the Quinta da Cima, which lay directly in the waybetween the residence of the young Marchioness of Tavora and the royalpalace.
Antonio and his companion, who, as our readers may have suspected, wasno other than Senhor Policarpio, rode on in silence whenever they passedany houses, the former, who was of a more timid disposition than hisfellow-servant, already repenting of the deed he had undertaken toperform.
"Hist!" he said, drawing in his rein as they were passing between someof the high blank walls with which that part of Lisbon abounds. "Areyou certain there is no one following us? Methought I heard a horse'sfootsteps."
"On, on," muttered his companion with an oath. "The more reason forspeed."
They proceeded a few paces further, when the other again stopped.
"I am sure I heard the sounds again," he whispered.
"Cursed fool, his cowardice will spoil all," thought Policarpio. "'Tisbut the echo of our own horses' feet, friend," he said aloud. "Fearnot; 'tis too late now to draw back, and the work must be done."
They again rode on, encountering no one on their way; for, at that latehour, and in those solitary roads, few ventured out, if they could avoidit, and then only in large parties, with servants and torches, to guardagainst the daring marauders who infested them, committing everyatrocity with impunity. They at length observed a number of peopleadvancing towards them with torches, the flames throwing a lurid glareon their figures and the surrounding walls; but Policarpio, desiring hiscompanion to follow, turned down a lane on one side, till they hadpassed by. Riding a little further on, Antonio again vowed he heard thesounds of horses' feet. Policarpio listened.
"Yes," he said, "'tis our friends--we are near the spot agreed on."
As he spoke, four horsemen were perceived emerging from the gloomtowards them.
"How is this?" exclaimed Antonio in a tone of alarm. "There were buttwo!"
"They are more of our friends," was the answer.
"What, all enemies of Teixeira?"
"All, and trusty men. Speak not again, friend. We come to act, not totalk," whispered Policarpio.
The six horsemen rode on at a slow pace, so as to allow their horses'hoofs to emit the least possible sound, till they arrived at a deeparchway, into the recesses of which not a ray of light penetrated. Herethe stranger, in sable garments, with his companion, Manoel, took theirposts, their horses' heads turned towards the road, so as to sally forthat a moment's notice. This was the ambush nearest the residence of theyoung Marchioness of Tavora. A little further on, a lane between highwalls turned off to the right, and towards it Policarpio and Antoniodirected their course; the two other unknown horsemen passing further onto another place of concealment.
"Halt here, my friend," said Policarpio; "we shall not have long towait; this is the best place we could have selected. As soon as thedeed is done, follow me down the lane, and we will make a circuit to theQuinta."
"How is it there are so many engaged in the work; I thought we threeonly were to be privy to it?" observed Antonio.
"The man has many foes," was the laconic reply. "Now silence."
Slow seemed the hours of darkness to lag along over the heads of theintended assassins. It was a time of the most harrowing anxiety, ofdoubts and fears to them all. During the bright glare of day, or whenexcited by wine and conversation, they had contemplated the deed as aduty they were called on to perform; but now, on the silent watch, whenthe moment for action was drawing on, they felt that they were about tocommit a deed such as would, if discovered, hold them up to theexecration of mankind. Darkness, which serves to cloak a crime from theeyes of others, reveals it to the startled conscience of the criminal inits native deformity. In vain each man sought to banish the voice whichrung in his ear--Murder! murder!--but that mocking voice would not besilenced; and yet it was a useless warning, for each had resolved to dothe deed, and now it was too late to fly; besides, when one would havedone so, the thought of the reward to be reaped rose up in his mind, anddetermined him to persevere in spite of all consequences.
