El Verdugo

The Project Gutenberg EBook of El Verdugo, by Honore de Balzac This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: El Verdugo

Author: Honore de Balzac

Translator: Katharine Prescott Wormeley

Release Date: November 2, 2005 [EBook #1425]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny

EL VERDUGO

HONORE DE BALZAC

Translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley

DEDICATION

To Martinez de la Rosa.

EL VERDUGO

The clock of the little town of Menda had just struck midnight. At that moment a young French officer, leaning on the parapet of a long terrace which bordered the gardens of the chateau de Menda, seemed buried in thoughts that were deeper than comported with the light-hearted carelessness of military life; though it must be said that never were hour, scene, or night more propitious for meditation. The beautiful sky of Spain spread its dome of azure above his head. The scintillation of the stars and the soft light of the moon illumined the delightful valley that lay at his feet. Resting partly against an orange-tree in bloom, the young major could see, three hundred feet below him, the town of Menda, at the base of the rock on which the castle is built. Turning his head, h

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