THE CONVENTION BONDS.
Reddish tints were striping the snowy peaks of the Popocatepetl, the
last stars were expiring in the heavens, and opaline gleams were
tinting the summit of the buildings; day was just beginning to break.
Mexico was still sleeping; its silent streets were only disturbed at
long intervals by the hurried footfalls of a few Indians arriving from
the neighbouring pueblos to sell their fruit and vegetables. A few
pulqueros' shops alone timidly set their doors ajar, and were preparing
to serve to the early customers the dose of strong liquor, that
_obligado_ prologue of every day's work. Half past four struck from the
_sagrario_; at this moment a horseman emerged from the Calle de Tacuba,
crossed the Plaza Mayor at a sharp trot, and pulled up right in front
of the gates of the palace of the presidency, which were guarded by two
sentries.
"Who goes there?" one of them shouted.
"A friend," the horseman replied.
"Pass, friend."
"Certainly not," the horseman answered, "for I have business here."
"You wish to enter the palace?"
"Yes."
"It is too soon; come back in two hours."
"In two hours it will be too late, and so I must enter at once."
"Stuff," the sentry said jeeringly, and then added to his companion:
"What do you think of that, Pedrito?"
"Well, well," the other replied with a grin; "I think that the
gentleman must be a stranger, who is making a mistake, and fancies
himself at the door of a mesón."
"Enough of that insolence, scoundrels," the horseman said sternly; "I
have lost too much time already. Warn the officer of the guard, and
make haste about it."
The tone employed by the stranger appeared to make a powerful
impression on the soldiers. After consulting together for a moment in
a whisper--as after all the stranger was in the right, and what he
demanded was provided for in their orders--they resolved to satisfy
him by striking the door with the butt of their muskets. Two or three
minutes later, this door was opened, and offered a passage to a
sergeant, who could be easily recognized by the vinewood stick, symbol
of his rank, which he carried in his left hand. After enquiring of
the sentries the reason of their summons, he bowed politely to the
stranger, begged him to wait a moment, and went in, leaving the door
open behind him, but almost immediately reappeared, preceding a captain
in full dress uniform. The horseman bowed to the captain, and repeated
the request which he had previously made to the sentries.
"I am very sorry to refuse you, señor," the officer replied, "but my
orders prohibit me from letting anyone into the palace before eight
o'clock; if the reason that brings you here is serious, be kind enough
therefore to return at that hour, and nobody will oppose your entrance."
And he bowed as if taking leave.
"Pardon me, Captain," the horseman continued; "one word more, if you
please."
"Say it, señor."
"It is unnecessary for anyone but yourself to hear it."
"Nothing is easier, señor," the officer replied, as he came near enough
to touch the stranger; "now speak." The horseman leaned down, and
murmured in a low voice a few words, which the officer listened to with
marks of the most profound surprise.
"Are you satisfied now, Captain?"
"Perfectly, señor;" and turning to the sergeant, who was standing a few
yards off, he said "open the gate."
"It is unnecessary," the stranger remarked; "with your permission I
will dismount here, and a soldier can hold my horse."
"As you please, señor."
The horseman dismounted, and threw the bridle to the sergeant, who held
it till a private should come to take his place.
"Now, Captain," the stranger continued, "if you wish to set the seal on
your kindness by leading me yourself to the person who expects me, I am
at your orders."
"I am at yours, señor," the officer replied, "and since you desire it,
I shall have the honour of accompanying you."
They then entered the palace, leaving behind them the sergeant and two
sentries in a state of the utmost surprise. Preceded by the captain,
the horseman passed through several rooms, which, in spite of the early
hour, were always crowded, not by visitors, but officers of all ranks,
senators and councillors of the Supreme Court, who seemed to have spent
the night at the palace. A great agitation prevailed among the groups,
among which were blended officers, members of the clergy, and the chief
merchants; they were conversing with considerable animation, but in a
low voice; the general expression of faces was gloomy and anxious. The
two men at length reached the door of a study guarded, by two sentries;
an usher, with a silver chain round his neck, was slowly walking up and
down; at the sight of the two men he hurried up to them.
"You have arrived, señor," said the captain.
"I have now only to take my leave of you, señor, and offer you my
thanks for your politeness," the horseman answered.
They bowed, and the captain returned to his post.
"His Excellency cannot receive at this moment; there was an
extraordinary council this night, and his Excellency has given orders
that he is to be left alone," said the usher, bowing ceremoniously to
the stranger.
"His Excellency will make an exception in my favour," the stranger
remarked gently.
"I doubt it, señor; the order is general, and I dare not break it."
The stranger appeared to reflect for a moment.
The usher waited, evidently surprised that the stranger should
persevere in remaining. The other at length raised his head; "I
understand, señor," he said, "how sacred the order you have received
must be to you, hence I have no intention of urging you to disobey
it; still, as the subject that brings me here is of the most serious
nature, let me implore you to do me a service."
"To oblige you, señor, I will do anything that is compatible with the
duties of my office."
"I thank you, señor; however, I assure you, and you will soon receive
proof of my assertion, that, far from reprimanding you, his Excellency,
the President, will feel obliged to you for allowing me to reach his
presence."
