loss for words. As a rule he had plenty to say for himself, but now he
found himself suddenly dumb. He had heard his friend Carlos speak of
his sister Isolda with patronising, brotherly affection as "a good
child", "a nice little thing", "not half a bad sort", and so on, and he
seemed to remember that only a day or two ago Carlos had casually
mentioned that his sister was just sixteen years of age; he had
therefore pictured the girl to himself as a hoyden, in the transition
stage of frocks that are neither short nor long, but betwixt and
between, a girl with hair flying loose about her shoulders--in short, a
girl. And now, all unprepared, he found himself grasping the hand of a
glorious creature of absolutely dazzling loveliness, with the face,
form, and manners of an irresistibly fascinating woman, who, despite her
sixteen years of age, looked as though she might be quite twenty. He
stammered out a few halting and stumbling words of thanks for her kindly
welcome of him, feeling all the time that he would have liked to kick
himself for his stupid gaucherie; and then turned to receive the
greeting of Senora Montijo. This lady was simply an older edition of
her lovely daughter, with a more composed and stately manner, and her
welcome to Jack was cordiality itself; and presently they all turned and
made their way into the house, which they entered by way of a wide
doorway furnished with two leaves, now thrown wide open, the upper
panels of which were fitted with Venetian lattices for the admission of
air and the exclusion of the too-ardent beams of the sun. This doorway
gave entrance to a large, marble-paved hall extending the entire depth
of the house from front to back, as was to be seen from the fact that
another door, opposite that by which the party had just entered, stood
wide open, through which could be seen another broad veranda running
along the back of the house, beyond which could be caught a glimpse of
what appeared to be a kind of courtyard, with more lawns and flower
beds, and a handsome fountain in the centre. The hall was adorned with
beautiful flowering plants in large tubs, and furnished with an abundant
supply of settees and luxuriously-cushioned basket chairs, and seemed to
be used as a kind of lounging place, for which it was eminently adapted,
since the two open doors caused a constant draught of comparatively cool
air through the apartment. There were a few good pictures on the walls,
as well as a gun-rack, well fitted with sporting guns and rifles; and a
hatstand which, in addition to its legitimate use, formed a convenient
support for sundry riding-whips and pairs of spurs. Two passages,
leading to right and left out of this hall, gave access, as Jack
subsequently discovered, to the rooms located at the extremities of the
building.
"Now, Jack, old chap," said Carlos, linking his arm in that of his
friend, after a moment's murmured conversation with his mother, "let me
take you to your room. You will be glad to have a wash and brush-up
after our dusty journey; and by the time that you are ready, second
breakfast will be served." And, so saying, he conducted Singleton out
through the rear door of the hall into the back veranda, which, as Jack
now saw, ran not only along the entire rear face of the main building
but also along the face of two wings which projected therefrom at right
angles, one at each end of the house. These wings, it appeared,
provided the sleeping accommodation, bathrooms, lavatories, and so on,
of the establishment; beyond which again were the kitchen and other
domestic offices, and the coach-house and stables, with the lawn,
fountain, and flower beds between, the buildings being shaded not only
by the broad veranda, but also by rows of orange, lemon, lime, and peach
trees, the fragrance from which imparted an indescribably refreshing
character to the air. Turning to the left as they emerged from the
hall, Carlos conducted his friend along the left wing until they reached
the last door but one, which the young Cuban threw open, ushering his
friend into a neatly furnished and clean bedroom, in which Jack's
overland trunk had already been deposited.
"The Madre has put you in here, Jack," Carlos explained, "because the
room faces east, and will therefore be cool when you turn in at night,
while the trees in front shield it from the morning sun. Also it is
next to the men's bathroom, and therefore will be handy for your bath,
night and morning. Now, there are water, soap, and towels; if you
require anything else, shout for Antonio, and he will bring you whatever
you want. Breakfast will be ready in a quarter of an hour."
CHAPTER SEVEN.
DON SEBASTIAN ALVAROS THREATENS TROUBLE.
