The Last Lords of Gardonal | Page 3

night, you may have to pay it a
visit."
Ludovico merely said in reply that he would be always ready and
willing to perform any order his master might honour him with, and the
baron, with his men, then left the spot.
The hold the beauty of Teresa Biffi had taken upon the imagination of
the baron actually looked like enchantment. His love for her, instead of
diminishing by time, seemed to increase daily. At last he resolved on
making her his wife; and about a month after he had seen her, he
commissioned his lieutenant Ludovico to carry to Biffi an offer of
marriage with his daughter; not dreaming, at the moment, of the
possibility of a refusal. Ludovico immediately started on his mission
and in due time arrived at the farmer's house and delivered the baron's
message. To Ludovico's intense surprise, however, he received from
Biffi a positive refusal. Not daring to take back so uncourteous a reply
to his master, Ludovico went on to describe the great advantage which
would accrue to the farmer and his family if the baron's proposal were
accepted. Not only, he said, would Teresa be a lady of the highest rank,
and in possession of enormous wealth both in gold and jewels, but that
the other members of her family would also be ennobled, and each of
them, as they grew up, would receive appointments under the baron,
besides having large estates allotted to them in the Engadin Valley.
The farmer listened with patience to Ludovico, and when he had
concluded, he replied--

"Tell your master I have received his message, and that I am ready to
admit that great personal advantages might accrue to me and my family
by accepting his offer. Say, that although I am neither noble nor rich,
that yet at the same time I am not poor; but were I as poor as the blind
mendicant whom you passed on the road in coming hither, I would
spurn such an offer from so infamous a wretch as the baron. You say
truly that he is well known for his power and his wealth; but the latter
has been obtained by robbing both rich and poor, who had not the
means to resist him, and his power has been greatly strengthened by
engaging in his service a numerous band of robbers and cut-throats,
who are ready and willing to murder any one at his bidding. You have
my answer, and the sooner you quit this neighbourhood the better, for I
can assure you that any one known to be in the service of the Baron
Conrad is likely to meet with a most unfavourable reception from those
who live around us."
"Then you positively refuse his offer?" said Ludovico.
"Positively, and without the slightest reservation," was the farmer's
reply.
"And you wish me to give him the message of the terms you have made
use of?"
"Without omitting a word," was the farmer's reply. "At the same time,
you may add to it as many of the same description as you please."
"Take care," said Ludovico. "There is yet time for you to reconsider
your decision. If you insist on my taking your message to the baron, I
must of course do so; but in that case make your peace with heaven as
soon as you can, for the baron is not a man to let such an insult pass.
Follow my advice, and accept his offer ere it is too late."
"I have no other answer to give you," said Biffi.
"I am sorry for it," said Ludovico, heaving a deep sigh; "I have now no
alternative," and mounting his horse he rode away.

Now it must not be imagined that the advice Ludovico gave the farmer,
and the urgent requests and arguments he offered, were altogether the
genuine effusions of his heart. On the contrary, Ludovico had easily
perceived, on hearing the farmer's first refusal, that there was no chance
of the proposal being accepted. He had therefore occupied his time
during the remaining portion of the interview in carefully examining
the premises, and mentally taking note of the manner in which they
could be most easily entered, as he judged rightly enough, that before
long he might be sent to the house on a far less peaceable mission.
Nothing could exceed the rage of the baron when he heard the farmer's
message.
"You cowardly villain!" he said to Ludovico, "did you allow the wretch
to live who could send such a message to your master?"
"So please you," said Ludovico. "What could I do?"
"You could have struck him to the heart with your dagger, could you
not?" said the baron. "I have known you do such a thing to an old
woman for half the provocation.