CHAPTER 18

BIARRITZ VACATION AND ROMANCE WITH NELLY

BOUSTEAD

(1891)

R
izal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the thought of courng other ladies. While
a guest of the Bousteads family at their residence in the resort city of Biarritz- Villa
Eliada, he had befriended the to !re"y daughters of his host, Eduardo Boustead.
Rizal used to fence ith the sisters at the studio of #uan Luna. $t as in Biarritz here
he had a serious romance ith %ellie and &nished the last cha! ter of his seco nd novel, El
Filibusterismo

WITH THE BOUSTEADS IN BIARRITZ

'he one month vacaon in Biarritz or(ed onders for Rizal. )is sorroing heart began to
sing once more ith *oy and his health im!rovedith remar(able si+ness.

rom Biarritz, he rite ariano once on ebruary //, /01/ he said 2i have !ut on so much
eight since $ arrived here , my chee(s are no longer shrun(en as before for the reason that $ go
to bed early and $ have no cares3.

ROMANCE WITH NELLIE BOUSTEAD

Biarritz, ith its romanc gardens, deligh4ul villas, and !anoramic beaues, is an ideal se5ng
for romance. Rizal having lost his beloved Leonor, came to entertain considerable a6econ for
%ellie, the !re5er and youn ger daughter of his host. )e found her a real ili!ina, highly
intelligent, vivacious in tem!erament and morally u!right. )e rote to his friends, e7ce!t rof.
Blumentri", of his love for %ellie, also called %elly, and his intenon to !ro!ose marriage to her.

8s early as on ebruary 9, /01/, .) del ilar teased him about changing the 2o3 in Noli to an
2e3, hich meansNoli to %ellie.

8ntonio Luna, #uan:s brother and also a fre;uent visitor of the Bousteads, courted %ellie but
she as dee!ly infatuated ith Rizal. $n a arty held by ili!inos in adrid, a drun(en 8ntonio
Luna u"ered unsavory remar(s against %ellie Boustead. 'his !rom!ted Rizal to challenged Luna
into a duel. ortunately Luna a!ologized Rizal, thus averng tragedy for the com!atriots.

'heir love a6air unfortunately did not end in marriage. $t failed because Rizal refused to be
converted to the rotestant faith, as %ellie demanded and %ellie:s mother did not li(e a
!hysician ithout !aying clientele to be a son-in-la. 'he lovers, hoever, !arted as good
friends hen Rizal le+ Euro!e.

EL FILIBUSTERISMO FINISHED IN BIARRITZ

rustrated in romance, Rizal found consolaon in ring. While ooing %ellie and en*oying so
2many magni&cent nights3 ith her, he (e!t or(ing on his second novel hich began to rite
in <alamba in /00=.

>n march ?1, /01 /, the ev e of his dde! arture from B iarritz to ar is, he &n ished the
manuscri!t of El Filibusterismo.

TO PARIS AND BACK TO BRUSSELS

Rizal bade fareell to the hos!itable and friendly Bousteads on arch @A, /01/ and
!roceeded to aris by train. )e stayed at the home of his friend, Valenn Ventura, on 9 Rue de
Chateaudum.
<hateaudum.
 rom aris, he rote to his friend, #os e a. Basa, in )ong on g, >n 8!ril9, e7 !ressing his
desire to go to the Brish colony and !racce o!hthalmology in order to earn his leaving.

By the middle of 8!ril , /01/, Riza l as bac( in Bru ssels, here he a s ha!!ily received by
arie and Cuzanne #acoby.

RETIREMENT FROM THE PROPAGANDA

Cince abdicang his leadershi! inadrid in #anuary, /01/, oing to the intrigues of his *ealous
com!atriots, Rizal rered from the ro!aganda ovement, or reform crusade. )e desired to
!ublish his second novel, to !racce his medical !rofes sion, and, later, hen he became
&nancially inde!endent, he e7!ected to ma(e a more vigorous cam!aign for his countryDs
redem!on.

rom BrusselDs, on ay /, /01/ he no&ed the !ro!aganda authories in anila to cancel his
monthly alloance and devote the money to some be"er cause, such as educaon of a young

ili!ino student in Euro!e.

RIZAL STOP WRITING FOR LA SOLIDARIDAD

Rizal ceased ring arcles for La Colidaridad. any of his friends in C!ain urged him to
connue ring for the !atrioc !eriodical, because his arcles alays a"racted considerable
a"enon in Euro!ean countries.

3 Reason hy Rizal Cto!!ed Wring for La Colidaridad

/F )e need me to or( for his boo(.

?F )e anted other !eo!le to or( also

@F )e considered it very im!ortant to the !arty that there be unity in the or(.

REVISING THE FILI FOR PUBLICATION

$n BrusselDs Rizal Wor(ed day a+er day revising the &nished manuscri!t ofEl Filibusterismo and
readied it for !rinng. 8!!arently, the revision as mostly com!leted on ay @A, /01/. >n the
le"er, he told #ose a. Basa that this boo( is no ready on !ress and the &rst ?A cha!ters are
already corrected and can be !rinted. $f he received a money, he ill surely have a co!y in #uly.