A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION.
Directly on emerging from the Paseo, the two men separated, as had been
agreed on between them; that is to say, the capataz went ahead, followed
at a respectful distance by Martial the Tigrero, whom the reader has
doubtless recognized.
All happened as the capataz had announced. The streets were deserted,
the horsemen only met a few half sleeping serenos leaning against the
walls, and were only crossed by a patrol of celadores walking with a
hurried step, and who seemed more inclined to avoid them, than to try
and discover the motives that caused them thus to ride about the streets
of the capital at night, in defiance of the law.
The Tigrero entered the Callejón del Pájaro, and about the middle of
the street saw the capataz's horse held by an ill-looking fellow, who
gazed curiously at him. Don Martial, following the instructions given
him, pulled his hat over his eyes to foil the mozo's curiosity, stopped
before the door, dismounted, threw his bridle to the fellow, and,
without saying a word to him, resolutely entered the house and carefully
closed the door after him.
He then found himself in utter darkness, but after groping his way,
which was not difficult for him to do, as all Mexican houses are built
nearly on the same model, he pushed forward. After crossing the zaguán,
he entered a square yard on which several doors looked; one of these
doors was open, and a man was standing on the threshold with a cigarette
in his mouth. It was Carnero.
The tiger-slayer went up to him; the other made room, and he walked on.
The capataz took him by the hand and whispered, "Come with me."
In spite of the protestations of devotion previously made by the
capataz, the Tigrero in his heart was somewhat alarmed at the manner in
which he was introduced into this mysterious house; but as he was young,
vigorous, well armed, brave, and resolved, if necessary, to sell his
life dearly, he yielded his hand Unhesitatingly to Carnero, and allowed
him to guide him while seeking to pierce the darkness that surrounded
him.
But all the windows were hermetically closed with shutters, which
allowed no gleam of light to enter from without.
His guide led him through several rooms, the floors of which were
covered with matting that deadened the sound of footsteps; he took him
up a flight of stairs, and opening a door with a key he took from his
pocket, conducted him into a room faintly lighted by a lamp placed
before a statue of the Virgin, standing in one corner of the room, on
a species of pedestal attached to the wall, and covered with extremely
delicate lace.
"Now," said Carnero, after closing the door, from which the Tigrero
noticed that he removed the key, "draw up a butaca, sit down and let us
talk, for we are in safety." Don Martial followed the advice given him,
and after carefully installing himself in a butaca, looked anxiously
around him.
The room in which he found himself was rather spacious, furnished
tastefully and richly; several valuable pictures hung on the walls,
which were covered with embossed leather, while the furniture consisted
of splendid carved ebony or mahogany tables, sideboards, chiffonniers,
and butacas. On the floor was an Indian petate, several books were
scattered over the tables, and valuable plate was arranged on the
sideboard. In short, this room displayed a proper comprehension of
comfort, and the two windows, with their Moorish jalousies, gave
admission to the pure breeze which greatly refreshed the atmosphere.
The capataz lighted two candles at the Virgin's lamp, placed them on
the table, and then fetching two bottles and two silver cups, which
he placed before the Tigrero, he drew up a butaca, and seated himself
opposite his guest.
"Here is sherry which I guarantee to be real Xeres de los Caballeros;
this other bottle contains chinquirito, and both are at your service,"
he said, with a laugh; "whether you have a weakness for sugar cane
spirits, or prefer wine."
"Thanks," Don Martial replied, "but I do not feel inclined to drink."
"You would not wish to insult me by refusing to hobnob with me?"
"Very well; if you will permit me, I will take a few drops of
chinquirito in water, solely to prove to you that I am sensible of your
politeness."
"All right," the capataz continued, as he handed him a crystal decanter,
covered with curiously worked silver filagree; "help yourself."
When they had drunk, the capataz a glass of sherry, which he sipped like
a true amateur, and Don Tigrero a few drops of chinquirito drowned in a
glass of water, the capataz placed his glass again on the table with a
smack of his lips, and said--
"Now, I must give you a few words in explanation of the slightly
mysterious way in which I brought you here, in order to dispel any
doubts which may have involuntarily invaded your mind."
"I am listening to you," the Tigrero answered.
"Take a cigar first, they are excellent." And he lit one, after pushing
the bundle over to Don Martial: the latter selected one, and soon the
two men were enveloped in a cloud of thin and fragrant smoke.
