La Batalla de los Arapiles

"La Batalla de los Arapiles" is the tenth and final novel in the first series of Benito Pérez Galdós' "Episodios Nacionales." It concludes the story of Gabriel Araceli, a man from Cadiz, during the War of Independence between Spain and France. In this installment, Gabriel takes part in the decisive Battle of Arapiles, which marked the end of French domination. The allied army, consisting of Spaniards, Portuguese, and British forces led by Lord Wellington, is near Salamanca, still under French control. A British intellectual noblewoman named Miss Fly roams freely among the troops, respected by her fellow countrymen and surprising the Spanish soldiers, who are not accustomed to women having such freedoms. Miss Fly is a romantic literature enthusiast and quickly sees in Gabriel the embodiment of old medieval ideals of honor, virtue, and sacrifice.