Policarpio listened eagerly for the expected sound of thecarriage-wheels. "Ah! he comes," he muttered, as a low rattling noiseat a distance was heard; and even he, cool and hardened villain as hewas, felt his heart beat quicker, and he drew in his breath at thethought of what he was about to do; he felt almost a relief fromsuffering as the noise died away in a different direction. The clearringing sound from the clock of a neighbouring church now struck; helistened attentively to mark the hour--one, two; he counted on--ten,eleven, and no more. He must have been mistaken; he thought it was muchlater. Another dreadful hour of suspense must elapse, for theirintended victim was not expected to pass till nearly twelve o'clock, andhe was sometimes much later. His doubts were soon set at rest, foranother clock, at a greater distance, now gave forth the hour of eleven.Thus they waited, sometimes supposing that their enemy had not paid hisusual visit; that he might have taken another road, or that, by somemysterious chance, he had been forewarned. There was one among thosemidnight assassins whose fierce and fiery temper could ill brook thisdelay, and, as he sat on his horse beneath the arch, he gnashed histeeth with impatience, and grasping a pistol in his hand, longed for themoment to use it. Twelve o'clock struck, and scarcely had the soundfrom the last stroke of the bell died away on the calm midnight air,when a carriage was heard rapidly approaching. Each of the assassinsgathered in his rein, and more firmly grasped his weapons to prepare foraction. There could be now no further doubt--another minute and theirvictim would be in their power!
Onward came the carriage. It approached the dark archway; it hadscarcely passed it, when the stranger in black, followed by Manoel,dashed forward, discharging his pistol at the head of the postilion; butthe piece missed fire, as did that of his companion.
"Curses on the weapon," he cried, raising his carabine, as the carriagedashed by; he fired, but the ball took no effect.
"Forbear! forbear!" shouted the postilion, as he drove on; "'tis theKing you are firing at!"
He had just uttered the words, when Policarpio and his companion rodefuriously towards him; the former discharging a pistol, but withouteffect. On their approach, he was seen to turn rapidly round beforePolicarpio could come up with him, and to drive down a steep and ruggedpath, towards the river.
"Fire!" shouted Policarpio to his companion, as they galloped after thecarriage. "Fire! or they will escape us!" and, at the same moment, bothdischarged their pieces at the back of the carriage. A loud cry washeard, but they could not further tell the effect of their shots, forthe postilion, driving for his own life, as well as that of his master,if he had escaped destruction, urged on his mules at a furious pacebeyond their reach, before they had time to reload their fire-arms.
"What shots are those?" cried a voice from a window above them."Murder! murder!"
The sound struck terror into the bosoms of the guilty assassins; and,turning their horses, they galloped off from the spot, by the roadspreviously agreed on, fancying that they were closely pursued. Onwardthey dashed, the dying shriek of their victim ringing in their ears,mixed with unearthly sounds--it seemed like the mocking laughter ofdemons. But at that time they dreaded not the supernatural powers halfso much as the anger of man; him they had made their enemy, and nowdetection was what they most feared. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, byman shall his blood be shed," was the rigid law to which they had becomeamenable. No obstacles stopped them in their course. Their steeds, asif conscious of their masters' haste, leapt fearlessly over thefragments of ruins which, in many places, strewed the road. With bridleand spur their riders kept them up, for a fall would have thrown theminto the power of their fancied pursuers. After making a considerablecircuit, Policarpio and Antonio approached the stable where they were toleave their horses. Leaping from his horse, Policarpio opened the doorof the stable, for they were the first arrived, and entered, orderinghis companion to follow, and to take off the saddles from their steeds.Having placed the horses in their stalls, the
y waited the return of theother two, in anxious expectation. Some minutes elapsed, and yet theyarrived not.
"Can they have been seized?" muttered Policarpio to himself; "if so, allis lost, and I must make my escape."
"We have made Teixeira pay dearly for his insolence," said AntonioFerreira. "Think you he could possibly have escaped? We sent shotenough through the carriage to kill most men."
"Think you we should have run all this risk, and taken so much trouble,merely to kill a vile wretch as he is? But talk not of it again. Weaimed at far higher game than he is; he may have been within, for it washis carriage; but it was not his paltry life we aimed at. It is theKing we have killed!"
"Heaven pardon me!" exclaimed Antonio, in a trembling voice; "I thoughtnot to have done such a deed!"
