Page:Manzoni - The Betrothed, 1834.djvu/181

 and to the officer who approached the nearest to salute him he said, accompanying his words with a wave of his hand, "Beso à usted las manos ," which the officer interpreted to signify, You have given me much assistance!

He might have appropriately added, Cedant arma togæ; but the imagination of Ferrer was not at this moment at liberty to occupy itself with quotations, and, moreover, they would have been addressed to the wind, as the officer did not understand Latin.

Pedro felt his accustomed courage revive at the sight of these files of muskets, so respectfully raised; and recovering entirely from his amazement, he urged on his horses, without deigning to take further notice of the few, who were now harmless from their numbers.

"Levantese, levantese, estamos afueras ," said Ferrer to the superintendent, who, re-assured by the cessation of the tumult, the rapid motion of the carriage, and these words of encouragement, drew himself from his corner, and overwhelmed his liberator with thanks. The latter, after having condoled with him on account of his peril, and rejoiced at his deliverance, exclaimed, "Ah! que dira de esto su excelencia, who is already weary of this cursed Casale, because it will not surrender? que dira el conde duque? who trembles if a leaf makes more noise than usual? Que dira el rey nuestro señor? who must necessarily be informed of so great a tumult? And is it at an end? Dios lo sabe." —"Ah, as for me, I will have nothing more to do with it," said the superintendent. "I wash my hands of it. I resign my office into the hands of your excellency, and I will go and live in a cavern on a mountain, as a hermit, far, very far from this savage people."

"Usted will do that which is best por el servicio de su majestad," replied the high chancellor, gravely.

"His majesty does not desire my death," replied the superintendent. "Yes, yes, in a cavern, in a cavern far from these cruel people."