sun,and covered with vessels and boats, presented. A fine boy, of somefifteen years old, was in the room; her only son, the young Marquis ofGouvea. He was leaning against the side of the window opposite to her,regarding her with a look of affection and respect, when the Dukeabruptly entered. He threw his hat on the table with an indignant air,as he exclaimed--"By Heavens! I have again been insulted by this Kingbeyond all bearance! He has had the audacity to declare to me that myson, forsooth, cannot marry the daughter of the Duke of Cadaval; andwhen I demanded his reasons for the refusal, he chose to give none. Itold him that they were betrothed, and that I had set my heart on thematch, as one in every way suitable to both parties; when he onlyanswered, that he had arranged it differently. What say you, my son?how do you like losing a fair bride through the caprice of a tyrant?"

  "That I wish I were a man, to carry her off in spite of him," answeredthe young Marquis.

  "Spoken like my son!" exclaimed the Duke. "But you shall not bedisappointed. His days are numbered; and then we shall see who willventure to dispute our authority."

  At these words the Duchess looked anxiously up at her husband. "I trustthat you allude not to the designs you once spoke to me about," shesaid. "I had long hoped you had abandoned them."

  "Why did you nourish so foolish a hope, lady?" exclaimed the Duke. "Ishould have thought my wife was equally interested with myself in theirsuccess."

  "I hoped so because I feel convinced that they cannot fail to bringdestruction on yourself, and ruin on all your family; to drag many tothe scaffold, if you are unsuccessful; and to introduce the horrors of acivil war into the country should they succeed: but such cannot be;Heaven will not favour so guilty a purpose. Oh! hear me, my lord.Abandon the dark and evil designs you have meditated. If you have anyremaining love for your wife, if you regard the interests of your son,think not again of them."

  The Duke laughed scornfully, as he asked, "What! would you not wish tobe a queen, and see your son a prince?
"

  "I would far rather be a peasant's wife, than the queen of ablood-stained usurper; for, to become a king, such you must be,"answered the Duchess, boldly. "No, my lord, I would not be cheated ofmy happiness by so deceitful a phantom."

  "Silence, madam!" exclaimed the Duke, angrily. "This is but weak folly.Would not you wish to be a prince, my boy?" he said, turning to hisson.

  "Gladly, if my father becomes a king," answered the young Marquis.

  "Fear not, my boy. You shall be so; before long, too; but speak not ofit, though I know I can trust you. Such I cannot your cousin, who wouldturn pale at the very thoughts of the enterprise; so utter not to him asyllable of