Volume I Part 5 (1/2)
But the Senor de Belinchon only gave monosyllabic answers to all these questions.
”Do you know, Gonzalo,” he said, stopping suddenly, ”that I might have killed myself just now?”
”How?”
He then gave a full account of the incident of the mole, and when the story was ended, he again relapsed into a state of profound melancholy.
”I suppose the family is in bed,” said Gonzalo, after he had sufficiently sympathized (at least in his own opinion) with the late peril of the merchant.
”No, they are at the theatre--one never knows what may happen, eh?”
”So you've got a theatrical company here, eh?”
”Yes, for some days past. Do you know I thought I should have been killed, Gonzalo?”
”Tus.h.!.+ You might, perhaps, have broken a leg, or at the worst, a rib or two.”
”Well, that would have been bad enough!” exclaimed the Senor de Belinchon, with a sigh.
By this time they had proceeded some distance into the town, and arriving at a certain street, Don Rosendo took leave of the uncle and nephew. He held out his hand in a sad way, saying:
”I must go and fetch my family from the theatre. Until to-morrow, and a good night's rest to you, Gonzalo.”
”Until to-morrow--kind regards to all.”
Then the Senor de las Cuevas and his nephew went on together to their house; and the traveler had to undergo a torrent of questions not relative to his visit to England, but concerning particulars of the voyage home.
”What wind did you have? Pretty bl.u.s.terous, eh? I suppose it hardly sank once? The s.h.i.+p didn't pitch much, eh? She was well loaded. You never sailed with all that canvas, eh? You had to reef on leaving Liverpool, eh? I know the course well.”
Gonzalo replied to the questions in an absent-minded manner, for he really hardly took them in, as he was walking along in a state of abstraction, with his head down.
”What is the matter, Gonzalito? You seem low-spirited.”
”I? Bah! no, senor.”
”I know you are.”
They proceeded some distance in silence, and Don Melchor, striking his forehead, exclaimed:
”I know what it is!”
”What?”
”You are longing for the sea again. I have gone through just the same. I used to leap ash.o.r.e after any voyage, and then I was seized with a fit of depression and a strong desire to return to the s.h.i.+p! This lasted two or three days, until I got accustomed to it. The fact is, I longed to get into port, but once there, I wished to be on board again. I don't know what there is so attractive in the sea, eh? That air so pure! The motion! The freedom! I know you are longing to return to the s.h.i.+p, eh?”
he concluded, with a mischievous smile, to show his perspicacity.
”Bother it all! what I am longing for, uncle, is to go and see my sweetheart.”