The Genius (Carl Grosse)/Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Nowithstanding the muleteer made the utmost dispatch possible, I thought my journey from Cadiz to Alcantara the slowest I ever made. On my arrival, I flew immediately to the Corregidor, to obtain the release of two innocent men, condemned to the horrors of a dungeon, and loaded with the galling chains of supposed criminality. He received me with astonishment, and heard my tale with sullen remorse. "You come too late, Don Carlos," said the judge, "one of the victims of presumptive guilt is no more. Twice he was put to the tormenting rack, and suffered his body to be lacerated by the whip of the executioner, and his limbs to be forced out of joint by the fatal machine: still persisting in the solemn profession of his innocence. During the third performance of the torture, nature yielded, and with his last dying groan, he said: 'I am innocent!'—He has left a wife and three children without support, who will have to bewail this legal murder. As to the other unhappy man, he has been once put to the torture, which had such an effect on his frame, that an immediate repetition of the cruel process, would doubtless put an end to his existence. By the advice of the surgeon of the prison, he has been respited for three weeks, and though you are come to restore his liberty, I am afraid it will be but of little comfort to him, as he is already made a cripple for life. What a shocking reflection for a judge, that he has himself committed the crime of murder, which with a mistaken zeal, and authorized by the form of barbarous laws, he only intended to punish. Though these absolve me from all guilt, yet how criminal and remorseful do I stand at the shrine of violated humanity! I am inconsolable, Sir, and begin to detest the office, which defeating the ends of real justice, constitutes me the lawful tormentor of those of my fellow-creatures who innocently incur the suspicion of crime."
"Worthy Magistrate," interrupted I, "such delicate and humane feelings, in the bosom of a man that holds so stern and rigorous a charge as you do; a charge the exercise of which is apt to nip every germ of pity, and to steel the heart against the soft sensations inspired by the sight of the suffering wretch—such feelings excite my admiration and double my reverence. But I cannot join in condemning you, for having been the involuntary author of the destruction of an innocent person, since your motives were pure, and the circumstances such as baffled all human caution and foresight. You are bound to execute the laws, which, if they be cruel or insufficient throw all the censure and responsibility on those only that enacted them, and not on the inferior functionary, that has neither the power to amend, nor to abrogate. The case of the two unfortunate sufferers is shocking beyond description, but the whole remorse ought to bear on their denunciators, and in the first instance, on the execrable villains, who exposed the dead and mangled body with such false marks and appearances as to represent me. I will cheerfully give one-half of my fortune, if any of the inventors of that diabolical scheme can be discovered, and do intreat your worship to circulate notices to this purport all over Spain. As to the family of the unfortunate man that is now dead, I will make a suitable provision for them for life. Nor will I neglect to make amends to his surviving companion, whose release I beg you will now sign and permit me to deliver it to him."
The Corregidor instantly complying with my request, I hastened to the prison, to embrace the unhappy object of unmerited punishment, and to acquaint him with his deliverance. Being admitted into the dreary cell in which he was confined, I was so overwhelmed with pain at the sight of his miserable condition, that I had just time to rush into his arms, and exclaim in half broken accents, "My dear friend, you are free!"—before I fainted. The moment I recovered, the poor fellow was kneeling before me, quite transported with joy at the unexpected news of his liberty, which was confirmed to him by the goaler himself who had attended me to the dungeon. "Rise," cried I, "thou injured man, it is I who ought to kneel to you, instead of your kneeling to me." I now told him the whole case respecting the pretended murder, and the happy vicissitude by which he was rescued from a cruel and ignominious death; adding, that I would settle an annuity upon him, sufficient for him to live in» comfortable independence for the remainder of his days. His gratitude seemed boundless, and having given him my purse with all its contents for a temporary supply, I took leave of him, and sent my own carriage to convey him to one of the principal inns of the city, to stay there to recruit his health and spirits, till he should have fixed on some place of residence. I then went to the widow of his deceased companion, to administer unto her all the consolation my eloquence could bestow, and to bring her all the relief that might be required. Attended by one of the runners of the prison, I entered an old mean house in the suburb, and was conducted to a garret, where a heart-rending scene again presented itself to my view!
