The sun was quite high above the horizon when George joined Clarence on
deck; and both began to promenade and talk while waiting for the ladies
to come, that the four might go to breakfast together.
"My private opinion is that these young ladies are going to oversleep
themselves," George said, as they passed the door of his room, after
promenading for half an hour.
"No they are not," Elvira said, coming out as fresh and beautiful as a
_rosa de castilla_. "Good morning, Mr. Darrell, I hope you are well."
"I thank you," replied Clarence, "I believe I never felt better. I am
delighted to see you so bright and blooming; you are evidently an
excellent sailor."
"Oh yes," Elvira answered, "I really enjoy it; but where is the Senorita
Mercita; is she not yet up?"
"I think not. She has not come from her room," was Clarence's reply.
"I am going to peep through her window," said Elvira. She did so by
turning the slats and pushing aside the curtain just a little. She then
motioned to George to come and look.
"By jove, Darrell, you ought to see this picture."
"Hush! you will awake her by speaking so loud," Elvira said, still
looking at her sister.
A tiny sunbeam played over Mercedes' forehead, making the little curls
over it look like golden threads. Her head was thrown back a little and
turned towards the window, displaying her white throat, partially
covered by the lace frills of her night dress. Her left arm rested
gracefully over her head, with the sleeve pushed off displaying part of
the forearm and the perfect curve of her delicate wrist. The right hand
rested over the coverlet, and it looked like a child's hand, so dimpled
and white and soft. It was a perfect picture of a "sleeping beauty."
"Doesn't she look like a baby? My own sweet sister; I am so glad she is
sleeping so sweetly. She has slept very poorly for months," whispered
Elvira. "Come away, we mustn't talk near her window, she must have all
the sleep she wants."
So saying, she pulled back the curtain, shut down the window slats, and
all walked noiselessly away.
As they went down to breakfast, Elvira said:
"I hope no one will come smoking some nasty cigar by her window,
poisoning the air and making her miserable, for she cannot bear tobacco
smoke when the boat is in motion."
"I thought she was not subject to sea-sickness," George said.
"No, not at all, as long as there are no tobacco fumes near, but it
seems that tobacco smoke, combined with the rocking of the sea, make her
deathly sick, whereas the tobacco alone or the rocking by itself, will
not affect her."
"I understand that well, for I don't like to smoke while sailing either,
if there is much motion, and I think no one ought to be allowed to smoke
on deck where ladies are," George said.
"I think so too. We have too many rights, and more than our share of
privileges," Clarence added.
"Wait until we have woman suffrage. We will make things uncomfortable
for inebriates and tobacco smokers," Elvira said, laughing.
Their pleasant voyage came to its end, as all things must in this
fleeting life, and the names of Mr. George Mechlin and party, from San
Diego, were duly entered in the hotel register.
"I put your name down, Darrell, for we want you with us while in the
city," said George.
"I thank you sincerely; that is exactly what I wished."
"We will be ready for dinner at six."
"I shall be on hand promptly."
Clarence was anxious to see his broker and afraid he would leave the
office before he got there, but it was more imperative yet to visit his
tailor. He did so, and though in haste, selected with care the cut and
style and color which he knew was most becoming. He left a list of all
the articles of clothing he desired to be sent to his hotel by five
o'clock, and then directed his driver to take him to his broker's
office.
"Just in time," said Hubert Haverly, coming forward to meet him. "As
soon as the steamer was signaled at the gate, I sent to look for our
Arizona men. They are now at the back office waiting for you."
"Tell me something about the matter, to guide me. And tell me too, how
poor or how rich I am, before I make any bargain to purchase mines."
"Well, on the whole, I guess I'll call you rich. I bought the farm as
you--or rather as Everett--telegraphed. I paid--well, how much do you
think I paid for it?"
"Hundred and forty thousand?"
Hubert shook his head, saying "Try again."
"Hundred and twenty?"
"Ninety thousand only, lucky fellow."
"What? You said he asked a hundred and fifty thousand."
"Yes, and you--or Everett--telegraphed to pay the money, but you see the
poor fellow lost heavily in stocks that day, and as the bank was going
to foreclose on the farm for a loan of forty thousand, he thought the
best thing he could do was to sell out quick. He came to see me and said
'Do you think Clarence will buy for one hundred and twenty thousand?' I
told him I had telegraphed to you and probably you would come up. He
said 'If you pay me ninety thousand cash down _to-day_, Clarence can
have the farm for that price.' I told him to let me have the refusal for
you, for that price, until the next morning. I got your telegram in the
evening. Next morning he came looking very dejected, and asked if I had
heard from you. 'Yes,' I said. He waited, but as I said no more, he
added, 'I hope Clarence is not going to pinch me hard. The farm is worth
two hundred thousand, but as the Darrells made all the improvements on
it, I am willing he should have it cheaper than any one else. How much
does he offer?' 'He left it to me to make the best bargain I can. I will
let you have the ninety thousand, of course.' You never saw a man so
relieved. He lifted his head and said, 'I will pay all my debts and have
thirty thousand clear, anyway, to make a beginning,' and so the papers
were drawn up and the farm is yours. I congratulate you."
