It must not be supposed that in the meantime the flight of Don Jose and
his follower was unattended by any commotion at the rancho of the
Blessed Innocents. At the end of three hours' deliberation, in which
the retainers were severally examined, the corral searched, and the
well in the courtyard sounded, scouts were dispatched in different
directions, who returned with the surprising information that the
fugitives were not in the vicinity. A trustworthy messenger was sent
to Monterey for "custom-house paper," on which to draw up a formal
declaration of the affair. The archbishop was summoned from San Luis,
and Don Victor and Don Vincente Sepulvida, with the Donas Carmen and
Inez Alvarado, and a former alcalde, gathered at a family council the
next day. In this serious conclave the good Father Felipe once more
expounded the alienated condition and the dangerous reading of the
absent man. In the midst of which the ordinary post brought a letter
from Don Jose, calmly inviting the family to dine with him and Roberto
at San Mateo on the following Wednesday. The document was passed
gravely from hand to hand. Was it a fresh evidence of mental
aberration--an audacity of frenzy--or a trick of the vaquero? The
archbishop and alcalde shook their heads--it was without doubt a
lawless, even a sacrilegious and blasphemous fete. But a certain
curiosity of the ladies and of Father Felipe carried the day. Without
formally accepting the invitation it was decided that the family should
examine the afflicted man, with a view of taking active measures
hereafter. On the day appointed, the traveling carriage of the
Sepulvidas, an equipage coeval with the beginning of the century, drawn
by two white mules gaudily caparisoned, halted before the hotel at San
Mateo and disgorged Father Felipe, the Donas Carmen and Inez Alvarado
and Maria Sepulvida, while Don Victor and Don Vincente Sepulvida, their
attendant cavaliers on fiery mustangs, like outriders, drew rein at the
same time. A slight thrill of excitement, as of the advent of a
possible circus, had preceded them through the little town; a faint
blending of cigarette smoke and garlic announced their presence on the
veranda.
Ushered into the parlor of the hotel, apparently set apart for their
reception, they were embarrassed at not finding their host present.
But they were still more disconcerted when a tall full-bearded
stranger, with a shrewd amused-looking face, rose from a chair by the
window, and stepping forward, saluted them in fluent Spanish with a
slight American accent.
"I have to ask you, gentlemen and ladies," he began, with a certain
insinuating ease and frankness that alternately aroused and lulled
their suspicions, "to pardon the absence of our friend Don Jose
Sepulvida at this preliminary greeting. For to be perfectly frank with
you, although the ultimate aim and object of our gathering is a social
one, you are doubtless aware that certain infelicities and
misunderstandings--common to most families--have occurred, and a free,
dispassionate, unprejudiced discussion and disposal of them at the
beginning will only tend to augment the goodwill of our gathering."
"The Senor without doubt is"--suggested the padre, with a polite
interrogative pause.
"Pardon me! I forgot to introduce myself. Colonel Parker--entirely at
your service and that of these charming ladies."
The ladies referred to allowed their eyes to rest with evident
prepossession on the insinuating stranger. "Ah, a soldier," said Don
Vincente.
"Formerly," said the American lightly; "at present a lawyer, the
counsel of Don Jose."
A sudden rigor of suspicion stiffened the company; the ladies withdrew
their eyes; the priest and the Sepulvidas exchanged glances.
"Come," said Colonel Parker, with apparent unconsciousness of the
effect of his disclosure, "let us begin frankly. You have, I believe,
some anxiety in regard to the mental condition of Don Jose."
"We believe him to be mad," said Padre Felipe promptly, "irresponsible,
possessed!"
"That is your opinion; good," said the lawyer quietly.
"And ours too," clamored the party, "without doubt."
"Good," returned the lawyer with perfect cheerfulness. "As his
relations, you have no doubt had superior opportunities for observing
his condition. I understand also that you may think it necessary to
have him legally declared non compos, a proceeding which, you are
aware, might result in the incarceration of our distinguished friend in
a mad-house."
"Pardon, Senor," interrupted Dona Maria proudly, "you do not comprehend
the family. When a Sepulvida is visited of God we do not ask the
Government to confine him like a criminal. We protect him in his own
house from the consequences of his frenzy."
