CHAPTER III.
A GRANDEE OF SPAIN.
The port, or harbor, of Barcelona is formed by aninlet of the sea. A triangular tongue of land,with a long jetty projecting from its southern point,shelters it from the violence of the sea, except on thesouth–east. On the widest part of the tongue of landis the suburb of Barceloneta, or Little Barcelona, inhabitedby sailors and other lower orders of people.
“I can just remember the city as it was when I leftit in a steamer to go to Marseilles, about ten years ago,”said Raimundo, as he and Scott stood on the lee sideof the quarter–deck, looking at the objects of interestthat were presented to them. “It does not seem tohave changed much.”
“It don’t look any more like Spain than the rest ofthe world,” added the lieutenant.
“This hill on the left is Monjuich, seven hundredand fifty–five feet high. It has a big fort on thetop of it, which commands the town as well as theharbor. The city is a walled town, with redoubts allthe way around it. The walls take in the citadel, whichyou see above the head of the harbor. The city wasfounded by Hamilcar more than two hundred yearsbefore Christ, and afterwards became a Roman colony.There is lots of history connected with the city, but Iwill not bore you with it.”
“Thank you for your good intentions,” laughed Scott.“But how is it that you don’t care to see the people ofyour native city after an absence of ten years?”
“I don’t care about having this story told all throughthe ship, Scott,” replied the young Spaniard, glancingat the students on deck.
“Of course I will not mention it, if you say so.”
“I have always kept it to myself, though I have nostrong reason for doing so; and I would not say anything about it now if I did not feel the need of a friend.I am sure I can rely on you, Scott.”
“When I can do any thing for you, Don, you maydepend upon me; and not a word shall ever pass mylips till you request it.”
“I don’t know but you will think I am laying out theplot of a novel, like the story of Giulia Fabiano, whomO’Hara assisted to a happy conclusion,” replied Raimundo,with a smile. “I couldn’t help thinking of myown case when her history was related to me; for, sofar, the situations are very much the same.”
“I have seen all I want to of the outside of Barcelona;and if you like, we will go down into the cabin wherewe shall be alone for the present,” suggested Scott.
“That will suit me better,” answered Raimundo, ashe followed his companion.
“We shall be out of hearing of everybody here, Ithink,” said Scott, as he seated himself in the after–partof the cabin.
“There is not much romance in the story yet; and Idon’t know that there ever will be,” continued the Spaniard.“It is a family difficulty; and such things arenever pleasant to me, however romantic they may be.”
“Well, Don, I don’t want you to tell the story for mysake; and don’t harrow up your feelings to gratify mycuriosity,” protested Scott.
“I shall want your advice, and perhaps your assistance;and for this reason only I shall tell you all aboutit. Here goes. My grandfather was a Spanish merchantof the city of Barcelona; and when he was fiftyyears old he had made a fortune of two hundred andfifty thousand dollars, which is a big pile of money inSpain. He had three sons, and a strong weakness, asour friend O’Hara would express it. I suppose youknow something about the grandees of Spain, Scott?”
“Not a thing,” replied the third lieutenant candidly.“I have heard the word, and I know they are thenobles of Spain; and that’s all I know.”
“That’s about all any ordinary outsider would beexpected to know about them. There is altogether toomuch nobility and too little money in Spain. Some ofthe grandees are still very rich and powerful; but physicallyand financially the majority of them are playedout. I am sorry to say it, but laziness is a nationalpeculiarity: I am a Spaniard, and I will not call it byany hard names. Pride and vanity go with it. Thereare plenty of poor men who are too proud to work, orto engage in business of any kind. Of course suchmen do not get on very well; and, the longer they live,the poorer they grow. This is especially the case withthe played–out nobility.
