Trafalgar · Chapter
The Secret Departure explained
Don Alonso, accompanied by the narrator and Marcial, secretly flees Vejer de la Frontera to join the fleet at Cádiz, leaving his wife Doña Francisca in a rage.
What happens
Don Alonso, accompanied by the narrator and Marcial, secretly flees Vejer de la Frontera to join the fleet at Cádiz, leaving his wife Doña Francisca in a rage. They are joined en route by Don José Malespina and his father, the boastful retired colonel, who regales them with tall tales of artillery and influence. After a night in Chiclana, the party parts ways, and Don Alonso and his companions continue to Cádiz.
Themes in this chapter
Honor and Duty
Don Alonso's secret departure to join the fleet reflects a sense of duty to his country, overriding domestic obligations.
Deception and Self-Delusion
Don José Malespina's endless fabrications about his military exploits and influence exemplify self-aggrandizement and delusion.
Family and Loyalty
The tension between Don Alonso's loyalty to his family (leaving his wife) and his loyalty to the nation is central to the chapter.
Characters to notice
- Don Alonso Gutierrez de Cisniega
Packs hastily and sneaks away from home with Marcial and the narrator to join the fleet, showing initial excitement that later turns to sadness and concern for his wife's reaction.
- Señor Marcial
Helps orchestrate the secret departure and is overjoyed at the adventure, unable to contain his enthusiasm.
- Unknown
The young narrator assists in the escape and revels in the journey, eagerly anticipating the sights of Cádiz and the bay.
- Doña Francisca
Left behind in a violent passion when she discovers the men have fled; her ill temper is noted earlier in the chapter.
- Don José Malespina
Son of the old colonel; he meets Don Alonso on the road and listens gravely to his father's boasts, visibly pained by the lies.
- Don Rafael Malespina
The boastful and garrulous retired colonel of artillery who rides alongside the chaise, spinning extravagant tales of his military exploits and inventions.
- Rosita
Mentioned as going to mass with Doña Francisca, but not otherwise involved in the escape.
Key passages
“Let us be off before she comes in.”
Don Alonso urges Marcial to hurry and leave before his wife returns from mass.
Highlights the clandestine nature of the departure and Don Alonso's fear of confrontation.
“And she will be so astonished! What will she say when she goes home and does not find us!”
Don Alonso imagines his wife's shock and anger upon discovering their absence.
Reveals his mixed feelings of guilt and amusement at the trick.
“Artillery is indispensable on board ships of war. What is a vessel without guns?”
Malespina asserts that cannons are essential for any warship.
Opens his long-winded monologue on gunnery, setting up his boastful character.
“I have been thinking of it, and I believe I may realize my idea. I will show you the calculations I have made, not only with regard to increasing the calibre of guns to a fabulous degree, but also for constructing armor plates to protect ships and bastions.”
Malespina claims he has devised a super-cannon and armored plating to defeat the English fleet.
Illustrates his grandiose and impractical fantasies, a key aspect of his self-delusion.
