ANOTHER FAIR MAID OF ZARAGOZA.
The title of the courageous maid who helped to defend the wallsof her native Zaragoza against the assault of the French invaders,has already become a household word among us. The troubles of theearly part of Queen Isabella's reign elicited another instance offeminine constancy, which has likewise received its tribute of localcelebration, though exhibited in a more confined and womanly sphere.
Two sisters, Jacinta and Isabella, lived in Zaragoza with theirbrother, Don Froilan. Among their acquaintance were two intimatefriends, Don Pablo and Don Matias, who both held commissions inthe National Militia. Don Matias was a handsome, generous youngman, and a general favourite, but also somewhat light-hearted andunscrupulous. Don Pablo, on the other hand, was of a more solid,thoughtful character, rather respected after long acquaintance thanliked at first sight. Now the characters of the two sisters, Jacintaand Isabella, were very much like those of their two friends; Jacintabeing light and thoughtless, and Isabella steady and reflective;yet in spite of this, Don Pablo was more fascinated by Jacinta'sbrilliant qualities than by Isabella's good and careful ways; whileIsabella's good sense had taught her to prefer such a character as DonPablo's. And it was with a bleeding heart she saw it agreed betweenhim and her giddy sister that they were to be united for ever. Hersisterly affection, however, forbid her to do more than sigh in secret,and sigh she did many a day; not only for her own loss, but for DonPablo, whom she sincerely respected. For her light-hearted sister,in spite of her engagement to him, used to continue to be very merrywith Don Matias too.
Just before the day appointed for the wedding, an emeute broke outat some little distance, and the Zaragoza Militia was ordered out toquell the disturbance. The world of Zaragoza turned out to see themilitary array; and Don Froilan took his sisters on to the Cosa [18],along with the rest; and while Jacinta chatted merrily with both DonPablo and Don Matias, as if they were going out to a review insteadof to fight, Isabella, impressed with the danger of the situation,and the chance of never seeing her dear friend again, could hardlybring herself to bid them adieu.
Time passed on, and no certain tidings came of the fate of the twoofficers. Every day there were conflicting reports, but nothingreliable as to individual results.
At last a day came when the Zaragoza regiment returned, covered withlaurels and with hardly any losses from its ranks.
The Cosa was thronged with people welcoming the safe return of theirfellow townsmen. Jacinta was soon in earnest conversation with DonMatias, while Isabella leant against a tree for support, as her gazingeyes vainly sought Don Pablo.
Soon the truth was learnt from Don Matias. After waiting about in thecover of houses and trees and hillocks for the insurgents for sometime, they had come to an open engagement with them, in which theywere in a short time entirely routed by the gallant Militia, who cameoff with only two killed and half a dozen wounded--but one of thosetwo left for dead on the field was no other than Don Pablo! It neededall Isabella's fortitude and self-command to avoid showing greateragony at this announcement than was consistent with her having nonearer tie than that of an intended sister-in-law, while Jacinta,who had no self-control, burst into a fearful excitement of grief.
Taking Isabella's assumed calmness of manner for indifference towardsthe absent, the young officer within a few hours of his return beganpaying her attentions. Jacinta's jealousy at this quenched all herlight grief for Don Pablo, and Don Matias soon found that his suitwould have far more chance of fortune with her. With characteristicfickleness he lost no time in urging it in the quarter where it metwith favour, and pushed it so warmly that their marriage was fixedfor an early day, being but a month from that on which Don Pablo wasbelieved to have fallen.
To faithful Isabella's intense disgust, not only was the wedding sohurried on, but all Zaragoza was invited to a grand ball to celebratethe occasion. Dressed in deep mourning she refused to have any thingto do with the festivity; but, on the contrary, ordered a funeralservice to be celebrated in the church to the memory of her lost hero.
It was just at this juncture, while the music of the marriage-ball [19]was sounding merrily through the open windows of Don Froilan's house,and the solemn doble [20] was ringing from a neighbouring church,that Don Pablo, healed of his wounds, and choosing the cool of theevening for his journey, came through the streets of Zaragoza, wellwrapt up in his military cloak, intending to make straight for thehouse of his affianced bride. He stopped, however, at the barbiere'sto have his hair and beard, long neglected during the campaign, madepresentable. The barbiere is an institution in Spain which almostsupplies the place of an English club. Men go in to submit to thebarber's attentions, and while they are under his hands, or waitingtheir turn, they have leisure to discuss with each other the newsand gossip of the day.
Don Pablo was, as we have said, a serious man; his habits werereserved and homely, he had never cared for the barber's gossip,and his habit had been to manage his shaving arrangements at home,so he was no acquaintance of the barber. Accordingly, he came in onthis occasion unrecognized.
"Strange are the vicissitudes of human life!" he exclaimed, ashe seated himself in the barber's chair--for he was somewhat of aphilosopher. "Marriage-music and funeral-bells sounding at the sametime--what a strange lesson!"
"Stranger still," broke in the prattling barber, "if your worshipknew what reference each bears to the same person!"
"To the same person!" rejoined Don Pablo; "how can that possibly be?"
"Why, the bells are for a funeral service for a distinguished officer,lost in the late encounter; and the merry music is for the marriageof his betrothed to a brother-officer!"
Don Pablo started as if he had been shot. The barber noticed hisemotion. "Your worship doubtless knows the officer of whom I speak,"replied the barber.
"Ye--es, I do--o!" stammered Don Pablo, relieved to find the barberhad not hit nearer the mark. "You speak of Don Pablo, of course?"
"Of course I do!" exclaimed the barber; "no one has spoken of anyone else these last days. And here come some of his friends roundthe corner; if you want to hear them speak of him you have only tolisten. I'll warrant he is the subject of their talk."
