Tales of the Wonder Club, Volume III

by M. Y. Halidom

[Inez throws herself half fainting on the prie-dieu, and the scene closes.

Scene IV.—A Wood of chestnuts. Moonlight. Gipsies in ambush. Don Diego's castle seen towering above the trees.

Enter Gipsy Queen and Pascual.

Gip. Q. Behold the spot I told thee of, from whence
We must begin th' ascent. (To Gipsies.) Is all prepared?
Gipsies Together. Ay, Queen.
Gip. Q. And Father Miguel?
A Gipsy. He comes anon.
D. Pas. What, even Father Miguel! Will he join?
Gip. Q. He is, as ever, our most staunch ally,
And doth possess a keen and ready wit
In time of need. A soft and oily tongue
And gentle manner, that may well disarm
All base suspicion. Such sound policy
As may enable him to win the day,
When all such brainless braggadocio
As thine might fail.
D. Pas. Bravo, Father Miguel!
An he be practised in the use of 's tongue,
As I am in the use of my good blade
We shall do well together.
Gip. Q. See, he comes.

Enter Father Miguel. He walks straight up to Gipsy Queen.

F'th. M. Pepa, well met. Is this young man your son?
D. Pas. (Stepping forward.) Ay, holy father. Dost remember me?
F'th. M. But little, son. It is so many years
We have not met, and thou art altered much.
Thou wert then but a lad—a naughty lad,
A very naughty lad.
D. Pas. Ha, ha! Ha, ha!
The accusation, I admit, is just,
But hope, after to-night, that we may learn
To know each other better.
F'th. M. So say I.
And now, for what doth most concern us all.
To Gipsy Queen. I doubt not this youth's courage. Nay, his fault,
An I remember right in days gone by.
Was being too precipitous and rash.
Now listen, both of ye, to what I say;
We must not mar our plot with useless show
Of ill-timed valour, but hoard well our strength
Till needed, and if possible dispense
With blood and slaughter, which God grant we may.
D. Pas. How, holy father? I don't understand.
Are we not here assembled to attack
The tyrant's stronghold. Are the men-at-arms
That guard the castle made of such poor stuff,
As let a powerful and armed band
Approach without resistance. Think you, he
The man that I blush to call my father,
Is so utterly without resources
As let us tamely rob him of his prize,
Under his very nose, and not resent?
Too old a fox, I ween, our veteran foe,
For to be caught asleep.
F'th. M. Nay, hear me, son.
Gip. Q. Ay, true my, son. Have patience and attend
To the good father's counsel.
D. Pas. Father, speak.
F'th. M. I have bethought me of a scheme, which, if
Well carried out, will bring us through the guard
Without the loss of blood. Once entered in,
And passed the threshold, let me lead the way.
Your mother will present herself anon,
Assert her rights in presence of them all;
You then will follow, ready to protect
Yourself and us, should an assault be made
Upon our persons. (To Gipsies.) You bold gipsies all,
Keep close at hand a little in the rear
Ready for action, but beware to lift
A finger until called upon to fight
Through grim necessity. D'ye hear me all?
Gipsies (Together.) Ay, ay, Sir Priest.
D. Pas. You have not told us yet
The means you will adopt to pass the guards
Without resistance.
F'th. M. Listen, then, awhile.
I have to aid me in this daring plot
A tried and trusty friend, a mountaineer;
This peasant hath across his shoulders slung
A keg of choicest wine, by me well drugged
With such a potent powder, that one drop
But taken on the tongue were full enough
In a few minutes to induce a sleep
So dull, lethargic, heavy, and profound,
That earth might quake, winds blow, and thunder growl,
And yet the victims of this potent drug
Would still sleep on, their long and death-like sleep,
And much I doubt me if the archangel's trump
Would fully wake them.
D. Pas. 'Tis not poison, father?
F'th. M. Nay, 'tis harmless. How could you think that I,
As priest, could do aught to take human life?
I come to hinder carnage, not to slay.
D. Pas. This may be difficult, though, nevertheless,
The men are many. There are always dogs
That bark and bellow at the foe's approach.
F'th. M. Leave all to me, my son. As for the dogs,
I've poison brought, most instantaneous,
With which I've baited meat, that I have now
About my person, whilst this peasant here.
What ho! Felipe!

Enter a PEASANT with a keg of wine slung round him.

This same honest man
Will go ahead with me, but as we near
The castle we will separate, and choose
Two divers paths, so that in case we meet
With any man we seem not to belong
One to the other. He will chant an air
Such as our mountaineers are wont to sing,
And go his way, as one who's light of heart;
Myself, will pass on by another route,
To meet the peasant at a given point
Close to the castle and within the hearing
Of all the soldiers; and if accosted,
I have my answer ready. Do not fear.
When within hearing of the men-at-arms,
I shall call out to this same mountaineer,
As to a stranger: "Hold, friend. Where bound?"
"To the next village, father," shall he say?
"Trav'lling with wine. A buyer wants to try
A sample, and I bring him of the best."
"Ha!" shall I say, "then, prithee, let me taste.
I, too, would buy a barrel, but for me
It must be good indeed, else, keep your wine."
Then shall I feign to drink and smack my lips,
Swearing 'tis nectar worthy of a king,
And straight make offer to buy all he has,
While trudging on together by the way.
Presently we will come upon the guards,
Some of whom know me well. Suspecting nought,
These men will easily be lured to try
The vaunted liquor. Having gone the round
Of seneschal and warder and the rest,
I shall find access to the castle hall
Without much trouble, offr'ing as excuse,
I come to let Don Diego taste the wine.
Once entered fairly in the castle hall,
Ere long all hands will sound as dead men sleep,
Then shall I blow this whistle. At the sound,
March on, and fear not, for the game is ours.
D. Pas. Hail! Father Miguel! once again I say.
F'th. M. Now to our task. 'Tis just about the hour,
And better be too early than too late.
D. Pas. True, holy father.
F'th. M. Well, go softly on
Ahead, whilst you all keep well in the rear,
Advance ye not until ye hear this call.

[Exeunt Father Miguel and Felipe.

D. Pas. Why, what an acquisition to our cause
Is this same priest! I vow I know not how
We should have done without him.
Gip. Q. You say well.
Besides our cause, that he has much at heart,
He revels in all plotting and intrigue.
D. Pas. It suits his peculiar genius. Why,
He might have been prime minister of Spain,
This same poor unknown priest.