"Second breakfast" in the West Indies is the equivalent of luncheon in
England, except that the former is perhaps the more elaborate meal of
the two; when therefore Jack, escorted by Carlos, entered the fine, airy
dining-room, it at once became evident that he was about to sit down to
a very substantial repast, for which he was not at all sorry, as the
long journey had given him a most excellent appetite. Moreover, he had
by this time recovered the equilibrium which had been so seriously
disturbed by his first sight of Senorita Isolda, and had again found the
use of his tongue; it was therefore a very gay and happy quintette that
arranged itself around the well-furnished table. Jack was of course by
this time on almost as intimate terms with Don Hermoso as he was with
Carlos, and he presently discovered that the ladies were disposed to
treat him rather as an old friend than as a new acquaintance; and he
told himself that his visit to Cuba promised to be one of the most
pleasant experiences of his life.
The meal over, Don Hermoso excused himself, as there were naturally many
matters demanding his earliest attention after his long absence from
home; while the Senora had her household affairs to attend to. Carlos
therefore took the task of entertaining Jack upon himself, with his
sister as chief assistant, and proposed a ride, as there were many
charming spots in the neighbourhood that he wished his friend to see.
The horses were accordingly ordered, and the three young people,
despising the usual afternoon siesta, set off, taking a path which led
upward through a wild and most picturesque ravine, down which a mountain
stream brawled and foamed, the murmurous tumult of its waters mingling
musically with the sough of the wind in the multitudinous trees that
clothed the hillsides, and imparting a most welcome sensation of
coolness to the atmosphere. They rode at a foot pace, first because
they were in no hurry, and secondly because the path was narrow and
rough, there being room only for two riders abreast; Carlos therefore
led the way, with Jack and Dona Isolda following close at his horse's
tail. They had not been ten minutes under way when they arrived at a
spot the marvellous natural beauty of which caused Jack to exclaim aloud
in his astonishment: for upon rounding a bend in the path they found
themselves in a little amphitheatre, about five hundred yards across,
the tree-clad sides of which rose precipitously to a great height on
either hand, and were gorgeous with great clustering blooms of every
imaginable hue, from purest white through every shade of colour to a
deep rich purple that looked almost black where seen in shadow; while
the air, almost motionless down in the hollow, was heavy with the
mingling of a thousand exquisite perfumes. The floor of this
amphitheatre consisted of a great basin of rock, partly filled with fine
white sand brought down from the uplands during countless generations by
the flow of the stream, the basin being brimful of crystal-clear water
which came pouring and plashing into it from above over a series of
miniature cataracts, the lowest of which, about twelve feet high,
impinged upon a small ledge of rock which projected into the basin for
the space of about a yard.
"This," said Carlos, "is our swimming bath, to which we often come for a
dip in the early morning; it is absolutely private, all this being our
own property, and nobody but ourselves ever passes here. What think you
of it, Jack; is it not perfect?"
Jack pronounced it magnificent, and there and then undertook to join
Carlos in a dip on the following and every other morning during his
stay. The water was about twenty feet deep, and the place was
consequently perfect for swimming in. By the side of the road, at a
spot where there happened to be a few square yards of level ground, the
surface had been cleared of the luxuriant undergrowth, and a small
bathing house, containing two dressing-rooms--one for either sex--had
been erected; and here the bathing dresses were kept and the necessary
changes of costume made.
Having spent a little time in admiring this glorious bathing pool, the
party moved onward again, and, following the ever-rising path, at
length, after a most delightful ride of about five miles through a
continuous succession of scenes of surpassing beauty, emerged upon an
open tableland, from which a most extensive and glorious view of mile
upon mile of the southern slope of the island was to be obtained, with
the sea shining in soft, opalescent tints beyond, and the Isla de Pinos,
with its three curiously shaped mountains, lying on the horizon. The
white sails of a few coasting craft gleamed pearl-like here and there,
just discernible at that distance, and Jack searched the watery expanse
for some sign of the _Thetis_; but she had vanished. Doubtless she was
on the other side of Cape San Antonio by this time, and therefore well
on her way round to Havana. Being thus reminded of the existence of the
yacht, Jack was suddenly inspired with a brilliant idea, which he
promptly communicated to Carlos.
