CHAPTER IV.
Some good I mean to do, Despight of my own nature.
_Shakespeare_.
_Ser._ No hay quien socorra, quien valga A una muger infelice?
_Fel._ Si, que decir muger basta, Quando infeliz no dixera.
_Calderon_.
The air of dignity and importance which Caneri had resumed with hischange of fortune, was displayed to an extent that might render himextravagantly ridiculous in the judgment of any sober individual. Healready considered himself a sovereign firmly established on his throne,and he took no precaution to disguise the impulses of his over-bearingvanity and despotic character. Thus, while he was apparently servingthe cause of independence, he afforded an opportunity to his enemies oftruly estimating the purity of his intentions.
Caneri paid a visit to Theodora immediately upon her arrival; but,according to the agreement with the renegade, he limited his attentionsto the mere phrases of gallantry and courtly good nature. Thisostentatious shew of civility, however, did not arise from a generousdisposition, but merely constrained necessity. The renegade wascontinually present to his thoughts, and though his superior in commandhe was forced involuntarily to yield that tribute of respect, whichresolution and courage are sure to exact from the feeble, however humblethe situation in which their possessor may be placed. Besides this,though his passion for the fair Christian had not abated, his heart wasnow too much engrossed with objects highly gratifying to his vanity andpride, to suffer the charms of a captive to rule there with undisputedand despotic sway. His visits, therefore, were short, and he soon leftTheodora to the undisturbed possession of her own thoughts. She nolonger exhibited those signs of exquisite anguish or passionatedelirium. Keen and protracted suffering had rendered her in some measurecallous to the stings of sorrow. Musing melancholy and listlessness asto her fate disputed alternately the possession of that heart, once sofruitful in every tender feeling, in all the genuine virtues of femaleloveliness and merit. But, alas! the situation of the unhappy Theodorawas, indeed, more distressing than heretofore. Hope now no longerillumined her heart; amidst the darkness which had over-clouded herimagination, no cheering light shone upon her path to lead her frommisery. But the dereliction of hope is not the worst enemy of virtuouswoman. No, it is the loss of salutary fear, and Theodora was nearlysinking into that lamentable state of indifference which generallysucceeds the extinction of youthful hope and affection. Every thingseemed to conspire against Theodora. The secluded and retired nature ofher education, and the tenderness of her age deprived her of thoseauxiliaries to combat her present state, which a woman of greaterknowledge of the world, and more advanced in years, would gather fromthese very circumstances.
Roque had, by order of Caneri, a free access to Theodora, and he tookspecial care frequently to profit by the permission granted. This wassome solace for the unfortunate girl; the interviews with the valetdiverted her thoughts by the lively, though ludicrous, pictures which hedrew of their future release from their present thraldom. The very nightof their arrival at Alhaurin, Roque was giving to his mistress acircumstantial account of his conversation with Marien Rufa, when thedoor of the apartment swung open, and the renegade boldly enteredwithout any previous announcement. His sudden appearance caused thegreatest perturbation and alarm, both to Roque and his mistress. Theunseasonable hour of the visit, and the interest evinced by the renegadetowards Theodora, were naturally indicative of some sinister intention.Theodora, however, recovering from her first surprise, involuntarilydrew back as Bermudo advanced. Meanwhile Roque was at a loss what tothink or to do; the flutter of his whole person plainly indicated howill at ease he was with himself. He looked at his mistress, andperceiving her emotion, felt more afraid, though on what account he wasperfectly unconscious. But Roque was not long suffered to remain inuncertainty with respect to his own feelings. Bermudo, with a mosthaughty demeanor, made a sign to the valet to quit the place, and asRoque deliberated between regard for his mistress and dread for his owndear self, the renegade, to bring about a final determination, laid hishand on his weapon, an argument which completely set at rest the valet'sdoubts, and convinced him of the necessity of a speedy retreat.
Theodora perceiving how easily Bermudo had succeeded in convincingRoque, and knowing the obsequious manner in which the valet acted whensuch sort of conviction was forced upon him, deeply felt the danger ofher situation, if abandoned by the only being who might interest himselfin her fate.
"Oh! Roque, do not leave me," she pathetically exclaimed; "stay--Icannot remain alone with this dark, this terrible man."
Roque cast a melancholy look on his mistress; her piteous appeal went tohis heart, but a terrible glance from the renegade seemed to make stillstronger impression, for he quickly resumed his retrograde motion.
"He must be gone," said Bermudo resolutely, waving his hand in a mostexpressive manner, which considerably tended to expedite the valet'sexit.
