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  MARIANELA

  BY

  B. PEREZ GALDÓS
  Author of "Gloria," etc.

  From the Spanish by CLARA BELL

  REVISED AND CORRECTED IN THE UNITED STATES

  NEW YORK
  WILLIAM S. GOTTSBERGER, PUBLISHER
  11 MURRAY STREET
  1883




  Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1883
  By William S. Gottsberger
  In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington

  THIS TRANSLATION WAS MADE EXPRESSLY FOR THE PUBLISHER

  Press of
  William S. Gottsberger
  New York




TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.


Those who have read "Gloria" will, it is hoped, hail with pleasure
another work by the same writer, Perez Galdós--different it is true,
but in its way not less delightful.

The strongly-marked humor and darkly-painted tragedy of "Gloria" are
not to be found in "Marianela;" the characters are distinct and crisply
sketched, but with a tender hand, the catastrophe is pitiable, rather
shocking; the whole tone is idyllic.

I have not hesitated to translate literally the Spanish words of
endearment; for though they are foreign to the calmer spirit of our
northern tongue they are too characteristic to be lost, and they are
strangely pathetic as the only outlet found for the imprisoned spirit
of the hapless little heroine.

  CLARA BELL.




CONTENTS.


  CHAP.                                     PAGE.

  I.--Gone Astray.                              1

  II.--Guided Right.                           10

  III.--A Dialogue which explains much.        24

  IV.--Stony Hearts.                           35

  V.--Labor, and a Landscape with Figures.     52

  VI.--Absurdities.                            62

  VII.--More Absurdities.                      73

  VIII.--And yet more.                         84

  IX.--The Brothers Golfin.                    98

  X.--Nobody's Children.                      117

  XI.--The Patriarch of Aldeacorba.           124

  XII.--Doctor Celipin.                       136

  XIII.--Between two Baskets.                 144

  XIV.--How the Virgin Mary appeared to Nela. 151

  XV.--The Three Children.                    164

  XVI.--The Vow.                              172

  XVII.--A Fugitive.                          179

  XVIII.--Nela decides that she must go.      192

  XIX.--Nela is Tamed.                        201

  XX.--A New World.                           220

  XXI.--Eyes that Kill.                       234

  XXII.--Farewell.                            260




MARIANELA.




CHAPTER I.

GONE ASTRAY.


The sun had set. After the brief interval of twilight the night fell
calm and dark, and in its gloomy bosom the last sounds of a sleepy
world died gently away. The traveller went forward on his way,
hastening his step as night came on; the path he followed was narrow
and worn by the constant tread of men and beasts, and led gently up a
hill on whose verdant <DW72>s grew picturesque clumps of wild cherry
trees, beeches and oaks.--The reader perceives that we are in the north
of Spain.

Our traveller was a man of middle age, strongly built, tall and
broad-shouldered; his movements were brisk and resolute, his step
firm, his manner somewhat rugged, his eye bold and bright; his pace
was nimble, considering that he was decidedly stout, and he was--the
reader may at once be told, though somewhat prematurely--as good a
soul as you may meet with anywhere. He was dressed, as a man in easy
circumstances should be dressed for a journey in spring weather, with
one of those round shady hats, which, from their ugly shape, have been
nicknamed mushrooms (_hongo_), a pair of field-glasses hanging to a
strap, and a knotted stick which, when he did not use it to support his
steps, served to push aside the brambles when they flung their thorny
branches across so as to catch his dress.

He presently stopped, and gazing round the dim horizon, he seemed vexed
and puzzled. He evidently was not sure of his way and