Leaving Mildred to pursue her voyage we will see what preparations
were already making for her return by Mr. Donaldson.
This gentleman was by no means as rich as many supposed him to be. His
plantations were valuable, and located advantageously, but whether
from mismanagement, or from circumstances beyond his control, for
several years his affairs had become greatly involved, and he had only
been saved from absolute ruin through the scheming friendship of a
Spaniard named Perozzi--a man whose cunning was as deep as his own,
and who by advancing large sums from time to time, only sought to
entangle his victim in such a snare as should secure him in the end
his valuable possessions. Pride prevented Mr. Donaldson from applying
to Mr. Dundass--every year matters grew worse, until finally he felt
himself to be completely in the power of Perozzi, who had even begun
to threaten loudly, and talk of distraining. It was at this critical
juncture that Mr. Dundass declared his intention of sending for
Mildred Ward. A project now suddenly suggested itself to Mr. Donaldson
which promised to relieve him from his difficulties, and which he
seized upon in his selfishness with as little conscience as the
highwayman who robs you of life in order to obtain your purse.
Mounting his mule he one morning rode over to the "Pen" of Perozzi,
some few miles farther down the valley. He was received rather coolly.
"Your timely visit has saved me a ride this morning, Donaldson," said
the Spaniard. "I have an imperative necessity for my money, or at
least for a part of it."
"My dear fellow, the very thing I have come to talk about!" said
Donaldson.
"_Corambre--to talk about!_ It must be something more than talk--words
will not answer my purpose," replied Perozzi, his sharp black eye
glittering with hate. "I tell you money I must have--money I will
have, or--"
"Good God, Perozzi, don't drive me to desperation. You know I cannot
pay you a single piastre! Only wait until I receive my return sales
from England, and I swear to you you shall receive your last
farthing!"
"Holy Mother Mary! your return sales from England!" exclaimed the
other, in a tone of cutting sarcasm. "In what manner of vessel must
those same returns be coming, for, if my memory serves me, Columbus
discovered a new world in less time than this same richly-freighted
_caravela_ has been crossing the Atlantic--this has been your answer
for twice a twelvemonth. And now," he continued, suddenly altering his
tone, and striding to the side of his victim, "there must be an end of
this--either pay me what you owe me, or give me a quit claim to the
Cascade, for which you have already received from me more than its
value."
"By heavens, Perozzi!" cried Mr. Donaldson, turning pale with anger
and mortification, "this is more than I can bear even from you; but
come," he added, suddenly forcing a laugh, "it was to see you upon a
more pleasing errand I came here."
"_Corambre!_" whistled through the teeth of the Spaniard.
"Hark ye, Perozzi; what would you say if I could this moment promise
to place you in possession of one hundred thousand dollars and--a
wife?"
"Say! why that the Devil helped you to cajole, and then deserted you
at the pinch, as he always does!" replied Perozzi.
"No cajolery about it, as you shall find," answered Mr. Donaldson.
"But come, let us sit--by your leave I'll taste your wine; your
health, signor, and" (turning out a second glass) "here is another to
Madame Perozzi--ha-ha-ha! There--now," said he, setting down his glass
with a force which nearly shivered it, "listen to me. You know that
Mrs. Donaldson, by her first husband, had one daughter, Mildred Ward,
who is at this moment on her return from England, whither she was sent
at an early age for her education. She is now, by the bye, seventeen,
and, as report informs us, extremely beautiful and accomplished. Now
what think you, Perozzi, of the charming Mildred for a wife?"
"I want money--no wife!" moodily replied Perozzi, draining a third
glass.
"Precisely--money," answered the other; "and that is what the fair
hand of Mildred tenders you."
"One hundred thousand dollars, did you say, Donaldson?" said the
Spaniard, with a searching gaze.
"I did. Fifty thousand with the wedding-ring, and the balance when the
old man, her grandfather, dies."
Excellent, by the Virgin!--ha-ha-ha! No one can dispute your skill in
diplomacy; but methinks it would be well to know by what method you
propose to bring about a "consummation so devoutly to be wished," said
Perozzi, with a sneer.
"Leave that to me; only act with me, and Mildred Ward becomes your
wife just so certain as I now drink to you--your health, signor."
"And, pray, allow me to ask," said Perozzi, "what benefit you expect
to reap from such unparalleled generosity--it cannot surely be out of
pure love to me that you thus
"Buckle fortune on my back
To bear her burthen whether I will or no!"
"You are right," answered Mr. Donaldson, dropping the servile tone in
which he had before spoken, "you are right--it is from no love to you;
my object is this. You know as well as I do the utter impracticability
of my refunding any part of the money I owe you at present. True, you
may seize my estates, but this I think you will hardly do in
preference to the plan I propose; it would be at best but a vexatious
affair, while by accepting my proposition you secure not only an
equivalent for your debt, but also the hand of a charming young girl."
"Well, well, to the point," interrupted the Spaniard, impatiently.
"It is simply this; give me your written promise to release me from
all obligation, return me whatever notes you hold against me, and I on
my part pledge to you the hand and fortune of my step-daughter."
Perozzi remained for some moments in deep revery, as if studying the
feasibility of the proposed plan. "I have half a mind to try it," he
mused; "it may do--the connection will be a good one. Old Dundass is
as rich as a Jew, and a man of great influence; while on the other
hand, should the project fail, I shall be no worse off than now,
unless an earthquake should swallow up the estates from my grasp."
"There is one contingency which seems to have entirely escaped your
forecast," he exclaimed aloud, turning to Mr. Donaldson, "the lady may
not be of your way of thinking--she may prove refractory."
"Leave that to me," was the reply.
"I may not fancy her."
"Nor the money?" added Mr. Donaldson, with a meaning smile.
"Ah, there, I grant, you have me. Well, well, I am willing to talk the
matter over with you a little more freely. Miss Ward is handsome, you
say?"
"As a Houri."
"And young?"
"Scarce seventeen."
"Very well--now to business."
But we have already entered into sufficient detail of the conversation
of these two men to show the reader in what peril poor Mildred stood
from their machinations. It is enough to say that ere they parted,
Perozzi pledged his word that, should their plot succeed, he would, on
his marriage-day, place in the hands of Mr. Donaldson a quit claim to
every demand he held against him.