The Monk | Page 6

her manner evidently showed that She
knew not what She was about.
Lorenzo gazed upon her with mingled surprise and admiration; but the
Aunt thought it necessary to apologize for Antonia's mauvaise honte.
' 'Tis a young Creature,' said She, 'who is totally ignorant of the world.
She has been brought up in an old Castle in Murcia; with no other
Society than her Mother's, who, God help her! has no more sense, good
Soul, than is necessary to carry her Soup to her mouth. Yet She is my
own Sister, both by Father and Mother.'
'And has so little sense?' said Don Christoval with feigned
astonishment; 'How very Extraordinary!'
'Very true, Segnor; Is it not strange? However, such is the fact; and yet
only to see the luck of some people! A young Nobleman, of the very
first quality, took it into his head that Elvira had some pretensions to
Beauty--As to pretensions, in truth, She had always enough of THEM;
But as to Beauty. . . .! If I had only taken half the pains to set myself off
which She did. . . .! But this is neither here nor there. As I was saying,
Segnor, a young Nobleman fell in love with her, and married her
unknown to his Father. Their union remained a secret near three years,
But at last it came to the ears of the old Marquis, who, as you may well
suppose, was not much pleased with the intelligence. Away He posted
in all haste to Cordova, determined to seize Elvira, and send her away
to some place or other, where She would never be heard of more. Holy
St. Paul! How He stormed on finding that She had escaped him, had
joined her Husband, and that they had embarked together for the Indies.
He swore at us all, as if the Evil Spirit had possessed him; He threw my
Father into prison, as honest a painstaking Shoe-maker as any in
Cordova; and when He went away, He had the cruelty to take from us

my Sister's little Boy, then scarcely two years old, and whom in the
abruptness of her flight, She had been obliged to leave behind her. I
suppose, that the poor little Wretch met with bitter bad treatment from
him, for in a few months after, we received intelligence of his death.'
'Why, this was a most terrible old Fellow, Segnora!'
'Oh! shocking! and a Man so totally devoid of taste! Why, would you
believe it, Segnor? When I attempted to pacify him, He cursed me for a
Witch, and wished that to punish the Count, my Sister might become as
ugly as myself! Ugly indeed! I like him for that.'
'Ridiculous', cried Don Christoval; 'Doubtless the Count would have
thought himself fortunate, had he been permitted to exchange the one
Sister for the other.'
'Oh! Christ! Segnor, you are really too polite. However, I am heartily
glad that the Conde was of a different way of thinking. A mighty pretty
piece of business, to be sure, Elvira has made of it! After broiling and
stewing in the Indies for thirteen long years, her Husband dies, and She
returns to Spain, without an House to hide her head, or money to
procure her one! This Antonia was then but an Infant, and her only
remaining Child. She found that her Father-in-Law had married again,
that he was irreconcileable to the Conde, and that his second Wife had
produced him a Son, who is reported to be a very fine young Man. The
old Marquis refused to see my Sister or her Child; But sent her word
that on condition of never hearing any more of her, He would assign
her a small pension, and She might live in an old Castle which He
possessed in Murcia; This had been the favourite habitation of his
eldest Son; But since his flight from Spain, the old Marquis could not
bear the place, but let it fall to ruin and confusion--My Sister accepted
the proposal; She retired to Murcia, and has remained there till within
the last Month.'
'And what brings her now to Madrid?' enquired Don Lorenzo, whom
admiration of the young Antonia compelled to take a lively interest in
the talkative old Woman's narration.

'Alas! Segnor, her Father-in-Law being lately dead, the Steward of his
Murcian Estates has refused to pay her pension any longer.
With the design of supplicating his Son to renew it, She is now come to
Madrid; But I doubt, that She might have saved herself the trouble!
You young Noblemen have always enough to do with your money, and
are not very often disposed to throw it away upon old Women. I
advised my Sister to send Antonia with her petition; But She would not
hear