"I had the honour of remarking to you, señor--"
"Let me explain to you what I want of you," the stranger interrupted
quickly, "then you will tell me whether you can or cannot do me the
service I ask of you."
"That is fair, speak, señor."
"I will write one word on a piece of paper, and this paper you will
place before his Excellency's eyes, without saying a word, if his
Excellency says nothing to you; I will withdraw; you see there is no
difficulty about it, and that you will in no way transgress the orders
you have received."
"That is true," the usher replied, with a meaning smile, "but I evade
them."
"Do you see any difficulty in doing so?"
"Is it very necessary, then, that you should see his Excellency this
morning?" the usher continued, without answering the question asked him.
"Señor don Livio," the stranger answered in a grave voice, "for though
you do not know me, I know you, I am aware of your devotion to General
Miramón; well, on my honour and faith as a Christian, I swear to you
that it is most urgent for him that I should see him without delay."
"That is sufficient, señor," the usher replied; seriously, "if it only
depended on myself, you would be with him at this moment; there are
paper, pen and ink, on that table, please write."
The horseman thanked him, took up a pen and wrote in large letters, in
the middle of a sheet, this one word, "ADOLFO .°.", followed by three
dots, arranged in a triangle, and then handed it to the usher.
"There," he said to him.
The usher gazed at him with amazement.
"What!" he exclaimed, "You are--"
"Silence," the stranger said, laying his finger on his lips.
"Oh, you will enter," the usher added, and opening the door, he
disappeared.
But almost immediately the door was opened again, and a powerful voice,
which did not belong to the usher, shouted twice from the interior of
the cabinet, "Come in, come in."
The stranger entered.
"Come," the President continued, "Come, my dear don Adolfo, it is
Heaven that sends you," and he advanced towards him, holding out his
hand.
Don Adolfo respectfully pressed the President's hand, and sat down in
an armchair by his side. At the moment when we bring him on the stage,
President Miramón, the general whose name was in every mouth, and who
was justly considered the first warrior of Mexico, as he was her best
administrator, was quite a young man: he was scarce _twenty-six years
of age_, and yet, what noble and grand actions he had accomplished
during the three years he had been in power! Physically, he was tall
and elegantly formed; his manner was full of ease; his features,
delicate, distinguished, and full of cleverness, displayed boldness and
intelligence; his wide forehead was already wrinkled by the effect of
thought; his well-opened black eyes had a straight and clear glance,
whose depth, at times disturbed those upon whom he fixed them; his
rather pale face and eyes bordered by a wide brown circle evidenced a
long want of sleep.
"Ah," he said gladly, as he fell back in an easy chair, "my good genius
has returned, he is going to bring me back my happiness that has fled."
Don Adolfo shook his head mournfully.
"What is the meaning of that movement, my friend?" the President
continued.
"This means, General, that I fear it is too late."
"Too late! How so? Do you not think me capable of taking a startling
revenge on my enemies?"
"I think you capable of every great and noble action, General," he
replied; "unfortunately treachery surrounds you on all sides, and your
friends are deserting you."
"That is only too true," the general said bitterly; "the clergy and
the chief merchants, whose protector I constituted myself, whom I
have defended everywhere and always, selfishly allow me to exhaust
my last resources in protecting them, without deigning to come to
my assistance, they will most likely regret me, if, as is only too
probable, I succumb through their fault."
"Yes, that is true, General, and in the council which you held this
night, of course you assured yourself in a definite manner of the
intentions of these men to whom you have sacrificed everything."
"Yes," he said, frowning, and laying a bitter stress on his words, "to
all my requests, to all my observations, they only gave one and the
same answer: We cannot. They had agreed on it beforehand."
"Pardon my frankness, General, but in that case your position must be
extremely critical."
"Say precarious, and you will be nearer the truth, my friend; the
treasury is completely empty, and it is impossible for me to fill it
again; the army, having received no pay for two months, are murmuring,
and threaten to disband; my officers are going over, one after the
other, to the enemy; the latter is advancing by forced marches on
Mexico; such is the true situation, what do you think of it?"
"It is sad, horribly sad, General; and pardon me the question, and
what do you intend doing to parry the danger?"
The general, instead of answering him, gave him a piercing glance.
"But before we go further, General," don Adolfo continued, "permit me,
General, to give you an account of my own operations."
"Oh! They have been successful, I feel convinced," the general replied
with a smile.
"I hope that you will find them so, Excellency; do you authorize me to
make my report?"
"Do so, do so, my friend; I long to hear what you have accomplished for
the defense of our noble cause."
"Oh, pardon, General," don Adolfo said quickly; "I am only an
adventurer, and my devotion is entirely personal to yourself."
"Good, I understand; let me hear this report."
"In the first place, I succeeded in taking from General Degollado the
remains of the conducta which he carried off at the Laguna Seca."
"Good, that is honourable warfare; for it was with the money of that
conducta that he took Guadalajara from me. Oh, Castillo! Well, how much
is it?"
"Two hundred and sixty thousand piastres."
"Hum! A very decent amount."
