It was no fancy of Catalina's that she heard the shutting of a door as
she returned up the avenue. A door in reality had been closed at that
moment,--the door that led to the sleeping apartments of the
maidservants. Had her steps been quicker, she might have seen some one
rush across the patio and enter this door. But she arrived too late for
this. The door was closed, and all was silent again. It might have
been fancy, thought she.
It was no fancy. From the hour when the family had retired to rest, the
door of Catalina's chamber had been watched. An eye had been bent all
the time upon that ray of light escaping through the curtained glass,--
the eye of the girl Vicenza.
During the early part of the evening the maid had asked leave to go out
for a while. It had been granted. She had been gone for nearly an
hour. Conducted by the soldier Jose, she had had an interview with
Roblado. At that interview all had been arranged between them.
She was to watch her mistress from the house, and follow her to the
place of assignation. When that should be determined she was to return
with all haste to Roblado--who appointed a place of meeting her--and
then guide him and his troop to the lovers. This, thought Roblado,
would be the surest plan to proceed upon. He had taken his measures
accordingly.
The door of the maid's sleeping-room was just opposite that of
Catalina's chamber. Through the key-hole the girl had seen the light go
out, and the Senorita gliding around the patio. She had watched her
into the avenue, and then gently opening her own door and stolen after
her.
At the moment the Senorita had succeeded in unlocking the great gate of
the garden, the mestiza was peeping around the wall at the entrance of
the avenue; but on hearing the other return,--for it was by the sound of
her footsteps she was warned,--the wily spy had darted back into her
room, and closed the door behind her.
It was some time before she dared venture out again, as the key-hole no
longer did her any service. She kept her eye to it, however, and,
seeing that her mistress did not return to her chamber, she concluded
that the latter had continued on into the garden. Again gently opening
her door, she stole forth, and, on tiptoe approaching the avenue, peeped
into it. It was no longer dark. The gate was open, and the moon
shining in lit up the whole passage. It was evident, therefore, that
the Senorita had gone through, and was now in the garden.
Was she in the garden? The mestiza remembered the bridge, and knew that
her mistress carried the key of the wicket, and often used it both by
day and night. She might by this have crossed the bridge, and got far
beyond into the open country. She--the spy--might not find the
direction she had taken, and thus spoil the whole plan.
With these thoughts passing through her mind, the girl hurried through
the avenue, and, crouching down, hastened along the walk as fast as she
was able.
Seeing no one among the fruit-trees and flowerbeds, she began to
despair; but the thick grove at the bottom of the garden gave her
promise--that was a likely place of meeting--capital for such a purpose,
as the mestiza, experienced in such matters, well knew.
To approach the grove, however, presented a difficulty. There was a
space of open ground--a green parterre--between it and the flowerbeds.
Any one, already in the grove, could perceive the approach of another in
that direction, and especially under a bright moonlight. This the
mestiza saw, and it compelled her to pause and reflect how she was to
get nearer.
But one chance seemed to offer. The high adobe wall threw a shadow of
some feet along one side of the open ground. In this shadow it might be
possible to reach the timber unobserved. The girl resolved to attempt
it.
Guided by the instinctive cunning of her race, she dropped down flat
upon her breast; and, dragging herself over the grass, she reached the
selvedge of the grove, just in the rear of the arbour. There she
paused, raised her head, and glanced through the leafy screen that
encircled the arbour. She saw what she desired.
Catalina was at this moment upon the bridge, and above the position of
the mestiza--so that the latter could perceive her form outlined against
the blue of the sky. She saw her hold aloft the white kerchief. She
guessed that it was a signal--she saw the flash in answer to it, and
then observed her mistress undo the lock and fling the wicket open.
The cunning spy was now sure that the place of meeting was to be the
grove itself, and might have returned with that information; but Roblado
had distinctly ordered her not to leave until she saw the meeting
itself, and was certain of the spot. She therefore remained where she
was, and awaited the further proceedings of the lovers.
Carlos, on perceiving the signal, had answered it by flashing some
powder already prepared. He lost no time in obeying the well-known
summons. A single moment by the side of his horse--a whisper which the
latter well understood--and he parted from the copse, Cibolo following
at his heels.
On reaching the end of the bridge he bent down, and, addressing some
words in a low voice to the dog, proceeded to cross over. The animal
did not follow him, but lay down on the opposite bank of the stream.
The next moment the lovers were together.
From the spot where she lay the mestiza witnessed their greeting. The
moon shone upon their faces--the fair skin and curly locks of Carlos
were distinctly visible under the light. The girl knew the cibolero--it
was he.
She had seen all that was necessary for Roblado to know. The grove was
the place of meeting. It only remained for her to get back to the
officer, and give the information.
She was about to crawl away, and had already half risen, when to her
dismay, the lovers appeared coming through the grove, and towards the
very arbour behind which she lay!
Their faces were turned towards the spot where she was crouching. If
she rose to her feet, or attempted to go off, she could not fail to be
seen by one or other of them.
She had no alternative but to remain where she was--at least until some
better opportunity offered of getting away--and with this intention she
again squatted down close under the shadow of the arbour.
A moment after the lovers entered, and seated themselves upon the
benches with which the little bower was provided.