"Certainly--husband of one, brother-in-law of the other. But I will tell
you the whole story. Sigismund Fatello is one of those men born with a
peculiar genius for money-getting, who, if deposited at the antipodes
without a shoe to their foot, or a sou in their pocket, would end by
becoming millionnaires. Although little heard of in good society till a
year ago, he has long been well known on the Bourse, and in foreign
capitals, as a bold financier and successful speculator. Two years ago
he had occasion to go to the south of Spain, to visit mines offered by
the Spanish government as security for the loan of two or three of
his millions. Amongst other places he visited Seville, and was there
introduced to Don Geronimo Gomez Garcia Gonfalon (and a dozen other
names besides), a queer old hidalgo, descended from Boabdil of the
Bloody Crescent, or some such Moorish potentate. The don dwelt in the
shadow of the Giralda, and possessed two daughters reputed fair;--you
see them there--judge for yourself. With one of these Fatello fell
desperately in love, and asked her in marriage. The lady, who had
no wish to abandon her native land for the society of so ugly and
unpleasant a helpmate, demurred. But the suitor was urgent and the papa
peremptory. Old Boabdil had an immense opinion of Fatello, was dazzled
by his wealth and financial reputation, and insisted on his daughter's
marrying him, vowing that he himself was poor as a poet, and that if
she refused she should go to a nunnery. After the usual amount of tears,
threats, and promises, the marriage took place. The descendant of the
Saracen made an excellent bargain for his child. Fatello, infatuated by
his passion, would have agreed to any conditions, and made immense
settlements on the beautiful Catalina. His father-in-law, like an old
semi-African hunks as he was, pleaded poverty, hard times, forced
contributions, and so forth, as excuses for giving his daughter no other
portion than a few rather remarkable diamonds, and some antiquated plate
dating from the kings of Granada, and better suited for a Moorish museum
than a Christian sideboard. Fatello, whose dealings with the Spanish
government had given him no very exalted idea of the opulence of Spanish
subjects, cared not for the old boy's maravedis, and credited his plea
of poverty. A few weeks afterwards, Fatello and his wife being still in
Seville, Boabdil retired for his usual siesta; but not reappearing at
the usual hour, a servant went to awaken him, and found him purple with
apoplexy. The unfortunate Saracen never spoke again. The next day he was
buried (they lose no time in those warm latitudes); and behold, when the
will was opened, he had left upwards of three millions of reals to his
disconsolate daughters--about four hundred thousand francs to each of
them. When the decencies had been observed in the way of mourning, and
Fatello had finished his affairs, he brought his wife and her sister to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account