The adventures of Alphonso and Marina: An Interesting Spanish Tale, Page 2

finds the lattice open; his cries collect the servants,and the alarm is immediately given, that Marina is missing.

  Alphonso, in despair, immediately offered to go in quest of her.Henriquez, thanking him for the concern he expressed, declared hisresolution to accompany him. Alphonso suggested, that the probability offinding her would be greater, if they took different roads. Accordingly,he hastened to rejoin his domestics: and not doubting but Marina hadtaken the road to Portugal, put his horses at full speed. But theirswiftness only removed him farther from the object of his love; whileHenriquez galloped towards the Alpuxarian mountains, the way whichMarina had actually taken.

  In the mean time, Marina continued to wander, disconsolate, along theroad that led to the Alpuxares. Presently she heard the clattering noiseof approaching horses; and at first, imagined it might be her belovedAlphonso: but, afterward, fearful of discovery, or apprehensive ofrobbers, she concealed herself, trembling, behind some bushes.

  Here she presently saw Henriquez pass by, followed by a number ofservants. Shuddering at the danger of being again in the power ofAlonzo, if she continued in the high road, she turned aside, and tookrefuge in a thick wood.

  The Alpuxares are a chain of mountains, which extend from Granada to theMediterranean. They are inhabited only by a few peasants. To these, fearand terror conducted the unfortunate maid. A dry and stony soil, with afew oak trees, thinly scattered: some torrents and echoing cataracts,and a number of wild goats, leaping from precipice to precipice; are theonly objects which present themselves at day-break to the eyes ofMarina. Exhausted, at length, by fatigue and vexation, she sat down inthe cavity of a rock, through the clefts of which a limpid water gentlyoozed.

  The silence of this grotto, the wildness of the landscape around, thehoarse and distant murmur of several cascades, and the noise of thewater near her, falling drop by drop into the bason it had hollowedbeneath, all conspired to excite in Marina the most melancholysensations. Now she thought herself cruelly abandoned by her lover; andnow she persuaded herself that some mistake had happened: 'It certainlycould not be Alphonso,' said she, 'to whom I gave my diamonds. I musthave been mistaken. No doubt he is now far hence, seeking me withanxiety and distraction; while I, as far distant from him, am perishinghere.'

  While thus mournfully ruminating, Marina, on a sudden, heard the soundof a rustic flute. Attentively listening, she soon heard an harmoniousvoice, deploring, in plaintive strains, the infidelity of his mistress,and the miseries of disappointed love.

  'And who can be more sensible of this than myself?' said Marina, leavingthe grotto, in search of this unfortunate lover.

  She found a young goatherd, sitting at the foot of a willow, his eyesbedewed with tears, and intent on the water as it issued from its rockysource. In his hand he held a flagalet, and by his side lay a staff anda little parcel.

  'Shepherd,' said Marina, 'you are no doubt forsaken by your Mistress:have pity on one abandoned, like yourself, and conduct me to somehabitation, where I may procure sustenance, at least, though notrepose!'

  'Alas! Madam,' answered the goatherd, 'I wish it were in my power toconduct you to the village of Gadara, behind these rocks: but you willnot ask me to return thither, when you are informed that my mistress isthis day to be married to my rival. I am going to leave these mountains,never to behold them more; and I carry nothing with me but my flute, achange of dress, which I have in this parcel, and the memory of thehappiness which I have lost.'

  This short account suggested a new project to Marina.

  'My friend,' said she to the goatherd 'you have no money, which you willcertainly want, when you have left this country. I have a few ducats,which I will divide with you, if you let me have the dress in yourparcel.'

  The goatherd accepted the offer. Marina gave him a dozen ducats, and,having learned the road to Gadara, took her leave of the despairinglover, and returned into the grotto to put on her disguise.

  She came out habited in a vest of chamois skin, with a shepherd's wallethanging by her side, and, on her head, a hat ornamented with ribbands.In this attire she appeared yet more beautiful than when adorned withbrocades and jewels. She took the road to the village, and, stopping inthe market-place, enquired of the peasants, if they knew of any farmerwho wanted a servant.

