CAPTAIN RAMÓN APOLOGIZES
"Captain Ramón is a beast!" the girl said, in a voice not too loud.
"He is a worthless fellow," Don Diego agreed.
"He--that is--he wished to kiss me," she said.
"And you did not let him, of course."
"_Señor!_"
"I--confound it, I did not mean that! Certainly you did not let him! I
trust that you slapped his face."
"I did," said the _señorita_. "And then he struggled with me, and he
told me that I should not be so particular, since I was daughter of a
man who stood in the bad graces of the governor."
"Why, the infernal brute!" Don Diego exclaimed.
"Is that all you have to say about it, _caballero_?"
"I cannot use oaths in your presence, of course."
"Do you not understand, _señor_? This man came into _your_ house, and
insulted the girl you have asked to be _your_ wife!"
"Confound the rascal! When next I see his excellency, I shall ask him
to remove the officer to some other post."
"Oh!" the girl cried. "Have you no spirit at all? Have him removed?
Were you a proper man, Don Diego, you would go to the _presidio_, you
would call this Captain Ramón to account, you would pass your sword
through his body, and call upon all to witness that a man could not
insult the _señorita_ you admired and escape the consequences."
"It is such an exertion to fight!" he said. "Let us not speak of
violence. Perhaps I shall see the fellow and rebuke him."
"Rebuke him!" the girl cried.
"Let us talk of something else, _señorita_. Let us speak of the matter
regarding which I talked the other day. My father will be after me
again soon to know when I am going to take a wife. Cannot we get the
matter settled in some manner? Have you decided upon the day?"
"I have not said that I would marry you," she replied.
"Why hold off?" he questioned. "Have you looked at my house? I shall
make it satisfactory to you I am sure. You shall refurnish it to suit
your taste, though I pray you do not disturb it too much, for I dislike
to have things in a mess. You shall have a new carriage and anything
you may desire."
"Is this your manner of wooing?" she asked, glancing at him from the
corners of her eyes.
"What a nuisance to woo!" he said. "Must I play a guitar, and make
pretty speeches? Can you not give me your answer without all that
foolishness?"
She was comparing this man beside her with Señor Zorro, and Don Diego
did not compare to him favorably. She wanted to be done with this
farce, to have Don Diego out of her vision, and none but Señor Zorro in
it.
"I must speak frankly to you, _caballero_," she said. "I have searched
my heart, and in it I find no love for you. I am sorry, for I know what
our marriage would mean to my parents, and to myself in a financial
way. But I cannot wed you, Don Diego, and it is useless for you to ask."
"Well, by the saints! I had thought it was about all settled!" he said.
"Do you hear that, Don Carlos? Your daughter says she cannot wed with
me--that it is not in her heart to do so."
"Lolita, retire to your chamber!" Doña Catalina exclaimed.
The girl did so, gladly. Don Carlos and his wife hurried across the
room and sat down beside Don Diego.
"I fear you do not understand women, my friend," Don Carlos said.
"Never must you take a woman's answer for the last. She always may
change her mind. A woman likes to keep a man dangling, likes to make
him blow cold with fear and hot with anticipation. Let her have her
moods, my friend. In the end, I am sure, you shall have your way."
"It is beyond me!" Don Diego cried. "What shall I do now! I told her I
would give her all her heart desired."
"Her heart desires love, I suppose," Doña Catalina said, out of the
wealth of her woman's wisdom.
"But certainly I shall love and cherish her. Does not a man promise
that in the ceremony? Would a Vega break his word regarding such a
thing?"
"Just a little courtship," Don Carlos urged.
"But it is such a nuisance!"
"A few soft words, a pressure of the hand now and then, a sigh or two,
a languishing look from the eyes--"
"Nonsense!"
"It is what a maiden expects. Speak not of marriage for some time. Let
the idea grow on her--"
"But my august father is liable to come to the _pueblo_ any day and ask
when I am to take a wife. He has rather ordered me to do it."
"No doubt your father will understand," said Don Carlos. "Tell him that
her mother and myself are on your side and that you are enjoying the
pleasure of winning the girl."
"I believe we should return to the _hacienda_ to-morrow," Doña Catalina
put in. "Lolita has seen this splendid house, and she will contrast it
with ours. She will realize what it means to marry you. And there is an
ancient saying that when a man and a maid are apart they grow fonder of
each other."
"I do not wish to have you hurry away."
"I think it would be best under the circumstances. And do you ride out,
say, in three days, _caballero_, and I doubt not you will find her more
willing to listen to your suit."
