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Volume 3 (1858-1859) (592 pages)
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Page: of 592
116 HUTCHINGS’ CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE.
prosperous, and the lovers were delighted
with their mutual company. After traveling in Estremadura about two months,
they went to Murcia, and after having
been in that territory for about six weeks,
they stopped at a village, where a misfortune happened to Andres, which almost
cost him his life. Up to this time Andres
found the Gipsy life to be a Paradise;
he was the most influential man in the
tribe; the strongest in the wrestle and
the swiftest in the race, and Preciosa returned his love with tenfold interest, so
that she could never rest if he were out
of sight. Andres had made this discovery
with the greatest pleasure a short time
before arriving at this village, where, after giving some vases and valuables of
silver in security according to custom, a
party of Gipsys, including Andres and
Preciosa, stopped at the house of a rich
widow, who had a daughter of seventeen
or eighteen years of age, more bold than
handsome, and named Juana Carducha.
She having seen the Gipsys dance, was
seized by the devil, and fell so in love
with Andres that she determined to de-.
elare herself and take him for a husband,
if he wished, though it should grieve all
her relatives. She then sought an opportunity to speak to him, and she found it
in the corral, whither he had gone to
catch.a couple of chickens, She went up
to him, and in haste, so as not to be seen,
said to him; ‘‘ Andres,” for she already
knew his name, ‘‘I am a rich maiden;
my mother has no other child, and this
house is hers, and she has, besides, two
others like it, and vineyards. You have
pleased me: if you wish me for a wife it
is for you to decide; answer me soon, and
‘if you are prudent, wait, and you shall
see what a life we shall lead.”
Andres was astonished at the boldness
of Juana and in the haste which she
‘sought, he answered: ‘“‘Seforita, I aw
already betrothed, and the Gipsys marry
only in their own nation. God bless you
for the mercy which you would do me; I
am not worthy of it.”
Juana was upon the point of fainting
at the short reply of Andres, whom she
would have solicited farther, had not other Gipsys appeared. She went out disappointed and angry, and desirous of reyenge. Andres prudently determined to
avoid the occasion which the devil offered
him: for he easily read in the eyes of
Juana that she would deliver herself to
him to the extent of his will without any
matrimonial ceremonies, and he did not
wish to be alone with her again within
that corral. He therefore besought the
Gipsys to prepare for going away. They,
who always obeyed him, agreed, and getting back their securities, they started.
Juana, who considered the departure of
Andres equivalent to the loss of half her
soul, and saw that there was no time to
solicit the fulfilment of her desires, managed to detain him by force, since she
could not by love. With the cunning and
seeresy which her evil intention taught
her, she placed in the knapsack which
she knew to be his some rich corals and
two silver medals, with other articles ;
and scarcely had the Gipsys left the
house when she cried out that they had
stolen her jewels ; whereupon the officers
came, and all the people in the village.
The Gipsys stopped and all swore that
they had stolen nothing, and that they
would expose for examination all the
property of the tribe. At this the old
woman was much troubled, fearing that
in that scrutiny the jewels of Preciosa
and the clothes of Andres would come to
light, for she had preserved them carefully: but Juana Carducha prevented all
that, for at the second bundle which they
examined, she said that they should ask
which was that of the great dancer, for
she had seen him go into her room tyice,
amd perhaps he had taken them.
Andres understood that she was speaking of him, and laughing, said: “ Dam-