VI.

'Donna Lopez looked at me with terror and amazement.

''This must be the man Señor Pride has been so impatiently waiting for

during the past three months,' said she, 'he must be admitted.'

''One moment, Señora, let me first put one question to this impetuous

stranger; perchance he may have uttered these words without knowing

their full import.'

''Friend,' said I, approaching the grating, 'it is very true that 'the

price of liberty is eternal vigilance;' but allow me to suggest that

this is not a very appropriate hour for uttering truisms, however

excellent, especially in the way you do. Let peaceable people retire to

rest, and take my advice and get you to your own home.'

''I must see Albert Pride without delay; imminent danger threatens him.

If you persist in refusing me admittance, on your head be the

consequences.'

'This reply dissipated all doubt. I opened the door immediately. A man,

wrapped in a large cloak, entered, whom I instantly recognized as the

same person I had found leaning against the rails. His face, no longer

concealed, betrayed evidence of deep emotion.

'Taking a small lamp in her hand, Donna Teresa, after casting a piteous

glance toward me, as though she were begging me not to lose sight of

them, told the stranger to follow her, and she would show him the way.

He followed, without uttering a word.

''This is the door of Señor Pride's room,' said she, on reaching the

head of the stairs.

''Señora,' said the stranger, 'it may be that he is a sound sleeper, and

may not answer my first rap. I will therefore, with your permission,

take the lamp, and will not detain you longer.'

'How far this proposition suited my worthy hostess, I can not say; at

any rate, she made no opposition. As we retired, we heard a firm hand

rattling the handle of Pride's door.

'The sleeping-room I occupied, although contiguous to and on the same

floor with Albert Pride's, was reached by another staircase. It was very

narrow; but I was so familiar now with the house, that I did not wait

for my hostess to bring a light, especially as I had candles in my room.

As I entered my room, I fancied I heard a gentle tapping at the door,

which was closed up near the foot of my bed, and to which I have already

alluded. If opened, I knew it must lead into Pride's apartments.

'Again I heard the tapping, and exclaimed: 'Who is there?'

''Open the door, for Heaven's sake, open the door,' was the reply, in a

low tone; 'quick, my life is in danger!'

'I approached the door, and in equally low tones asked: 'Who are you?'

''A woman--but quick, open--open the door, for every moment is precious.

I tell you my life is at stake!'

'It seemed to me it was rather a time for action than for explanations,

so, taking an excellent Spanish dagger, which I had had in my possession

many years, I succeeded in wrenching out the two staples which fastened

the door on my side, and then putting my mouth to the key-hole, I asked:

'Have you the key?'

''Yes.'

''Then unlock the door, and bring the key with you to this side.'

'A few moments more, and a woman, to judge from the lightness of the

tread, for I was still without light, precipitated herself into, rather

than entered, the room.

''Oh! thanks; from my heart I thank you, Señor, whoever you are; I owe

my life to your kind assistance.'

'The sound of her voice, which I at once recognized, changed the

suspicion which had from the first moment flashed upon my mind, into

full assurance.

''Do not be afraid, madame,' said I, 'you are in perfect safety here.

Do you lock the door, while I look to my candles.'

'The first object my candle brought to light was the pale but still

charming face of my beautiful country-woman.

''You, sir!' she exclaimed, scarcely able to suppress her astonishment.

'In mercy I implore you, save me from the fury of my husband.'

''Of Mr. Albert Pride?'

''No, sir, Albert is not my husband; but, listen!--do you not

hear?--they are quarreling--they are struggling.'

'I listened. She was not mistaken. In spite of the two partitions which

separated us from the scene of this angry interview, we distinctly heard

the furious accents of passion. All at once a violent shock made the

wall--thin enough, it is true--creak and rattle; then, a moment

afterward, we heard the fall as of a body, accompanied with a low moan.

''Albert is dead! He has murdered him; but woe be to him. I will be

revenged yet,' exclaimed my companion, her eyes glaring with unearthly

fire.

'At this moment, hasty footsteps sounded in the adjoining room, which I

subsequently discovered was Pride's bed-chamber.

''Sir,' said a voice choked with anger, 'you are a coward, and shall

give me satisfaction for this insult.'

''You brought it on yourself, by your own obstinacy. Had you not opposed

my entrance to this room, I should not have used violence toward _you_,

at any rate. As for the satisfaction you claim, I will think about

that.'

''Well, you see that your wife is not here,' replied Albert, after a

short silence, during which we could hear the furniture being moved,

closets opened, and the curtain-rings rattle.

''True, sir; but her absence only proves one thing, that in one

particular I have been misinformed.'

''Confess rather, egregiously duped.'

''_Duped!_--nay, you are the dupe. Will you, Arthur Livermore, give me

your word of honor as a gentleman, that my wife, Adéle Percival, has not

followed you to Mexico? Will you deny that she is now your mistress?'