"Is it not? I next surprised that bandit Cuéllar; after that his worthy
partner Carvajal, and lastly their friend Felipe Irzabal had a row with
me; without counting several partisans of Juárez, whom their evil star
brought across my track."
"But the total from these various encounters, my friend?"
"Nine hundred and odd thousand piastres; the guerilleros of the worthy
Juárez are excellent shearing, for they have their arms free, and take
advantage of it to fatten themselves by fishing largely in troubled
waters. In short, I bring you about twelve hundred thousand piastres,
which will be brought here on mules within an hour, and which you are
at liberty to place in the treasury."
"Why, this is magnificent."
"I do what I can, General."
"Hang it all! If all my friends were to beat up the country with such
excellent results, I should soon be rich, and able to carry on the war
vigorously. Unfortunately that is not the case; but this sum, added
to what I have been able to procure in another quarter, makes a very
decent amount."
"What other sum are you alluding to, General? You have found money,
then?"
"Yes," he replied with some hesitation; "a friend of mine, attaché to
the Spanish embassy, suggested the means to me."
Don Adolfo bounded as if he had been stung by a viper.
"Calm yourself, my friend," the general said quickly; "I know that you
are an enemy of the duke; still, since his arrival in Mexico, he has
rendered me great services, as you cannot deny."
The adventurer was pale and gloomy, and made no reply. The general
continued, for, like all honestly-minded men, he felt the necessity of
exculpating himself from a bad action, although the utmost pressure
alone compelled him to commit it. "The duke," he said, "after the
defeat of Silao, when everything failed me at the same moment,
succeeded in inducing Spain to recognize my government, which was very
useful to me, as you will allow, I think?"
"Yes, yes, I allow it, General. Oh, Heaven! What I was told is true,
then!"
"And what were you told?"
"That, being reduced to the last extremity through the obstinate
refusal of the clergy and merchants to assist you, you had formed a
terrible resolution."
"It is true," the general, said, hanging his head.
"But perhaps it is not too late yet; I bring you money; your situation
is changed, and with your permission I will go--"
"Listen," the general said, checking him by a look.
The door had just been opened.
"Did I not forbid you disturbing me?" the President said to the usher,
who was standing respectfully before him.
"General Márquez, Excellency," the usher answered impassively.
The President started, and a slight flush spread over his face.
"Let him come in," he said sharply.
General Márquez appeared.
"Well?" the President asked him.
"It is done," the general replied laconically; "the money is paid into
the treasury."
"How did it come off?" the President continued, with an imperceptible
tremor in his voice.
"I received your Excellency's orders to proceed with a respectable
force to the legation of Her British Majesty, and request of the
English representative the immediate surrender of the funds destined
to pay the bondholders of the English debt, while observing to the
representative that the sum was at this moment indispensable to your
Excellency, in order to place the city in a posture of defense;
moreover, I pledged your Excellency's word for the restitution of
the sum, which must only be regarded as a loan for a few days, and: I
also offered to arrange with your Excellency the mode of payment which
would be most agreeable to him. To all my observations the English
representative restricted himself to replying that the money did not
belong to him, that he was only the responsible holder, and that it was
impossible for him to surrender it. Perceiving that all my objections
must fail in presence of an invincible resolution, after an hour spent
in useless discussion, I at length determined to execute the last
part of the orders I had received; I ordered my soldiers to break the
official seals, and I removed all the money I found, being careful to
have it counted twice in the presence of witnesses, in order to be sure
of the amount of money which I appropriated, in order to restore it in
full hereafter. I thus carried off one million four hundred thousand
piastres (£240,000), which were immediately transported to the palace
by my orders."
After this succinct narration, General Márquez bowed, like a man
convinced that he has perfectly done his duty, and who expects
complimenting.
"And what did the English representative do then?" the President asked.
"After protesting, he hauled down his flag, and, followed by the
whole legation staff, left the city, declaring that he broke off all
relations with your Excellency's government, and that in the face
of the unjust act of spoliation to which he had been a victim--such
are his own expressions--he should retire to Jalapa, and await fresh
instructions from the British government."
"Very well, General, I thank you; I shall have the honour of conversing
with you more fully in a moment."
The general bowed and retired.
"You see, my friend," the general remarked, "it is now too late to
restore the money."
"Yes, the evil is irremediable, unhappily."
"What do you advise me?"
"General, you are at the bottom of an abyss; your rupture with England
is the greatest misfortune which can happen to you under the present
circumstances: you must conquer or die."
"I will conquer," the general exclaimed, hotly.
"May Heaven grant it!" the adventurer replied, sorrowfully; "For
victory alone can absolve you."
He rose.
"Are you leaving me already?" the President asked him.
"I must, Excellency; have I not to bring the money here, which I at
least took from your enemies?" Miramón hung his head sadly.
"Pardon me, General, I was wrong, I should not have spoken thus; do I
not know in my own case that misfortune is a bad adviser?"
"Have you nothing to ask of me?"
"Yes, a blank signature."
The general at once gave it to him.
"There," he said, "shall I see you again before your departure from
Mexico?"
"Yes, General--one word more."
"What is it?"
"Distrust that Spanish duke; he is betraying you."
He then took leave of the President, and withdrew.