“My grandfather was the son of a grandee who hadlost all his property. He was a Castilian, with prideand dignity enough to fit out half a dozen Americans.He would rather have starved than do any sort ofbusiness. My grandfather, though it appears that hegloried in the title of the grandee, was not quite willingto be starved on his patrimonial acres. His stomachconquered his pride. He was the elder son; and whilehe was a young man his father died, leaving him theempty title, with nothing to support its dignity. I havebeen told that he actually suffered from hunger. Hehad no brothers; and his sisters were all married to one–horsenobles like himself. He was alone in his ruinedcastle.
“Without telling any of his people where he wasgoing, he journeyed to Barcelona, where, being a youngman of good parts, he obtained a situation as a clerk.In time he became a merchant, and a very prosperousone. As soon as his circumstances would admit, hemarried, and had three sons. As he grew older, theCastilian pride of birth came back to him, and he beganto think about the title he had dropped when hebecame a merchant. He desired to found a familywith wealth as well as a name. He was still the Countde Escarabajosa.”
“Of what?” asked Scott.
“The Count de Escarabajosa,” repeated Raimundo.
“Well, I don’t blame him for dropping his title if hehad to carry as long a name as that around with him.It was a heavy load for him, poor man!”
“The title was not of much account, according to myUncle Manuel, who told me the story; for my grandfatherwas only a second or third class grandee—notone of the first, who were allowed to speak to the kingwith their hats on. At any rate, I think my grandfatherdid wisely not to think much of his title till his fortunewas made. His oldest son, Enrique, was my father;and that’s my name also.”
“Yours? Are you not entered in the ship’s booksas Henry;” interposed Scott.
“No; but Enrique is the Spanish for Henry. Whenmy grandfather died, he bequeathed his fortune to myfather, who also inherited his title, though he gave theother two sons enough to enable them to make a startin business. If my father should die without any maleheir, the fortune, consisting largely of houses, lands,and farms, in and near Barcelona, was to go to thesecond son, whose name was Alejandro. In like mannerthe fortune was to pass to the third son, if the seconddied without a male heir. This was Spanish law,as well as the will of my grandfather. Two years afterthe death of my grandfather, and when I was about sixyears old, my father died. I was his only child. Youwill see, Scott, that under the will of my grandfather Iwas the heir of the fortune, and the title too for thatmatter, though it is of no account.”
“Then, Don, you are the Count de What–ye–call–it?”said Scott, taking off his cap, and bowing low to theyoung grandee.
“The Count de Escarabajosa,” laughed Raimundo;“but I would not have the fellows on board know thisfor the world; and this is one reason why I wanted tohave my story kept a secret.”
“Not a word from me. But I shall hardly dare tospeak to you without taking off my cap. The Count deScaribagiosa! My eyes! what a long tail our cat hasgot!”
“That’s it! I can see just what would happen if youshould spin this yarn to the crowd,” added the grandee,shaking his head.
“But I won’t open my mouth till you command meto do so. What would Captain Wainwright say if heonly knew that he had a Spanish grandee under hisorders? He might faint.”
“Don’t give him an opportunity.”
“I won’t. But spin out the yarn: I am interested.”
“My father died when I was only six; and my UncleAlejandro was appointed my guardian by due processof law. Now, I don’t want to say a word against DonAlejandro, and I would not if the truth did not compelme to do so. My Uncle Manuel, who lives in NewYork, is my authority; and I give you the facts just ashe gave them to me only a year before I left home tojoin the ship. Don
Alejandro took me to his ownhouse as soon as he was appointed my guardian. Tomake a long story short, he was a bad man, and he didnot treat me well. I was rather a weakly child at six,and I stood between my uncle and my grandfather’slarge fortune. If I died, Don Alejandro would inheritthe estate. My Uncle Manuel insists that he did all hecould, short of murdering me in cold blood, to help meout of the world. I remember how ill he treated me,but I was too young to understand the meaning of hisconduct.