"Look here, Carlos, old chap," he exclaimed, "if the yacht is not likely
to be required for other service just at present, why should not we all
take a cruise in her round the island and over to Jamaica, from whence
we might even go on to some of the other islands? I am sure that the
trip would do your mother and sister a vast amount of good. Have you
ever been out of Cuba, Senorita?"
"Never," answered Dona Isolda. "I was born here, and, less lucky than
Carlos, was also educated here; so that I know nothing whatever about
the great outside world, save what I have read of it in books. Havana
is my conception of a great and handsome city, so you may guess how
ignorant I am, and how intensely I should enjoy seeing other places. Do
you think, Carlos mio, that Senor Singleton's suggestion is possible of
realisation?"
"It may be," answered Carlos, a little doubtfully. "Everything will, of
course, depend upon what news may come from the Junta. I know that the
Padre has placed the vessel unreservedly at their disposal--rather
unwisely, I think--and I shall be very much surprised if they do not
make the fullest possible use of her. But, of course, if she is not
likely to be required for a month or two, I think it would be an
admirable plan for us all to go for a cruise in her. It would tend to
avert suspicion from her, too, for I am pretty certain that it will not
be wise to leave her lying idle in Havana or in any other of our
harbours. I will mention the matter to the Padre at the first
favourable opportunity."
"I am sure it would do Mamma a vast amount of good," remarked Senorita
Isolda; "and it might also have the effect of putting a stop to the
visits of Senor Alvaros, who is fast becoming an unendurable nuisance."
"Indeed! In what way?" demanded Carlos sharply.
"Why," answered Senorita Isolda, "we are never free from him. He rides
over here three or four times a week, and makes himself as much at home
as though the place belonged to him, although he has never received the
slightest encouragement either from Mamma or from me. And then he bores
me with his unwelcome attentions."
"Ah!" ejaculated Carlos through his clenched teeth; "somehow I feared as
much. The fellow must be choked off by some means. The question is,
how to do it without giving offence. You see," he continued, turning to
Jack, "we Cubans are in an exceedingly awkward position, and are obliged
to walk most circumspectly. We are compelled to submit to many things
that are utterly distasteful to us, for if we did not we should at once
be suspected of harbouring designs inimical to the Government; and, once
regarded with suspicion, our liberty, our property, ay, even our lives,
would be imperilled."
"A confoundedly unpleasant state of things, in truth," said Jack; "but
surely it does not extend so far that you dare not give a man a hint
that his visits to your house are distasteful?"
"Indeed it does, though," answered Carlos. "Suppose, for example, that
my father were to hint to this fellow Alvaros that he is not wanted
here, and that his visits must cease, the probability is that the man--
who, I may mention, is captain of a regiment of infantry--would at once
proceed to hint to his superiors that all is not right with us, when
there is no knowing what dreadful thing might happen. The fact is, that
the pride of these fellows is so intense and so sensitive, and they are
withal so destitute of principle, that if a man dares to offend one of
them he at once makes every Spaniard in the island his enemy."
"How would it be if I were to pick a quarrel with him?" suggested Jack.
"They would not dare to interfere with me."
"I am by no means so sure of that," answered Carlos. "They could do
nothing to you openly, of course; but open, honest, daylight methods are
not regarded here with very much respect just at present, and you might
perhaps mysteriously disappear. Oh, no, it would never do for you to
attempt to interfere, Jack! On the contrary, you must most studiously
refrain from anything and everything that would be in the least likely
to breed ill blood between you and the Spaniards, because--who knows?--
we may need your help ere long. And that you could only effectively
give by maintaining good relations with the Government and its
representatives."
Conversing thus, they at length turned their horses' heads and slowly
took their way back toward the house; and by the time that they reached
it Jack found himself upon terms of almost as complete intimacy with
Senorita Isolda as those he was on with her brother. For, despite the
intense pride which seems to be so strongly marked a characteristic of
all who have Spanish blood in their veins, Senorita Isolda was a most
charmingly ingenuous, unsophisticated girl, frank and open as the day;
furthermore, she had been so long accustomed to hear Jack spoken of
admiringly by Carlos that she had insensibly acquired a strong
predisposition in his favour; and, finally, and quite contrary to rule,
when at length she met him in the flesh she instantly decided that this
stalwart, handsome young Englishman was all that Carlos had represented
him to be--and very much more.