"We are in the mansion of General Don Sebastian Guerrero," the capataz
continued.
"What?" the Tigrero exclaimed, with a start of uneasiness.
"Re-assure yourself, no one saw you enter, and your presence here is
quite unknown, for the simple reason that I brought you in by my private
entrance."
"I do not understand you."
"And yet it is very easy to explain; the house I led you through belongs
to me. For reasons too long to tell you, and which would interest you
but slightly, during Don Sebastian's absence as Governor of Sonora, I
had a passage made, and established a communication between my house
and this mansion. Everybody save myself is ignorant of the existence
of this communication, which," he added, with a glowing smile, "may at
a given moment be of great utility to me. The room in which we now are
forms part of the suite I occupy in the mansion, in which the general,
I am proud to say, has never yet set foot. The man who took your horse
is devoted to me, and even were he to betray me, it would be of little
consequence to me, for the secret door of the passage is so closely
concealed that I have no fear of its being discovered. Hence you see
that you have nothing to fear here, where your presence is unknown."
"But suppose you were to be sent for, through the general happening to
want you suddenly?"
"Certainly, but I have foreseen that; it is my system never to leave
anything to chance. Although it has never happened yet, no one can enter
here without my being informed soon enough to get rid of any person who
may be with me, supposing that, for some reason or another, that person
did not desire to be seen."
"That is capitally arranged, and I am happy to see that you are a man of
prudence."
"Prudence is, as you know, señor, the mother of safety; and in Mexico,
before all other countries, the proverb receives its application at
every moment."
The Tigrero bowed politely, but in the fashion of a man who considers
that the speaker has dwelt sufficiently long on one subject, and wishes
to see him pass to another. The capataz appeared to read this almost
imperceptible hint on Don Martial's face, and continued with a smile--
"But enough on that head, so let us pass, if you have no objection, to
the real purpose of our interview. A man, whose name it is unnecessary
to mention, but to whom, as I have already had the honour of telling
you, I am devoted body and soul, sent you to me to obtain certain
information you require, and which he supposes I am in a position to
give, I will now add, that what passed between us this evening, and the
generous way in which you rushed to my assistance, render it my bounden
duty not only to give you this information, but also to help you with
all my might in the success of the projects you are meditating, whatever
those projects may be, and the dangers I may incur in aiding you. So,
now speak openly with me; conceal nothing from me and you will only have
to praise my frankness towards you."
"Señor," the Tigrero answered, with considerable emotion, "I thank you
the more heartily for your generous offer, for you know as well as I do
what perils are connected with the carrying out of these plans, to say
nothing of their success."
"What you are saying is true, but it will be better, I fancy, for the
present, for me to assume to be ignorant of them, so as to leave you the
entire liberty you need for the questions you have to ask me."
"Yes, yes," he said, shaking his head sadly, "my position is so
precarious, the struggle I am engaged in is so wild, that, although I am
supported by sincere friends, I cannot be too prudent. Tell me, then,
what you know as to the fate of the unfortunate Doña Anita de Torrés. Is
she really dead, as the report spread alleged?"
"Do you know what happened in the cavern after your fall down the
precipice?"
"Alas! no; my ignorance is complete as to the facts that occurred after
I was abandoned as dead."
Carnero reflected for a moment. "Listen, Don Martial: before I can
answer categorically the question you have asked me, I must tell you a
long story. Are you ready to hear it?"
"Yes," the other answered, without hesitation, "for there are many
things I am ignorant of, which I ought to know. So speak without further
delay, señor, and though some parts of the narrative will be most
painful to me, hide nothing from me, I implore you!"
"You shall be obeyed. Moreover, the night is not yet far advanced; time
does not press us, and in two hours you will know all."
"I am impatiently waiting for you to begin."
The capataz remained for some considerable time plunged in deep and
serious reflection. At length he raised his head, leant forward, and
setting his left elbow on the table, began as follows:--
"At the time when the facts occurred I am about to tell you, I was
living at the Hacienda del Palmar, of which I was steward. Hence I was
only witness to a portion of the facts, and only know the rest from
hearsay. When the Comanches arrived, guided by the white men, Don Sylva
de Torrés was lying mortally wounded, holding in his stiffened arms his
daughter Anita, who had suddenly gone mad on seeing you roll down the
precipice in the grasp of the Indian chief. Don Sebastian Guerrero was
the only relation left to the hapless young lady, and hence she was
taken to his hacienda."