“My Uncle Manuel was not so fortunate in businessas his father had been, though he saved the capital mygrandfather had bequeathed to him. The agency of alarge mercantile house in Barcelona was offered to himif he would go to America; and he promptly decided toseek his fortune in New York. Manuel had quarrelledwith Alejandro on account of the latter’s treatment ofme; and a great many hard words passed between them.But Manuel was so well satisfied in regard to Alejandro’sintentions, that he dared not leave me in the keepingof his brother when he went to the New World. Thoughit was a matter of no small difficulty, he decided to takeme with him to New York.
“I did not like my Uncle Alejandro, and I did likemy Uncle Manuel. I was willing to go anywhere withthe latter; and when he called to bid farewell to myguardian, on the eve of his departure, he beckoned tome as he went out of the house. I followed him, andhe managed to conceal his object from the servants;for my Uncle Alejandro did not attend him to the frontdoor. He had arranged a more elaborate plan to obtainpossession of me; but when he saw me in the hall,he was willing to adopt the simpler method that wasthen suggested to him. His baggage was on board ofthe steamer for Marseilles, and he had no difficulty inconveying me to the vessel. I was kept out of sight inthe state–room till the steamer was well on her way. Iwill not trouble you with what I remember of the journey;but in less than three weeks we were in NewYork, which has been my home ever since.”
“But what did your guardian say to all this?” askedScott. “Did he discover what had become of you?”
“I don’t know what he said; but he has been at workfor seven years to obtain possession of me. As I disappearedat the same time my Uncle Manuel left, nodoubt Alejandro suspected what had become of me.At any rate, he sent an agent to New York to bring meback to Spain; but Manuel kept me out of the way.As soon as I could speak English well enough, he sentme to a boarding–school. I ‘cut up’ so that he wasobliged to take me away, and send me to another. Iam sorry to say that I did no better, and was sent tohalf a dozen different schools in the course of threeyears. I was active, and full of mischief; but I grewinto a strong and healthy boy from a very puny andsickly one.
“At last my uncle sent me on board of the academyship; but he told me before I went, that if I did notlearn my lessons, and behave myself like a gentleman,he would send me back to my Uncle Alejandro inSpain. He would no longer attempt to keep me outof the way of my legal guardian. Partly on accountof this threat, and partly because I like the institution,I have done as well as I could.”
“And no one has done any better,” added Scott.
“No doubt my Uncle Manuel has received good accountsof me from the principal, for he has been verykind to me. He wrote to me, after I had informed himthat the squadron was going to Spain, that I must notgo there; but he added that I was almost man grown,and ought to be able to take care of myself. I thoughtso too: at any rate, I have taken the chances in cominghere.”
“But you are a minor; and I suppose Don Alejandro,if he can get hold of you, will have the right to takepossession of your _corpus_.”
“No doubt of that.”
“But does your guardian know that you are a studentin the academy squadron?” asked Scott.
“I don’t know: it is not impossible, or even improbable.Alejandro has had agents out seeking me, andthey may have ascertained where I am. For aught Iknow, my guardian may have made his arrangements tocapture me as soon as the fleet comes to anchor. ButI don’t mean to be captured; for I should have nochance in a Spanish court, backed by the principal, theAmerican minister, and the counsel. By law I belongto my guardian; and that is the whole of it. Now,Scott, you are the best friend I have on this side of theAtlantic; and I want you to help me.”
“That I will do with all my might and main, Don,”protested Scott.
“I don’t ask you to tell any lies, or to do any thingwrong,” said Raimundo.
“What can I do for you? that’s the question.”
“I shall keep out of sight while the vessels are atthis port; and I want you to be on the lookout for anySpaniards in search of a young man named Raimundo,and let me know. When you go on shore, Iwant you to find out all you can about my Uncle Alejandro.If I should happen to run away at any time,_you_ will know, if no one else does, why I did so.”
“Don’t you think it would be a good thing to tellthe vice–principal your story, and ask him to help youout in case of any trouble?” suggested Scott.
