HOW LOPEZ INVITES THE PRIEST TO MARRY HIM, AND HOW THE PRIEST MAKES A
DISTURBANCE.
All was wild confusion.
Katie had fainted, and Rita was endeavoring to bring her back to
consciousness. Russell stood amazed and bewildered. His chief fear now was
one of being implicated in this mad outbreak of Rivers, who had been his
companion in the train and in the castle, and might be taken as his
confidant.
Talbot stood staring at Harry in wonder and in dark perplexity. Harry,
however, saw her not; but thought only of Katie, whom he had failed to
save. Struggles now were useless. He could only fall back on despair.
Brooke noticed a new expression on Talbot's face, and marvelled, but
thought it merely arose from natural wonder or natural sympathy with this
unhappy man, who by his madness had rushed upon his doom.
Ashby meanwhile stood calm. He saw and understood the act of Harry and
Katie. He wondered somewhat to find that their acquaintance had gone so
far. He knew that both had been false to him, but had no idea that either
had grown to feel such passionate love for the other. And there came over
him a passing feeling of jealous anger, together with a natural
indignation at the baseness of these two--the one his love, the other his
friend--who had both betrayed him. So he looked with cold complacency upon
their woes, and thought that they were both receiving such severe
retribution that he had no need for further revenge.
Lopez, having seen that Harry's hands were firmly bound, turned to Katie,
who at length came to her senses, and looked all around with a shudder. He
was anxious to soothe her, so as to finish the ceremony.
"Be calm," he said, in a low whisper, "for his sake. He may even yet be
saved--I swear it. If you perform your promise I will forgive him. As you
value your life, control yourself. If these men understand how it is, they
will kill him on the spot."
At these words Katie shuddered the more, and with a violent effort
attained to something like calmness. She then stood up, more tremulous and
weak than ever, and stood thus, leaning upon Rita, without daring to
encounter Harry's look.
"The ceremony shall go on," said Lopez, aloud. "This fool's-play shall not
stop it."
"Keep calm," he whispered to Katie; "his life now depends on you
altogether."
Harry still stood there, with soldiers around him, his hands bound, his
face bloodless, but with the eyes of a madman.
"Senor," said Lopez, coolly, "I had no idea that you were a lunatic. You
must submit to temporary restraint."
Harry made no reply. He looked all around, as though trying to see if
there might be any signs of sympathy in the faces of the others, as though
seeking in his despair for some faint ray of hope. He saw the cold sneer
of Ashby; he saw the fierce frown of Lopez; he saw the trembling figure of
Russell; he saw the anxious face of Brooke; and then, last of all, he
saw--Talbot!
[Illustration: "Harry, With His Hands Tied Behind Him, Rose Up, And Looked
All Around In Despair."]
This was the first time that he had got a sight of her face. In that
instant, in spite of her disguise, there came in one flash the recognition
of the whole truth. He saw that she had been lost--had been captured--had
put on this disguise. At this discovery there followed within him nothing
less than a complete paralysis of thought and feeling. In the shock of his
sudden amazement he could only ejaculate in half-audible tones the one
word--"Sydney!"
Lopez heard this, but did not understand it. He wondered why Harry should
exhibit such emotion at the sight of the priest, but hastily concluded
that it was some more of his wild and insane excitement over this marriage
ceremony.
Brooke heard it, and stared in bewilderment first at one and then at the
other.
Talbot stood as before. She moved not, she spoke not, she was stolid and
stiff, like a statue of ice; but there was in her face a new horror--it
was the face of one who sees a ghost.
To both of these it was a terrible moment. For Talbot saw Harry, and Harry
saw Talbot, and each recognized the other fully, though neither ventured
to address the other. This, then, was the meeting of those two who had
once loved and exchanged vows; who had suffered and rejoiced together; who
had parted in sorrow, and looked forward to a reunion with joy; who but a
short time since had desired nothing so much as the sight of each other;
this was their meeting and thus it took place, at the very climax of that
new and more passionate love which had been conceived by each for another!
Had Harry only recognized her a few minutes before, the sight would have
effectually chilled his hot blood and saved him from his mad assault on
Lopez. He was calm enough now, however, and this was quite sufficient for
the latter.
"Senor," said he, "you deserve to be shot on the spot without mercy, but
out of regard for this lady and at her solicitation I spare you. And now,
senor priest, let the ceremony begin, for this lady seems feeble."