A young woman, wan and pale with distress, was stretched out by illness and want on a litter of dirty straw, while three helpless children, provoked by famine, surrounded her piercing her ears with the cry of "bread!" The craving looks of this miserable family plainly spoke, that they had been without this necessary article for some time, nor was there the least crumb of it to be found in their desolate shed. A large pitcher of water, besides the straw, was all that was left of moveable property; an unfeeling landlord having a few days before seized the very bed of the wretched mother, to pay the arrears of the rent which had been owing ever since her ill-fated husband's confinement. His unhappy fate had not only overwhelmed her with grief and disease, but both the world and the world's law had ceased to befriend her. Sharing the unmerited infamy of her husband, she had found, wherever she applied for relief, the gates of pity and charity shut against her, and, her guiltless offspring; such are the effects of barbarous prejudice in Oy country not sufficiently enlightened with the torch of reason, or warmed with the beneficent glow of universal philanthropy. I was all feeling, when I heard the disastrous tale of this unhappy mother, and pouring the balm of comfort into the deep wounds her suffering breast had received, gladdened her maternal heart with the promise of ample and instant relief, and a decent provision to support her children and self. In order to give a prompt effect to my promise, in proportion to the exigency of the circumstances, I put my hand in my pocket to pull out some gold, but found none, as I had already bestowed it on the man in the prison, together with the purse that contained it. Unwilling however, that their sufferings of which I considered myself as a distant cause, should unnecessarily be prolonged, even for a moment, I took a diamond ring off my finger, and begged my conductor to go and pledge it. Having waited his return I remitted the produce to the widowed parent, informing her at the same time, that in a few days I would put her in possession of a farm on one of my estates, and settle an annuity upon her and her children. Having received her most fervent blessings, I took my leave of her, deeply moved with this horrid scene of human affliction.
Thus I spent the three first hours after my arrival at Alcantara in the deliverance of one innocent man, and in making to the relict of another, that had perished unjustly, some sort of compensation for the cruel and irreparable loss she had sustained. Such were the laws which humanity prescribed to my conduct, and which, in my opinion, ought always to outweigh the secondary considerations of friendship and polite custom. The genteel and the ceremonious will wonder, why I did not first visit my friends; but I will answer them, that where the life of the innocent is at stake, humanity justly claims our first care, and as justly supersedes the offices of friendship. To have acted otherwise, would have been fixing an indelible sigma of remorse upon my conscience. My friends were perfectly safe, they neither suffered from want nor from the galling chains of imprisonment, while, on the other hand, I knew innocence hovering on the brink of destruction for my sake.
I now went to my mother's late mansion, where on my approach, the escutcheon hung out in its front, painfully convinced me of its being deserted by its respected and beloved tenant, I knocked; a strange servant opened the door, and having enquired after Don Antonio, was informed that he was up stairs.
I desired the man to announce immediately to his master the arrival of Don Carlos de Grandez, his friend, who was supposed to have been murdered. The fellow walked up and I followed him gently to the very door of the apartment. I heard him deliver his message, on which I prepared to enter, when my friend prevented me by eagerly flying to the door and rushing into my arms. The circumstances and sensations attending such a meeting are better passed over in silence, as they beggar all the powers of language. Having remained for some time in mute rapture, I did all I could to rouze him from his astonishment, by relating every particular of my late adventures and the supposed murder. Hardly able to articulate his words, he expressed his regret at the fate of the unhappy sufferers, and seemed to be extremely agitated with grief and remorse. I told him, what I had done for the relief of the surviving innocent man, and of the family of him that was dead. All I could say, had but little effect on composing his perturbed spirits, and the only consolation he felt, was, as he told me, his having an ample fortune, which allowed him to make some amends to those cruelly injured persons, which he afterwards did, in the same proportion I had already done.
He then gave me ample details of the melancholy death of my mother, who had left a will, constituting Alfonso, my servant and guide, sole heir of the bulk of our property. "I was present," said Don Antonio, "when this will was made; and remonstrated against a munificence which I condemned as ill-bestowed, urging at the same time in support of my argument, that Alfonso, according to appearances, might be suspected as the author, or at least an accomplice in the crime, since he had absconded, and that had he been faithful, he must have been found murdered with his master. But all my logic could not dissuade her from the resolution she had taken, and she declared on her death-bed, that any one who should harass Alfonso with legal pursuits, would be the enemy of her name and family, as she was convinced, from reasons not to be divulged, of his incorruptible honor and integrity. A clause was then inserted in the will, unknown to me, by which I was to succeed to your property, and the remainder to be distributed in charitable donations, if Alphonso should not make his appearance. Meanwhile I was appointed executor in concert with the Governor of this city. This will, by her directions, was opened immediately after the burial of her remains, which were deposited close to the supposed murder ed body, in your family vault. I have now to lament, that I left directions with the corregidors of all the principal cities and towns to detain Alfonso wherever he should be found. I hope my friendship will plead my excuse, since the mysterious assurances of your mother, did not afford me sufficient reason not to try such an expedient to gain the ends of public justice. My suspicion would also have fallen upon Francisca and Don Pedro, the latter of whom returned to his wife the day after your departure, and is since gone with her to Mexico, where he holds the office of Comptroller, by the King's own nomination and appointment. I shall now fend for the Governor, and Dons Fernandos and Bernardos, who have suffered much for your sake, but whose friendship will deem itself sufficiently rewarded by seeing you again.
I embraced my Antonio and thanking him with tears, we passed several hours in such important conversation, as had escaped us before. Soon after my two friends came, and the rest of the day glided away in joyful raptures at this unexpected meeting. At night, the governor also came, when being made acquainted with the whole of my marvellous story, the will and executorship were formally cancelled and resigned to me. It was not till early in the morning when my friends retired, after which Don Antonio and I continued together to fettle the necessary fums destined for the maintenance of the released innocent man, the widow, and her orphan children. This done, we both betook ourselves to rest.