Delphi Complete Works of George Eliot (Illustrated) (670 page)

The holy hermit, gazing,

Saw words upon the ground :

“ The sword be red for ever

With the blood offalse Mahound.”

DON AMADOR (looking up from his book, and raising his voice).

What, gentlemen ! Our Glorious Lady defend us !

ENRIQUEZ (from the benches).

Serves the infidels right ! They have sold Christians enough to people half

the towns in Paradise. If the Queen, now, had divided the pretty damsels of

Malaga among the Castilians who have been helping in the holy war, and not

sent half of them to Naples....

ARIAS (singing again).

At the battle of Clavijo

In the days of King Ramiro,

Help us, Allah ! cried the Moslem,

Cried the Spaniard, HeavenA s chosen,

God and Santiago !

FABIAN.

Oh, the very tail of our chance has vanished. The royal army is breaking up,

— going home for the winter. The Grand Master sticks to his own border.

ARIAS (singing).

Straight out-flushing like the rainbow.

See him come, celestial Baron3,

Mounted knight, with red-crossed banner,

Plunging earthward to the battle,

Glorious Santiago !

HURTADO.

Yes, yes, through the pass of By-and-by, you go to the valley of Never. We

might have done a

great feat, if the Marquis of Cadiz....

ARIAS (sings).

As the flame before the swift wind,

See, he fires us, we burn with him !

Flash our swords, dash Pagans backward, —

Victory he ! pale fear is Allah !

God with Santiago !

DON AMADOR (raising his voice to a cry).

Sangre de Dios, gentlemen !

(He shuts the book, and lets it fall with a bang on the floor. There is instant

silence.)

To what good end is it that I, who studied at Salamanca, and can write verses

agreeable to the glorious Lady with the point of a sword which hath done

harder service, am reading aloud in a clerkly manner from a book which

hath been culled from the flowers of all books, to instruct you in the

knowledge befitting those who would be knights and worthy hidalgos. I had

as lief be reading in a belfry. And gambling too ! As if it were a time when

we needed not the help of God and the saints ! Surely for the space of one

hour ye might subdue your tongues to your ears that so your tongues might

learn somewhat of civility and modesty. Wherefore am I master of the

Duke’s retinue, if my voice is to run along like a gutter in a storm?

HURTADO (lifting up the book, and respectfully presenting it to DON

AMADOR).

Pardon, Don Amador ! The air is so commoved by your voice, that it stirs

our tongues in spite of us.

DON AMADOR (reopening the book).

Confess, now, it is a goose-headed trick, that when rational sounds are made

for your edification, you find naught in it but an occasion for purposeless

gabble. I will report it to the Duke, and the reading-time shall be doubled,

and my office of reader shall be handed over to Fray Domingo.

(While DON AMADOR has been speaking, DON SILVA, with DON ALVAR,

has appeared walking in the outer gallery on which the windows are

opened.)

ALL (in concert).

No, no, no.

DONAMADOR.

Are ye ready, then, to listen, if I finish the wholesome extract from the Seven

Parts4, wherein the wise King Alfonso hath set down the reason why knights

should be of gentle birth ? Will ye now be silent ?

ALL.

Yes, silent.

DON AMADOR.

But when I pause, and look up, I give any leave to speak, if he hath aught

pertinent to say.

(Reads.)

“ And this nobility cometh in three ways : first, by lineage, secondly, by

science, and thirdly, by valour and worthy behaviour. Now, although they

who gain nobility through science or good deeds are rightfully called noble

and gentle ; nevertheless, they are with the highest fitness so called who are

noble by ancient lineage, and lead a worthy life as by inheritance from afar ;

and hence are more bound and constrained to act well, and guard themselves

from error and wrong-doing ; for in their case it is more true that by evil-

doing they bring injury and shame not only on themselves, but also on those

from whom they are derived.”

DON AMADOR (placing his forefinger for a mark on the page, and looking

up, while he keeps his voice raised, as wishing DON SILVA to overhear him

in the judicious discharge of his function).

Hear ye that, young gentlemen ? See ye not that if ye have but bad manners

even, they disgrace you more than gross misdoings disgrace the low-born?

Think you. Arias, it becomes the son of your house irreverently to sing and

fling nuts, to the interruption of your elders ?

ARIAS (sitting on the floor and leaning backward on his elbows).

Nay, Don Amador ; King Alfonso, they say, was a heretic, and I think that is

not true writing. For noble birth gives us more leave to do ill if we like.

DON AMADOR (lifting his brows).

What bold and blasphemous talk is this ?

ARIAS.

Why, nobles are only punished now and then, in a grand way, and have their

heads cut off, like the Grand Constable. I shouldn’t mind that.

JOSE.

Nonsense, Arias ! nobles have their heads cut off because their crimes are

noble. If they did what was unknightly, they would come to shame. Is not

that true, Don Amador?

DONAMADOR.

Arias is a contumacious puppy, vho will bring dishonour on his parentage.

Pray, sirrah, whom did you ever hear speak as you have spoken ?

ARIAS.

Nay, I speak out of my own head. I shall go and ask the Duke.

HURTADO.

Now, now ! you are too bold, Arias.

ARIAS.

Oh, he is never angry with me (dropping his voice) because the Lady

Fedalma liked me. She said I was a good boy, and pretty, and that is what

you are not, Hurtado.

HURTADO.

Girl-face ! See, now, if you dare ask the Duke.

(DON SILVA is just entering the hall from the gallery, with ALVAR behind

him, intending to pass out at the other end. All rise with homage. DON

SILVA bows coldly and abstractedly. ARIAS advances from the group, and

goes up to DON SILVA.)

ARIAS.

My lord, is it true that a noble is more dishonoured than other men if he does

aught dishonourable ?

DON SILVA (first blushing deeply, and grasping his sword, then raising his

hand and giving ARIAS a blow on the ear).

Varlet !

ARIAS.

My lord, I am a gentleman.

(DON SILVA pushes him away, and passes on hurriedly.)

Don Alvar (following and turning to speak).

Go, go ! you should not speak to the Duke when you are not called upon. He

is ill and much distempered.

(Arias retires, flushed, with tears in his eyes. His companions look too much

surprised to triumph, DON AMADOR remains silent and confused.)

The PLAQA SANTIAGO during busy market-time. Mules and asses laden

with fruits and vegetables. Stalls and booths filled with wares of all sorts. A

crowd of buyers and sellers. A stalwart woman, with keen eyes, leaning over

the panniers of a mule laden with apples, watches LORENZO, who is

lounging through the market. As he approaches her, he is met by BLASCO.

LORENZO.

Well met, friend.

BLASCO.

Ay, for we are soon to part,

And I would see you at the hostelry,

To take my reckoning. I go forth to-day.

LORENZO.

‘T is grievous parting with good company.

I would I had the gold to pay such guests

For all my pleasure in their talk.

BLASCO.

Why, yes ;

A solid-headed man of Aragon

Has matter in him that you Southerners lack.

You like my company, — ‘t is natural.

But, look you, I have done my business well,

Have sold and ta’en commissions. I come straight

From — you know who — I like not naming him.