"I should like to hear what they say," said Don Pablo, whose curiositywas strongly excited by these revelations about himself; "but itmight embarrass them to see so near a friend to him as I was, here."
"Step to this unlighted window, and you will hear all without beingseen."
Don Pablo did as he was bid, and readily distinguished a group ofhis acquaintances, with Don Froilan in their midst, standing at thebarber's door, lighting their cigars [21].
"How now, Don Froilan!" exclaimed Don Lupercio; "a ball at your ownhouse in honour of your sister's wedding, and you out here!"
("Ah, poor fellow!" said Don Pablo to himself, "he won't countenancehis sister's fickleness. He was always a great friend of mine.")
"Why, to tell you the truth," replied Don Froilan, "the first partof a ball is always dull work. I have set them going, and I'm off tothe opera. I always enjoy the second act of an opera; it's the creamof the whole. I shall just skim that off, and then run back to thebest of the ball."
("So," said Don Pablo, sadly, "this is the man I have so often helpedthrough his difficulties! And I really thought he cared for me!")
"Now, really!" said Don Mariano, "I thought you were going to saythat you had come out to attend the funeral service for your friendDon Pablo----"
("Ah, yes, that would have been more like a friend!" sighed Don Pablo.)
"A--a--funeral service? no--no, I'm not fond of that sort of thing,it's so melancholy! And then what's the use--if the fellow died,as I've no doubt he did, without so much as saying an 'Our Father,'what's the use of praying for him?"
("The atrocious calumny!" exclaimed Don Pablo; "and not one of themto say a word in my defence!")
An awkward pause ensued, which was broken by the gallant young DonAntonio: "And while we are wasting our time here, your sister
s aredancing away and charming every one, as usual!"
("Dancing away while the church bells are tolling for poor me!")
"My sisters--eh? No--o, not exactly; that is, only one of them. Jacintais dancing, of course; but Isabella--a--won't--a--come in. I believeshe's gone to the church instead."
("So, indeed, there's one of them at least who hasn't forgotten me! Andone, too, whose remembrance is more worth having than all the others'put together!")
"Indeed!" replied Don Lupercio; "but I thought it was the other sisterwho had been more attached to him."
"Attached? ah, yes--in one way; that is, she was engaged to him;but as to attachment, that is, of the heart--between you and me--itwas Isabella who cared for him. Jacinta, you see, only wanted to bemarried, and Don Matias will do just as well for that--ha, ha, ha!"
"You don't surprise me," responded young Don Antonio, who generallyknew which way the ladies' inclination turned. "Something of this Isuspected too."
"And I," added Don Mariano.
("Fool that I was!" growled Don Pablo; "all these butterflies saw it,and I never ventured to think of it! I looked on her as a priestess,a goddess--I never ventured to think of her in any other way. Shewas always so grand and grave; and Jacinta was so accessible.")
"But, good evening, gentlemen! I shall really miss the opera, if Istand chatting any longer," broke in Don Froilan.
They dispersed: Don Froilan bending his steps towards the opera, andthe rest towards the ball-room. Meantime, sadly veiled in black, andattended by Ramon, the old and trusty family-servant, Isabella crossedthe street, and entered the church as the last tolls were sounding.
"There she goes to pray for me--it is true enough!--while others aredancing!" exclaimed Don Pablo, rapturously. "But I'll have my jokewith Don Froilan yet."
"Barber!" he cried, "send me a notary, quick! I've some importantbusiness which must be transacted instantly."
"On the instant, your worship!" replied the barber. "There is onelodging, luckily, in the sixth floor of this very house."
Ten minutes' conference with the notary settled the affair. Then hebid him run with the paper to Don Froilan's box at the theatre [22],and took up his station again at the window, to have the happinessof seeing Isabella once more as she came out of the church, and alsoto take the chance of enjoying the effect of the paper he had sentto Don Froilan. Nor did he wait long. In less time than he wouldhave thought possible, Don Froilan came running out of the opera,hurrying to take his place at the funeral service, and give a publictoken of his attention to the deceased. But the doors were closed,and Don Pablo's thoughts were diverted from her brother by the sightof Isabella, pale and haggard, her eyes worn with tears, coming outof the church, leaning on Ramon's arm.
"What! is it too late?" cried Don Froilan, stumbling against her on thesteps in the dark. "Oh dear, how hard! and I made such haste to come!"
"But why this sudden haste, brother?" replied Isabella,contemptuously. "This morning you chid me for disturbing the ball!"
"Hush, child! if I did it, it was to please Jacinta--it was quite,quite against my own inclination. Oh, why wasn't I by to assist himin his last moments?"
"But why all this sudden grief now?"
"Sudden! it's not sudden; you know I always loved him as a brother;and here's the proof of how well he loved me. A notary has just broughtme a will he left with him before he went to the war, constitutingme his heir to all he had, dear fellow!"
Isabella pushed by him with a movement of disdain, which perfectlydelighted Don Pablo, and made her way mournfully into the house,attended as before by Ramon.
Don Pablo lost little time in following her. Who could be proofagainst so much constancy? If he had looked on her as an inaccessibledivinity before, he felt sufficient encouragement now to tell herthat he thought so.
The faithful Ramon was very ready to lend his assistance, and DonPablo having taken him into confidence he dexterously managed tobreak the good news of his resurrection to his young mistress, whoconsented to come down to the ball-room and confront her brother andsister on Don Pablo's presenting himself there too. The consternationcaused by his appearance was of course very great. Some of the ladiesnearly fainted. Don Froilan guessed the trap he had fallen into,and turned away to cover his shame as well as disappointment at theloss of the inheritance. Jacinta and Matias hid their faces behindher fan; while Isabella and Pablo joined their loving hands amid thejoyful congratulations of their assembled friends.