Elustrated Article. THE IMPORTUNATE LADY. THE Lady Estifana was one of the most agreeable ladies of the court of Spain, and was, in truth, as good as handsome, if a little haughtiness of demeanour and excessive proneness to jealousy may be overlooked. She was the only child of the rich old Marquis D'Olina, and heiress of his great wealth; so it is not to be wondered at that the Marquis was very watchful over her conduct, especially as he was by nature suspicious. This noble lady_much loved, and was much loved by, Don Alvarez, the nephew of the then minister of the king. He was a noble youth, well bred in all honourable sentiments, and accomplished in all the arts of a cavalier; and moreover, possessed of a calm and temperate mind not often found in one of his age. It happened at this time that the Infanta was not betrothed; and, being unengaged in heart to any royal lover, she took much delight in the young Duke 3-VOL. IV. D of M-'s company, who was over ready, as the king and his minister thought, to shew to her all those soft attentions by which the hearts of women, be they illustrious princesses or poor peasants, are too apt to be ensnared. Whether in the tournament, the bull fight, or the making of madrigals and love sonnets, the princess was ever the lady of the Duke's devotion, until it came to be marked by the most dull observers. Such conduct did not go unblamed by the king and the more grave part of his court; but, for weighty reasons, it not being covenient at that time to banish the Duke, the great minister was obliged to furnish some other mode of getting rid of this sad and growing evil. After divers consultations with the king, and much parleying among the elders of the court, both ladies and lords, it was proposed by the ministers, because neither the king nor any of the grandees could think of any other feasible plan, that the Lady Infanta should be privately conveyed away to the convent of Santa Barbara, the Lady Abbess whereof boasted of the royal blood; and in the privacy and holiness of which place it was hoped the 87 princess would regain those lofty thoughts befitting her high state. This being determined on, the next difficult consideration was the selecting an hidalgo, wise enough to be trusted with such an important mission as the conveying the heiress of Spain, in secrecy, to the convent young enough to defend her in case of need from any rude attack-and politic enough to fashion his conduct so as not to betray the royalty of her whom he escorted, and yet so as not to approach too familiarly his sacred charge. Where was this Phoenix to be found? At length the minister ventured to propose his nephew Don Alvarez, as one whom he would stake his life to be worthy of such great confidence. Accordingly he was appointed to the perilous office. Don Alvarez received many and strong injunctions as to his conduct and secrecy; and the Infanta, having by much and long discoursing with her ghostly confessors, royal father, and governing ladies, been subdued into an obedient quiet, prepared to set off, with her proper attendance, to the Lady Abbess of Santa Barbara, under the disguise of a lady travelling with her brother, to become a noviciate thereat. You may be assured that Don Alvarez did not fail to present himself to his dear Estifana, and lament the necessity of his absence; and when she, with woman's natural curiosity, sought the purport of that absence, he excused himself with some doublemeaning apology, that ofttimes they who deal in the world's politics are forced to invent. The lovers parted with much grief, for young and tender hearts make much of parting even for fleeting weeks. It is easily to be supposed that a lady so noble, so handsome, and so great in wealth as Donna Estifana, was not without many and persevering suitors, who redoubled their gallantries on the departure of him they had strong suspicion to be more favoured than themselves. And there was one among them, a man noted for his deep and crafty spirit, who had wonderful softness of manner, and took it much to heart that he could not prevail in her good graces. He had so far fallen from his true Castilian ho nour, as to darkly vilify his absent rival. But in this it needed his utmost caution, for the Lady Estifana possessed a most pure soul, and right ready wit, that would have soon discovered and scorned such baseness. However, by his great sagacity and long experience in the ways of women, he perceived her weak side which was a too great susceptibility of any fancied slight, and a great proneness to suspicion, qualities for the most part ever joined; and by most subtle modes he insinuated Don Alvarez to be gone at that very time secretly to conduct a lady to some unknown retirement. The Lady Estifana, though she would not manifest the slightest care at this notification, pondered much on it privately, until at length, by too frequent meditation thereon, it took sole possession of the fancy, and then raised a storm of doubt, and fear, and anger in her breast, which nothing but disproof could allay. The tormentor, seeing his poison work, threw out a hint that Don Alvarez would, at a certain time, rest at the Marquis Piombo's, whom he knew to be a much prized friend of the Marquis D'Olina. And this was the truth, however he came by it. For the Marquis Piombo being, it is said, a creature of the government, had had orders from the minister to receive the travellers as persons of rank, but on pain of deep displeasure, to make no enquiries who they were, or whence they