ItmaybethoughtthatwhileIwasemployedthusIhadforgottentheobjectofmycomingtoSpain，namelytoavengemymother’smurderonthepersonofJuandeGarcia。
Butthiswasnotso。
SosoonasIwassettledinthehouseofAndresdeFonsecaIsetmyselftomakeinquiriesastodeGarcia’swhereaboutswithallpossiblediligence，butwithoutresult。
Indeed，whenIcametoconsiderthemattercoollyitseemedthatI
hadbutaslenderchanceoffindinghiminthiscity。
Hehad，indeed，givenitoutinYarmouththathewasboundforSeville，butnoshipbearingthesamenameashishadputinatCadizorsaileduptheGuadalquivir，norwasitlikely，havingcommittedmurderinEngland，thathewouldspeakthetruthastohisdestination。
StillIsearchedon。
Thehousewheremymotherandgrandmotherhadlivedwasburneddown，andastheirmodeoflifehadbeenretired，aftermorethantwentyyearsofchangefewevenrememberedtheirexistence。
IndeedIonlydiscoveredone，anoldwomanwhomIfoundlivinginextremepoverty，andwhooncehadbeenmygrandmother’sservantandknewmymotherwell，althoughshewasnotinthehouseatthetimeofherflighttoEngland。
FromthiswomanIgatheredsomeinformation，though，needlesstosay，IdidnottellherthatIwasthegrandsonofheroldmistress。
ItseemedthataftermymotherfledtoEnglandwithmyfather，deGarciapersecutedmygrandmotherandhisauntwithlawsuitsandbyothermeans，tillatlastshewasreducedtobeggary，inwhichconditionthevillainlefthertodie。
Sopoorwassheindeed，thatshewasburiedinapublicgrave。
Afterthattheoldwoman，myinformant，saidshehadheardthatdeGarciahadcommittedsomecrimeandbeenforcedtofleethecountry。
Whatthecrimewasshecouldnotremember，butithadhappenedaboutfifteenyearsago。
AllthisIlearnedwhenIhadbeenaboutthreemonthsinSeville，andthoughitwasofinterestitdidnotadvancemeinmysearch。
Somefourorfivenightsafterwards，asIenteredmyemployer’shouseImetayoungwomancomingoutofthedoorwayofthepatio；
shewasthicklyveiledandmynoticewasdrawntoherbyhertallandbeautifulfigureandbecauseshewasweepingsoviolentlythatherbodyshookwithhersobs。
Iwasalreadywellaccustomedtosuchsights，formanyofthosewhosoughtmymaster’scounselhadgoodcausetoweep，andIpassedherwithoutremark。
ButwhenI
wascomeintotheroomwherehereceivedhispatients，ImentionedthatIhadmetsuchapersonandaskedifitwasanyonewhomI
knew。
’Ah！nephew，’saidFonseca，whoalwayscalledmethusbynow，andindeedbegantotreatmewithasmuchaffectionasthoughIwerereallyofhisblood，’asadcase，butyoudonotknowherandsheisnopayingpatient。
Apoorgirlofnoblebirthwhohadenteredreligionandtakenhervows，whenagallantappears，meetshersecretlyintheconventgarden，promisestomarryherifshewillflywithhim，indeeddoesgothroughsomemummeryofmarriagewithher——soshesays——andtherestofit。
Nowhehasdesertedherandsheisintrouble，andwhatismore，shouldthepriestscatchher，likelytolearnwhatitfeelsliketodiebyinchesinaconventwall。
Shecametomeforcounselandbroughtsomesilverornamentsasthefee。
Heretheyare。’
’Youtookthem！’
’Yes，Itookthem——Ialwaystakeafee，butIgaveherbacktheirweightingold。
Whatismore，Itoldherwhereshemighthidefromtheprieststillthehuntisdonewith。
WhatIdidnotliketotellheristhatherloveristhegreatestvillainwhoevertrodthestreetsofSeville。
Whatwasthegood？
Shewillseelittlemoreofhim。
Hist！herecomestheduchess——anastrologicalcasethis。
Wherearethehoroscopeandthewand，yes，andthecrystalball？
There，shadethelamps，givemethebook，andvanish。’
Iobeyed，andpresentlymetthegreatlady，astoutwomanattendedbyaduenna，glidingfearfullythroughthedarkenedarchwaystolearntheanswerofthestarsandpaymanygoodpesosforit，andthesightofhermademelaughsomuchthatIforgotquicklyabouttheotherladyandherwoes。
