THE JUSTICE OF THE DARK-HEARTS.
Don Tadeo and his friend Don Gregorio were introduced, after exchanging
several passwords, into a subterraneous apartment, the entrance to which
was perfectly concealed in the wall. The door closed immediately after
them; the two men turned round sharply, but all signs of an opening
had disappeared. Without taking further notice of this circumstance,
which they no doubt had expected, they cast an inquiring glance around
them, in order to obtain some knowledge of the locality. The place
was admirably chosen for a meeting of conspirators. It was an immense
apartment, which must have served for a long time as a cellar, as was
made evident by the essentially alcoholic emanations still floating in
the air; the walls were low and thick, and of a dirty red colour; a
lamp with three jets, hanging from the roof, far from dispersing the
darkness, seemed only to render it in a manner visible. In a recess
stood a table, behind which a man in a mask was seated, near to two
empty seats. Men enveloped in cloaks, and all wearing black velvet
masks, were gliding about in the darkness, silent as phantoms.
Don Tadeo and his friend exchanged a glance, and without speaking a
word, proceeded to take their places in the empty seats. As soon as
they were seated, a change came over the meeting: the low whispering
which had been heard till that moment ceased all at once, as if by
enchantment. All the conspirators gathered in a single group in front of
the table, and with arms crossed upon their chests, waited earnestly.
The man who before the arrival of Don Tadeo had appeared to preside over
the meeting arose, and casting round a confident glance on the attentive
crowd, said--
"On this day the seventy-two _ventas_ of the Dark-Hearts, spread over
the territories of the republic, are assembled in council. In all of
them the taking up of arms, of which we, the _venta_ of Valdivia, will
instantly give the signal, will be decreed. Everywhere men faithful to
the good cause, true lovers of liberty, are preparing to commence the
struggle with Bustamente. Will you all, comrades, who are here present,
when the hour strikes, descend frankly and boldly into the arena? Will
you sacrifice, without reserve, your family, your fortune, and even your
life, if necessary, for the public good?"
He ceased, and a funereal silence prevailed in the assembly.
"Answer!" he resumed; "what will you do?"
"We will die!" the band of conspirators murmured, like a sinister and
terrible echo.
"That is well, my brothers," Don Tadeo said, rising suddenly. "I
expected no less from you, and I thank you. I have long known you all,
and felt that I could depend upon you--I, whom none of you know. These
masks which conceal you one from another, are but transparent gauze
for the chief of the Dark-Hearts--and I am the King of Darkness! I
have sworn that you shall live as free men, or that I will die! Before
twenty-four hours have passed away, you will hear the signal you have
so long waited for, and then will commence that terrible struggle which
can only end in the death of the tyrant; all the provinces, all the
cities, all the towns will rise _en masse_ at the same instant; courage,
then! You have only a few hours longer to suffer. The war of ambushes,
surprises, of subterranean treacheries is ended; war, frank, loyal,
open, in the face of the sun, is about to begin; let us show ourselves
what we always have been, firm in our faith, and ready to die for our
opinions! Let the chiefs of sections draw near."
Ten men left the ranks, and placed themselves silently ten paces from
the table.
"Let the corporal of chiefs of sections answer for all," said Don Tadeo.
"I am the corporal," said one of the masked men; "the orders expedited
from the Quinta Verde have been executed; all the sections are warned;
they are all ready to rise at the first signal; each will take
possession of the posts that are assigned it."
"So far well! How many men have you at your disposal?"
"Seven thousand three hundred and seventy-seven."
"Can you depend upon them all?"
"No."
"How many are there lukewarm or irresolute?"
"Four thousand."
"How many firm and convinced?"
"Nearly three thousand; but for these I will be answerable."
"That is well! we have even more than we want; the brave will attract
others. Return to your places."
The chiefs of sections drew back,
"Now," Don Tadeo continued, "before we separate, I have to call down
your justice upon one of our brothers, who, having entered deeply into
our secrets, has been false to the society several times for a little
gold; I have the proofs in my hands. The circumstances are of the utmost
importance; one word--a single word--may ruin our cause and us! Say,
what chastisement does this man deserve?"
"Death!" the conspirators responded, coolly, but simultaneously.
"I know this man," Don Tadeo continued; "let him come forth from the
ranks, and not oblige me to tear off his mask, and hurl his name in his
face."
No one stirred.
"This man is here--I can see him; for the last time, let him step forth,
and not crown his baseness by seeking to avoid the punishment he merits."
The conspirators cast suspicious glances at each other; the assembly
seemed moved by an extreme anxiety; the man, however, upon whom the
King of Darkness called, persisted in remaining confounded amongst his
companions.