  The inhabitants surround her, and survey the stranger with admiration.The girls express their surprise at the beauty of her flowing ringlets.Her elegant form, her graceful manner, the brilliancy of her eyes, eventhough dejected, their superior intelligence and mild benignity,astonish and delight all beholders. No one could conceive from whencecame this beautiful youth. One imagines him a person of high distinctionin disguise; another, a prince in love with some shepherdess; while theschoolmaster, who was at the same time the poet of the village,declared it must be Apollo, sent down, a second time, to keep sheepamong mortals!

  Marina, who assumed the name of Marcello, was not long in want of amaster. She was hired by an aged alcaid, or judge of the village,esteemed one of the worthiest men in the whole province.

  This honest countryman soon contracted the warmest friendship forMarina. He scarcely suffered her to tend his flock for a month before hegave her an employment within his house, in which the pretended Marcellobehaved with so much propriety and fidelity, that he was equally belovedby his master, and the servants.

  Before he had lived here six months, the alcaid, who was more thaneighty, left the management of all his affairs to Marcello: he evenasked his opinion in all the causes that came before him, and never hadany alcaid decided with so much justice as he, from the time hepermitted himself to be guided by the advice of Marcello, who wasproposed as an example to all the village: his affability, his pleasingmanner, and his good sense, gained every heart. 'See the excellentMarcello,' cried the mothers to their sons, 'he is perpetually employedin rendering his old master's age happy, and never neglects his duty, torun after the shepherdesses!'

  Two years passed away in this manner. Marina, whose thoughts werecontinually employed on her lover, had sent a shepherd, in whom shecould confide, to Granada, to procure information concerning DonAlphonso, Alonzo, and Henriquez. The shepherd brought word back, thatAlonzo was dead, Henriquez married; and that Alphonso had not been seenor heard of for two years.

  Marina now lost all hope of again beholding her lover, and, happy inbeing able to pass her days in that village, in the bosom of peace andfriendship, had resolved to bid an eternal adieu to love, when the oldalcaid, her master, fell dangerously ill. Marcello attended his lastmoments with all the affection of a son, and the good old man behaved tohim like a grateful father: he died and left all he possessed to thefaithful Marcello. But his will was far from being a consolation to hisheir.

  The whole village lamented the alcaid, and, after his funeral rites werecelebrated, the inhabitants assembled to choose a successor. In Spaincertain villages have the right of nominating their own alcaid, whoseoffice it is to decide their differences, and take cognizance of greatercrimes by arresting and examining the offenders, and delivering themover to the superior judges, who generally confirm the sentence of thoserustic magistrates; for good laws are always perfectly consonant tosimple reason.

  The assembled villagers unanimously agreed, that no one could be soproper to succeed the late alcaid as the youth whom he seemed to havedesigned for his successor. The old men, therefore, followed by theirsons, came with the usual ceremonies to offer Marina the wand, theensign of the office. Marina accepted, and sensibly touched by such aproof of esteem and affection from these good people, resolved toconsecrate to their happiness a life which she had formerly intended todedicate to love.

  While the new alcaid is engaged with the duties of her office, let usreturn to the unfortunate Don Alphonso, whom we left galloping towardsPortugal, and continually removing farther from the beloved object ofhis pursuit.

  Don Alphonso arrived at Lisbon, without obtaining any intelligence ofMarina, and immediately returned, by the same road, to search everyplace he had before in va
in examined; again he returned to Lisbon, butwithout success.

  After six months ineffectual enquiry, being convinced that Marina hadnever returned to Granada, he imagined she might perhaps be at Seville,where, he knew, she had relations. He immediately hastened to Seville,and there found that Marina's relations had just embarked for Mexico.

  Don Alphonso no longer doubted that his mistress was gone with them, anddirectly went on board the last ship which remained to sail. He arrivedat Mexico, where he found the relations, but alas! no Marina: they hadheard nothing of her: he, therefore, returned to Spain. And now the shipis attacked by a violent storm, and cast away on the coast of Granada;he, and a few of the passengers, save themselves by swimming; they land,and make their way to the mountains, to procure assistance, and, byaccident or love, are conducted to Gadara.

  Don Alphonso and his unfortunate companions, took refuge in the firstinn, congratulating each other