"Thanks," Clarence said, squeezing Hubert's hand. "And now about the
balance on hand and the Arizona mines."
"Well, you have about one hundred thousand dollars. If you sell all your
stocks, you could have two hundred thousand," Hubert replied.
"Besides the interest on the bonds?"
"Certainly. I never figure on that."
"What about the Arizona mines?"
"Well, the men say they are yet '_a prospect_,' but a very good one.
Their proposition is that you pay them five hundred dollars down if you
accept their proposal. Then you are to send an expert to examine the
mines. If on his report you conclude to buy them at once, you can have
them for ten thousand dollars. If you prefer to bond them to prospect
further before buying, then you can have six months to prospect; but
then you must pay two thousand down, and at the end of the six months
you must pay fifty thousand dollars if you want both mines, or twenty
thousand if you only take one. The shaft they have sunk is the dividing
line between the two mines."
"Between the two prospects," Clarence suggested.
"Yes, that is more proper, the shaft is only about one hundred feet
deep. But you had better talk to them. They brought rock similar to that
which they sent me last month."
Rather rough looking men were the three waiting, but all had good faces.
After exchanging salutations with them, Clarence asked:
"Have you had any assays made?"
"Yes sir," said the oldest of the three handing to him three slips of
paper. "Here are three certificates from assayers recommended to us as
the best in San Francisco."
"What! One hundred silver and one hundred and fifty gold? And two
hundred, and three hundred and fifty? But that is enormous for surface
rock."
The miners laughed. The oldest said:
"And the ledge is so wide that it almost takes the half of the hill. We
took two claims and put our prospect shaft in the middle."
"Did you make your locations in good legal form?" was the next question.
"Yes sir, we have our papers," said the spokesman, handing to Clarence
some papers.
"I see you are four partners, where is the other?"
"He is at the mine, working at the shaft."
"Well gentlemen," Clarence said, "I have just come, an hour ago. I don't
know how soon I will find an expert, but I think I will do so between
now and to-morrow by mid-day. I will consult with him and see how soon
he can go to look at your mines. Meantime I'll have some of the rock
assayed. From what depth was the rock assayed taken?"
"From fifty, seventy and ninety feet. We have some few pieces from the
last we took the day we left, at a depth of one hundred feet." So
saying, he handed to Clarence other pieces of rock which looked much
richer, adding, "This is the ore we have not had assayed yet. My opinion
is that the rock hasn't changed much."
It was agreed that Clarence would meet them at eleven next morning and
notify them if he had found an expert. When they had left the room
Clarence asked Hubert where his brother Fred was.
"He is here, he came yesterday."
"And you did not mention that fact to me, when you know I want a good,
reliable expert."
"I did not, because I wouldn't urge his services upon any one--even
you--and then I think he might be already engaged to go to examine some
mines in Nevada, as parties have been looking for him for that purpose."
"Please don't be so proud as to deprive me of the services of so good a
man, but tell him to come to my hotel at once."
"Very well, I'll tell him, but he will not be here until five o'clock.
Shall I tell him to call on you after dinner?"
"Yes, at half-past seven exactly, to send his card to me to any place I
may be at the hotel. And now I'll go to have two or three assays more of
this rock. Remember, I shall be looking for Fred at half-past seven."
"I'll remember. He will be there promptly."
It was very evident that the "party from San Diego" made an impression
and quite a stir among the guests of the hotel, who were at dinner when
they entered the dining-room. Preceded by the head waiter, they had to
cross the entire length of the room, for the seats assigned to them were
at the furthest corner from the door. Everybody turned to look, to see
what everybody else was looking at, and all acknowledged that they had
never seen handsomer or more graceful people than those two couples.
Exclamations of surprise were uttered in suppressed tones, and
unqualified praises were whispered everywhere. The head waiter was
called here and there to say who these four people were, so very
handsome and _distingue_.
"They are from Southern California, on their way east. Mr. George
Mechlin and bride, her sister, and their friend Mr. Darrell, travelling
with them," was the answer that the steward had to give twenty times.
"Which is the bride, the blonde or the brunette?"
"The brunette."
After dinner several young gentlemen remained in the corridors to see
them pass, and some four eastern tourists who were dining at the next
table, made a pretext of drinking more wine, to remain looking at the
southern beauties. One of them especially looked at Mercedes so
persistently that Clarence began to feel angry, and when they arose from
the table he looked at the admirer with a bold stare of defiant
reproval. But that in no way checked the admiration of the New Yorker,
and he followed as near to Mercedes as he could, and when he saw her
disappear into her parlor, he looked at the number on the door and went
straight to the office to make all the enquiries he could concerning
those two beautiful ladies. The clerk gave all the information he could,
and added laughing:
"I have had to answer those questions a dozen times already."