He retired, therefore, and Theodora no sooner found herself deprived ofthis last frail protection, than with an assumption of fierce dignity:--
"Renegade!" she cried, "what means this intrusion? Were then all thyformer marks of regard but the insidious means to cover the realintentions of a miscreant heart? Away!--begone!--I will alarm theplace,--yes, I will call on the protection of Caneri himself, for odiousas he is to my eyes, I can never look upon him with the same degree ofabhorrence and contempt as I do on a renegade to his faith, a traitor tohis country, and the vile minister to a despot's pleasures."
Bermudo heard these bold and severe rebukes without attempting aninterruption. Calm and unmoved he suffered the first ebullition ofresentment to evaporate, and for some time deigned to make no otherreply than a bitter smile of disdain.
At length he broke that dismal pause, and in a slow and deep tonedvoice:--
"Woman," he said, "thy taunts I will not resent, for partly they arejust, and the rest I excuse in consideration of thy forlorn state, andthe many sufferings thou hast undergone."
"Oh!" cried Theodora, with a sad smile, "It well becomes you to condolefor misfortunes to which you have so largely contributed;--approach menot--begone--I cannot trust a traitor; there is guile and malice in thevery proffer of thy kindness;--hence,--or----"
"Hush, lady," interposed the renegade, with indignant pride, "you surelymistake my character. Threats and fears are strangers to this heart.Nay, when it is in some weak moments attuned to virtue, a threat, asolitary threat would banish hence the heavenly inspiration, and thefiend again triumph in its natural dwelling. Therefore, lady, threat menot, for the man is inaccessible to fear, who, like myself, is a beggarin happiness. Rest, lady, rest, and do not by an imprudent act, neglectthe opportunity which fortune affords you of escaping the fate withwhich you are threatened."
There was an air of sullen yet dignified composure on the renegade, ashe delivered these words, and Theodora, in spite of her apprehension,was for some time rivetted to the spot, waiting the disclosures of thefearful man.
"I do not pretend," he proceeded, "to command your implicit confidence;I only counsel you to rely on your own judgment and discretion. Mycharacter you have drawn in colours dark and glowing, but, perhaps, tootrue. Yet I must correct an erroneous impression under which you labour;'tis true I am an apostate--a traitor--and if in the catalogue ofaccursed crimes, there is a name still more horrid and abhorred, I claimit; but to be subservient to the pleasure of a despot--no, no, you mustknow me better. No," he added with warmth, "my deeds have been dark, butnot dastardly or contemptible; I have drunk deep the cup of crime--yes,I have quaffed it with avidity, but my palate has always been niceenough to scorn the dregs. Had any other than a woman dared to giveutterance to the base thought, ere this he would have added one more tothe list of those who have fallen by this arm. You are a woman, and awoman in distress; the only consideration that could have restrained myindignation for such an ins
ult."
"What then wouldst thou with me?" demanded Theodora, somewhat reassuredby his words and manner.
"To befriend you, not to harm you, for I war not with women; thesolitary being that showed the feelings of humanity towards Bermudobelonged to womankind, and the recollection of her virtues and her lovefor me, would secure her whole sex from the effects of my wrath."
Theodora was struck with this asseveration. She could not reconcilethese symptoms of feeling with his previous acts, and his acknowledgedcharacter for crime.
"Theodora," resumed the renegade, and his austerity of tone and mannerseemed momentarily to acquire a tint of softness uncongenial with hishabitual nature; "Theodora, I am a man of guilt; yea, one who plays hispart in this detested world without a feeling of remorse--but I cannotharm a woman--and you less than any other of your sex. _She_, like you,was innocent and beautiful--like you, unfortunate--like _you_," headded, with agitation, "like you, the victim of Gomez Arias."
"Heavens!" exclaimed Theodora, "what mystery is this? Oh, speak! I amalready but too low sunk in misery, and yet I fain would learn the fullmeasure of the crimes of him who has undone me."
"It would be a difficult," replied the renegade, "an endless task, tosatisfy your desire; but you may, perhaps, from your own experience,draw a just inference of his conduct to others. Beauty, innocence, andyouth, and unlimited affection, could not save you from his barbarousacts; the rule has been the same for those who like you had charms tocaptivate his attention, and an unsuspicious, a genuine heart to inhalethe poison of his persuasive tongue. But still the fate of poor Anselmasurpassed in horror her many rivals in misfortune."
"He loved her once," said Theodora despondingly, "and then forsook her,like me."
"He loved her," darkly returned Bermudo, "with the affection of one, whocentres his whole bliss only in the enjoyment of his selfish anddegenerate passion. But she spurned him; stratagem and force prevailed.Madness--despair--must I say it? death ensued. Enough--the circumstancesof the horrid tale 'tis needless to relate: I have said thus much toconvince you of the impossibility of my harming a woman whose fate bearsso strong a resemblance to that of my own unfortunate Anselma. Dispelthen your apprehensions, and look upon me _now_ not as a foe, but asyour sole friend and protector."
