his master,the Duke of Aveiro, who had loitered at some little distance apart fromthe other sportsmen.
"It would save much trouble, if one of the brethren of yonder fiercebeast, were to plunge his long tusks into the side of thishunting-loving King of ours," observed the former, in a low tone.
"You speak truly, my good Policarpio," replied the Duke; "but such achance, I fear, is not to be ours. He is too closely surrounded bythose sycophantish nobles, who, I verily believe, would risk their ownlives to save his, and these brutes have seldom the fortune to killtheir hunters. We must wait our time, and trust to our own good arms,and steady aim."
"An opportunity may offer we thought not of before, though one, weshould do well not to lose, if I may so advise your Excellency. Theforest we shall traverse is thick, and the probability is great that theKing will be separated from the rest of the party. Let him be our game,and let our whole care be to closely follow his movements, never, for aninstant, allowing him to escape our sight; then should we find him for amoment alone, and no person at hand, one well-aimed stroke would placethe crown on your Excellency's head."
"The idea is not bad; but it is utterly hopeless. Even if the King wereseparated from the others, we should not be able to slay him, without acertainty of discovery," said the Duke.
"Have no fear on that score, your Excellency; such deeds have oftenbefore been done. The bough of a tree may have thrown him from hishorse; some concealed assassin may have shot him, or the very animal hewas in search of may have overpowered him. We ride on, as if nothinghad occurred; the hunters will have gained a long distance from thespot, before they perceive that the King is not of the party; then sometime will elapse before any go in search of him, and still more beforehis corpse is discovered. This will fully account for the escape of theassassins: your Excellency, in the mean time, can easily overtake andride among the foremost of the hunters, so that no one will suspect you,while I will keep among my equals, and shout, and laugh the blithest ofany."
"You are truly a valuable counsellor, my friend, and with your aid,Heaven favouring me, I may yet succeed. I will follow your advice; butkeep not too much in my company, the so doing may draw suspicion on us."
The weak Duke had just made up his mind to act according to his cunningservant's suggestion, when a she-wolf started from a cover some waybeyond where the boar had been finally brought to bay. Fresh dogs were,as soon as possible, let loose on her; but she had, in the mean time,gained a considerable start of them, making the utmost of her advantage;and giving one fierce glare at her pursuers, she directed her coursetowards the centre of the forest. Every one was in eager pursuit; butthe trees, in some places, grew so densely, that it was impossible forthe huntsmen to keep together, or in sight of the quarry. The King, themost excited of any, encouraged them with shouts and gestures to thechase, many, indeed, unintentionally having actually passed him; but theDuke and his wily attendant, holding back their steeds, kept a hawk-eyedglance on his every movement. Suddenly, to their great satisfaction,they observed their intended victim take a narrow path to the right,from supposing, probably, that it would afford a shorter road, while therest of the party followed a broader way straight forward. The Kinggalloped on, when he found that he had made a mistake, the path leadinghim at each step further from the cries of the dogs, and the shouts ofthe men: he perceived also, that he was followed by none of his ownattendants; two horsemen only being distinguished approaching him atsome little distance. He listened attentively for the sounds of thechase, and could yet clearly distinguish them on the left, in whichdirection he searched eagerly for an opening in the wood, through whichhe might proceed at a fast pace, without running the risk of beingbruised among the trees. At last he arrived at a part of the wood wherethe trees grew further from each other; and just as the Duke and SenhorPolicarpio were about to gallop towards him, the latter, with theintention of plunging his long hunting spear into his back, hedisappeared among them. The King, little thinking of the treacherymeditated against him, passed through what he found to be merely anarrow belt of trees, closely pursued by his intended murderers, till hefound himself in a small amphitheatre; the soil soft and damp, from abubbling stream, which issued forth from some rugged, dark rocks, whichrose on every side, while the most lofty trees of the forest grewaround. He had before been led to the spot, in the course of a day'ssport, and he knew it to be near the centre of the domain. There wasbut one path which led from it, in the direction he wished to pursue,between two overhanging rocks, and this he was about to take, when thetraitors again overtook him. It was a spot fit for their fell purposes;no prying eye might observe them, nor was any huntsmen likely to be ledthither. Another moment, and his life would have been ended; when atall dark figure rose directly in his path. The woodland apparition,for so seemed the stranger to the guilty consciences of the assassins,caused them to pause in their intention. The King's steed snorted andreared at the sudden interruption to his career, nor was his rider lessamazed at beholding the strange figure, who, with wild and franticgestures, presented itself before him. As our readers may possibly haveguessed, he was the same mysterious personage whom we described aswandering about the wood in the early part of the morning.
