FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169  
170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   >>   >|  
We must now change the scene to the garden of that excellent Governor, Senhor Francisco Alfonso Toledo Bignoso Letotti, and the date to three months in advance of the period in which occurred the events related in the last chapter. "Maraquita, I am sorry to find that you still persist in encouraging that morbid regret for the loss of one who cannot now be recovered." Thus spoke the Governor in tones that were unusually petulant for one who idolised his child. "Father, why did you sell her without saying a word to me about your intention? It was very, very, _very_ unkind--indeed it was." Poor Maraquita's eyes were already red and swollen with much weeping, nevertheless she proceeded to increase the redness and the swelling by a renewed burst of passionate distress. The worthy Governor found it difficult to frame a reply or to administer suitable consolation, for in his heart he knew that he had sold Azinte, as it were surreptitiously, to Marizano for an unusually large sum of money, at a time when his daughter was absent on a visit to a friend. The noted Portuguese kidnapper, murderer, rebel and trader in black ivory, having recovered from his wound, had returned to the town, and, being well aware of Azinte's market value, as a rare and remarkably beautiful piece of ivory of extra-superfine quality, had threatened, as well as tempted, Governor Letotti beyond his powers of resistance. Marizano did not want the girl as his own slave. He wanted dollars, and, therefore, destined her for the markets of Arabia or Persia, where the smooth-tongued and yellow-skinned inhabitants hold that robbery, violence, and cruelty, such as would make the flesh of civilised people creep, although horrible vices in themselves, are nevertheless, quite justifiable when covered by the sanction of that miraculous talisman called a "domestic institution." The British Government had, by treaty, agreed to respect slavery in the dominions of the Sultan of Zanzibar, as a domestic institution with which it would not interfere! Governor Letotti's heart had smitten him at first for he really was an amiable man, and felt kindly disposed to humanity at large, slaves included. Unfortunately the same kindliness was concentrated with tenfold power on himself, so that when self-interest came into play the amiable man became capable of deeds that Marizano himself might have been proud of. The only difference, in fact, between the two was that
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169  
170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Governor
 

Letotti

 

Marizano

 
amiable
 

recovered

 

institution

 

domestic

 

Azinte

 

unusually

 

Maraquita


tempted

 
superfine
 

cruelty

 
violence
 
robbery
 

quality

 

threatened

 

remarkably

 

civilised

 

people


beautiful

 

yellow

 

Persia

 

wanted

 

dollars

 
markets
 

destined

 

Arabia

 

powers

 

skinned


tongued

 

resistance

 
smooth
 

inhabitants

 

called

 

tenfold

 

interest

 

concentrated

 

kindliness

 

slaves


humanity
 
included
 

Unfortunately

 

difference

 

capable

 
disposed
 

kindly

 
miraculous
 
sanction
 

talisman