The Prime Minister Part 41

"In overthrowing the Minister, am I ready to hazard all; and never will I act otherwise than as becomes a high n.o.ble of the realm; nor will my sword be slow to avenge any insult offered to me or mine; but of the King have I ever been a faithful servant, and faithful will I die. Urge me then no more to engage in conspiracies which can but end in the destruction of all concerned." The Marquis rose as he spoke, and quitted the apartment, as the most easy way of finis.h.i.+ng the discussion.

His lady gazed at his retiring form, but attempted not to stop him.

"Oh! that I were a man, to lead the faint-hearted beings with whom I am a.s.sociated!" she exclaimed. "The slightest shadow of danger frightens them from the most n.o.ble undertakings; the prophets of Heaven counsel them, but they will not listen to their words; even if the dead were to arise to a.s.sure them of it, they would not believe that the deed is a righteous one, and must be successful. Yet have I still some hopes that my lord will not close his ears to the divine words of the holy Malagrida, and that he may be brought round to follow his counsels. I will pray to the Blessed Virgin that she will turn his heart to the right path."

The Marchioness then retired to her own chamber, and, throwing herself on her knees before her private altar, she poured forth her prayers to her patron saint for the success of an enterprise, which was for the destruction of a King, the placing an usurper on his throne, the restoration of a tyrannical order of the priesthood, and the enslaving a whole people with the grossest of superst.i.tions; yet not for a moment did it occur to her that she was performing an act otherwise than grateful to Heaven. No; she fully believed that her motives were pure and holy; and she felt a.s.sured that pride, ambition, and hatred formed no part of her incentives to action. Yet were they the chief motives, veiled from her own eyes by a fancied zeal for religion.

In the mean time, Antonio and Manoel Ferreira, two of the princ.i.p.al servants of the Marquis, as soon as they were released from attendance on their master, hurried off to the Quinta of the Duke of Aveiro, which was at no great distance from that of the Tavoras.

"What think you that villain Teixeira deserves for thus daring to insult our lord?" said Manoel to his brother, as they walked along.

"Nothing less than his death would satisfy me, if I were in our master's place," answered Antonio.

"My very thought," said the other.

"But then, you know that it would be beneath the dignity of so great a lord as our master to slay with his own hand a man of such low birth as this upstart Teixeira," observed Antonio.

"The very thing I was going to say; but should we not be doing a service to our lord, think you, and be well paid for it too, if we were to put a piece of lead into this impudent servant of the King's," said Manoel.

"For my part, I should have no scruples on the subject, and we should have plenty of opportunities as he drives about at night in his carriage, for no good purpose either--the base villain--I warrant. How proud he has become, too, with his fine clothes and his carriage! Why, I recollect him no better than either of us were at that time, when he was glad enough to call us his friends, and now he would not speak to us if he met us."

"True enough, brother," observed Antonio. "Yet, where is the difference? We are honest men, and serve a Marquis, he is a rogue, and serves a King;--so he rides inside a carriage of his own, while we ride outside our master's."

"The vain upstart! He does serve a King, in more ways than one; but he shall pay dearly for it," exclaimed Manoel. "You heard what our lady said at dinner to-day, and I think it is our duty to take the hint."

"What mean you?" asked Antonio.

"Mean I? it is clear enough--that we are bound to shoot him, of course,"

returned the other. "You have grown dull, Antonio. You see we shall thus serve ourselves and our master into the bargain."

"I understand you clearly enough now; but should we not to a certainty be discovered?" asked the less daring Antonio.

"It would matter little if we were, after the deed was done. Our master could protect us," returned Manoel.

"We will think about it to-morrow," said Antonio. "I wonder what Senhor Policarpio wanted with us this evening, that he insisted we must visit him."

"We shall soon learn, for here we are at the gate. Now, he is a man I like; though he is chief servant of a duke, there is no pride or vanity about him. He is just as friendly with us as ever."

Manoel having p.r.o.nounced this eulogium on Senhor Policarpio, they entered the gates of the Quinta, and went in search of their friend. He received them with all imaginable courtesy, and conducted them to his own apartment, where a repast was spread in readiness for them by his own servant.

