Tales of the Wonder Club Volume III Part 10

ACT III.

SCENE I.--_Outside the castle of Don Silvio. The castle of Don Diego seen in the background, upon the opposite peak of the mountain. Time: Sunrise. Don Silvio and Donna Rodriguez._

D. SIL. My tears still blind my eyes. Look out, Rodriguez, And see if there be traces of my daughter.

Alas! alas! this h.o.a.ry head is bowed As 'neath the weight of yet a score of years.

Oh, Inez, Inez! What a fate is thine!

An thy young life be spared, could ought repay Th' injury done thine honour at the hands Of these bold, lawless, gipsies? Woe is me!

Let me not think on't, or I shall go mad.

ROD. My lord, as I stand gazing towards the west, Methinks I see a dusty cloud advance; As were't a troup of hors.e.m.e.n at full speed, And bearing towards the castle. Now I see The limbs of horses and the arms of men; The sound of human voices, too, I hear, And, as they still approach, the distant tramp Of horses' hoofs is plainly audible.

And now, unless my eyesight play me false, Foremost among a file of glittering pikes, I do discern Don Diego's waving plume.

'Tis he! and bearing at his saddle bow My mistress Inez. Oh, thank G.o.d! she's safe.

Do you not hear, my master, what I say?

Your daughter's safe! Come, cheer up, good my lord.

D. SIL. (_Musingly_). Safe! didst thou say! My daughter's honour safe?

ROD. How say you, sir? Her honor! Nay, her life?

D. SIL. (_Musingly_). Life without honor!

ROD. Sure, my lord's not well!

(_Aside._) The blow has been too much for him, and turned His aged head. Oh, my poor, poor master!

I tell him of his daughter's safe return, And straight he 'gins to prate about her honor.

(_Aloud._) Look! look! Senor, at yonder cavalcade, How it sweeps along; and now, behold, Next to Don Diego is his servant Juan; And there is Pedro. Bless his good old soul!

There the valiant hunter. Then all the crowd Of va.s.sals and retainers, and the guard, [_Cheers without._ With the armed populace. Hark! What cheering!

D. SIL. Is it, indeed, my daughter? Let me see; 'Tis she, 'tis she; Oh, Inez!

_Enter_ INEZ, _accompanied by_ DON DIEGO. _Behind_, PEDRO, JUAN, HUNTER, _and_ ATTENDANTS.

INEZ. (_Embracing Don Silvio._) Father! Father!

ROD. My little mistress, Inez! What, no kiss For poor old nurse Rodriguez!

INEZ. (_Embracing Rodriguez._) Good Rodriguez!

[_Don Diego comes forward, whilst Inez in the background appears to be relating her adventures to Don Silvio and Donna Rodriguez._

D. DIE. (_Sotto._) What work I had to quell the dusky band, And carry off my prize. G.o.d only knows How the black caitiffs fought! Like demons d.a.m.ned; Incited on by their own swarthy queen, My former love. Bah! why recall the past, The ebullitions of a youthful l.u.s.t, Now five-and-twenty years agone and more?

And that at such a moment, too, as this, When, acting bridegroom for the second time, I now do lay my heart and hand, my wealth, My land, and castle, all my fair domain At fair Inez' feet. Poor Silvio's daughter!

A few hour's more, and she will be my own.

In my own private chapel at midnight, And not one minute later, there a priest Of my own choice, shall join our hands together.

'Twixt this and then, I must so use the time To win her fairly, and by wiles t'efface The prejudice young hearts by Nature have Against old age. If needs be, I must use Dissimulation and well act the saint, That she may not give credit to the tales That idle gossip may have crammed her with Against my moral character. And now I do bethink me that the readiest way Of all to win her over to my will Would be to tempt with goodly bribe her nurse (What will not such a woman do for gold?) To speak some little word in praise of me; Talk of my love for her, my name, my fame, My wealth, my virtues. How this match of hers Will please her aged father. And again, Should she be coy, and wickedly refuse The fortune heaven has strewed along her path, Let her reflect upon the consequences.

