Once he coughed, and became restless upon his couch. Then I heard a
sweet silvery voice speaking in accents of affectionate inquiry, and
ending in the pronunciation of some soothing words.
From other sounds I could tell that his nurse had arisen, and was
ministering to the invalid.
By the silence, soon restored, I could perceive that she had completed
her task, and had returned to her recumbent position.
She appeared to have no thoughts of him who was keeping guard without;--
not as her guardian angel, but rather demon, who would not have
hesitated to destroy that innocence which enabled her to sleep!
Just in proportion as the time passed, so increased my respect for Lola
Vergara, and my contempt for myself.
The lovelight I had observed in her eyes was but her natural look--the
simple expression of her wondrous beauty. It had no signification--at
least none that was evil--and in mistaking it for the glance of a guilty
passion I had erred--deeply wronging her.
Soothed by this more honourable reflection, I at length fell asleep,
just as the grey light of dawn was beginning to steal over the _spray_
of the chapparal.
I could not have been very long unconscious, for the beams of the sun
had scarcely attained their full brilliancy, when I was again awakened--
this time, not by the conflict of passion within, but by the voices of
men without. The challenge of a sentry had first struck upon my ear,--
quickly followed by a parley with some one who had approached the tent.
In the scarcely intelligible dialogue that ensued, I could tell that the
man challenged was a Mexican, who, in broken English, was endeavouring
to satisfy the demands of the sentry.