"Bah! this is no time for repentance," answered Policarpio. "What isthe difference between one man's life and another's. You have done yourmaster a greater service than you thought. But silence; some one mayoverhear us: the devil has quick ears."
They waited some time longer for their companions.
"I fear me, Manoel and your friend have been captured," whisperedAntonio.
"If so, we shall to a certainty be betrayed; and in flight is our onlychance of safety. Adeos! friend Antonio. I shall take one course, andyou may take another. This country will be no longer a safe abode foreither of us."
He went, as he spoke, to the door of the stable, and was about to hastenaway, when he heard the sound of horses approaching, and directly after,the masked stranger, with Manoel, rode up. The former leaping to theground, gave the reins to Policarpio. "I shall return homeward onfoot," he said. "Let silence and discretion be your motto, my friends,and you are safe; you shall not be forgotten." And the stranger inblack disappeared in the obscurity. Having relieved the horses fromtheir saddles, and well fed them, Policarpio, with his two friends,returned to the Quinta.
As they entered a room, where lights were burning, they gazed at eachother's pale and haggard countenances, on which guilt had alreadystamped its indelible marks. Conscience-struck, they scarce dared tospeak of the deed they had done. Policarpio was the first to recoverhis usual daring.
"Come, my friends," he cried, filling for himself a bumper of wine,"banish these childish fears. Here's to the health of the next King whoshall reign over us, and may he prove a better master than the last!"His companions endeavoured in vain to imitate his careless bearing,though, at his desire, they gladly pledged him.
"Ah!" he continued, "to-morrow the whole city will ring with thisnight's work! but no one will suspect us of the deed; and if they do, itmatters little--we shall be above all fear of punishment."
"I wish it were not done," muttered Antonio; "I thought not to kill theKing."
"I pray we have not missed doing so," answered Policarpio. "Curses onthe weapons that failed when most required."
"Who were those who accompanied us," asked Manoel; "they seemed not oflow degree?"
"That matters not, friend," responded Policarpio; "you will gain yourreward, and seek not to know more."
Fearful of returning home, the two servants of the Marquis of Tavorathrew themselves, overcome with fatigue, on the ground; but sleepvisited not the murderers' eyes that night, their victim's shriek stillrung in their ears, and their guilty hearts still beat with fears of thefuture.
Volume 3, Chapter IX.
In a large saloon, richly furnished with every article of luxury theninvented to minister to comfort or to pride, a young lady was seated ona sofa, before a table, on which had been thrown some fancy-work, withwhich she had been endeavouring to amuse herself. Her face was turnedtowards the ground, and while, her elbow resting on a cushion, shesupported with her hand her small and delicately formed head, her otherarm, of beautifully rounded proportions, hung carelessly by her side. Agreyhound, of the graceful Italian race, and of pure fawn colour, wasleaping up and licking her fingers, in a vain endeavour to attract herattention to himself. A lamp, which hung from the lofty ceiling, (forit was night,) cast a bright light upon her high and polished brow, fromwhich her hair, as was the fashion, was drawn back; and it seemed thatthose long silken eyelashes of jet, which scarce concealed the lustre ofher eyes, cast down though they were, were glistening with tears. Oneof her small feet, on which she wore a high-heeled satin shoe, restingon a cushion, an ankle of the most slender proportions was revealed.Her gown was of the richest flowered silk; her whole costume, indeed,notwithstanding that she was thus alone and sad, was arranged with thegreatest elegance and care.
More than once a deep-drawn sigh escaped her, as her bosom heaved withagitated throbbings, which in vain she endeavoured to calm. Alas!lovely and young as she was, anguish was at her heart; for an accusingconscience was already at work within. Yet were others far moreguilty--traitors doubly damned, who walked abroad in the well-sustainedcharacters of honest men; while she, the betrayed, the abandoned wife,was left to mourn alone, or to receive the treacherous consolations ofthe subtle seducer, a licensed prey to the slanderous tongues of themalignant.