"From the machinations of the worldly and heretical," broke in the
priest, "and from the waste and dispersion of inherited possessions."
"Very true," continued Colonel Parker, with unalterable good-humor;
"but I was only about to say that there might be conflicting evidence
of his condition. For instance, our friend has been here three days.
In that time he has had three interviews with three individuals under
singular circumstances." Colonel Parker then briefly recounted the
episodes of the landlord, the gambler, Miss Jenkinson and the poetess,
as they had been related to him. "Yet," he continued, "all but one of
these individuals are willing to swear that they not only believe Don
Jose perfectly sane, but endowed with a singularly sound judgment. In
fact, the testimony of Mr. Hamlin and Miss Jenkinson is remarkably
clear on that subject."
The company exchanged a supercilious smile. "Do you not see, O Senor
Advocate," said Don Vincente compassionately, "that this is but a
conspiracy to avail themselves of our relative's weakness. Of a
necessity they find him sane who benefits them."
"I have thought of that, and am glad to hear you say so," returned the
lawyer still more cheerfully, "for your prompt opinion emboldens me to
be at once perfectly frank with you. Briefly then, Don Jose has
summoned me here to make a final disposition of his property. In the
carrying out of certain theories of his, which it is not my province to
question, he has resolved upon comparative poverty for himself as best
fitted for his purpose, and to employ his wealth solely for others. In
fact, of all his vast possessions he retains for himself only an income
sufficient for the bare necessaries of life."
"And you have done this?" they asked in one voice.
"Not yet," said the lawyer.
"Blessed San Antonio, we have come in time!" ejaculated Dona Carmen.
"Another day and it would have been too late; it was an inspiration of
the Blessed Innocents themselves," said Dona Maria, crossing herself.
"Can you longer doubt that this is the wildest madness?" said Father
Felipe with flashing eyes.
"Yet," returned the lawyer, caressing his heavy beard with a meditative
smile, "the ingenious fellow actually instanced the vows of YOUR OWN
ORDER, reverend sir, as an example in support of his theory. But to be
brief. Conceiving, then, that his holding of property was a mere
accident of heritage, not admitted by him, unworthy his acceptance, and
a relic of superstitious ignorance"--
"This is the very sacrilege of Satanic prepossession," broke in the
priest indignantly.
"He therefore," continued the lawyer composedly, "makes over and
reverts the whole of his possessions, with the exceptions I have
stated, to his family and the Church."
A breathless and stupefying silence fell upon the company. In the dead
hush the sound of Polly Jenkinson's piano, played in a distant room,
could be distinctly heard. With their vacant eyes staring at him the
speaker continued:
"That deed of gift I have drawn up as he dictated it. I don't mind
saying that in the opinion of some he might be declared non compos upon
the evidence of that alone. I need not say how relieved I am to find
that your opinion coincides with my own."
"But," gasped Father Felipe hurriedly, with a quick glance at the
others, "it does not follow that it will be necessary to resort to
these legal measures. Care, counsel, persuasion--"
"The general ministering of kinship--nursing, a woman's care--the
instincts of affection," piped Dona Maria in breathless eagerness.
"Any light social distraction--a harmless flirtation--a possible
attachment," suggested Dona Carmen shyly.
"Change of scene--active exercise--experiences--even as those you have
related," broke in Don Vincente.
"I for one have ever been opposed to LEGAL measures," said Don Victor.
"A mere consultation of friends--in fact, a fete like this is
sufficient."
"Good friends," said Father Felipe, who had by this time recovered
himself, taking out his snuff-box portentously, "it would seem truly,
from the document which this discreet caballero has spoken of, that the
errors of our dear Don Jose are rather of method than intent, and that
while we may freely accept the one"--
"Pardon," interrupted Colonel Parker with bland persistence, "but I
must point out to you that what we call in law 'a consideration' is
necessary to the legality of a conveyance, even though that
consideration be frivolous and calculated to impair the validity of the
document."
"Truly," returned the good padre insinuatingly; "but if a discreet
advocate were to suggest the substitution of some more pious and
reasonable consideration"--
"But that would be making it a perfectly sane and gratuitous document,
not only glaringly inconsistent with your charges, my good friends,
with Don Jose's attitude towards you and his flight from home, but open
to the gravest suspicion in law. In fact, its apparent propriety in
the face of these facts would imply improper influence."
