On reaching Madrid, and learning what had happened, Miguel's heart was
wounded by the cruellest dart that fate had hurled at him since his
father's death. He found his step-mother in a state of desperation
bordering on imbecility. That proud and indomitable nature had at last
been bent. And as always happened when he saw her in the depths and
silently weeping, he felt a double compassion. "Poor mamma!" he said,
folding her in his arms. "The stroke is severe, but still all is not yet
lost. The affair may yet be arranged, with God's aid."
"No, Miguel, no; my heart tells me that it cannot be arranged. This man
is a villain. I did not heed your warning, and God has punished me."
Maximina was greatly upset to find that her husband was going to start
that same evening for Seville. "No, no; I do not want you to go," she
exclaimed, clinging convulsively to him.
"Maximina, this is not worthy of you," replied Miguel gently. "My sister
has been abducted, and aren't you willing for me to go in search of
her?"
"And if that man should kill you? You see he is capable of doing
anything!"
"Why should he kill me? I am going to Seville merely to search for my
sister. As I imagine that he will not refuse to give her up to me, I
shall be back with her by day after to-morrow. The rest will be arranged
afterward."
"Will you give me your word that you are going for no other purpose?
That you will not provoke a quarrel with him?"
"I will."
The brigadier's son did not mean what he said. Who will blame him for
that?
When the moment for his departure came, his wife, breaking into tears,
obliged him once more to repeat his oath. Then holding him by the hands,
she said to him:--
"Promise me also that you will be kind to Julia; that you will not say a
harsh word to her."
"That I also agree to."
With these two promises Maximina allowed him to go. Then she went to the
window, and lifting her baby in her arms, showed him to his father, as
though still further to compel him not to expose his life.
On reaching Seville, Miguel found that his sister and Don Alfonso had
not been there. He called on Saavedra's mother, and was painfully
surprised to learn that this lady had known nothing of the deed done by
her son, nor even that he had been paying attentions to Julia. All
Miguel's doubts vanished. Saavedra had eloped with his sister to make
her his.... His mind refused even to express the word.
The first thing that he considered after he had grown a little calmer
was to find where he had taken her, since they were not in Seville. It
occurred to him that they might have gone to Cadiz, and taken a steamer
from there. But after making some inquiries he found that this
hypothesis was not supported. Then he determined to return, and ask at
all the stations of the road if possibly any one there remembered seeing
that couple, a very accurate description of whom he was able to give. He
found nothing about them until he reached the station of Algodor.
There a porter remembered having taken from one car to another such a
_caballero_ with a young lady such as Miguel described. One sure
thing--the _caballero_ had given him the fabulous fee of a duro, and
this in fact contributed no little to his having remembered.
As the railway to Andalucia separates at this station from that of
Estramadura and Portugal, Miguel felt a strong suspicion, almost
amounting to certainty, that they had gone in this latter direction, and
he took a ticket for Lisbon. On reaching there he proceeded to ask at
the principal hotels after the young Spanish couple, taking it for
granted that, if they were there, they would be settled at one of them.
In fact, he came upon their track after he had made three or four
inquiries.
"Are they at home, or have they gone out?"
"I have not seen them go out," replied the porter in Portuguese. "Does
your lordship wish me to announce you?"
"There is no need. I am her brother. What number is the room!"
"Number 16, second floor."
With terrible emotion, such as can be imagined, the brigadier's son went
into the hotel, and passed through the corridors until he reached the
number indicated. He paused at the door to calm his heart, which was
throbbing violently: he listened, and could distinguish his sister's
voice. With trembling hand he lifted the latch and entered.
Julia, on seeing him in the mirror, gave that tremendous shriek of which
we have spoken; then she turned and threw herself at his feet. Miguel
gently lifted her, and took her to the sofa. Then with calmness he
closed the door and advanced toward Don Alfonso, who was sitting in the
easy-chair, with his legs crossed, and smoking a cigar with affected
boldness, though he was extremely pale.
"I have come at last," said Miguel, looking straight into his eyes.
"I see you have," replied Don Alfonso, puffing out a cloud of smoke.
"You will understand that...."
"You want to ask me to explain my conduct?"
"No; I do not care to qualify your conduct now. The only thing that
interests me at present is to save my sister's honor. I come to demand
that you marry her immediately or fight with me."