Theodora gazed on the renegade with mute amazement; the professions ofher lover, and his base desertion, had taught her mistrust: her heartwas no longer ready to believe any pleasing tale, to welcome everyprotestation of regard. It was by trusting too implicitly to herfeelings that her ruin had been accomplished, and even in her presentabandonment she considered those feelings as premeditating anothertreason. Yet, when she beheld the composure of the renegade, when sherecalled to mind that not even a word had escaped him that could bedistrusted, she was persuaded to listen to his proposals, if not totallyto abide their results. The renegade perceived the state of her mind,and hastened to hush the whispers of suspicion.
"Think you," said he with firmness, "think you that I deceiveyou?--abandon such a thought; for learn that should I be tempted to harmyou, the only object of my life would be blasted; trust then myinterest, if you cannot trust my honor. I came to render you a service,which must be reciprocal. Nay, start not; you may well marvel whataffinity there can be between an unfortunate and helpless female, and anoutcast like myself; yet this seeming anomaly exists--we are drawntogether by the most powerful ties that can bind one fellow-creature toanother: for we are linked by those of misfortune, and misfortunewrought by the same individual."
"And yet," cried Theodora, "despite of your enmity to the barbarous,unfeeling man, you strenuously seconded his plans; had you not aidedhim, I should not have been here."
"Perhaps not," replied the renegade, preserving an unalterablecomposure; "but where would you have been? Have you reflected well onyour helpless situation, and the character of the foul betrayer. Ah!call to your memory the last scene of his desertion, and judge by hisbehaviour then, of what he might have been capable, in order to removefrom his path the unfortunate obstacle that impeded his ambitious andcriminal career."
"The monster was capable of all!" exclaimed Theodora, with dreadfulagitation; for the recital of her lover's perfidy rudely awoke all thedormant feelings of the heart.
"I have saved you from his infernal machinations;" said the renegade."My conduct to you then appeared barbarous, but my subsequent behaviourmust have effaced from your mind those unfavorable impressions. If not,the time is come for you to learn, and me to disclose, the motives bywhich all my words and actions have been directed. Theodora," he thenadded, in a firm but soothing tone, "my proceedings have been to youmysterious; the mystery here ends--I have procured liberty, home,happiness for you--revenge for myself."
"Heavens!" exclaimed Theodora, "explain, what mean you?"
"I mean the truth. Be cautious and confident, and not many days shallpass ere you flee from the company of men whom you abhor, and I despise.Ere long you shall return to your deserted home, and enjoy theconsolation which a father can confer--a happiness which they say isgreat.--I never knew it."
"Can this be real?" exclaimed Theodora, with a scream of surprise andjoy. "Oh, Alagraf, are you then so generous?" and unable to restrain theswelling emotion of her grateful heart, she fell at his feet.
"Rise, lady, rise," vehemently cried the renegade, "that posture illbecomes you. I cannot sustain the sight. Poor, helpless, innocentsufferer," he then said in a pathetic tone, which in spite of hissternness, he could not suppress. "Poor, poor, forlorn girl--it was thusshe begged and supplicated, but he denied her." He suddenly recollectedhimself, and with an abrupt motion he raised the weeping Theodora fromthe ground.
"Rise; for by all the powers of darkness, to see you thus more fiercelyburns my brain, and my frenzied madness becomes more ungovernable.Woman, I am not generous, I am only just, though some cold mortals mightdenominate my justice selfish cruelty. But I care not for man or hisopinions."
He paused for a moment, and then proceeded in a calmer tone:--
"Theodora, you are now acquainted with my intentions. I only grieve theycannot be put in execution with the promptitude that I desire.--But Imust go hence immediately--I must keep up the hellish character which Ihave assumed, and I am sent to act in conjunction with El Feri; myabsence shall be as short as I can make it, and in the mean time fearnot any violence from Caneri. In that quarter you are secure; for thepetty despot knows that his death would be the consequence of such astep. And now, lady, keep strict silence on my important disclosures.Roque is faithfully devoted to your service, but much is to beapprehended from his imprudent loquacity, should he be made acquaintedwith the secret before the time of action. He and any other you wish topoint out shall be our attendants. Remember my injunctions. Becomforted, but do not exhibit symptoms of sudden and extraordinary joy,lest you awaken the suspicions of Caneri; for he is possessed of all thecunning and mistrust which generally fall to the share of a coward heartblended with a despotic mind. Till we meet--adieu! I call for noblessing on your head,--for I can only curse."
He said, and suddenly withdrew.
Theodora for some time was scarcely able to collect her thoughts; therenegade had again revived her drooping spirits, and she ventured tohope once more. She resolved implicitly to follow his instructions, inthe anxious expectation of a speedy deliverance from her presentmiserable and perilous condition.