Time passed on, yet she stirred not from her position; nor did any ofher domestics enter to interrupt her solitude. Her little dog haddesisted from his attempts to gain her notice, and, weary with hisgambols, had lain himself down at her feet, yet anxiously watching towin a look of encouragement from her eye. A clock, on a side table, hadsome time given notice that it wanted but two hours to midnight, whenthe Italian greyhound lifted his broad falling ears, half rising fromhis recumbent position. In a few seconds more, the noise which hadfirst aroused him was reiterated, and, leaping up, he ran towards thedoor, uttering a shrill bark, again running back to his mistress.
"Lie down, my pretty Fiel, lie down," the dog instantly obeying her."Ah! you will not too desert your mistress," she said, and relapsed intoher former thoughtful mood.
The next moment the door opened slowly--so silently, that the lady didnot look up; but her four-footed companion bounded forward, and leapt upfawningly on a gentleman who entered, of a dignified figure, dressed ina handsome costume, with a sword with a richly jewelled hilt by hisside. He allowed his hand to caress the little dog, as he advancedclose to the lady, and pronounced the name of "Theresa!"
The lady starting, with marked confusion, instantly rose, making onestep towards him; while he, stooping low, took her unresisting hand withrespectful devotion, imprinting on it a kiss: he then led her back tothe sofa, and seated himself by her side, gazing with deep admiration onher lovely countenance, now softened by an expression of melancholywhich rather increased than dimmed its attractions.
"Theresa, in spite of your commands, your wishes, I could not resist thetemptations of my heart again to visit you. I come to entreat you towithdraw your cruel prohibitions, which must reduce me to despair," andthe stranger knelt at the feet of Donna Theresa de Tavora.
"Rise, in mercy rise!" she exclaimed, with a trembling voice. "YourMajesty must not thus kneel to a subject."
"I will not rise till I know from those sweet lips that I am forgivenfor my fault," answered the King, in a tone of tender passion; for he itwas who thus took advantage of the forced absence of her husband to urgehis criminal suit.
"Your Majesty has committed no fault which I have power to forgive,"returned the Marchioness; "'tis I alone who am to blame for having daredto cherish a sentiment--for having owned that unhappy love which hasattracted your Majesty hither.--Rise, Sire, I must not see you thus."
"Your words afford balm to my bruised heart," answered the King, in anenraptured tone, again placing himself by her side; but she gentlywithdrew her hand from his clasp.
"Your Majesty mistakes my meaning," she said, with a vain attempt atfirmness; for her lips quivered as she spoke. "Hear me, my liege: it isnot on my own account I speak; for myself, I have no longer the power toretract. You know too well the secret of my heart; from henceforth mylot is one of sorrow and remorse: but it is for your Majesty's sake, Ibeseech you to come hither no more. The
re is a danger in it which I maynot--I dare not reveal, so terrible that I tremble at the thoughtalone."
"For your sake, sweet one, I would brave all danger," answered the King,with a gallant bow and a smile of incredulity; then suddenly changinghis tone, he added, "Surely no one would venture to lift his arm againstour person? Speak lady, does your husband meditate revenge, that wehave more highly appreciated those matchless charms than himself?"
"Oh! do not ask me, my liege," exclaimed the unhappy lady. "My husbandhas always proved himself a loyal subject; and surely naught but themost aggravated offence would drive him to commit treason against yourMajesty. I speak not of what I know, but my fears have raised upsuspicions, perchance but phantoms of the brain, yet should I be farhappier if I knew that you, my sovereign, would avoid the risk you runby pursuing one whose love may bring destruction on your head."
The King seemed dissatisfied with this answer, and the recollection ofhis Minister's assertions, that plots and conspiracies were constantlybrewing, but were discovered and defeated by his sagacity, now recurredto his mind with full force. In his fear, he forgot the character ofthe lover he was playing. "You hint to me that you have suspicions ofdanger to my person; but you neglect to tell me how to discover anddefeat it," he said, in a far different tone to that in which he hadbefore spoken.
A woman is quick to
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