Chamberss Edinburgh Journal, No. 419 | Page 4

poor, and would have been very much
pleased to have a rich son-in-law. Nor was he disposed to relinquish the
chance so easily. After first trying his influence on Bianca, upon whom
he expended a great deal of persuasion and cajolery in vain, he went so
far as to call upon Gaspar, apologising for his daughter's ignorance and
folly in refusing so desirable a proposal, and expressing a hope that
Mendez would not relinquish the pursuit, but try his fortune again;
when he hoped to have brought her to a better state of mind.
Gaspar received the old man with civility, but answered coldly, that
any further advances on his own part were out of the question, unless
he had reason to believe the young lady was inclined to retract her
refusal; in which case he should be happy to wait upon her. With this
response Venoni returned to make another attack upon his daughter,
whom, however, fortified by her strong attachment to Ripa, he found
quite immovable; and there for several months the affair seems to have
rested, till the old man, urged by the embarrassment of his
circumstances, renewed the persecution, coupling it with certain
calumnies against Giuseppe, founded on the accidental loss of a sum of
money which had been intrusted to him by a friend, who wanted it
conveyed to a neighbouring village, whither the young man had
occasion to go. This loss, which seems to have arisen out of some
youthful imprudence, appears to have occasioned Ripa a great deal of
distress; and he not only did his utmost to repair it by giving up
everything he had, which was indeed very little, but he also engaged to
pay regularly a portion of his weekly earnings till the whole sum was
replaced.
His behaviour, in short, was so satisfactory, that the person to whom

the money had belonged does not seem to have borne him any ill-will
on the subject; but Venoni took advantage of the circumstance to fling
aspersions on the young man's character, whilst it strengthened his
argument against the connection with his daughter; for how was
Giuseppe to maintain a wife and family with this millstone of debt
round his neck? Bianca, however, continued faithful to her lover, and
for some time nothing happened to advance the suit of either party. In
that interval a sister of Gaspar's had married a man called Alessandro
Malfi, who, being a friend of Giuseppe's, endeavoured to bring about a
reconciliation betwixt the rivals, or, rather, to produce a more cordial
feeling, for there had never been a quarrel; and as far as Ripa was
concerned, as he had no cause for jealousy, there was no reason why he
should bear ill-will to the unsuccessful candidate. With Gaspar it was
different: he hated Ripa; but as it hurt his pride that this enmity to one
whom he considered so far beneath him should be known, he made no
open demonstration of dislike, and when Malfi expressed a wish to
invite his friend to supper, hoping that Mendez would not refuse to
meet him, the Spaniard made no objection whatever. 'Why not?' he said:
'he knew of no reason why he should not meet Giuseppe Ripa, or any
other person his brother-in-law chose to invite.'
Accordingly the party was made; and on the night appointed Giuseppe,
after a private interview in the orchard with his mistress, started for
Malfi's house, which was situated about three miles off, in the same
direction as Gaspar's, which, indeed, he had to pass; on which account
he deferred his departure to a later hour than he otherwise would have
done, wishing not to come in contact with his rival till they met under
Malfi's roof. Mendez had a servant called Antonio Guerra, who worked
on his farm, and who appears to have been much in his confidence, and
just as Ripa passed the Spaniard's door, he met Guerra coming in an
opposite direction, and asked him if Mendez had gone to the supper yet;
to which Guerra answered that he supposed he had, but he did not
know. Guerra then took a key out of his pocket, and, unlocking the
door, entered the house, whilst Ripa walked on.
In the meanwhile the little party had assembled in Malfi's parlour, all
but the two principal personages, Gaspar and Giuseppe; and as time
advanced without their appearing, some jests were passed amongst the
men present, who wished they might not have fallen foul of each other

on the way. At length, however, Ripa arrived, and the first question that
was put to him was: 'What had he done with his rival?' which he
answered by inquiring if the Spaniard was not come. But although he
endeavoured to appear unconcerned, there was a tremor in his