came, or whither they were going. Possessed of this information, Estifana pretended to grow sick of the town, and wearied her father to pay a visit to the Marquis Piombo, and, after some delays, they arrived at his noble castle, where much gay company was assembled, and where she anxiously sought for Don Alvarez, but did not find him. Already had she begun to repent of her misgivings, and to take to task her unconfiding heart for thus daring to impugn the faith of a knight so loyal and so tender as Alvarez. She had began to detest his base rival for his false news, when, as she stood at her window, looking out on the setting sun, that ever driveth pensive minds to meditation, she heard tones of impleading, tones which made her shake from head to foot, for they were those of Don Alvarez. She listened again, again she heard them in tender entreaty, to which a soft female voice made answer. Her rage flashing up, and towering into haughty wrath, she was about to seek for a door to rush in on the perfidious man, when her foot catching in the arras, drew it aside, and discovered a little circular hole, which had been devised by some spy for cunning purposes. Forgetting in her frenzy the laws of honour-so debasing is passion-she looked through it, and saw Don Alvarez beseeching at the feet of a bewitching lady. Overcome by emotions, she struggled to her bedside, and, throwing herself on it, gave way to a convulsion, which ended in floods of tears. It was Don Alvarez she saw. It was Don Alvarez beseeching his princess not to faint in her good resolves, but to proceed in the same unknown manner to her destined abode at the convent, as most befitting her royal heart, and most productive, in the end, of her glory and joy. The hour of the common banquet approached, and as he was to quit the castle on the morrow, he felt it his duty to be present at it. Estifana having, by this time, called pride and resentment to her aid, resolvednot to give cause for any notice of her father, by absenting herself from this meal. And having endeavoured to recompose her features, and smooth her swollen eyes, she entered the great hall a few minutes previous to the serving of the banquet. Scarcely had she entered ere Don Alvarez, enraptured and astonished, beheld her, and approaching her with joy, expressed his unexpected delight. But what were his sensations, when, turning abruptly from him, she called out to a nobleman near her, "Don Lewis, oblige me by conducting me to my seat, and relieving me from the presence of an impertinent intruder." Unconscious of deserving such treatment, Alvarez stood bewildered, until reminded the banquet was served, joining which, he did all he could to conceal his chagrin. At length the company separated, and he wandered forth he knew not whither, lost in conjectures and alarm. Sometimes he fancied Estifana must have lost her senses; the next moment that she had become enamoured of some other. With a soul thus disturbed, he wandered back, and passing through the great gallery, he perceived Estifana sitting at a window, overlooking the now star-lit scene, abstracted and in tears; approaching her, in the most supplicating tone, he said,"Estifana!""Ah!" and overcome with mingled emotions of shame, regret, and anger, she slowly and dignifiedly walked up the hall-"Estifana," cried he" by all my happiness on earth, I conjure you tell me what this means? what have I done, what do you mean?" She had not been unobservant of Don Alvarez' emotion at the banquet, and already repenting her of her fatal curiosity, and grieved at knowing the truth, as she conceived, love and regret had taken the place of resentment "she now said, ; "Leave me," in a voice scarcely audible—" there is no necessity for further insult."-" Insult!, impossible-you cannot think it! you, whom I cherish with a devotion second only to that which is due to heaven; Estifana!"-"Leave me, Sir; I did not deem you so accomplished a hypocrite." -"I know not what you mean, nor why you thus torture me. Nay, you shall not go, my distraction overcomes all delicacy. Hear me, Estifana! Tell me, Estifana, what I have done, or rather what you imagine I have done to merit this cruelty.' in conversation with her lover, had had grieved at the manner she had forced his secret from his keeping. She said, "Oh, Sanchez, you know your life to me is dearer than my own-what could I think? The Infanta!"- -"Hush, those syllables might cost my head!""Oh, forgive me, Alvarez, forgive my mean suspicions, my hard belief-it cannot harm you."—"Oh, did it-cost it my lifeyour anxiety would repay it, Estifana! The princess will soon be confided to the convent, and then you can no longer delay-after all this, my Estifana-you will not."-" Of that hereafter."-Promise." "Unhand me, Sir!"-"I cannot, till I know the cause of your great anger.""You knew it when you made it, Sir.""You speak in riddles; if I have done any thing, oh! tell me quickly."—"You're adding to it now."-" Here me on my knees aver before the saints, and in the presence of."-" Oh! perjure not yourself. You have knelt before to-day." "Ah!" He started to his feet, and for the first time, the hapless Don Alvarez canght a glimpse of the suspicious situation he stood in with the Princess.- "I do."- "I am too blest."-" Hush, "Now, Sir, if you can explain," and Esti- Alvarez! Oh, Heaven, should—I thought fana stood with dignity more awful than I heard."-"No! it is nothing," and her anger.-"Oh, Estifana! oh touch not Alvarez stepped out into the hall. The upon that, I must not, dare not."