Benito Pérez Galdós - Electra

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The name el Mágico prodigioso , is purposely given to Máximo by the author, in order to show that in Spain science is still considered, by many, as a sort of sorcery; hence, that Spain is not abreast with modern thought.

The complete expression would be: ¡Dichosos los ojos que le ven a V.!

[3]

[4]

Hendaya , French Hendaye, lies on the right bank of the Bidassoa. It is the last French station before crossing the river into Spain.

Ursulinas : an order of nuns founded by St. Angela Merici, at Brescia, in Italy, about the year 1537, and so called from St. Ursula, under whose protection it was placed. The members are devoted entirely to education.

Bayona : Bayonne, a city in southwestern France, near the Spanish frontier. The population is largely Spanish and Basque.

Electra : the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.

: Agamenón : Agamemnon, in Greek legendary history, the most powerful ruler in Greece. He led the Greek expedition against Troy, and on his return was slain, according to Aeschylus, by his wife Clytemnestra.

[8]

San José de la Penitencia : the fictitious name of a convent; suggested, perhaps, by the Franciscan nunnery of San Juan de la Penitencia at Toledo, built with the partial incorporation of the semi-Moorish palace of the Pantojas.

Amortizable : the name of some stock, probably imaginary

sacado…posible de : see sacar .

los : refers to the accounts of the Yuste family.

Jesús me valga : see Jesús .

[13]

Don Juan Tenorio , who lived in the fourteenth century, was the son of an illustrious family of Seville. Don Juan is the type of skeptical libertinism, and, as such, has been made the subject of the drama "El burlador de Sevilla," by Molina; of Molière's comedy, "Don Juan ou le festin de Pierre"; of Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni"; of Byron's poem "Don Juan"; and of works by several other authors.

Satanás : because Satan would be sorry to lose so good a worker.

San José , etc.: see footnote 8.

Bilbao : capital of the province of Vizcaya, Spain.

Barcelona : capital of the province of Barcelona, Spain. Said to have been founded or rebuilt by Hamilcar Barca, and named for him. It is the second city in Spain and one of the principal commercial places in the peninsula.

Año Cristiano : "Lives of the Saints." There are several publications with this title, being either year-books giving the Saints' days, or an account of the lives of the saints.

[19]

Patrocinio : an imaginary religious association.

Valencia : the chief town of the province of Valencia. It is the third city in Spain, and the seat of a university.

Cádiz : the capital of the province of Cádiz; an important commercial city.

emplear…en dobles : see emplear . An expression of the Stock-exchange referring to the interest on stocks, and the broker's commission.

a prima : see prima . A privilege secured by the payment of a certain premium, either (1) of calling for the delivery, or (2) of making delivery, of a certain specified amount of some particular stock, at a specified price, and within specified limits of time.

[24]

Las Esclavas : an imaginary religious association

Andalucía : Andalusia, a province in Southern Spain. From the fertility of its soil it has been called the "garden" and "granary" of Spain.

pajarita : refers to the various little figures that schoolchildren make by folding a square piece of paper in certain ways.

Don Juan : see footnote 13.

San José , etc.: see footnote 8.

Bach : Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). One of the greatest composers of church music.

[40]

[42]

: el día…mañana: see día .

el Mágico prodigioso : see footnote 1.

Beethoven : Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827). A celebrated Austrian composer, of Dutch descent.

Sonata Patética : Sonata Pathétique, opus 13, pub. 1799; dedicated to Prince Lichnowski.

Clair de Lune : opus 27, No. 2 (Moonlight). Composed 1801 (?); dedicated to Countess Guicciardi.

Las Esclavas: see footnote 24.

Patrocinio : see footnote 19.

Socorro : probably an ambulance station ( casa de socorro ), of which there are a number in Madrid.

Fomento : Ministry of public works ( Ministerio de Fomento ).

el Mágico prodigioso : see footnote 1.

La Esclavitud : a fictitious name; possibly suggested by the church of Nuestra Señora de la Esclavitud, at Esclavitud, in Galicia.

Las Esclavas : see footnote 24.

¡Virgen del Carmen! an exclamation, with a suggested allusion to the Procesión de la Virgen del Carmen, from the church of San José, which is among the ecclesiastical festivals of Madrid.

Ursulinas de Bayona : see footnote 4.

Ursulinas : see footnote 4.

Hendaya : see footnote 3.

entrando…edad : see entrar .

cuatrollones : see cuatromillon . A mistake on the part of the servant who is speaking, and who wishes to give the impression of a large amount.

Virgen del Carmen : see footnote 42.

hacen el oso : see hacer . In Spain it is customary for a young man to walk back and forth before the house of his fair one, watching the windows, thus hoping to obtain a glimpse of her. Hence the comparison to a bear pacing back and forth in his cage.