The Genius (Carl Grosse)/Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
The Count contracted an intrigue with an Italian actress; and Don Fernandos and I formed a connexion with two ladies, each of whom insisting on being married to her gallant, found means to involve us in so many disagreeable situations, as obliged us at last to take French leave of them, to get rid of their importunities, which began to grow dangerous.
A short time previous to this denouement of our farce, the following occurrence happened, at the remembrance of which I still must tremble. In our nightly excursions, we were wont to leave Don Fernandos with our mistresses, and about midnight I took with the count an airing through the fields, after which we returned to town. On those occasions we used to concert the plans of our next day's amusement, and I frequently talked very freely before the count, Don Bernardos, (while he still was with us) and other friends, of the machinations of the Mystic Cabal.
One night having been merrier and drank rather more than usual, the company hastened to return to Toledo. All, was ready to break up, but I could not find my hat. Meanwhile the ladies and my friends; went down stairs, at it had been agreed upon; that we should all set out together. Having at last found my hat, I put out the candles in the club-room myself, and ran to join them. It was a dark night, and my carriage standing ready to receive me at the door, I got in and the coachman drove on. Somewhat inebriated I continued ranting and railing for some time, but finding my companions all silent to my waggishness, I thought they did it for joke's sake.
I now run on worse than before, and began pulling some of them about. All remained silent, when one of them breaking a brittle substance, a phosphoric fire suddenly illumined the carriage, and I found my self amidst five persons, drest in black, with their faces muffled with a crape of the same color. I was going to faint, when one of them uncovering his face, I recognized Jago. At the same time four naked daggers were lifted and pointed at my breast.
"Traitor," cried Jago, "remember thy oath! This is the last warning thy brethren give thee! Take it with silent awe and respect our secrets! We now leave thee; beware of making the least alarm, else thy life shall pay for it." Here the flame was extinguished, the horrid strangers alighted and bade the coachman drive on. I remained half senseless in the carriage, till at last it stopt before my door, when a strange man opened it, and asked me if I pleased to alight, I was still more frightened at this incident, and almost afraid to venture out.
Perceiving however nobody else about me, I asked the driver whence he came, and who had ordered him to take charge of my carriage, while my own coachman had been left to take care of it. He informed me, that he was an inhabitant of Alcantara, and had been out to do a hackney job in the country. That on his return he stopped on the road before the house where my carriage stood, where a gentleman asking, whether he would carry Don Carlos to town, he answered in the affirmative and was ordered to drive it with all possible dispatch. He also added, that the gentleman had satisfied him for his trouble before-hand.
I now went up stairs and found nobody there, except those servants who had remained in town. I then ordered the same man to carry me back from whence he fetched me with all expedition. He gladly obeyed, and at a small distance from town, I met my own coachman quite out of breath crying, "Sop thief!" I pulled the string; the carriage stopt; and as soon as my man came up I asked him how he came to leave his charge? The poor fellow, told me, that a gentleman who he thought belonged to our company, had desired him to go into the back-yard to have a glass of wine, and wait there, till I should bid him return to the horses. Thar seeing the rest of the company walking in the garden, he expected every moment to be called; but was soon alarmed by some cries, when he ran out and found all the company before the gate of the house, complaining of the carriage having gone without them. "Suspecting foul play," concluded he "I ran as hard as I could to overtake the thieves." Fully satisfied with this account, I bade him follow us, and proceeding a little farther, found all the ladies and my friends returning to town on foot. They began to reproach me with playing them such a trick, when I answered, that I had had a narrow escape, and durst tell them no more, but the two coachmen would give them sufficient information.
They all seemed astonished and urged me to explain, but telling them, that such a step would inevitably cost me my life, they, with great reluctance, desisted from farther enquiries.
"This disagreeable adventure added to many others, made me resolve to quite Toledo immediately, and Count Selami coincided with me in opinion. He also made me such discoveries respecting Don Bernardos and himself, from which I could easily conclude, that they were both under the influence of the Mystic Cabal, which had also occasioned them many reverses and misfortunes.