But Tell Me Who Are You?
Are You Known To The British Minister?" "O Yes, And He Takes A
Great Interest In The Matter." "Does He?" Said Oliban; "That
Indeed Alters The Case:
If you can show me that His Excellency
takes in interest in this business, I certainly shall not oppose
myself to it."
The British minister performed all I could wish, and much more than
I could expect; he had an interview with the Duke of Rivas, with
whom he had much discourse upon my affair: the duke was all smiles
and courtesy. He moreover wrote a private letter to the duke,
which he advised me to present when I next paid him a visit, and,
to crown all, he wrote a letter directed to myself, in which he did
me the honour to say that he had a regard for me, and that nothing
would afford him greater pleasure than to hear that I had obtained
the permission which I was seeking. So I went to the duke, and
delivered the letter. He was ten times more kind and affable than
before: he read the letter, smiled most sweetly, and then, as if
seized with sudden enthusiasm, he extended his arms in a manner
almost theatrical, exclaiming, "Al secretario, el hara por usted el
gusto." Away I hurried to the secretary, who received me with all
the coolness of an icicle: I related to him the words of his
principal, and then put into his hand the letter of the British
minister to myself. The secretary read it very deliberately, and
then said that it was evident His Excellency did take an interest
in the matter. He then asked me my name, and taking a sheet of
paper, sat down as if for the purpose of writing the permission. I
was in ecstasy - all of a sudden, however, he stopped, lifted up his
head, seemed to consider a moment, and then putting his pen behind
his ear, he said, "Amongst the decrees of the Council of Trent is
one to the effect" . . . .
"Oh dear!" said I.
"A singular person is this Oliban," said I to Galiano; "you cannot
imagine what trouble he gives me: he is continually talking about
the Council of Trent."
"I wish he was in the Trent up to the middle," said Galiano, who,
as I have observed already, spoke excellent English; "I wish he was
there for talking such nonsense. However," said he, "we must not
offend Oliban, he is one of us, and has done us much service; he
is, moreover, a very clever man, but he is an Aragonese, and when
one of that nation once gets an idea into his head, it is the most
difficult thing in the world to dislodge it; however, we will go to
him; he is an old friend of mine, and I have no doubt but that we
shall be able to make him listen to reason." So the next day I
called upon Galiano, at his marine or admiralty office (what shall
I call it?), and from thence we proceeded to the bureau of the
interior, a magnificent edifice, which had formerly been the casa
of the Inquisition, where we had an interview with Oliban, whom
Galiano took aside to the window, and there held with him a long
conversation, which, as they spoke in whispers, and the room was
immensely large, I did not hear.
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