''Yes, sir, I give you my word of honor,' replied Albert or Arthur, in a

low, husky voice.

''And I tell you, Arthur Livermore, to your teeth, you are a miserable,

contemptible liar! Nay, seek not to deny it, it is useless; for I hold

here the proof, in your own writing. Look, here is your last letter; it

arrived two days after Adéle left New-Orleans. You acknowledge that--for

you turn pale at your own treachery. I bribed the tool who acted as your

go-between, so you see I attached some importance to securing proof. You

spoke, I think, of being duped. Arthur, I am amazed at your effrontery;

but I wait to hear your defense.'

'A fresh silence followed this outburst of the outraged husband, a

silence which was only broken by the heavy, rapid breathing of the two

adversaries.

''You must indeed have passionately loved that woman, or you, Arthur,

could never have been led to forswear your word of honor. O Arthur,

Arthur! be warned; I swear to you before heaven, that woman, with all

her beauty--a beauty that I once deemed angelic--is possessed by devils

whose name is legion; her heart is the receptacle of a monstrous,

hideous crowd of vices--vices the most opposite, there nestle together:

brazen effrontery and cringing cowardice; sordid cupidity and the most

lavish, reckless prodigality. With her, every act is the result of deep,

cool calculation. No generous impulse ever beat within her breast; and

love, except for self, never yet was awakened from its deathlike torpor.

She married me because I was reputed rich; she deserted me because she

deemed me ruined. What motive impelled her to follow you to Mexico, I

know not. But of this I warn you, rest assured it is not love for

you--you perchance, may be useful to her; the necessary instrument to

further some new scheme. But remember General Ramiro's fate, and take

heed lest you be the next dupe--the next victim.'

'I turned involuntarily toward the youthful creature beside me, as her

husband's voice ceased to ring on my ears. Despite the mastery she

exercised over her feelings, I nevertheless perceived she trembled; but

who, save the Judge of all, can tell whether it arose from fear, rage,

or the first emotion of repentance.

''Mr. Percival,' replied my neighbor, in a constrained voice, 'this

interview, after the violence which commenced it, must naturally be most

painful to me, and I presume equally so to you. Allow me, in as few

words as possible, to bring it to a close. I own that I was wrong in

pledging my word of honor to what was not wholly true. Until you claimed

Adéle here this night, as your wife, I had for months supposed you had

abandoned all title to the name of husband; that you had mutually

consented to a divorce, and under that impression I denied that Adéle

was my mistress, for in February last, I was married to her at Baton

Rouge. In presence of the proofs you possess, it were useless to deny

that Adéle is at this moment in this city. I have seen her this very

day, and I own that I know where she resides. More than this, it will be

useless for you to attempt to extort from me. I refuse beforehand to

answer any further interrogatory. I can fully conceive the hatred my

presence must inspire within your breast; I will not even pretend to

regret it; for this hatred, springing from a sense of dishonor, will

preclude the possibility of any thing save the death of one of us,

terminating the appeal for satisfaction which I have already claimed. I

have done, sir, and wait your reply.'

'Some seconds elapsed ere Adéle's husband replied. His voice had grown

calmer and more restrained, and I imagined that he had recovered his

self-control.

''Arthur,' said he, 'I shall not challenge you, neither will I accept a

challenge from you.'

''You refuse to meet me,' said my neighbor, 'and for what reason?'

''Because I do not hate, I merely pity you; because he who first defiled

my home, lies in his sandy grave beside the waters of Lake Ponchartrain;

because beside that grave I vowed to my Maker and my God never again to

dare to take into these blood-stained hands the holy scales of justice.

Yes, Arthur, it is four long years since I sent that wretched victim of

that woman to his last solemn reckoning. Look at me to-day; my locks are

white; 'tis not with age: I have not yet lived out the half of man's

allotted span on earth. But that bleeding corpse; the trickling, oozing

drops from out that breast; the gurgling sound of the unuttered

death-words of Adéle's first seducer--these have made me prematurely

old. Oh! woe to him who dares to seek and takes revenge. Vengeance has

been claimed as Heaven's sole, supreme prerogative. Arthur, I must, I do

refuse your challenge.'

''Sir, I shall not deign to notice your calumnies about Adéle, for I am

anxious to terminate this interview. May I ask why you seek to prolong

it, and why, if you so loathe Adéle, you persecute me by following her?'

''Because I am resolved on two points--to see her, and to learn from her

where she has secreted our child.'

''Unless you pledge yourself, Mr. Percival, not to make any further

attempt to see Adéle, you shall not, if I can prevent, leave this room

alive.'

''Oh! oh! finding I won't fight, you fancy you can frighten me by

threats of assassination. It is rather creditable to your ingenuity, Mr.