I would act fair with her, for I'd be loath To lead to the altar an unwilling bride In sight of all my va.s.sals and retainers.

Yet, an she yield not (for as yet it seems She looks with cold suspicion on my suit), Why, then; why, then, however loath to use it, Force must accomplish all when goodwill fails.

I cannot well expect much help at sixty From youthful graces, as when first I wooed My gipsy queen. _There!_ ever and anon From out the past these memories will arise, Like phantoms, threatening whether I will or no.

Avaunt! begone! And yet I cannot choose But call to mind how, middle in the fray, The dead and wounded lying all around, Her dusky form arose before my path, And all undaunted stood with staff in hand And glance so terrible, I would as lief Meet with the King of Terrors face to face As that same virago. Yet there she stood, And with uplifted arm, in clear tones cried, "Traitor, beware! Thy star is on the wane, Think not to conquer always, for a hand Mightier than thine shall yet subdue thee.

Blood is on thy hand. Thine own blood shall flow.

The stars foretell thy downfall, so look to it."

I heard no more, for I had barely placed My Lady Inez at my saddle bow, Mid smoke of carbines and the clash of arms: Myself with drawn sword cutting right and left, So could but pay slight heed to what she said, And set off homeward with my goodly prize, Leaving the baffled foe behind to moan.

Yet, through the smoke and dust of horses' hoofs, Still, for a time, I heard the h.e.l.lish cry: "Vengeance on the traitor! Vengeance, vengeance!"

I know not why her words cut deeper than Had they been the words of any other; But from _her_ lips they came with such a force, They seemed to rend the air, and enter deep Into the very caverns of my soul, Turning my blood to milk, so that my arm Fell nerveless to my side, and my good blade Did well-nigh drop from out my hand. But hus.h.!.+

It never must be known that Don Diego, Though old in years, quailed before tongue of woman.

Bah! away with all fear of childish threats.

And, swarthy hag! do thou thy devilmost.

[_Inez comes forward, between Don Silvio and Rodriguez. Don Silvio motions for Rodriguez to retire. Exeunt Rodriguez and attendants._

INEZ. Nay, one thing still doth mar the joy I feel At having pa.s.sed the dangers of last night.

Though I stand safely on my father's hearth, And see him 'live and well, and know that I Have henceforth naught to fear, yet still my thoughts Will ever wander towards the gipsy camp, Close by the couch of that brave youth who fought At cost of his own life, to rescue me From out their hands.

D. DIE. How say you, lady fair?

What youth? You dream. 'Twas I who rescued you.

INEZ. Your pardon, sir; but I was safe already.

I thank you for your courtesy, the same.

You thought to rescue me.

D DIE. How now? _Thought to?_

D. SIL. Friend Diego, the tale runs thus: My daughter, Accompanied by our old serving man, Had hardly been attacked by the gang And forced to dismount, when a comely youth Of gentle blood----

D. DIE. Ay, ay, the hunter's story!

D. SIL. Just so. Well, my daughter says the gipsies Meant her no harm. Merely would detain her.

D. DIE. _Meant her no harm!_ Ha, ha! Gipsies ne'er do.

_Merely detain her!_ Good again! Ha, ha!

Only so long as they might hope to get A pretty ransom. Why, friend Silvio?

D. SIL. The pelf and trinkets that she had upon her Were not demanded.

D. DIE. No; 'twas nought to what They looked forward to as goodly ransom.

INEZ. Of their motives I know nothing; but she Who seemed to be the queen of all the tribe Did use to me such courtesy and kindness As had she been my mother. Even when That n.o.ble youth, thinking us in danger, Rushed in upon them, killing and maiming All who dared withstand him, till at length Himself, poor soul! fell wounded in my cause.

E'en then the queen herself had pity on him, And helped me bind his wounds.

D. DIE. What of all this?

INEZ. To show you gipsies have good qualities E'en as Christians.

D. DIE. Bah! traitors, all of them.

But, what of this young man? This--this----