478 CONVERSATIONS WITH A SPANISH LIBERAL. 



cessary to enact the part of a heroine, without having much capacity 

 for it ; and expresses her sentiments in warm, almost vehement lan- 

 guage. One day, when it was intimated to her the possibility of an 

 amicable adjustment of the difference, she replied with energy, 

 e Rather than see my husband make terms with the hated Christines, 

 I would gladly see him a corpse at my feet 1 Let him die j but not 

 dishonour his king !' She does not appear to have any fear for the 

 General. Two infant daughters are with her in France ; her son is 

 in the hands of the Spanish Government. Some one expressed a fear 

 of harm happening to the boy from such treacherous guardianship. 

 ' Let them dare to kill him/ she exclaimed, ' Zumalacarreguy will 

 know how to avenge him !' 



" The Carlist/' continued the Spaniard, " was, of course, upon 

 terms of intimacy with the council at Bayonne, and describes them 

 as not being very particular about disposing of those who they may 

 happen to suspect. They frequent the restaurateurs and coffee-houses, 

 and obtain intelligence when any traveller is about to enter Spain ; 

 his motives are then immediately discussed, and intelligence sent 

 across the frontiers. It will depend on the resolution which the 

 council arrive at, what sort of reception the unlucky wight may hap- 

 pen to meet. As a specimen," continued my friend, ' ' of this sort of 

 summary judgment, the Carlist related the following to me: 

 f There was a Spaniard of rank/ said the Carlist, ' the Viconte Ponce 

 de Ledas, who was in the habit of dining at the table d'hote at 

 Bayonne, which I likewise frequented. One of the Carlist junta 

 pointed him out to me as a suspicious character ; he said that he was 

 going to see Don Carlos, with an introduction from the Bishop of 

 Leon ; circumstances, however, brought him under the ban of the 

 junta, and they forthwith dispatched an order to the head-quarters 

 (then at Elisonda), to arrest him immediately on his arrival. No 

 sooner did the unfortunate Viconte arrive, than he was arrested and 

 searched ; in one of his boots was discovered a letter of introduction 

 to Rodil ; and upon him was likewise found a physician's pre- 

 scription, which was immediately proved to be by the summary 

 process of Elisonda justice a recipe for a most diabolical mix- 

 ture, intended to poison Don Carlos ! The poor Viconte had ten 

 minutes allowed him for a priest, and was shot without further 

 ceremony !' 



" There was another individual, the Carlist told me," continued my 

 friend, " who was unfortunate enough to be taken notice of by this 

 self-elected junta. He was a young man of very reserved habits, 

 who was going to the head-quarters of Don Carlos. He excited the 

 suspicion of the junta ' What do you intend doing with him?' 

 asked the Carlist of one of the council. ' He must be bagged !' re- 

 plied the other. In a few days intelligence was brought that he was 

 shot immediately he had passed the frontiers !" 



(l All this is very shocking," I observed ; " it is worthy of the 

 most savage and uncivilized times of Europe; the barbarous Musco- 

 vite could hardly exceed this." 



" It must be confessed/' said the Spaniard, " that Rodil has set a 

 fearful example. Every man he takes he puts to death without 



