SPANISH NOVELISTS. 93 



of the cross with a fervour which it could hardly be imagined he could ever 

 have displayed. Don Juan rushed to the assistance of Martin, thinking he 

 had been wounded ; but when he heard the account which his servant re- 

 lated, and not seeing any body near, he did not feel quite comfortable, al- 

 though he concealed his feelings as much as possible from Martin, resolving, 

 however, on the next night, to ascertain himself the truth of the story. 



" On the next night they repaired to the adventure, taking care to ascer- 

 tain that no one was hidden in the adjacent street, to turn the odds against 

 them in case they should be obliged to fight. They found the same figure 

 in exactly the same situation as on the preceding nights. The courage of 

 Don Juan was not to be daunted, but the valorous Martin quivered like an 

 aspen for very fear, and the better to conceal his feelings, as well as to pre- 

 serve his faith to his master, by not deserting him, he turned his back on 

 the figure, and began to implore the divine assistance, his conscience assist- 

 ing him in recollecting, that had it not been for his counsels the poor defunct 

 might still have been living. Don Juan had no such compunctions, and ad- 

 vancing, fiercely demanded to know why he waited there. The stranger, 

 without uncovering his face, replied in a melancholy tone, " I am not one 

 who would answer such language in the public street, but if your courage 

 be as great as your action indicates, follow me, and you shall know" being 

 nearly the same words Don Juan uttered on the night he slew Don Lucindo. 

 Don Juan was a man of undaunted courage, yet these words made him hesi- 

 tate a little, before he accepted the invitation of the stranger. He was half 

 inclined to fancy that it was the appearance of his deceased rival, yet if it 

 should by any chance be a relation of Donna Ana, or some other pretender 

 to her hand, his character would be lost for ever by betraying any symptoms 

 of fear.; he therefore, without appearance of hesitation, followed the un- 

 known, much to the horror of Martin, who accompanied him. 



" They took the same road as Don Juan had chosen with Don Lucindo, 

 and when at the castle of San Cervantes, the stranger halted on the very 

 spot where the deceased cavalier received his death wound. These circum- 

 stances did not tend to heighten the courage of Don Juan or his attendant, 

 who were doomed to experience a still greater trial ; for the stranger, on 

 throwing aside his concealment, was recognized by Don Juan as a resem- 

 blance of his deceased rival. " I will keep you no longer in suspense ; 

 know that I am Don Lucindo, who on this very spot, and at this very hour, 

 you deprived of life, to rob me of the mistress whom I adored ; but I come 

 not to upbraid you, for the dead have no enmity, but I come to you as the 

 man on whom I have the most claim on earth to do me service." " Speak," 

 said Don Juan, "I have injured you, and would willingly ease my con- 

 science by performing your commands." *' The evil actions of which I have 

 been guilty during life, disturb my repose ; it is for you to repair them, and 

 ensure my tranquillity. Know that in Valencia, my native place, I was 

 blessed with the affection of a beautiful girl, whose mind was as rich in all 

 good thoughts, as her person was replete with every elegance and grace ; 

 yet for one who has so soon forgotten me did I leave this treasure, and she 

 now pines over my unworthy remembrance with the most pious constancy. 

 Go to Valencia, say nothing of my death, but endeavour to obtain her for- 

 giveness for my past cruelty ; if you succeed, bear her answer in writing, 

 and place it under this stone, on this very spot where I fell ; as you do this, 

 so shall your suit with Donna Ana prosper ; but if you fail, dread my ven- 

 geance !" Saying this, he disappeared in the darkness of the night, and 

 Don Juan returned home in a more melancholy mood than he had ever been 

 before ; he was afraid to absent himself from Toledo without making Donna 

 Ana acquainted w r ith the reason, and yet he could not inform her : the dis- 

 tance from Toledo was great, and no excuse of business would be sufficient, 

 he therefore determined to send Martin, hoping that his agency would be 