-"It is Marquis had adroitly slipped behind well, Sir;" and she moved to retire.- an abutment, and there was nothing to "Oh! no, hear me, I conjure you."-"I, be seen but the faint checquerings of do."-" It is a state affair, a secret of the the reflected windows by the star light government. That lady can be of no on the floor." Oh! we must partconsideration to me."-" Indeed! and do farewell Sanchez; say again you pardon you kneel to all ladies thus ?"—"Estifana, me! would I had confided more! Should have I for years made you the confidant it be known, and you-oh !"—" It cannot of every thought, that now you will not -never can."-"Farewell !"—" I'll see trust to my solemn assurance once?"- you to the gallery." And Don Alvarez, "Have I ever failed in my fidelity and having conducted her thither, withdrew to secrecy?""No! no! but now!-San- his chamber. chez"-seldom did the lady address him by his Christian name; let all those who have ever loved, and been so named by the lady of their love, judge how it thrilled upon him;-" Sanchez, I have been prodigal, and given every thought to you, never withheld the slightest shadow of a thought from your inspection, and do you now, when our love hangs on the disclosure, refuse to make it?""Yes, I must, for duty bids!"" Then, Sir, let duty conquer love."-"Oh, stay, stay!" "What for?-to be again told I am not worthy of your confidence? Had I not with my own ears and eyes witnessed and heard-Oh! Sir, I wrong my sex to falter thus." And she advanced a considerable way-Don Alvarez faltered -"Hear me, then, Estifana; hear me, and acquit."" Well, Sir."-"That lady is the Infanta !"--and Don Alvarez dropped his voice, but not so low that the Marquis D'Olina, who had been passing through the hall, and seeing his daughter The next day he proceeded with his royal charge, and in due time delivered her safe into the hands of the Abbess. At taking leave, the Infanta presented Don Alvarez with a ring, as token of her sense of the noble way he had conducted himself in his odious task. With speed he returned to the capital, and in the smiles of Estifana, and the approbation of his uncle, who, in reward for his judicious conduct in so nice an affair, granted his long withheld consent to his formal asking of the hand of the Marquis D'Olina's daughter. The future smiled before them, and the anxiety the Lady Estifana occasionally felt at being the depository of so weighty a secret, only served to add an additional charm to her tenderness towards him. But in this world, we walk as upon ice, which, when most smooth, is also most slippery. The Marquis D'Olina, having, by such nefarious means, acquired the important knowledge of the destination of the Infanta, lost no time in The lights burnt blue, as they 're wont to do But I fear'd to look behind. A smell, as of gas, spread far and wide, My sight grew dim, and my tongue was tied, And the friends I had left at loo! And I took once more a hurried peep And then I beheld a figure creep, A lantern, dangling in the wind, He bore, and his shaggy and thick The likeness of a stick. The sky with clouds became o'ercast, And I heard him thus complaining: "A murrain seize-a pize upon Plague take-the New Police! And let us remain in peace! "Farewell to the freaks of the jovial spark, To the midnight spree, and the morning lark, The Duke lost no time in making the most of his information; and the ardour of the lover so far overcame the prudence of the politician, that it soon reached the minister's, and finally the king's ears, that the Infanta's retreat had been betrayed. Don Alvarez one morning entering his uncle's cabinet in his usual high spirits, perceived a strange alteration in his countenance. After a pause, in which he appeared to be deeply engaged with some papers, the minister suddenly rose, and drawing himself uphe was a full made, majestic man-he demanded of Don Alvarez thus-" What are you?"-"A Castilian," proudly replied Alvarez." Then put your hand on your sword, and swear by the honour of your country, you never revealed to human soul the mission for which I selected you from out the hidalgos of Spain." Don Alvarez was confounded-" You hesitate. You refuse to deny it-that hanging of the head is sufficient."-" But, Sir, hear me, she I did betray it to-"-"Fool," muttered his uncle; 86 nay, you confess, and I have but one course," and going to the arras, he drew it aside, and opening a small door, beckoned some persons, and merely saying, "He is your prisoner,' they immediately grappled his sword. Nay," cried Don Alvarez, "not with Blessing themselves that it is so late;force, be gentle and I foll-;" but ere he could utter the sentence, he was enveloped in a rough mantle, and conveyed into the anti-chamber, and thence through innumerable passages, so muffled he could scarcely breathe, by four athletic men, and a strong guard, might he judge from the trampling he indistinctly heard. He was finally left in a small dark apartment, which, whether it were above or beneath ground, he had no means of ascertaining. (To be continued.) "No more shall a Tom or a Jerry now, Break many heads and the peace;-for how, "Our cry no more on the ear shall grate, Who straightway start and separate, To break up a party is charming! "But our ruthless foe will be punish'd anon; His office and occupation gone, Oh! then he'll remember the Charley." Just then I beheld a Jarvey near, Which on the spot presenting, I scrambled in like one in fear With a ghost at his heels, or a flea in his ear, Blackwood's Mag. |