AndnowImusttellhowImetmycousinandmyenemydeGarciaforthesecondtime。
TwodaysaftermymeetingwiththeveiledladyitchancedthatIwaswanderingtowardsmidnightthroughalonelypartoftheoldcitylittlefrequentedbypassers-by。
Itwasscarcelysafetobethusaloneinsuchaplaceandhour，butthebusinesswithwhichIhadbeenchargedbymymasterwasonethatmustbecarriedoutunattended。
AlsoIhadnoenemieswhomIknewof，andwasarmedwiththeveryswordthatIhadtakenfromdeGarciainthelaneatDitchingham，theswordthathadslainmymother，andwhichIboreinthehopethatitmightservetoavengeher。
IntheuseofthisweaponIhadgrownexpertenoughbynow，foreverymorningItooklessonsintheartoffence。
MybusinessbeingdoneIwaswalkingslowlyhomeward，andasIwentIfelltothinkingofthestrangenessofmypresentlifeandofhowfaritdifferedfrommyboyhoodinthevalleyoftheWaveney，andofmanyotherthings。
AndthenIthoughtofLilyandwonderedhowherdayspassed，andifmybrotherGeoffreypersecutedhertomarryhim，andwhetherornoshewouldresisthisimportunitiesandherfather’s。
AndsoasIwalkedmusingIcametoawater-gatethatopenedontotheGuadalquivir，andleaninguponthecopingofalowwallIrestedthereidlytoconsiderthebeautyofthenight。
Intruthitwasalovely，night，foracrossalltheseyearsIrememberit。
LetthosewhohaveseenitsayiftheyknowanyprospectmorebeautifulthanthesightoftheAugustmoonshiningonthebroadwatersoftheGuadalquivirandtheclusteringhabitationsoftheancientcity。
NowasIleaneduponthewallandlooked，Isawamanpassupthestepsbesidemeandgoonintotheshadowofthestreet。
ItooknonoteofhimtillpresentlyIheardamurmurofdistantvoices，andturningmyheadIdiscoveredthatthemanwasinconversationwithawomanwhomhehadmetattheheadofthepaththatrandowntothewater-gate。
Doubtlessitwasalovers’meeting，andsincesuchsightsareofinteresttoall，andmoreespeciallytotheyoung，I
watchedthepair。
SoonIlearnedthattherewaslittleoftendernessinthistryst，atleastonthepartofthegallant，whodrewcontinuallybackwardstowardmeasthoughhewouldseektheboatbywhichdoubtlesshehadcome，andImarvelledatthis，forthemoonlightshoneuponthewoman’sface，andevenatthatdistanceIcouldseethatitwasveryfair。
Theman’sfaceIcouldnotseehowever，sincehisbackwastowardsmeforthemostpart，moreoverheworealargesombrerothatshadedit。
Nowtheycamenearertome，themanalwaysdrawingbackwardandthewomanalwaysfollowing，tillatlengththeywerewithinearshot。
Thewomanwaspleadingwiththeman。
’Surelyyouwillnotdesertme，’shesaid，’aftermarryingmeandallthatyouhavesworn；youwillnothavethehearttodesertme。
Iabandonedeverythingforyou。
Iamingreatdanger。
I——’andherehervoicefellsothatIcouldnotcatchherwords。
Thenhespoke。
’Fairest，nowasalwaysIadoreyou。
Butwemustpartawhile。
Youowememuch，Isabella。
Ihaverescuedyoufromthegrave，Ihavetaughtyouwhatitistoliveandlove。
Doubtlesswithyouradvantagesandcharms，yourgreatcharms，youwillprofitbythelesson。
MoneyIcannotgiveyou，forIhavenonetospare，butIhaveendowedyouwithexperiencethatismorevaluablebyfar。
ThisisourfarewellforawhileandIambrokenhearted。
Yet
“’NeathfairerskiesShineothereyes，“
andI——’andagainhespokesolowthatIcouldnotcatchhiswords。
Ashetalkedon，allmybodybegantotremble。
Thescenewasmovingindeed，butitwasnotthatwhichstirredmesodeeply，itwastheman’svoiceandbearingthatremindedme——no，itcouldscarcelybe！
’Oh！youwillnotbesocruel，’saidthelady，’toleaveme，yourwife，thusaloneandinsuchsoretroubleanddanger。
Takemewithyou，Juan，Ibeseechyou！’andshecaughthimbythearmandclungtohim。