Lopez waited, expecting Brooke to translate this to Talbot.
Brooke hesitated.
Lopez, in surprise, repeated his words. "Why do you not interpret?" he
added.
It was the crisis of Talbot's fate. How could Brooke decide? Why should he
interpret at all? Should he do this? No; better draw upon himself the
wrath of Lopez. And yet what could he accomplish by a refusal to
interpret? These other prisoners could act. They understood Spanish as
well as English. Such were the questions in Brooke's mind, and he could
not decide.
Suddenly the decision on this matter was taken away altogether, and
adopted by Talbot herself. She would not let the vengeful wrath of Lopez
fall on Brooke or on any other than herself. She understood his feelings
fully, and therefore, to put an end to all suspense, she took the matter
in her own hands.
She therefore came close up to Lopez, and fixed her large, dark, solemn
eyes sternly yet mournfully upon his. Her face bore witness to a
resolution that was immutable. Lopez could read its expression and see all
that was in her mind.
She pointed to Katie, then to herself, and then to him. Then looking
fixedly at him, she shook her head violently and with emphasis, and then
hurled the breviary upon the floor. The act and the expression were more
eloquent than words. Lopez understood all perfectly. His eyes flashed with
just indignation, and a savage smile came over his face.
"Oho, senor priest," said he; "so you think that because I have once or
twice restrained my anger, that I can be set at defiance with impunity!
I'm tired of being magnanimous; so let me tell you that however merciful I
have been before, I will show none now. You must go on. I will allow of no
hesitation. Tell him that," he added, to Brooke.
"He says," said Brooke, "that you must obey."
Talbot scarcely heard this.
She never moved her eyes from Lopez; she simply shook her head, with her
immutable resolve as visible as ever. Lopez could see that the priest, for
some motive or other, was bent on self-sacrifice.
He took out his watch. "I'll allow five minutes," said he, "for decision.
If at the end of that time you refuse, I will blow out your brains with my
own hand. Tell him that."
"Senor captain," said Brooke, impetuously, "let me say one word."
"Translate for me, I say!"
"One word first."
"Not one--obey me!" cried Lopez, in fury.
"Senor captain," said Brooke, not heeding him, "this is a priest. It is a
matter of conscience."
"Silence!" roared Lopez. "Tell him what I said. His time will soon be up!"
Brooke turned to Talbot.
"He'll only give you five minutes, Talbot," said he. "I'll try to dissuade
him."
"No use, Brooke," said Talbot, mournfully. "I came prepared for this."
Brooke turned again to Lopez.
"The priest says that his vows forbid him to blaspheme the holy sacrament
of marriage in this way. He says he will die rather than risk his soul by
an act of sacrilege."
"A curse on his soul!" cried Lopez. "What do I care!"
"Look out for your own soul!" cried Brooke.
"Aha! are you too a priest? Beware, sir! your life is already in peril."
At this moment Harry cried out in a loud voice,
"Stop, Captain Lopez--stop, for God's sake! This is a mistake--a terrible
mistake."
Lopez turned round in a fury.
"Gag that devil!" he roared.
In a moment the soldiers had seized Harry and bound a bandage over his
mouth, by which they effectually stopped any further remarks.
The last chance yet remained which Brooke might seize for Talbot--it was
to divulge her secret and tell about her disguise. To divulge it to this
euraged and furious chieftain might now only render him ten times more
furious and vengeful; it might only aggravate the doom of the prisoner;
but the risk must be run.
"Stop!" cried Brooke. "Senor captain, listen. It's a mistake--She is--"
"Silence," roared Lopez, "or I'll blow your brains out!"
"Senor, this priest is not--"
"Seize this fellow!" yelled Lopez. "Bind him! Gag him!"
Several of the men sprang toward Brooke, who struggled madly, shouting at
the same time words which soon were drowned in the uproar that followed.
Lopez now snatched a rifle from one of his men. Katie gave a loud scream;
Russell fell on his knees; Ashby shuddered.
Lopez took deadly aim at Talbot.
"Your time is up!" he said, coolly.
Talbot stood motionless, with a face of marble and an attitude perfectly
rigid; not a nerve quivered as she looked into the muzzle of the rifle,
but her lips moved as if she were murmuring a prayer.