"Welcome, senhors," said Senhor Policarpio. "I have done my best to entertain you; for, when such friends as you are honour me with their company, I like to be hospitable." The two followers of the Marquis bowed at the compliment. "Ah! it is not every day I have this pleasure," continued the host. "But never mind, we shall soon all see better days, when a certain friend of mine becomes higher than he even now is, and Senhor Don Joseph finishes his life. The sooner he does so the better, as far as I am concerned."

We do not intend to detail the conversation of these worthy personages; indeed, it is so nearly illegible in the ma.n.u.script before us, that it would be a work of great labour to decipher it. During the time, Senhor Policarpio went to a closet, from which he produced three guns, or rather blunderbusses, praising their excellent qualities. At first sight of them, his guests seemed much alarmed by the observations he at the same time made; but, quickly recovering, he persuaded them to repair with him to a retired part of the garden, where they might exercise themselves by firing at a mark.

While they were thus occupied, the lovely d.u.c.h.ess of Aveiro was seated in her drawing-room, with her embroidery frame before her, gazing over the orange groves at the lovely scene which the Castle of Belem on one side, and the placid river, now s.h.i.+ning in the light of the setting sun, and covered with vessels and boats, presented. A fine boy, of some fifteen years old, was in the room; her only son, the young Marquis of Gouvea. He was leaning against the side of the window opposite to her, regarding her with a look of affection and respect, when the Duke abruptly entered. He threw his hat on the table with an indignant air, as he exclaimed--"By Heavens! I have again been insulted by this King beyond all bearance! He has had the audacity to declare to me that my son, forsooth, cannot marry the daughter of the Duke of Cadaval; and when I demanded his reasons for the refusal, he chose to give none. I told him that they were betrothed, and that I had set my heart on the match, as one in every way suitable to both parties; when he only answered, that he had arranged it differently. What say you, my son?

how do you like losing a fair bride through the caprice of a tyrant?"

"That I wish I were a man, to carry her off in spite of him," answered the young Marquis.

"Spoken like my son!" exclaimed the Duke. "But you shall not be disappointed. His days are numbered; and then we shall see who will venture to dispute our authority."

At these words the d.u.c.h.ess looked anxiously up at her husband. "I trust that you allude not to the designs you once spoke to me about," she said. "I had long hoped you had abandoned them."

"Why did you nourish so foolish a hope, lady?" exclaimed the Duke. "I should have thought my wife was equally interested with myself in their success."

"I hoped so because I feel convinced that they cannot fail to bring destruction on yourself, and ruin on all your family; to drag many to the scaffold, if you are unsuccessful; and to introduce the horrors of a civil war into the country should they succeed: but such cannot be; Heaven will not favour so guilty a purpose. Oh! hear me, my lord.

Abandon the dark and evil designs you have meditated. If you have any remaining love for your wife, if you regard the interests of your son, think not again of them."

The Duke laughed scornfully, as he asked, "What! would you not wish to be a queen, and see your son a prince?"

"I would far rather be a peasant's wife, than the queen of a blood-stained usurper; for, to become a king, such you must be,"

answered the d.u.c.h.ess, boldly. "No, my lord, I would not be cheated of my happiness by so deceitful a phantom."

"Silence, madam!" exclaimed the Duke, angrily. "This is but weak folly.

Would not you wish to be a prince, my boy?" he said, turning to his son.

"Gladly, if my father becomes a king," answered the young Marquis.

"Fear not, my boy. You shall be so; before long, too; but speak not of it, though I know I can trust you. Such I cannot your cousin, who would turn pale at the very thoughts of the enterprise; so utter not to him a syllable of what I have said."

His wife rose, trembling with agitation, to make a last appeal, and laying her hand upon his arm, she exclaimed, "Let me solemnly implore you to desist from this purpose; it cannot thrive--even should the King fall, you cannot succeed to his throne; the n.o.bles and people would rise up in one body against you, and hurl you, with your few friends, to destruction. Many who now, for their own interests, are cordial, would desert you, and, instead of a throne, you would mount a scaffold."

The Duke turned a scornful smile on her as she spoke, but she continued boldly,--"Last night I dreamed of this, and that I saw you, mangled and b.l.o.o.d.y, upon the ground, while a rude mob stood around, gazing at you with scoffs and jeers."

