贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > part10 >

第4章

part10-第4章

小说: part10 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



quaffed out of crystal cups; slept on beds of down; been arrayed in

the richest silks and brocades; ridden the fleetest steeds; enjoyed

the loves of the fairest maidens。 Weep not for me。 My present

reverse is but the inevitable course of fate。 I have committed acts

which render pardon hopeless。 I must await my punishment。〃

  His presentiment was correct。 The vengeance of Sidi Abu Said was

only to be satisfied by the blood of his rival; and the unfortunate

Ahmed was beheaded at Malaga; in the month Jumadi; in the year 559

of the Hegira (April; 1164)。 When the news was brought to the

fickle…hearted Hafsah; she was struck with sorrow and remorse; and put

on mourning; recalling his warning words; and reproaching herself with

being the cause of his death。

  Of the after fortunes of Hafsah I have no further trace than that

she died in Morocco; in 1184; outliving both her lovers; for Sidi

Abu Said died in Morocco of the plague in 1175。 A memorial of his

residence in Granada remained in a palace which he built on the

banks of the Xenil。 The garden of Maumal; the scene of the early lives

of Ahmed and Hafsah; is no longer in existence。 Its site may be

found by the antiquary in poetical research。



  The authorities for the foregoing: Alcantara; Hist。 Granada。 Al

Makkari; Hist。 Mohamed。 Dynasties in Spain。 Notes and illustrations of

the same by Gayangos。 Ibnu Al Kahttib; Biograph。 Dic。; cited by

Gayangos。 Conde; Hist。 Dom。 Arab。

               An Expedition in Quest of a Diploma。



  ONE OF the most important occurrences in the domestic life of the

Alhambra; was the departure of Manuel; the nephew of Dona Antonia; for

Malaga; to stand examination as a physician。 I have already informed

the reader that; on his success in obtaining a degree depended in a

great measure the union and future fortunes of himself and his

cousin Dolores; at least so I was privately informed by Mateo Ximenes;

and various circumstances concurred to corroborate his information。

Their courtship; however; was carried on very quietly and

discreetly; and I scarce think I should have discovered it; if I had

not been put on the alert by the all…observant Mateo。

  In the present instance; Dolores was less on the reserve; and had

busied herself for several days in fitting out honest Manuel for his

expedition。 All his clothes had been arranged and packed in the

neatest order; and above all she had worked a smart Andalusian

travelling jacket for him with her own hands。 On the morning appointed

for his departure; a stout mule on which he was to perform the journey

was paraded at the portal of the Alhambra; and Tio Polo (Uncle

Polo); an old invalid soldier; attended to caparison him。 This veteran

was one of the curiosities of the place。 He had a leathern visage;

tanned in the tropics; a long Roman nose; and a black beetle eye。 I

had frequently observed him reading; apparently with intense interest;

an old parchment…bound volume; sometimes he would be surrounded by a

group of his brother invalids; some seated on the parapets; some lying

on the grass; listening with fixed attention; while he read slowly and

deliberately out of his favorite work; sometimes pausing to explain or

expound for the benefit of his less enlightened auditors。

  I took occasion one day to inform myself of this ancient book; which

appeared to be his vade mecum; and found it to be an odd volume of the

works of Padre Benito Geronymo Feyjoo; and that one which treats about

the Magic of Spain; the mysterious caves of Salamanca and Toledo;

the Purgatory of San Patricio (St。 Patrick); and other mystic subjects

of the kind。 From that time I kept my eye upon the veteran。

  On the present occasion; I amused myself with watching him fit out

the steed of Manuel with all the forecast of an old campaigner。 First;

he took a considerable time in adjusting to the back of the mule a

cumbrous saddle of antique fashion; high in front and behind; with

Moorish stirrups like shovels; the whole looking like a relic of the

old armory of the Alhambra; then a fleecy sheepskin was accommodated

to the deep seat of the saddle; then a maleta; neatly packed by the

hand of Dolores; was buckled behind; then a manta was thrown over it

to serve either as cloak or couch; then the all…important alforjas;

carefully stocked with provant; were hung in front; together with

the bota; or leathern bottle for either wine or water; and lastly

the trabuco; which the old soldier slung behind; giving it his

benediction。 It was like the fitting out in old times of a Moorish

cavalier for a foray or a joust in the Vivarrambla。 A number of the

lazzaroni of the fortress had gathered round; with some of the

invalids; all looking on; all offering their aid; and all giving

advice; to the great annoyance of Tio Polo。

  When all was ready Manuel took leave of the household; Tio Polo held

his stirrup while he mounted; adjusted the girths and saddle; and

cheered him off in military style; then turning to Dolores; who

stood admiring her cavalier as he trotted off; 〃Ah Dolorocita;〃

exclaimed he; with a nod and a wink; 〃es muy guapo Manuelito in su

Xaqueta〃 (〃Ah Dolores; Manuel is mighty fine in his jacket。〃) The

little damsel blushed and laughed; and ran into the house。

  Days elapsed without tidings from Manuel; though he had promised

to write。 The heart of Dolores began to misgive her。 Had any thing

happened to him on the road? Had he failed in his examination? A

circumstance occurred in her little household to add to her uneasiness

and fill her mind with foreboding。 It was almost equal to the escapado

of her pigeon。 Her tortoise…shell cat eloped at night and clambered to

the tiled roof of the Alhambra。 In the dead of the night there was a

fearful caterwauling; some grimalkin was uncivil to her; then there

was a scramble; then a clapper…clawing; then both parties rolled off

the roof and tumbled from a great height among the trees on the hill

side。 Nothing more was seen or heard of the fugitive; and poor Dolores

considered it but the prelude to greater calamities。

  At the end of ten days; however; Manuel returned in triumph; duly

authorized to kill or cure; and all Dolores' cares were over。 There

was a general gathering in the evening; of the humble friends and

hangers…on of Dame Antonio to congratulate her; and to pay their

respects to el Senor Medico; who; peradventure; at some future day;

might have all their lives in his hands。 One of the most important

of these guests was old Tio Polo; and I gladly seized the occasion

to prosecute my acquaintance with him。 〃Oh senor;〃 cried Dolores; 〃you

who are so eager to learn all the old histories of the Alhambra。 Tio

Polo knows more about them than any one else about the place。 More

than Mateo Ximenes and his whole family put together。 Vaya… vaya…

Tio Polo; tell the senor all those stories you told us one evening;

about enchanted Moors; and the haunted bridge over the Darro; and

the old stone pomegranates; that have been there since the days of

King Chico。〃

  It was some time before the old invalid could be brought into a

narrative vein。 He shook his head… they were all idle tales; not

worthy of being told to a caballero like myself。 It was only by

telling some stories of the kind myself I at last got him to open

his budget。 It was a whimsical farrago; partly made up of what he

had heard in the Alhambra; partly of what he had read in Padre Feyjoo。

I will endeavor to give the reader the substance of it; but I will not

promise to give it in the very words of Tio Polo。

              The Legend of the Enchanted Soldier。



  EVERYBODY has heard of the Cave of St。 Cyprian at Salamanca; where

in old times judicial astronomy; necromancy; chiromancy; and other

dark and damnable arts were secretly taught by an ancient sacristan;

or; as some will have it; by the devil himself; in that disguise。

The cave has long been shut up and the very site of it forgotten;

though; according to

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的