Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-03-29
A Romance of the Pyrenees.

am Spaniard and the only son and
sole heir OF Don Guzman de Mansoria, a
grandee of Spain of the second class, by
whom l was educated according to my
fortune and exalted rank. At the age of
twenty-five I lost my father. 1t is the
custom in Spain that at the death of a
father the mobiles should wear mourning
for ole year and pass that time in a
state of absolute solitude at their re-
motest estates. loved my father ten
derly and deeply regretted his loss. ]
observed my country's custom on that
event as holy duty and in conformity
thereto removed into Aragon where /
had castle situated at the foot of Mount
Maladetta, on the extreme frontier, be-
tween Spain and France. This was in
the year 1779, when Spain was still
beautiful and mighty, although the no.
bility and clergy ruled it with an iron
despotlsm and the feudal laws, more
rigidly enforced than they had ever
been, even in France, were better con-
solidated by the perfect understanding
on this point between the priests and the
crown. The mobiles ruled the people
and the king ruled all. For my part, /
frankly admit that I was proud of my
title of Count and priced the preroga-
tives of my rank and the rights of my
birth. My steward dispensed justice to
my yassals IN my name, and when his
decisions appeared unjust to them they
appealed to me in person.
The gallows, which stood before the
great gate of tue castle, pithily an
nounced my power of condemning to
death within the limits of my. county.
By law all smrgglers were subject to this
rigorous penalty, to which my deputy
always condemned them with unsparing
severity, and which I always COMMITTED
to lighter punishment. At this time
the smugglers were in greater numbers
than they are now, and as I had received
directions from court to suppress the
illegal traffic, I had armed my vassals,
who patrolled all the defles and by
roads, secured the mountains, and as
sisted the officers of the kings customs
on all occasions. This rigorous pursuit
of the smugglers increased their auda-
city and inspired them with despera-
tion and revenge. Before they were
only dealers in prohibited articles they
now became .brigands, organized regular
bands into troops, and opposed open re-
sistance in the field to the kings and
my jurisdiction. One day fifty of my
people were attacked near La Picade
and cruelty massacred by these bandits !;
whereupon I vowed never again TO re-
nit or commute the sentence of my
deputy, but to hang up the first suggler
who should be captured.
A few days afterwards the worthy
functlonary was announced and present
ed me with q death-warrant for my sig
nature. hesitated, trembled and could
not proceed. 1t is such shocking,
chilling thought that few letters, SO
rapidly and easily traced, should have
the power of depriving fellow w-creatnre
of life L tried to read the sentence,
but my eyes were clouded and could
not see distinctly, so asked the steward
to read it. He commenced with an Of
fetal tone, but I stopped him at the
second line-when I found that the
culprit was q girl only eighteen years
old.
"My lord" said the functionary,
"Milanetta is the daughter of the Cap
tain of the smugglers. She daily de-
ceives the vigilance of the guards, and
passes and repasses between Spain and
France with intelligence to direct the
movements of the two troops of bandits,
and they could not possibly battle our
authority but for her. This young
woman is guilty; have condemned her,
and it is your duty to sauction the laws
award. You have pledged yourself to
the rigid execution of justice to your
vassals, and you owe it to the kind. The
word of q Spanish grandee is sacred
therefore, my Lord, you must sign that
paper"
"Never What; send a girl only
eighteen years old to death f.! Icouldn't
muster strength to do it. What did she
urge in her defense2"
Nothing"
HAS she confessed the charger
emo"
Then suspend the execution of the
sentence. Conduct Milanetta here. /
wish to see and interrogate her person
ally"
Ny deputy obeyed, and In an instant
afterwards Milanetta stood before me.
Oh il yoH had seen that youthful erea,