"I presume you know best," Don Diego said. "But you must remain at
least until to-morrow. And now I think I shall go to the _presidio_ and
see this Captain Ramón. Possibly that will please the _señorita_. She
appears to think I should call him to account."
Don Carlos thought that such a course would prove disastrous for a man
who did not practice with the blade and knew little of fighting, but he
refrained from saying so. A gentleman never intruded his own thoughts
at such a time. Even if a _caballero_ went to his death, it was all
right so long as he believed he was doing the proper thing, and died as
a _caballero_ should.
So Don Diego went from the house and walked slowly up the hill toward
the _presidio_ building. Captain Ramón observed his approach, and
wondered at it, and snarled at the thought of coming to combat with
such a man.
But he was cold courtesy itself when Don Diego was ushered into the
_comandante's_ office.
"I am proud to know you have visited me here," he said, bowing low
before the scion of the Vegas.
Don Diego bowed in answer, and took the chair Captain Ramón indicated.
The captain marveled that Don Diego had no blade at his side.
"I was forced to climb your confounded hill to speak to you on a
certain matter," Don Diego said. "I have been informed that you visited
my house during my absence, and insulted a young lady who is my guest."
"Indeed?" the captain said.
"Were you deep in wine?"
"_Señor?_"
"That would excuse the offense in part, of course. And then you were
wounded, and probably in a fever. Were you in a fever, captain?"
"Undoubtedly," Ramón said.
"A fever is an awful thing--I had a siege of it once. But you should
not have intruded upon the _señorita_. Not only did you affront her,
but you affronted me. I have asked the _señorita_ to become my wife.
The matter--er--is not settled as yet, but I have some rights in this
case."
"I entered your house seeking news of this Señor Zorro," the captain
lied.
"You--er--found him?" Don Diego asked.
The face of the _comandante_ flushed red.
"The fellow was there, and he attacked me," he replied. "I was wounded,
of course, and wore no weapon, and so he could work his will with me."
"It is a most remarkable thing," observed Don Diego, "that none of you
soldiers can meet this Curse of Capistrano when you can be on equal
terms. Always he descends upon you when you are helpless, or threatens
you with a pistol while he fights you with a blade, or has his score of
men about him.
"I met Sergeant Gonzales and his men at the _hacienda_ of Fray Felipe
last night, and the big sergeant told some harrowing tale of the
highwayman and his score of men scattering his troopers."
"We shall get him yet!" the captain promised. "And I might call your
attention to certain significant things, _caballero_. Don Carlos
Pulido, as we know, does not stand high with those in authority. This
Señor Zorro was at the Pulido _hacienda_, you will remember, and
attacked me there, emerging from a closet to do it."
"Ha! What mean you?"
"Again, on last night, he was in your house while you were abroad and
the Pulidos were your guests. It begins to look as if Don Carlos has
a hand in the work of the Señor Zorro. I am almost convinced that Don
Carlos is a traitor, and is aiding the rogue. You had better think
twice, or half a score of times, before seeking a matrimonial alliance
with the daughter of such a man."
"By the saints, what a speech!" Don Diego exclaimed, as if in
admiration. "You have made my poor head ring with it! You really
believe all this?"
"I do, _caballero_."
"Well, the Pulidos are returning to their own place to-morrow, I
believe. I but asked them to be my guests so they could be away from
the scenes of this Señor Zorro's deeds."
"And Señor Zorro followed them to the _pueblo_. You see?"
"Can it be possible?" Don Diego gasped. "I must consider the matter.
Oh, these turbulent times! But they are returning to their _hacienda_
to-morrow! Of course, I would not have his excellency think that I
harbored a traitor."
He got to his feet, bowed courteously, and then stepped slowly toward
the door. And there he seemed to remember something suddenly, and
turned to face the captain again.
"Ha! I am at the point of forgetting all about the insult!" he
exclaimed. "What have you to say, my captain, regarding the events of
last night?"
"Of course, _caballero_, I apologize to you most humbly," Captain Ramón
replied.
"I suppose that I must accept your apology. But, please do not let such
a thing happen again. You frighten my _despensero_ badly, and he is an
excellent servant."
Then Don Diego Vega bowed again and left the _presidio_, and Captain
Ramón laughed long and loudly, until the sick men in the hospital-room
feared that their _comandante_ must have lost his wits.
"What a man!" the captain exclaimed. "I have turned him away from that
Pulido _señorita_, I think. And I was a fool to hint to the governor
that he could be capable of treason. I must rectify that matter in some
way. The man has not enough spirit to be a traitor!"