Livermore, but I had provided for such a contingency. The United States

Minister has been apprized of my arrival, and I left certain papers with

his Secretary to be opened to-morrow, in case I should not return by

noon, explaining our mutual relations very concisely yet definitely.

Now you know that the Mexican idea of justice, though lenient in the

extreme to natives, is just as extremely severe to foreigners, so that I

would hardly advise you to tempt the gallows, unless, indeed, you have

less objection to suicide, for I really think that is the only way you

can possibly cheat the hangman, unless you condescend to allow me to pay

my respects to the American Legation to-morrow, in the forenoon.'

'On the stage, especially in the sanguinary melodrama, it is astonishing

how little respect is paid to the gallows; but somehow in the humbler

walks of every day life, it exercises a very salutary, deterring

influence on a very large class of minds; and I was, therefore, in no

way surprised to hear my neighbor resume the conversation in a tone

decidedly an octave or two lower.

''You have entirely misinterpreted my meaning. I may have thought of

here forcing a quarrel on you, but the commission of the crime you dare

insinuate, never entered my brain. But, now, sir, one last question: Why

do you persist in seeking an interview with the woman you pretend to

hate?'

''Pretend to hate! nay, there is no pretense, I hate, detest, and loathe

her; not because she betrayed me; not because she stained an honorable

name; not because she made me kill her lover; not because she has ruined

my happiness; but because knowing--feeling all this, and more than words

have power to convey--because knowing her infamy and shame, I still,

still love her.'

''_You_ love her still!' cried Arthur. 'Oh! thanks for that one avowal;

that explains fully the bitterness with which you calumniate her.'

''Calumniate her! oh! that were impossible for the very basest fiend to

do. But I was wrong to desecrate the word, and say I _love_ her. No, no;

I tell you I hate her, I loathe her; but in spite of hatred, in spite of

loathing, she exercises over my imagination an irresistible

fascination--a fascination you can never feel in that intensity which

haunts my dreams of early manhood. You knew her not a guileless, artless

girl just blooming into early maidenhood. But enough of these maddening

memories of the past. It were better, doubtless, that I never see her

more, for in my hatred I might kill her. But mark you, Arthur, I _will_

find my child; she is now the only tie that binds me to humanity; the

only link that chains me to this mortal coil which men call life. I must

have my darling child. The day after to-morrow I will return here to

know where she is secreted; if that be divulged to me, I swear by all

that men hold as sacred, whether in heaven or earth, to depart in peace,

and leave you to your fate, and Adéle to the vengeance of the Most High.

Adieu.'

''Farewell. You shall be told all that you require,' said my neighbor.

''Oh! excuse me,' said Percival, returning, 'where does this door lead

to?'

''To some room to which I have never had access.'

''Occupied by whom?'

''I do not know.'

'A violent blow, which we had not expected, was given on the door, close

to which we were standing, listening. I instantly retreated to my bed.

Adéle remained motionless as a statue; and when the second blow fell

upon the panels, I cried out most lustily:

''Who the deuce is there?' mingling therewith, moreover, sundry forcible

Spanish expletives.

''No one. Excuse me, Señor, I mistook the door.'

''Well, clear out, and don't do it again!' I retorted.

''Please show me the way out of this house, Mr. Livermore,' was all we

heard, until after a painful pause the street-door was closed, and

Arthur's footstep sounded returning up-stairs. I looked fixedly at my

companion; her face wore a deathlike pallor, but a soft, melancholy

smile played upon her lips.

''Poor Edmund!' said she, in a sad, soft tone, 'despite the wrongs I

have endured at his hands, the jealousy he has now evinced is such a

proof of his undying love, that I am almost constrained to forgive his

former cruelty.' Adéle gave vent to a sigh, and added, with downcast

eyes:

''The world, doubtless, will blame me; they will believe every charge,

scout every palliative plea. For a season, I must endure its frown, and

resign my will to drink the bitter cup of scorn and contumely; for I

have gone astray, I have sinned against the judgment of my

fellow-mortals; and yet, oh! it were so easy to gain sympathy, were I to

disclose the secrets of the inner dungeons of my prison-house--that spot

which poets sing as blessed--Home! O man, man! there _is_ no place like

home, but how readily may it be turned into a hell--for--a wife!'

'I was still weak--nervous; and her words breathed such tones of bitter

anguish, and her whole frame evinced such tokens of emotion, that in

spite of all that I had overheard, tears welled up to my eyelids, and

compassion overcame my still lurking distrust; her sobs alone broke the

silence which ensued, and I was never in my life more painfully

embarrassed. Fortunately the return of my neighbor relieved me from my

peculiar predicament. No sooner did Adéle hear him enter the adjoining

room, than she opened the door of communication, and threw herself upon

his breast.