part07-第2章

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　　The　deepening　twilight；　which；　in　this　climate；　is　of　short

duration；　admonished　us　to　leave　this　haunted　ground。　As　we

descended　the　mountain　defile；　there　was　no　longer　herdsman　nor

muleteer　to　be　seen；　nor　any　thing　to　be　heard　but　our　own　footsteps

and　the　lonely　chirping　of　the　cricket。　The　shadows　of　the　valley　grew

deeper　and　deeper；　until　all　was　dark　around　us。　The　lofty　summit　of

the　Sierra　Nevada　alone　retained　a　lingering　gleam　of　daylight；　its

snowy　peaks　glaring　against　the　dark　blue　firmament；　and　seeming　close

to　us；　from　the　extreme　purity　of　the　atmosphere。

　　〃How　near　the　Sierra　looks　this　evening！〃　said　Mateo；　〃it　seems　as

if　you　could　touch　it　with　your　hand；　and　yet　it　is　many　long

leagues　off。〃　While　he　was　speaking；　a　star　appeared　over　the　snowy

summit　of　the　mountain；　the　only　one　yet　visible　in　the　heavens；　and

so　pure；　so　large；　so　bright　and　beautiful；　as　to　call　forth

ejaculations　of　delight　from　honest　Mateo。

　　〃Que　estrella　hermosa！　que　clara　y　limpia　es！…　No　pueda　ser　estrella

mas　brillante！〃　（〃What　a　beautiful　star！　how　clear　and　lucid…　a　star

could　not　be　more　brilliant！〃）

　　I　have　often　remarked　this　sensibility　of　the　common　people　of　Spain

to　the　charms　of　natural　objects。　The　lustre　of　a　star；　the　beauty

or　fragrance　of　a　flower；　the　crystal　purity　of　a　fountain；　will

inspire　them　with　a　kind　of　poetical　delight；　and　then；　what

euphonious　words　their　magnificent　language　affords；　with　which　to

give　utterance　to　their　transports！

　　〃But　what　lights　are　those；　Mateo；　which　I　see　twinkling　along　the

Sierra　Nevada；　just　below　the　snowy　region；　and　which　might　be　taken

for　stars；　only　that　they　are　ruddy；　and　against　the　dark　side　of

the　mountain？〃

　　〃Those；　senor；　are　fires；　made　by　the　men　who　gather　snow　and　ice

for　the　supply　of　Granada。　They　go　up　every　afternoon　with　mules　and

asses；　and　take　turns；　some　to　rest　and　warm　themselves　by　the

fires；　while　others　fill　the　panniers　with　ice。　They　then　set　off　down

the　mountains；　so　as　to　reach　the　gates　of　Granada　before　sunrise。

That　Sierra　Nevada；　senor；　is　a　lump　of　ice　in　the　middle　of

Andalusia；　to　keep　it　all　cool　in　summer。〃

　　It　was　now　completely　dark；　we　were　passing　through　the　barranco；

where　stood　the　cross　of　the　murdered　muleteer；　when　I　beheld　a　number

of　lights　moving　at　a　distance；　and　apparently　advancing　up　the

ravine。　On　nearer　approach；　they　proved　to　be　torches　borne　by　a　train

of　uncouth　figures　arrayed　in　black：　it　would　have　been　a　procession

dreary　enough　at　any　time；　but　was　peculiarly　so　in　this　wild　and

solitary　place。

　　Mateo　drew　near；　and　told　me；　in　a　low　voice；　that　it　was　a

funeral　train　bearing　a　corpse　to　the　burying…ground　among　the　hills。

　　As　the　procession　passed　by；　the　lugubrious　light　of　the　torches；

falling　on　the　rugged　features　and　funeral…weeds　of　the　attendants；

had　the　most　fantastic　effect；　but　was　perfectly　ghastly；　as　it

revealed　the　countenance　of　the　corpse；　which；　according　to　the

Spanish　custom；　was　borne　uncovered　on　an　open　bier。　I　remained　for

some　time　gazing　after　the　dreary　train　as　it　wound　up　the　dark　defile

of　the　mountain。　It　put　me　in　mind　of　the　old　story　of　a　procession　of

demons　bearing　the　body　of　a　sinner　up　the　crater　of　Stromboli。

　　〃Ah！　senor；〃　cried　Mateo；　〃I　could　tell　you　a　story　of　a

procession　once　seen　among　these　mountains；　but　then　you'd　laugh　at

me；　and　say　it　was　one　of　the　legacies　of　my　grandfather　the　tailor。〃

　　〃By　no　means；　Mateo。　There　is　nothing　I　relish　more　than　a

marvellous　tale。〃

　　〃Well；　senor；　it　is　about　one　of　those　very　men　we　have　been　talking

of；　who　gather　snow　on　the　Sierra　Nevada。

　　〃You　must　know；　that　a　great　many　years　since；　in　my　grandfather's

time；　there　was　an　old　fellow；　Tio　Nicolo　（Uncle　Nicholas）　by　name；

who　had　filled　the　panniers　of　his　mule　with　snow　and　ice；　and　was

returning　down　the　mountain。　Being　very　drowsy；　he　mounted　upon　the