The countenances of the company fell. The lawyer's face, however,
became still more good-humored and sympathizing. "The case is simply
this. If in the opinion of judge and jury Don Jose is declared insane,
the document is worthless except as a proof of that fact or a possible
indication of the undue influence of his relations, which might compel
the court to select his guardians and trustees elsewhere than among
them."
"Friend Abogado," said Father Felipe with extraordinary deliberation,
"the document thou hast just described so eloquently convinces me
beyond all doubt that Don Jose is not only perfectly sane but endowed
with a singular discretion. I consider it as a delicate and
high-spirited intimation to us, his friends and kinsmen, of his
unalterable and logically just devotion to his family and religion,
whatever may seem to be his poetical and imaginative manner of
declaring it. I think there is not one here," continued the padre,
looking around him impressively, "who is not entirely satisfied of Don
Jose's reason and competency to arrange his own affairs."
"Entirely," "truly," "perfectly," eagerly responded the others with
affecting spontaneity.
"Nay, more. To prevent any misconception, we shall deem it our duty to
take every opportunity of making our belief publicly known," added
Father Felipe.
The padre and Colonel Parker gazed long and gravely into each other's
eyes. It may have been an innocent touch of the sunlight through the
window, but a faint gleam seemed to steal into the pupil of the affable
lawyer at the same moment that, probably from the like cause, there was
a slight nervous contraction of the left eyelid of the pious father.
But it passed, and the next instant the door opened to admit Don Jose
Sepulvida.
He was at once seized and effusively embraced by the entire company
with every protest of affection and respect. Not only Mr. Hamlin and
Mr. Jenkinson, who accompanied him as invited guests, but Roberto, in a
new suit of clothes and guiltless of stain or trace of dissipation,
shared in the pronounced friendliness of the kinsmen. Padre Felipe
took snuff, Colonel Parker blew his nose gently.
Nor were they less demonstrative of their new convictions later at the
banquet. Don Jose, with Jenkinson and the padre on his right and left,
preserved his gentle and half-melancholy dignity in the midst of the
noisy fraternization. Even Padre Felipe, in a brief speech or
exhortation proposing the health of their host, lent himself in his own
tongue to this polite congeniality. "We have had also, my friends and
brothers," he said in peroration, "a pleasing example of the compliment
of imitation shown by our beloved Don Jose. No one who has known him
during his friendly sojourn in this community but will be struck with
the conviction that he has acquired that most marvelous faculty of your
great American nation, the exhibition of humor and of the practical
joke."
Every eye was turned upon the imperturbable face of Don Jose as he
slowly rose to reply. "In bidding you to this fete, my friends and
kinsmen," he began calmly, "it was with the intention of formally
embracing the habits, customs, and spirit of American institutions by
certain methods of renunciation of the past, as became a caballero of
honor and resolution. Those methods may possibly be known to some of
you." He paused for a moment as if to allow the members of his family
to look unconscious. "Since then, in the wisdom of God, it has
occurred to me that my purpose may be as honorably effected by a
discreet blending of the past and the present--in a word, by the
judicious combination of the interests of my native people and the
American nation. In consideration of that purpose, friends and
kinsmen, I ask you to join me in drinking the good health of my host
Senor Jenkinson, my future father-in-law, from whom I have to-day had
the honor to demand the hand of the peerless Polly, his daughter, as
the future mistress of the Rancho of the Blessed Innocents."
The marriage took place shortly after. Nor was the free will and
independence of Don Jose Sepulvida in the least opposed by his
relations. Whether they felt they had already committed themselves, or
had hopes in the future, did not transpire. Enough that the escapade
of a week was tacitly forgotten. The only allusion ever made to the
bridegroom's peculiarities was drawn from the demure lips of the bride
herself on her installation at the "Blessed Innocents."
"And what, little one, didst thou find in me to admire?" Don Jose had
asked tenderly.
"Oh, you seemed to be so much like that dear old Don Quixote, you
know," she answered demurely.
"Don Quixote," repeated Don Jose with gentle gravity. "But, my child,
that was only a mere fiction--a romance, of one Cervantes. Believe me,
of a truth there never was any such person!"