The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-05-03
every true-and Juan, / say, must have been
mistaken"

"He is wretch -"
"Nay, nay, do not abuse the child-my own
sisters child-has good eyes, too; but new.
ertheless, did not see-was mistsken--saw this
Lopez presume this guitar player--but did
| not see, as Antonio and Perez did, that you re.
sented this presumption-that you frowned
and threatened! But what an attrocious i'm.
pertinence that such poor, puny, beardless
beast of boy should thus behave himself Is
it not monstrousl But he shall sweat for it !!
should he nots Can such an outrage be e1.
cused? Can such an outrage be excused
What think you, my life-should not this
wretch of musician sufferaNSays answer
mew
The lady replied by vacant stare.
"Ah!I see {! You feel the enormity of his
offence. You have not words sufficient to de-
clare it. Well! you will be bettcS ~ble to &C.
knowledge the propriety Of the Punishment l
will inflct upon him."
These words were accompanied by hide
Gus grin. The tyrant readily conceived all the
torture which he inflicted. lie watched eager.
ly the features of the person he addressed, anx-
ious to extort from them some acknowledge
ment of the hearts inward suffering; and SEEM
ed chagrined to perceive the steadiness of as
pect with which the woman bore his scrutiny.
"Truly, my ife," he continued, with less
than usual of that cat.like play of feature
which declared his peculiar malice, truly, my
life it pleases me to perceive that you have no
sympathes for this monster ola musician.
did fear confess, did fear-that, though you
might not have erred with him, you might have
been foolish enough, through some misplaced
sentiment of feminine tenderness, to have in
terposed and pleaded against his punishment.
That would have been a weakness, my beauti-
full Gitano. We must punish such enormous
guilt We must punish it as it deserves! We
must so punish such an offender as that he shall
never so offend again"
He paused-and gazed steadily upon the wo-
man But she too well knew the cool malig-
nifty of the tyrant-his peculiar and unrelenting
nature-to suffer herself to be deceived by the
obvious lure which he threw out that she should
implore mercy for the criminal of whom ne
spoke She also felt the importance of main
tanning the same settled indifference and cold
ness of aspect as before. He allowed some
heightened moments to intervene, and resumed
but with evident disappointment:
auu YOU w INV
Nothing"
"Madre de Dios! But it is 80 precious to
me, that you so thoroughly acknowledge my
Justice Ho therc--Juan!-briug forth this
vile singer, this wretch Of 4 guitar-player--this
audacious musician! He shall vex no longer
with his midnight strummings, the sweet quiet
of our lady OF Burgos-our chaste Diana
whom he makes unhappy by his presumption.
See to it, Juan! bring him forth quickly"
There might have been seen, for single
moment, while the eye of Don Felasquez was
avered, convulsive quver upon the lips OF the
woman. Her arms somewhat sunk in that
moment, and were clasped together with
spasmodic intensity; yet the action WAS too
gently performed-the movement quite too
slight-to fix the regards Of the person whose
glance she chiefly feared. In that brief mo-
mcnt-in those slightly expressed cmotions-it
could be seen that she felt her worst struggle
was at hand. But it could be seen, also, that
she was possessed of wondrous faculties for en-.
durance. In what school she had acquired this
capacity, it needs not that we should ask--lt is
enough that passion, too, has its power of self
TcStTalnC as Wcll as SNtuC-duu 10 iS'Si oo AA1
tense, perhaps, as when it is subjected, by its
own will, to the check Of denial and delay: In
the heart of the woman, this power of sclf.re.
straiut, once acquired, is perhaps far more
complete than in the heart of the man--if, for
no other reason than that of her habitual sub.
lection to the will of superior, and the habin-
al exercise Of a policy in society which is not
necessary to him by whom society is controlled
or commanded.
The individual named Juan now made his
appearance lie was what is called, ordinarily,
handsome youth; with smooth features, long,
oily, and somewhat curling locks, which evil
IDENTIFY demanded much of his attention-and
person which, though very slightly, was yet ve-
ry symmetrically made. Bnt the intelligence
of his countcnance was that Of cunning rather
than of thought; and in his small gray eyes
there might be seen something of the malig-
nant and tat.likc expression which made so
conspicuous feature in those Of his uncle. lie
was showily habted with gay cloak OF silk
falling gracefully from his shoulders, in addi-
ton to the ordinary doublet, which he also
wore, of rich description of cloth, with slash
ed sleeves, and great ruff at either wrist. A
heavy gold chain about his neck, with shin
ing agnus del, ostentatiously displayed, rather
discovered his love of ornament than any very