The Genius (Carl Grosse)/Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
I directed my route to Madrid, where I arrived fix days after I left the widow. Here I resolved to spend all the ready money and bills I had brought with me from my estate, in mirth and joviality. I soon launched into dissipation, amidst a large circle of nominal friends, and passed near a twelvemonth in a continual round of concerts, masquerades, balls, and at the first gaming tables of the metropolis. I had always been on my guard against the plans of professed gamesters, but fate would have it, one unlucky night, that my money should melt in the hands of some of that rascally tribe. I rose from the pharo-table with no more property than would suffice to defray my necessary expences for another week. Overwhelmed with shame and despair, I made preparations to leave Madrid, where all my effects were sold to pay the debts I had contracted. I intended to return to Alcantara, and set out on my journey like a poor beggar on foot.
As I was pre-determined when I secretly left my estate under the care of Don Antonio never to apply to him for any remittances, nor let him know the places of my temporary residence, self-love and the mortification I now felt, made me still more averse to such a measure to extricate myself from difficulties. I set out from Madrid, with a very slender purse, which at the end of a few days journies, decreased very rapidly, and threatened me with every kind of the most humiliating distress. I resolved therefore to buy a guitar, before my stock should be-entirely gone, and knowing a great number of the most favourite popular ballads and songs by heart, I exercised my musical talents in every little town, burgh or village I passed, and met every where with tolerable success, especially among the women, whose ears I took care to treat with such songs, as I thought would best suit the temper of their mind. Thus, poor and contented, I got to within the distance of a few leagues from my villa, and in the humble character of a ballad-finger, might easily have traversed all Europe. I took up quarters at an inn of a neighbouring village, where a good number of swains and shepherdesses came to dance to the tune of my instrument.
In the height of their glee I felt something pull my coat from behind, and looking round, perceived it to be a large, ugly and half mangy cur. He jumped at me, and I had much ado to keep off his caresses; at last he whined, and however altered his form was, yet I immediately recognized him by his voice to be Fidello, the faithful companion of my infancy. But what a change was there in the poor animal! He had lost one eye, his ears were mangled, and tied with a cord round his neck, he now was the guide and servant of a ragged beggar. Irritated at the ingratitude of those, who to reward his long and faithful services had turned him off, I could not help shedding tears of indignation. I resolved never to part with him more. On enquiring of his then master, I not only learned poor Fidello's story, but also part of my own. It appeared, a groom had sold the dog to the pauper for a trifle. "Don Carlos de Grandez," pursued the mendicant, "is gone abroad and nobody knows whither. Don Antonio lives in great splendor at the villa, and does not imagine, that he will ever be brought to an account for it. A strange Lady with a little boy is with him, but whence the came, is unknown. She seems to live very modest and retired, and is often seen weeping in the bowers of the garden."
After racking my brain with a thousand conjectures about that strange Lady with the boy, who appeared so fad and melancholy while Don Antonio was so wondrous merry, and that most probably at my expence too I formed the plan of going to reconnoitre them in my disguise as a vagrant ballad-singer. It was not difficult to put it in execution, as my long beard, and uncombed hair, my sunburnt face, and my mean and shabby-grown coat, with foul linen made me look rather like a vagabond or a thief, than like my self I redeemed my Fidello from the beggar that very night, and with the instrument on my back, a large club in one hand, and leading my dog by a dirty string with the other, I set off for my villa the next morning.
At noon I was close to the wall that enclosed my garden. I came much prepossessed against Don Antonio, but at every step which led me nearer to the villa the unfavourable impressions my mind had received, began to diminish. I found the garden altered very much for the better, and every thing bore an aspect of taste and improvement.
Apprehending left Fidello should betray me, I set him loos, and he flew with the velocity of the wind through the principal gate of the edifice, without seeming to take farther notice of me. Finding the little garden door unlocked, I slily stole in, and crept on to a thicket, which led to one wing of the villa, and there laid for some time in ambush. Soon a little boy passed by me, playing with a large Newfoundland-dog. A Lady soon followed him, accompanied by a gentleman. It was Francisca with Don Antonio. She seemed more distressed and grieved than ever, and my friend walked by the side of her, apparently despairing of relieving her depressed mind by his conversation. After several turns in the garden, during which I could hardly refrain from discovering myself by embracing them, I saw them return to the house, and quitting my snug hiding place, resolved to follow.
On my approach, I heard poor Fidello howling most lamentably, probably owing to some Blows he received. This reception of my poor dog naturally made me somewhat anxious about my own. Art last Fidello perceiving me from the yard, runs in full cry into the garden to demand, as it were, my protection. Some of the valets, all new faces, pursue him with cudgels and several other dogs. One of the former discovering me, cried: "What business has this damned beggar here? Let's thrash him out of the premises."
No sooner had this suggestion been given than the merciless knights of the shoulder-knot faluted me with a volley of stones by way of a prelude.. I found myself in the melt awkward situation, and-was quite at a loss how to escape their cudgels or the pursuit of the hounds. So great was my rage, that had I had fire-arms about me, I believe I could have murdered them all. At last I am hemmed in from all sides, the cudgels are brandished over my head, and pity alone seems to prevent them from letting the hounds loose upon me. Poor Fidello, malled with blows, and lacerated with bites, still continued to exert his voice and teeth to defend me, but it was too unequal a match!
"Rascals," exclaimed I half despairing, "don't you know Don Carlos, your master?" "Curse the fellow, he's mad!" replied one of them, while his witticism was received with a peal of broad horse-laughs.
"Only fetch me Don Antonio," continued I, "and he'll soon make you repent your insolence." Another fellow now had the temerity to spit in my face. "What, don't you see, cries a third, it is a proud, drunken Hidalgo?" "Well," said the fourth, "I'll bring him an answer from master. Let him alone, till I come back." Shamming to go to the villa, he presently returned, and applying his cudgel vigorously to my back, called out: "Don Antonio begs his compliments and fends thee this!"
I made a desperate resistance, but was obliged to yield to superior numbers; my guitar was beat in splinters on my back, at last I repulsed them twice. Poor Fidello was engaged on his part with the hounds, but soon remained dead on the field of combat. I think my fury would have made me triumph over the villains, two of whom I had already completely disabled from continuing the fight, but perceiving the gardner and his laborers come to their assistance, I thought it time to decamp, and jumping over a broad ditch,. found refuge from their attacks and pursuits in a little wood.
Here I fell fore and exhausted to the ground, covered with wounds, blood and contusions, and every bone aching from the treatment I had experienced. "A fine reception," exclaimed I with bitterness, "from my own people." What a wonderful change is there in every thing! Being finally relieved from these painful reflections by the consolatory thought of my distress being only fictitious, I resolved to go to Alcantara, in hopes of being avenged of Don Antonio, to whose perfidy I began to attribute the usage I had met with on the part of his scoundrel domestics.