mule；　and　soon　falling　asleep；　went　with　his　head　nodding　and

bobbing　about　from　side　to　side；　while　his　surefooted　old　mule　stepped

along　the　edge　of　precipices；　and　down　steep　and　broken　barrancos；

just　as　safe　and　steady　as　if　it　had　been　on　plain　ground。　At

length；　Tio　Nicolo　awoke；　and　gazed　about　him；　and　rubbed　his　eyes…

and；　in　good　truth；　he　had　reason。　The　moon　shone　almost　as　bright

as　day；　and　he　saw　the　city　below　him；　as　plain　as　your　hand；　and

shining　with　its　white　buildings；　like　a　silver　platter　in　the

moonshine；　but；　Lord！　senor；　it　was　nothing　like　the　city　he　had

left　a　few　hours　before！　Instead　of　the　cathedral；　with　its　great　dome

and　turrets；　and　the　churches　with　their　spires；　and　the　convents　with

their　pinnacles；　all　surmounted　with　the　blessed　cross；　he　saw　nothing

but　Moorish　mosques；　and　minarets；　and　cupolas；　all　topped　off　with

glittering　crescents；　such　as　you　see　on　the　Barbary　flags。

　　〃Well；　senor；　as　you　may　suppose；　Tio　Nicolo　was　mightily　puzzled　at

all　this；　but　while　he　was　gazing　down　upon　the　city；　a　great　army

came　marching　up　the　mountains；　winding　along　the　ravines；　sometimes

in　the　moonshine　sometimes　in　the　shade。　As　it　drew　nigh；　he　saw

that　there　were　horse　and　foot　all　in　Moorish　armor。　Tio　Nicolo

tried　to　scramble　out　of　their　way；　but　his　old　mule　stood　stock

still；　and　refused　to　budge；　trembling；　at　the　same　time；　like　a　leaf…

for　dumb　beasts；　senor；　are　just　as　much　frightened　at　such　things

as　human　beings。　Well；　senor；　the　hobgoblin　army　came　marching　by；

there　were　men　that　seemed　to　blow　trumpets；　and　others　to　beat

drums　and　strike　cymbals；　yet　never　a　sound　did　they　make；　they　all

moved　on　without　the　least　noise；　just　as　I　have　seen　painted　armies

move　across　the　stage　in　the　theatre　of　Granada；　and　all　looked　as

pale　as　death。　At　last；　in　the　rear　of　the　army；　between　two　black

Moorish　horsemen；　rode　the　Grand　Inquisitor　of　Granada；　on　a　mule　as

white　as　snow。　Tio　Nicolo　wondered　to　see　him　in　such　company；　for　the

Inquisitor　was　famous　for　his　hatred　of　Moors；　and　indeed；　of　all

kinds　of　Infidels；　Jews；　and　Heretics；　and　used　to　hunt　them　out

with　fire　and　scourge。

　　〃However；　Tio　Nicolo　felt　himself　safe；　now　that　there　was　a

priest　of　such　sanctity　at　hand。　So　making　the　sign　of　the　cross；　he

called　out　for　his　benediction；　when　hombre！　he　received　a　blow　that

sent　him　and　his　old　mule　over　the　edge　of　a　steep　bank；　down　which

they　rolled；　head　over　heels；　to　the　bottom！　Tio　Nicolo　did　not　come

to　his　senses　until　long　after　sunrise；　when　he　found　himself　at　the

bottom　of　a　deep　ravine；　his　mule　grazing　beside　him；　and　his　panniers

of　snow　completely　melted。　He　crawled　back　to　Granada　sorely　bruised

and　battered；　but　was　glad　to　find　the　city　looking　as　usual；　with

Christian　churches　and　crosses。

　　〃When　he　told　the　story　of　his　night's　adventure；　every　one

laughed　at　him；　some　said　he　had　dreamed　it　all；　as　he　dozed　on　his

mule；　others　thought　it　all　a　fabrication　of　his　own…　but　what　was

strange；　senor；　and　made　people　afterwards　think　more　seriously　of　the

matter；　was；　that　the　Grand　Inquisitor　died　within　the　year。　I　have

often　heard　my　grandfather；　the　tailor；　say　that　there　was　more

meant　by　that　hobgoblin　army　bearing　off　the　resemblance　of　the

priest；　than　folks　dared　to　surmise。〃

　　〃Then　you　would　insinuate；　friend　Mateo；　that　there　is　a　kind　of

Moorish　limbo；　or　purgatory；　in　the　bowels　of　these　mountains；　to

which　the　padre　Inquisitor　was　borne　off。〃

　　〃God　forbid；　senor！　I　know　nothing　of　the　matter。　I　only　relate　what

I　heard　from　my　grandfather。〃

　　By　the　time　Mateo　had　finished　the　tale　which　I　have　more　succinctly

related；　and　which　was　interlarded　with　many　comments；　and　spun　out

with　minute　details；　we　reached　the　gate　of　the　Alhambra。

　　The　marvellous　stories　hinted　at　by　Mateo；　in　the　early　part　of

our　ramble　about　the　Tower　of　the　Seven　Floors；　set　me　as　usual　upon

my　goblin　researches。　I　found　that　the　redoubtable　phantom；　the

Belludo；　had　bee