CHAPTER XI.
IN WHICH TITO IS AGAIN HAPPY, AND THE FIRST PART OF THIS STORY IS COMPLETED.
The following day, the first of September, 1724, at nine in the morning, Tito was pacing the halls of the palace of Rionuevo.
That palace belonged to him. He was now the acknowledged Count, by virtue of the will and other papers of his father, which the Duke of Monteclaro and the Archbishop of Toledo had found in the place indicated by the Countess. Besides, the night before, a messenger had delivered to him from Philip V., who had finally decided to return to the throne of St. Ferdinand, $30,000 in gold, and the title of Duke of Verity, Physician to the Court; and the next day he was to celebrate his marriage with Elena. With regard to Death, Tito had completely lost sight of him since the previous morning, when he left the palace with the soul of Louis I.
Nevertheless, the youth remembered that the implacable deity had promised to protect him in his marriage; and you will now observe the reason why he walks so thoughtfully.
“Here am I,” said he, “noble, rich, powerful, and possessed of the woman I love; still I am not content. Last night, at sight of Elena, and again in my last conversation with Death, I suspected, I know not what terrible mysteries. I must sever relations with this sinister deity. It seems ungrateful, but it must be. He will have occasion in the future to avenge himself. No, no! I do not wish to see Death again, I am so happy.”
The new Duke commenced to plan how to avoid Death, until his last moments should arrive.
“It is a fact,” thought he, “that I shall not die until God wills it. Death himself can do me no harm. It is not in his power to hasten Elena’s death or mine. The question therefore is, how not to see, how not to hear him at all hours. His voice alarms me; his revelations afflict me; his conversations inspire me with a disregard for life and all I hold most dear. What shall I do to prevent his continuing to be my nightmare? Ah! an idea! He never appears except when he has something to kill. Living in the country—never seeing any one—alone with Elena—my enemy would leave me in peace, until that time, when by the decree of the Almighty, he should be directed to search for one or both of us. In the mean time, and in order not to see him in Madrid either, I will live with my eyes blindfolded.”
Encouraged by this last thought, the youth beamed with happiness, as though, having just arisen from a long illness, he believed himself assured of remaining upon earth for all time.