The Monarch was the first to speak, for he conjectured that some insanepeasant, probably, having wandered into the woods, had been startledfrom his sleep, and was not aware of the impropriety of his actions.
"Who art thou, friend, who thus venturest to intrude into our royaldomain? Say, what wantest thou? but, be quick in thy speech, and impedenot our progress; for we yet hear the sounds of the chase at adistance."
"I am one whose hands thou hast kissed, and whose feet thou hast washed,proud King, in the days of thy innocence and happiness; but one whomthou hast since despised, and driven from thy presence with ignominy.Will that suffice thee? My message I give not in the presence of thevile panders to thy follies and vices I see approaching."
And he pointed towards the Duke of Aveiro and Senhor Policarpio, whenthe King, now for the first time, perceived that he was not alone.While the stranger was speaking, they came up, bowing profoundly; butthe Monarch had been seized with a strong desire to know what the agedman before him could possibly have to say; and, being well armed, hethought not of personal danger. He therefore desired the Duke and hisattendant to ride on, and endeavour to discover the rest of the party,saying he would follow in their track, as soon as he had listened towhat the peasant had to communicate. The Duke was obliged to obey,although he regarded the stranger suspiciously; for, at the firstglance, he recognised in him the holy Father Malagrida, and it instantlyoccurred to him, that he was about to betray his own treacherousdesigns. At first, it flashed across his mind, that his only chance ofsafety would be to destroy both Joseph and the Priest at once; but hissuperstitious awe of the Father, prevented him from committing the deed.He rode on, therefore, followed by Policarpio, their former intentionyet unaltered.
"Let us draw rein here, if it please your Excellency," said the latter,as soon as they had lost sight of the King; "we shall have now a faireropportunity than ever. As he passes by, we will rush at him, and strikehim dead. Yonder peasant will be accused of the deed, and we shallescape suspicion."
"Know you not who yonder seeming peasant is?" exclaimed the Duke. "Heis no peasant, but the holy Jesuit Malagrida, for what purpose comehither, I know not; but I fear me much it cannot be for any good, excepthe seeks to take the trouble off our hands by despatching the Kinghimself."
"It would be a useful deed, forsooth," said Policarpio. "Yet, nomatter, if he slays him not; his very appearance will aid our purpose;for many must have seen a stranger wandering about, who will be thefirst suspected; and, as he will probably make his escape, he willinform no one that he saw us. Does not your Excellency think so?"
"Your sagacity is above all praise," answered the Duke. "You deserve tobe a prime minister, my good Policarpio; and you shall be if my plansare successful. They must be so, or--"
&n
bsp; He dared not to utter the alternative.
"Fear not, my noble master; success must attend us," interruptedPolicarpio.
Such was the conversation the pair, worthy of each other, held, whileconcealed among some thick-growing shrubs, in anxious expectation oftheir victim's arrival.
As soon as the King found himself alone with the aged peasant, herepeated his former question--"Say, what wantest thou, my friend?"
"For myself, I require naught; but I come for thy benefit, Ohard-hearted and impious King; for our Lord, in his mercy, rememberingthe bright promise of thy youth, in the days of thy tainted father, hastaken compassion on thee, and will not suffer thee to be destroyedwithout a given warning. Hear me, O King! while I speak the words ofHeaven! If thou turn not from thy evil course; if thou ceasest not
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