“No: that would not do. If Mr. Pelham should doany thing to help me keep out of the way, he would becharged with breaking or evading the Spanish laws;and that would get him into trouble. I ought not tohave come here; but now I must take the responsibility,and not shove it off on the vice–principal.”
“Who pays your bills, Don?”
“My Uncle Manuel, of course. He has a half interestin the house for which he went out as an agent;and I suppose he is worth more money to–day than hisfather ever was. He is as liberal as he is rich. Hesent me a second letter of credit for a hundred poundswhen we were at Leghorn; and I drew half of it inGenoa in gold, so as to be ready for any thing thatmight happen in Spain.”
“Do you really expect that your uncle will make asnap at you?” asked Scott, with no little anxiety in hisexpression.
“I have no knowledge whatever in regard to hismovements. I know that he has sent agents to theUnited States to look me up, and that my UncleManuel has had sharp work to keep me out of theirway. I have been bundled out of New York in themiddle of the night to keep me from being kidnappedby his emissaries; for my uncle has never believed thathe had any case in law, even in the States.”
“It is really quite a serious matter to you, Don.”
“Serious? You know that my countrymen have thereputation of using knives when occasion requires; andI also know that Don Alejandro has not a good characterin Barcelona.”
“But suppose you went back to him: do you believehe would ill–treat you now?”
“No, I don’t. I have grown to be too big a fellowto be abused like a child. I think I could take care ofmyself, so far as that is concerned. But my uncle hasbeen nursing his wrath for years on account of myabsence. He has sons of his own, who are living onmy property; for I learn that Alejandro has done nothingto increase the small sum his father left him. Heand his sons want my fortune. I might be treated withthe utmost kindness and consideration, if I returned; butthat would not convince me that I was not in constantperil. Spain is not England or the United States, andI have read a great deal about my native land,” saidRaimundo, shaking his head. “I agree with my uncleManuel, that I must not risk myself in the keeping ofmy guardian.”
“Suppose Don Alejandro should come on board assoon as we anchor, Don: what could you do? Youwould not be in condition to run away. Where couldyou go?” inquired Scott.
“I know just what I should do; but I will not putyou in condition to be tempted to tell any lies,” repliedRaimundo, smiling. “One thing more: I shall not besafe anywhere in Spain. My uncle does not want mefor any love he bears me; and it would answer hispurpose just as well if I should be drowned in crossinga river, fall off any high place, or be knifed in somelonely corner. There are still men enough in Spainwho use the knife, though the country is safe underordinary circumstances.”
“Upon my word, I shall be hardly willing to let yougo out of my sight,” added Scott. “I shall have totake you under my protection.”
“I am afraid your protection will not do me muchgood, except in the way I have indicated.”
“Well, you may be sure I wi
ll do all I can to serveand save you,” continued Scott, taking the hand of hisfriend, as the movements on deck indicated that theschooner was ready to anchor.
“Thank you, Scott; thank you. With your help, Ishall feel that I am almost out of danger.”
Raimundo decided to remain in the cabin, as hiswatch was not called; but Scott went on deck, as muchto look out for any suspicious Spaniards, as for thepurpose of seeing what was to be seen. The AmericanPrince had already anchored; and her two consortsimmediately followed her example. The sails werehardly furled, and every thing made snug, before thesignal, “All hands attend lecture,” appeared on theflag–ship.
All the vessels of the fleet were surrounded by boatsfrom the shore, most of them to take passengers to thecity. The adult forward officers were stationed at thegangways, to prevent any persons from coming onboard; and the boatmen were informed that no onewould go on shore that night. Scott hastened below,to tell his friend that all hands were ordered on boardof the steamer to attend the lecture. Raimundo declared,that, as no one could possibly recognize himafter so many years of absence, he should go on boardof the Prince, with the rest of the ship’s company.
The boats were lowered; and in a short time allthe students were assembled in the grand saloon, whereProfessor Mapps was ready to discourse upon thegeography and history of Spain.