Heshookherfromhimsomewhatroughly，andashedidsohiswidehatfelltothegroundsothatthemoonlightshoneuponhisface。
ByHeaven！itwashe——JuandeGarciaandnoother！
Icouldnotbemistaken。
Therewasthedeeplycarved，cruelface，thehighforeheadwiththescaronit，thethinsneeringmouth，thepeakedbeardandcurlinghair。
Chancehadgivenhimintomyhand，andI
wouldkillhimorheshouldkillme。
Itookthreepacesandstoodbeforehim，drawingmyswordasI
came。
’What，mydove，haveyouabullyathand？’hesaidsteppingbackastonished。
’Yourbusiness，senor？
Areyouheretochampionbeautyindistress？’
’Iamhere，JuandeGarcia，toavengeamurderedwoman。
DoyourememberacertainriverbankawayinEngland，whereyouchancedtomeetaladyyouhadknown，andtoleaveherdead？
Orifyouhaveforgotten，perhapsatleastyouwillrememberthis，whichIcarrythatitmaykillyou，’andIflashedtheswordthathadbeenhisbeforehiseyes。
’MotherofGod！
ItistheEnglishboywho——’andhestopped。
’ItisThomasWingfieldwhobeatandboundyou，andwhonowpurposestofinishwhathebeganyonderashehassworn。
Draw，or，JuandeGarcia，Iwillstabyouwhereyoustand。’
DeGarciaheardthisspeech，thatto-dayseemstometosmackofthetheatre，thoughitwasspokeningrimmestearnest，andhisfacegrewlikethefaceofatrappedwolf。
YetIsawthathehadnomindtofight，notbecauseofcowardice，fortodohimjusticehewasnocoward，butbecauseofsuperstition。
Hefearedtofightwithmesince，asIlearnedafterwards，hebelievedthathewouldmeethisendatmyhand，anditwasforthisreasonchieflythathestrovetokillmewhenfirstwemet。
’Theduellohasitslaws，senor，’hesaidcourteously。
’Itisnotusualtofightthusunsecondedandinthepresenceofawoman。
Ifyoubelievethatyouhaveanygrievanceagainstme——thoughIknownotofwhatyourave，orthenamebywhichyoucallme——Iwillmeetyouwhereandwhenyouwill。’
Andallthewhilehelookedoverhisshoulderseekingsomewayofescape。
’Youwillmeetmenow，’Ianswered。
’DraworIstrike！’
Thenhedrew，andwefelltoitdesperatelyenough，tillthesparksflew，indeed，andtherattleofsteeluponsteelrangdownthequietstreet。
Atfirsthehadsomewhatthebetterofme，formyhatemademewildinmyplay，butsoonIsettledtotheworkandgrewcooler。
Imeanttokillhim——more，IknewthatIshouldkillhimifnonecamebetweenus。
HewasstillabetterswordsmanthanI，who，tillIfoughtwithhiminthelaneatDitchingham，hadneverevenseenoneoftheseSpanishrapiers，butIhadtheyouthandtherightonmyside，asalsoIhadaneyelikeahawk’sandawristofsteel。
SlowlyIpressedhimback，andevermyplaygrewcloserandbetterandhisbecamewilder。
NowIhadtouchedhimtwice，onceintheface，andIheldhimwithhisbackagainstthewallofthewaythatleddowntothewater-gate，andithadcometothis，thathescarcelystrovetothrustatmeatall，butstoodonhisdefencewaitingtillIshouldtire。
Then，whenvictorywasinmyhanddisasterovertookme，forthewoman，whohadbeenwatchingbewildered，sawthatherfaithlessloverwasindangerofdeathandstraightwayseizedmefrombehind，atthesametimesendingupshriekaftershriekforhelp。
Ishookherfrommequicklyenough，butnotbeforedeGarcia，seeinghisadvantage，haddealtmeacoward’sthrustthattookmeintherightshoulderandhalfcrippledme，sothatinmyturnImuststandonmydefenceifI
wouldkeepmylifeinme。
Meanwhiletheshriekshadbeenheard，andofasuddenthewatchcamerunningroundthecornerwhistlingforhelp。
DeGarciasawthem，anddisengagingsuddenly，turnedandranforthewater-gate，theladyalsovanishing，whitherIdonotknow。
Nowthewatchwasonme，andtheirleadercameatmetoseizeme，holdingalanterninhishand。
Istruckitwiththehandleofthesword，sothatitfellupontheroadway，whereitblazeduplikeabonfire。