Immediately after dinner a waiter came from the office and handed to
Clarence a card, with "Fred Haverly" written on it.
"Say to the gentleman I shall be down immediately," Clarence said to the
servant; and then to George, "This is the expert I want to send to
Arizona. It is lucky for me to find him in town."
"I'll go down with you," George said. "One of the clerks promised to get
me a box at the opera, or if that can't be had, to get the four best
seats he could find disengaged. Do you think you will have finished with
your expert in half an hour? I want the girls to see the opera bouffe;
they have never seen it."
"I shall be with you in fifteen minutes," was the reply.
George was talking with the clerk about the seats at the opera, when he
felt a hand laid softly on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw his
friend, Charles Gunther, of New York, standing by him, and behind him
the four gentlemen who had dined at the next table. After shaking hands
most cordially, and congratulating him on being a married man, Gunther
presented to George his four friends, and his brother Robert, who now
came in; then he said:
"I heard you say you wanted a box at the opera, and that there are
ladies with you. Permit me to offer you our box, we can take seats
anywhere else. I shall be glad if you will accept."
"But there are no seats that you can have that I would offer you in
exchange," was George's reply.
"Those I got for you are good seats for gentlemen," the clerk suggested,
"and I think you can get two more."
Gunther was so urgent that George, only by being very rude, could have
declined making the exchange. There was nothing else to do but accept,
order a carriage for eight o'clock, and then go up stairs to tell the
ladies that they were to get ready for the opera.
"The opera! Why didn't you tell us before?" was Elvira's exclamation.
"Because I was not sure I could get seats," was George's reply; and he
then explained how he obtained their box by casually meeting Gunther,
adding: "By the by, he introduced me to his brother Robert and those
four admirers of yours, Mercedes, who dined at the next table. They are
all of the same party. The young fellow of the little saffron whiskers,
who stared at you so persistently, making Clarence's ears red, is a Mr.
Selden, of New York; he and Robert Gunther have been in Europe several
years. His father I know is a millionaire, and he is the only son. So he
considers himself a good catch, I suppose, Senorita Mercedes."
"Bah!" ejaculated Mercedes; "who cares!"
"Be ready with your hats and cloaks on at five minutes to eight.
Clarence and I will come for you. I am going to look for him now, and
see Gunther for a few moments," George said, leaving the two sisters to
go to their bedrooms to delve for their opera cloaks and white hats in
the deep recesses of their Saratoga trunks.
"It is a lucky thing for me that Lizzie's aunt sent this pretty cloak
and bonnet to her. Poor Lizzie! I am to _splurge_ in her fine Parisian
things, while she remains at the _rancho_, buried alive," said Mercedes.
"She is perfectly willing to have that sort of burial as long as she has
Gabriel near her."
Mrs. Lawrence Mechlin had sent to Elvira and Lizzie their wedding
trousseau, which she ordered from Paris. To do this was a pleasure to
Mrs. Mechlin, which she could well afford, being rich, and which she
delighted in, being devoted to her sister's children.
The theatre was filled to its utmost capacity when our four _San
Dieguinos_ arrived and occupied their proscenium box, which was on the
left of the auditorium, very roomy and elegantly furnished. Elvira's
seat faced the stage, and Mercedes' faced the audience, so that the
perfect contour of her features was clearly seen when she looked at the
actors. Between the sisters sat their cavaliers. The curtain rose as
they took their seats, so that not one of them gave a thought to the
audience, until the curtain fell on the first act.
Then they all looked at the house which was filled with a brilliant
audience. Immediately in front, in the first row of orchestra chairs,
were Mr. Gunther and the party of New Yorkers. They were all looking at
their box. Mercedes blushed when she met the steady gaze of Mr. Selden,
and his face reproduced the blush, while his heart beat with wild throbs
of delight. Clarence's face also flushed, and then turned pale. He had
seen the two blush, and a cold feeling of undefinable fear and
savageness seized him--a desire to go and choke Mr. Selden where he
was--right there in his orchestra chair.
George by this time was exchanging bows with the New Yorkers. They spoke
among themselves, and soon after all arose and left their seats.
"I think Gunther is bringing his brother and friends to present them to
you, ladies," said George.
"Being your friends, we shall be pleased to see them," Elvira answered.
"I hope those gentlemen will cease to stare when they are acquainted.
That young man of the red whiskers made me blush by looking at me so
steadily. I hope that that is not the custom of New Yorkers," said
Mercedes.
"I am afraid it is. You had better try to get used to it, and don't mind
it," George replied.
Mr. Gunther now presented himself at the door, followed by his brother
and the four others, already well known by sight, the ceremony of
introduction being performed by George, with the ease and grace of one
used to those society duties. All took seats, there being room enough
for a dozen people in the spacious box.
George and Clarence had left their seats to receive the guests, so very
naturally Mr. Selden slipped by and sat next to Mercedes.