"What?" Don Martial exclaimed in surprise. "Don Sebastian is a relation
of Doña Anita?"
"Did you not know that?"
"I had not the slightest idea of it; and yet I had for several years
been closely connected with the Torrés family, for I was their tigrero."
"I know it. Well, this is how the relationship exists: Don Sebastian
married a niece of Don Sylva's, so you see they were closely connected.
Still, for reasons never thoroughly made known, a few years after the
general's marriage, a dispute broke out which led to a total suspension
of intimacy between the two families. That is probably the reason why
you never heard of the connection existing between the Sylvas and the
Torrés."
The Tigrero shook his head. "Go on," he said. "How did the general
receive his relation?"
"He was not at the hacienda at the time; but an express was sent off
to him, and I was the man. The general came post haste, seemed greatly
moved at the double misfortune that had befallen the young lady, gave
orders for her to be kindly treated, appointed several women to wait
on her, and returned to his post at Sonora, where events of the utmost
gravity summoned him."
"Yes, yes, I have heard of the French invasion, and that their leader
was shot by the general's orders. I presume you are alluding to that?"
"Yes. Almost immediately after these events the general returned to
the Palmar. He was no longer the same man. The horrible death of his
daughter rendered him gloomier and harsher to any person whom chance
brought into contact with him. For a whole week he remained shut up in
his apartments, refusing to see any of us; but, at last, one day he
sent for me to inquire as to what had happened at the hacienda during
his absence. I had but little to tell him, for life was too simple and
uniform at this remote dwelling for anything at all interesting for him
to have occurred. Still he listened without interruption, with his head
in his hands, and apparently taking great interest in what I told him,
especially when it referred to poor Doña Anita, whose gentle interesting
madness drew tears from us rough men, when we saw her wandering, pale
and white as a spectre, about the huerta, murmuring in a low voice one
name, ever the same, which none of us could overhear, and raising to
heaven her lovely face, bathed in tears. The general let me say all I
had to say, and when I ended he, too, remained silent for some time. At
length, raising his head, he looked at me for a moment angrily."
"'What are you doing there?' he asked."
"'I am waiting,' I answered, 'for the orders it may please your
excellency to give me.'"
"He looked at me for a few more moments as if trying to read my very
thoughts, and then laid his hand on my arm. 'Carnero,' he said to me,
'you have been a long time in my service, but take care lest I should
have to dismiss you. I do not like,' he said, with a stress on the
words, 'servants who are too intelligent and too clear-sighted,' and
when I tried to excuse myself, he added, 'Not a word--profit by the
advice I have given you, and now lead me to Doña Anita's apartments.'"
"I obeyed with hanging head; the general remained an hour with the
young lady, and I never knew what was said between them. It is true
that now and then I heard the general speaking loudly and angrily, and
Doña Anita weeping, and apparently making some entreaty to him; but
that was all, for prudence warned me to keep at too great a distance
to overhear a single word. When the general came out he was pale, and
sharply ordered me to prepare everything for his departure. The morrow
at daybreak we set out for Mexico, and Doña Anita followed us, carried
in a palanquin. The journey was a long one, but so long as it lasted the
general did not once speak to the young lady, or approach the side of
her palanquin. So soon as we reached our journey's end, Doña Anita was
carried to the Convent of the Bernardines, where she had been educated,
and the good sisters received her with tears of sorrowful sympathy. The
general, owing to the influence he enjoyed, easily succeeded in getting
himself appointed guardian to the young lady, and immediately assumed
the management of her estates, which, as you doubtless are aware, are
considerable, even in this country where large fortunes are so common."
"I know it," said the Tigrero, with a sigh.
"All these matters settled," the capataz continued, "the general
returned to Sonora to arrange his affairs, and hand over the government
to the person appointed to succeed him, and who started for his post
some days previously. I will not tell you what happened then, as you
know it; besides, we have only been back in Mexico for a fortnight, and
you and your friends followed our track from the Rocky Mountains."
The Tigrero raised his head. "Is that really all?" he asked.
"Yes," the capataz answered.
"On your honour?" Don Martial added, looking fixedly at him.
Carnero hesitated. "Well, no," he said at last, "there is something else
I must tell you."