"Silence, foolish woman!" suddenly exclaimed the Duke, shaking her off, though turning pale at the thought of what she described. "I remain not to hear such mad nonsense as this. Go, and learn more wisdom;" and, with an angry frown on his brow, he rushed from the room.

The d.u.c.h.ess gave vent to her feelings in a flood of tears, while her son threw himself into her arms with fond solicitude, endeavouring to soothe her agitation, but in vain. She saw too clearly the dreadful future.

Volume 3, Chapter VII.

If the country inns of Portugal are bad, those of the cities are very little better. So thought Luis d'Almeida, as, towards the evening of a day at the very end of autumn, accompanied by his faithful Pedro, he rode into the capital. So think, also, most travellers of the present time, except when they are fortunate enough to secure rooms at the one or two tolerable hotels which Lisbon now affords.

Luis had never before been compelled to seek lodgings, having always had his father's palace to which to resort; so that now he was at a loss whither to direct his steps; for so unfitted did he feel himself for society, that he was very unwilling to seek for the hospitality of several friends, who he knew, however, would be very willing to afford it.

At last Pedro, who was very anxious to get housed in some place or other, intimated to his master that he had the honour of claiming as a relation an old lady who lived in a small house in the suburbs; that she was of the highest respectability, for her husband had held an office under government; and, indeed, she was apt rather to look down upon the number of poor relations who insisted on her acknowledging them as nephews, nieces, and cousins, to the sixth degree. Pedro, however, felt confident that, notwithstanding her high pretensions, she would be happy to receive, as a lodger in her house, a young n.o.bleman so highly esteemed as his master; and he undertook, if Don Luis would ride as far, to a.s.sure him of a cordial reception, provided she had not, by any chance since he heard of her, departed this life, or from any other reason changed her residence. Luis very gladly acceded to Pedro's proposal, for he was fatigued both in body and mind, and he thought that, in so remote a part of the city, he should be better able to avoid the annoyances to which he must be subject in a more public situation.

As they reached the house Pedro had indicated, he looked up, and, to his great delight, beheld an old lady busily employed in knitting at the open window.

"There she is, Senhor Conde," exclaimed Pedro. "That is my good aunt, and as kind an old lady as ever lived, when nothing puts her out of her way."

The old lady, hearing horses stopping at her door, put her head out of the window to see what it could possibly mean, when Pedro, bowing most respectfully, exclaimed, "Ah! my good aunt, my master and I have come a long way to see you; now do not come down, I will run upstairs to explain matters;" and, leaping from his horse, he begged the Count to excuse him, while he performed his promise.

As may be supposed, he had no great difficulty in persuading the old lady to receive a gallant cavalier like Luis for her guest, and she forthwith hurried down to pay him due honour. Pedro, a.s.sisting his master to dismount, the hostess conducted him upstairs, when, begging him to be seated, after various little complimentary speeches, she set about preparing a repast for him: with the aid of Pedro, and a little damsel, her maid-servant, a room also was made ready for his reception.

By the time these arrangements were completed, it was too late to think of going out in search of his friends, and he was glad when he was at length able to retire to his room. He threw himself on his bed, but not to sleep; the images of the past haunted him, and sad forebodings for the future. He thought of the danger to which Theresa was exposed, indefinite, and therefore more to be dreaded, and of the aid which he had pledged himself to afford, by means uncertain, perhaps criminal. He knew full well the pa.s.sionate and fierce disposition of the young Marquis of Tavora, and that no fears for the consequences would make him hesitate in proposing any measures which might rescue his wife, or, at the worst, vindicate his honour.

Early the following morning, Luis despatched Pedro to inform his young friend, Joze de Tavora, of his arrival; for, remembering the warnings of the Minister and of his mysterious friend, Senhor Mendez, he was unwilling to become more intimate with the rest of the family than was necessary, and therefore refrained from visiting at their house except on occasions when custom required it.

Luis had just taken his morning meal, when the young Tavora rushed into the room, and embracing him with affectionate warmth, exclaimed, "I lost not a moment, my dear Luis, in hastening hither, when I heard of your arrival. Say, you have come to aid us; you have come to join the n.o.ble cause of justice and honour, arrayed against the overbearing tyranny of the plebeian Minister, and his profligate tool--the so-called King of Portugal?"