Category: Novels

The Marquis of Peñalta (Marta y María): A Realistic Social Novel

The work which I now have the honor of presenting to the public is not based upon ordinary every-day occurrences; nor are the incidents narrated in it such as we are wont frequently to witness. Very likely it will be called untrue or improbable, and regarded as a fanciful prod...

Chapters

6. CHAPTER II.

"Doña Gertrudis, you flatter me; I have no other desert than that of sticking fast to whatever I undertake, and this seems to me absolutely necessary in whatever career one devo...

7. CHAPTER III.

Day had hardly dawned, when our maiden arose suddenly from the floor. She stood motionless a moment with ear attent, but she did not catch the sound of the bells of San Felipe,...

16. CHAPTER XII.

Some time before the events which we have just related, the loves of Ricardo and Maria, which had been going on in a gradual diminuendo like the notes of a beautiful melody, unt...

8. CHAPTER IV.

A few days later Ricardo set forth from home as usual about ten o'clock in the morning and turned his steps toward the house of his betrothed. It was not love alone that impelle...

17. CHAPTER XIII.

The general commander kept by the fickle Spanish republic in the province of * * * was a good deal of a barbarian,--be it said without intention of hitting him too hard, for eve...

14. CHAPTER X.

Meantime the ocean, indifferent to the laughter and the discomfort of those petty insects which skim over its burnished surface, reflected the fire of the sun over all its immen...

18. CHAPTER XIV.

The faces of the other servants whom they met on the way had the same expression of silent solemnity, and this greatly increased his agitation. Maria followed him. When they rea...

9. CHAPTER V.

The letter which we have just read led to a very important crisis in the lives of our lovers. Ricardo at first was furious, and wrote a long answer to his betrothed, announcing...

19. CHAPTER XV.

In the small but pretty church of the nuns of San Bernardo, in Nieva, there was great bustling. The sacristan, aided by three acolytes, the two serving women of the convent, and...

10. CHAPTER VI.

Marta, as soon as she found herself free, ran behind him with uplifted broom, so that he could not get hold of her; thereupon she went back and again began her task of brushing...

20. CHAPTER XVI.

The transfer of the young artillery lieutenant, Ricardo de Peñalta, had not yet arrived. He had applied for it a fortnight before the Señorita de Elorza took the veil. A month h...

11. CHAPTER VII.

The dew of grace kept falling copiously on the soul of the eldest daughter of the Elorzas. The Christian virtues flourished in her like mystical roses replete with fragrance, an...

13. CHAPTER IX.

For a fortnight at least there had been talk of an excursion to El Moral and the island. During the spring the young ladies[43] who went to the parties at the house of the Elorz...

12. CHAPTER VIII.

The spring came. The northeast winds, like a gigantic besom swung by the hand of some god with a passion for cleanliness, constantly swept away the dust and ashes of the firmame...

15. CHAPTER XI.

Don Mariano's guests were amusing themselves with the game of forfeits. The evening was thoroughly disagreeable, and only the most courageous had ventured out. When this happene...

5. CHAPTER I.

Within the arcade the people were crowding relentlessly; each and every one was performing prodigies of skill to flout the physical law of the impenetrability of bodies, by redu...

4. CHAPTER XVI.

The work which I now have the honor of presenting to the public is not based upon ordinary every-day occurrences; nor are the incidents narrated in it such as we are wont freque...

2. CHAPTER IV.

1. CHAPTER III.

3. CHAPTER XIII.