Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 231: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

214 REYNOLDS’ WORKS place. He forwarded me as a prisoner to Barcelona, at the same time despatching a letter to his father, the captain- general, beseeching that my life might be spared. This entreaty was not without its effect; but I was sent along with several other Carlist captives to the prison of Cadiz, there to remain until a ship should be in readiness to bear us as felon exiles to the Philippine Islands. ‘“ But it happened that the Governor of Cadiz was a re- lation of mine; he took compassion on me, and though I myself would ask no favour from the government of Queen Christina’s regency, he adopted measures secretly to procure a mitigation of my sentence. He succeeded, and I was ordered to be retained a prisoner at Cadiz. The same favour was shown to other officers of the Carlist army, who were my fellow captives. We were treated with much indulgence, and being allowed books, I obtained the means of acquiring the English language. Amongst my fellow prisoners was an English officer who had served in the Carlist army, and after awhile he became my tutor in the study of your native tongue. For, oh, I was not without the hope of sooner or later recovering my liberty, and: I thought, — Heaven grant that the idea was not vain! —I thought, Elizabeth, that if I could address to you the language of love in those tones and words most familiar to your ear, an impression would be more easily made upon your heart. Am I doomed to be mistaken? ” “Proceed with your narrative, Don Diego,” said Eliza- beth, in a tone which was slightly tremulous. ‘‘ Remember that the minutes are speeding by.” ‘““ Ah, cruel to remind me that you have limited our present interview to so short a space! ’’ exclaimed Count Christoval. ‘“T who for years have sustained life by dwelling upon your image. But I will continue. Three years elapsed, and I continued a prisoner at Cadiz. My assiduities in acquiring © the English language were unremitting; I had an able tutor, and you may judge whether I made the most of my time, and whether I profited by his lessons. In the summer of 1843 all Spain was convulsed by the civil war raised by (ueen Christina’s adherents against the Regent Espartero, and in a battle which took place, an uncle of mine—a devoted adherent of Christina — was slain. He died, leav- ing behind him immense wealth, to which I should have been Gomichbooks (Eo)