Don Tadeo waited for an instant, but finding that the man whom he
summoned imagined he should remain unknown, and not be discovered
beneath his mask, he made a signal, and Don Gregorio rose and advanced
towards the group of conspirators, which opened at his approach, and
laid his hand roughly on the shoulder of a man who had instinctively
retreated before him, until the wall forced him to stop.
"Come with me, Don Pedro," he said, and he dragged rather than led him
to the table, behind which stood Don Tadeo, calm and implacable.
The guilty spy was seized with a convulsive trembling, his teeth
chattered, and he fell upon his knees, crying with terror:
"Mercy, my lord, mercy!"
Don Gregorio tore off his mask, and revealed the face of the spy, whose
features, horribly contracted by fear, and of an ashy paleness, were
really hideous.
"Don Pedro," Don Tadeo said, in a stern voice, "you have several times
sought to sell your brothers of the society; it was you who caused
the death of the ten patriots shot upon the Place of Santiago; it was
you who betrayed the secret of the Quinta Verde to the soldiers of
Bustamente; this very day, even, scarcely two hours ago, you held a long
conversation with General Bustamente, in which you agreed to deliver up
to him tomorrow the principal chiefs of the Dark-Hearts: is that true?"
The miserable wretch had not a word to say in his defence; confounded,
overwhelmed by the irresistible proofs accumulated against him, he hung
down his head in utter abandonment.
"Is this true?" Don Tadeo reiterated.
"It is true," he murmured, in a scarcely audible voice.
"You acknowledge yourself guilty?"
"Yes," he said, with a heart-stifling sob; "but grant me life, noble
seigneur, and I swear----"
"Silence!"
The spy was struck with mute despair.
"You have heard, companions and friends, how this man confesses his own
crimes; for the last time, what punishment does he deserve for having
sold his brothers?"
"Death!" replied the Dark-Hearts, without hesitation.
"In the name of the Dark-Hearts, of whom I am king, I condemn you,
Don Pedro Saldillo, to death, for treachery and felony towards your
brethren. You have five minutes to make your peace with Heaven," Don
Tadeo said, sternly.
He placed his watch upon the table, and drawing a pistol from his belt,
cocked it deliberately. The sharp noise of the hammer made the condemned
man shudder with fear. A profound silence prevailed in the vault; the
hearts of these implacable men might be heard beating in their breasts.
The spy cast around wild, despairing glances, but beheld nothing but
angry eyes gleaming upon him through hideous masks. Over the vault, in
the chingana, they continued dancing, and faint puffs of _sambacuejas_
penetrated, at intervals, mixed with uproarious bursts of laughter, even
to the awful scene beneath. The contrast of this riotous mirth with
the terrible act of justice which was being carried out, had something
appalling in it.
"The five minutes are past," said Don Tadeo, in a firm voice.
"A few minutes more! a few minutes, my lord!" the spy implored, wringing
his hands in despair. "I am not prepared; you cannot kill me thus! In
the name of all you hold most dear, let me live!"
Without appearing to hear him, Don Tadeo lifted his pistol, and the
miserable culprit rolled upon the ground, with his brains scattered
around him.
"Oh!" he cried, as the pistol was aimed, "be accursed, ye assassins!"
His death prevented the utterance of more.
The conspirators stood cold, impassive spectators of the scene. As soon
as the stern act of justice was completed, at a signal from the chief,
several men opened a trap in the floor which covered a hole half filled
with quick lime; the body was thrown into it, and the trap closed again.
"Justice has been done, brothers," said Don Tadeo, solemnly; "go in
peace, the King of Darkness watches over you."
The conspirators bowed respectfully, and disappeared one after the
other, without uttering a word. At the end of a quarter of an hour no
one remained in the vault but Don Tadeo and Don Gregorio.
"Oh!" said Don Tadeo, "Shall we always have thus to combat treachery?"
"Courage! my friend; you have yourself said, in a few hours war will
commence in the face of day."
"God grant I may not be deceived! This contest in the dark makes
frightful demands upon the mind; my heart begins to fail me!"
The two conspirators regained the chingana, in which the dancing,
laughing, and drinking were going on with undiminished spirit; they
passed through so as not to be observed, and came out into the street.
They had hardly walked fifty steps when they were joined by a man, who,
to their great surprise, proved to be Valentine Guillois.
"God be praised for bringing you here so opportunely!" said Don Tadeo.
"I hope I am punctual," the Parisian remarked, with a gay laugh.
Don Tadeo pressed his hand warmly, and drew him towards his residence,
where our three personages soon arrived.