Charles O'Malley, The Irish Dragoon Volume I Part 48

"Donna Maria seemed to know what was pa.s.sing in my mind, for she smiled, too.

"'Yes,' said I, in broken Portuguese, 'one ought to be very happy here, Donna Maria.'

"She blushed, and I continued:--

"'What can one want for more in this life? All the charms that rendered Paradise what it was'--I took her hand here--'and made Adam blessed.'

"'Ah, General!' said she, with a sigh, 'you are such a flatterer.'

"'Who could flatter,' said I, with enthusiasm, 'when there are not words enough to express what he feels?' This was true, for my Portuguese was fast failing me, 'But if I ever was happy, it is now.'

"I took another pull at the port.

"'If I only thought,' said I, 'that my presence here was not thought unwelcome--'

"'Fie, General,' said she, 'how could you say such a thing?'

"'If I only thought I was not hated,' said I, tremblingly.

"'Oh!' said she, again.

"'Despised.'

"'Oh!'

"'Loathed.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: MAJOR MONSOON AND DONNA MARIA.]

"She pressed my hand, I kissed hers; she hurriedly s.n.a.t.c.hed it from me, and pointed towards a lime-tree near, beneath which, in the cool enjoyment of his cigar, sat the spare and detested figure of Don Emanuel.

"'Yes,' thought I, 'there he is,--the only bar to my good fortune; were it not for him, I should not be long before I became possessor of this excellent old chateau, with a most indiscretionary power over the cellar.

Don Mauricius Monsoon would speedily a.s.sume his place among the grandees of Portugal.'

"I know not how long my revery lasted, nor, indeed, how the evening pa.s.sed; but I remember well the moon was up, and a sky, bright with a thousand stars was shining, as I sat beside the fair Donna Maria, endeavoring, with such Portuguese as it had pleased fate to bestow on me, to instruct her touching my warlike services and deeds of arms. The fourth bottle of port was ebbing beneath my eloquence, as responsively her heart beat, when I heard a slight rustle in the branches near. I looked, and, Heavens, what a sight did I behold! There was little Don Emanuel stretched upon the gra.s.s with his mouth wide open, his face pale as death, his arms stretched out at either side, and his legs stiffened straight out. I ran over and asked if he were ill, but no answer came. I lifted up an arm, but it fell heavily upon the ground as I let it go; the leg did likewise. I touched his nose; it was cold.

"'Hollo,' thought I, 'is it so? This comes of mixing water with your sherry. I saw where it would end.'

"Now, upon my life! I felt sorry for the little fellow; but somehow, one gets so familiarized with this sort of thing in a campaign that one only half feels in a case like this.

"'Yes,' said I, 'man is but gra.s.s; but I for one must make hay when the sun shines. Now for the Donna Maria,'--for the poor thing was asleep in the arbor all this while.

"'Donna,' said I, shaking her by the elbow,--'Donna, don't be shocked at what I'm going to say.'

"'Ah, General,' said she, with a sigh, 'say no more; I must not listen to you.'

"'You don't know that,' said I, with a knowing look,--'you don't know that.'

"'Why, what can you mean?'

"'The little fellow is done for.' For the port was working strong now, and destroyed all my fine sensibility. 'Yes, Donna,' said I, 'you are free,'--here I threw myself upon my knees,--'free to make me the happiest of commissaries and the jolliest grandee of Portugal that ever--'

"'But Don Emanuel?'

"'Run out, dry, empty,' inverting a finished decanter to typify my words as I spoke.

"'He is not dead?' said she, with a scream.

"'Even so,' said I, with a hiccough! 'ordered for service in a better world, where there are neither inspections nor arrears.'

"Before the words were well out, she sprang from the bench and rushed over to the spot where the little don lay. What she said or did I know not, but the next moment he sat bolt upright on the gra.s.s, and as he held his jaw with one hand and supported himself on the other, vented such a torrent of abuse and insult at me, that, for want of Portuguese enough to reply, I rejoined in English, in which I swore pretty roundly for five minutes.

Meanwhile the donna had summoned the servants, who removed Don Emanuel to the house, where on my return I found my luggage displayed before the door, with a civil hint to deploy in orderly time and take ground elsewhere.

"In a few days, however, his anger cooled down, and I received a polite note from Donna Maria, that the don at length began to understand the joke, and begged that I would return to the chateau, and that he would expect me at dinner the same day."

"With which, of course, you complied?"

"Which of course I did. Forgive your enemies, my dear boy,--it is only Christian-like; and really, we lived very happily ever after. The donna was a mighty clever woman, and a dear good soul besides."

It was late when the major concluded his story; so after wishing Ferguson a good-night, we took our leave, and retired for the night to our quarters.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII

LISBON.

The tramp of horses' feet and the sound of voices beneath my window roused me from a deep sleep. I sprang up and drew aside the curtain. What a strange confusion beset me as I looked forth! Before me lay a broad and tranquil river whose opposite sh.o.r.e, deeply wooded and studded with villas and cottages, rose abruptly from the water's edge; vessels of war lay tranquilly in the stream, their pennants trailing in the tide. The loud boom of a morning gun rolled along the surface, awaking a hundred echoes as it pa.s.sed, and the lazy smoke rested for some minutes on the gla.s.sy water as it blended with the thin air of the morning.

"Where am I?" was my first question to myself, as I continued to look from side to side, unable to collect my scattered senses.

One word sufficed to recall me to myself, as I heard Power's voice, from without, call out, "Charley! O'Malley, I say! Come down here!"

I hurriedly threw on my clothes and went to the door.

"Well, Charley, I've been put in harness rather sooner than I expected.

Here's old Douglas has been sitting up all night writing despatches; and I must hasten on to headquarters without a moment's delay. There's work before us, that's certain; but when, where, and how, of that I know nothing. You may expect the route every moment; the French are still advancing. Meanwhile I have a couple of commissions for you to execute.

First, here's a packet for Hammersley; you are sure to meet him with the regiment in a day or two. I have some scruples about asking you this; but, confound it! you're too sensible a fellow to care--" Here he hesitated; and as I colored to the eyes, for some minutes he seemed uncertain how to proceed. At length, recovering himself, he went on: "Now for the other.

This is a most loving epistle from a poor devil of a midshipman, written last night by a tallow candle, in the c.o.c.k-pit, containing vows of eternal adoration and a lock of hair. I promised faithfully to deliver it myself; for the 'Thunderer' sails for Gibraltar next tide, and he cannot go ash.o.r.e for an instant. However, as Sir Arthur's billet may be of more importance than the reefer's, I must intrust its safe keeping to your hands. Now, then, don't look so devilish sleepy, but seem to understand what I am saying. This is the address: 'La Senhora Inez da Silviero, Rua Nuova, opposite the barber's.' You'll not neglect it. So now, my dear boy, till our next meeting, _adios!_"

"Stop! For Heaven's sake, not so fast, I pray! Where's the street?"

"The Rua Nuova. Remember Figaro, my boy. _Cinque perruche_."

"But what am I to do?"