Part 1 (1/2)

Alphonso and Marina

by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian

Marina, at seventeen, was the most admired beauty in Granada She was an orphan, and heiress to an iuardianshi+p of an old and avaricious uncle, whose na ducats, and his nights in silencing serenades, nocturnally addressed to Marina His design was to reat fortune, to his own son, Henriquez, who had studied ten years in the university of Salamanca, and was now able to explain Cornelius Nepos tolerably well

Almost all the cavaliers of Granada were in love with Marina As they could obtain a sight of her only at reat numbers of the handsomest and most accouished a these, was Don Alphonso, a captain of cavalry, about twenty, not very rich, but of a family of the first distinction Handsome, polite, and witty, he attracted the eyes of all the ladies of Granada; though he himself paid attention to none but Marina, who, not insensible to his attachan, on her part, to take notice of her admirer

Twoto speak; nevertheless, they silently said much At the end of that time Don Alphonso found means to convey a letter to his mistress; which informed her of what she knew before The reserved Marina had no sooner read this letter than she sent it back to Don Alphonso; but, as she possessed an excellent memory, she retained every word, and was able to return a very punctual answer, a week afterwards

A correspondence was now settled between the two lovers; but Don Alphonso was desirous to be stillsolicited perh her lattices Such is the custo the night than in the day They are the places of rendezvous When the street is vacant and still, the lover wraps hi his sword, invokes love and night to favour hirated on the side next the street, and secured on the inside by shutters

He waits not long before theopens softly, and the char maid appears She asks, in a tremulous voice, if any one is there Her lover, transported at her condescension, endeavours to dispel her fears They talk in a whisper, and repeat the sath, approaches, and they round floor, and opened into a narrow passage, where the houses were ill built, and only inhabited by the lower class of people Don Alphonso's old nurse happened to occupy a tenement directly opposite theof Marina Don Alphonso, therefore repaired to his nurse 'My good woman,' said he, 'I have beenin this miserable habitation; but I a you an apartment in my own house Come, and reside in that, and leave me to dispose of this'

The worthy wo time, refused; but, at last, overcoe, with every expression of gratitude to her benefactor

Never did any monarch enter his palace with more satisfaction than Don Alphonso did the hovel of his nurse

Early in the evening Marina appeared at her lattice She proht, and she kept her word These delightful interviews served only to fan the flahts were constantly passed in pleasing conversation, and their days in writing passionate epistles

Just at this time, Henriquez, the intended husband of Marina, arrived fro with him a declaration of his passion in Latin, which had been written for hie

The lovers consulted each other on this event at the lattice; but, in the e, and a day was fixed on for the celebration of the nuptials of Marina and Henriquez

In these circual This was determined; and it was also settled that the two lovers, on arriving at Lisbon, should first uardian

Marina was to carry with her a box of jewels, which had been left her by her mother These were very valuable, and sufficient to maintain the happy pair till the decision of their law-suit To effect this escape, it was necessary to procure the key of the lattice, and in this Marina succeeded

It was resolved also, that the next night, at eleven, Don Alphonso, after having appointed horses to ithout the city, should come and fetch Marina; who should descend from the , into the aral

Don Alphonso spent the whole day in preparations for his departure

Marina, on her part, was equally busy, in getting ready the little box she was to take with her She was very careful to secret in it a very fine eiven her by her lover

Marina and her box were ready by eight in the evening; and, before ten, Don Alphonso, who had already provided carriages on the road to Andalusia, arrived at the appointed spot: his heart beating with perturbation and hope

As he approached the place, he heard persons calling for assistance, and perceived two men attacked by five arot his own affairs to defend the lives of the assaulted He wounded two, and put the other three to flight

What was his surprise, onthe persons he had delivered, to perceive they were no other than Henriquez, and Alonzo, the guardian of Marina So cavalier of the city, as in love with Marina, knowing it was intended that Henriquez should espouse her, had hired bravoes, to assassinate them; and, had it not been for the valour of Don Alphonso, the young scholar and the old miser would have found it no easy matter to escape

Alphonso did his ut learned politeness at Salaht Alphonso, in despair, had already heard the clock strike eleven Alas! he knew not the misfortune that had happened

One of the bravoes, whoht, had passed muffled up in his cloak, near the lattice of Marina The night was extre opened the , iined him to be Don Alphonso, and presented him the box with joyful impatience: 'Take our diamonds,' said she, 'while I descend'

At the word diamonds, the bravo suddenly stopped, took the box, without speaking a word, and, while Marina was getting out of the , fled with the utine the surprise of Marina, when she found herself alone in the street, and saw nothing of hiht, at first, he had left her, to avoid raising suspicion or alarm