He laughed heartily at finding me engaged in the manner I
have described.
"B-," said he, "you are the man to get through the
world, for you appear to take all things coolly, and as matters of
course. That, however, which most surprises me with respect to you
is, your having so many friends; here you are in prison, surrounded
by people ministering to your comforts. Your very servant is your
friend, instead of being your worst enemy, as is usually the case.
That Basque of yours is a noble fellow. I shall never forget how
he spoke for you, when he came running to the embassy to inform us
of your arrest. He interested both Sir George and myself in the
highest degree: should you ever wish to part with him, I hope you
will give me the refusal of his services. But now to other
matters." He then informed me that Sir George had already sent in
an official note to Ofalia, demanding redress for such a wanton
outrage on the person of a British subject. "You must remain in
prison," said he, "to-night, but depend upon it that to-morrow, if
you are disposed, you may quit in triumph." "I am by no means
disposed for any such thing," I replied. "They have put me in
prison for their pleasure, and I intend to remain here for my own."
"If the confinement is not irksome to you," said Mr. Southern, "I
think, indeed, it will be your wisest plan; the government have
committed themselves sadly with regard to you; and, to speak
plainly, we are by no means sorry for it. They have on more than
one occasion treated ourselves very cavalierly, and we have now, if
you continue firm, an excellent opportunity of humbling their
insolence. I will instantly acquaint Sir George with your
determination, and you shall hear from us early on the morrow." He
then bade me farewell; and flinging myself on my bed, I was soon
asleep in the prison of Madrid.
CHAPTER XL
Ofalia - The Juez - Carcel do la Corte - Sunday in Prison - Robber
Dress - Father and Son - Characteristic Behaviour - The Frenchman -
Prison Allowance - Valley of the Shadow - Pure Castilian - Balseiro -
The Cave - Robber Glory.
Ofalia quickly perceived that the imprisonment of a British subject
in a manner so illegal as that which had attended my own, was
likely to be followed by rather serious consequences. Whether he
himself had at all encouraged the corregidor in his behaviour
towards me, it is impossible to say; the probability is that he had
not: the latter, however, was an officer of his own appointing,
for whose actions himself and the government were to a certain
extent responsible. Sir George had already made a very strong
remonstrance upon the subject, and had even gone so far as to state
in an official note that he should desist from all farther
communication with the Spanish government until full and ample
reparation had been afforded me for the violence to which I had
been subjected.
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