Upon reaching the house they found, to their disgust, that Captain
Alvaros had again turned up, ostensibly for the purpose of bidding Don
Hermoso and Carlos welcome back to Cuba and hearing from them an account
of their holiday wanderings in Europe. Jack found the Spanish soldier
to be a man of about thirty-two years of age, tall, swarthy, and by no
means ill-looking: but such physical advantages as he possessed were
heavily discounted by a pair of piercing, black, sinister-looking eyes,
and a distinctly arrogant, overbearing manner; the man evidently thought
well of himself, and took no trouble to conceal the fact. He greeted
Jack's appearance in Senorita Isolda's company with something very
nearly approaching a scowl, and coldly acknowledged Senora Montijo's
formal introduction of the young man with an air of careless hauteur
that was eloquent of his disapproval of the young man's presence in the
house, which he further emphasised by thereafter contemptuously ignoring
Jack--for a time. Carlos flushed with angry annoyance as he beheld this
treatment of his friend, for which he apologised as soon as the pair
were alone together; but Jack's sunny temperament was not so easily
ruffled, and he simply laughed, saying:
"Don't you let that worry you, old chap; it doesn't hurt me in the
least. I don't care a brass button whether the man likes or dislikes
me; I care neither for his friendship nor his enmity. I am not of a
quarrelsome disposition, as you know, but should he attempt to be
actively disagreeable, or to force a quarrel upon me, I have no doubt
that I shall know how to take care of myself."
When the party again met at the dinner-table there were indications that
Senor Alvaros had made up his mind to treat Jack as a person much too
insignificant to be worthy of the least notice: but he soon found that
he must either abandon this line of policy or himself be left out in the
cold, for the Montijos, one and all, persisted in including Jack in the
conversation; and very quietly and unobtrusively, but none the less
firmly, contrived to make Senor Alvaros understand that the young
Englishman was already regarded as one of themselves. Seeing this, he
changed his tactics and artfully endeavoured to entrap Jack into an
expression of opinion upon the politics of the island: but the young man
was not to be so easily caught; he laughingly disclaimed any knowledge
of or interest in political questions of any kind, and pointed out that
in any case his acquaintance with Cuba was altogether too recent to have
enabled him to form even the most elementary opinion on the question, at
the same time mentioning as a general axiom that Englishmen were usually
regarded as cherishing a weakness in favour of good government and the
maintenance of law and order.
And later on in the evening, when the party adjourned to the drawing-
room, the soldier again found his endeavours to pose as a _persona
grata_ quietly ignored. He would fain have monopolised the society of
Dona Isolda for the remainder of the evening, and attempted to carry her
off with him to a remote corner of the room, but Carlos would have none
of it. His sister had a good voice, and had been taught to use it to
the best advantage, and he wanted his friend Jack to hear her sing some
of the old-fashioned Andalusian folksongs, which she did with
cheerfulness and alacrity, promptly recognising Carlos' intention and
eagerly seconding it. Then Carlos proclaimed that Jack was a singer and
an accomplished pianist, and insisted that his friend should sing and
play to them; and when Senor Alvaros privately confided to Senorita
Isolda his opinion that English music was simply barbarous, and
Englishmen utterly unendurable, the young lady unhesitatingly declared
that she entirely disagreed with him. Altogether, Senor Alvaros spent a
distinctly unpleasant evening, for which circumstance he blamed the
young Englishman; and as he rode back to his quarters that night he
cursed the English nation freely, and Jack in particular, for whom, he
decided, there was no room in Cuba. And the worst of it all was that
not a word had been said, not a thing had been done, to which he could
openly take the slightest exception.
But how was this pestilent young cub of an Englishman to be got rid of?
That was the question that worried Alvaros during the greater part of
that night and the whole of the next day. The first impulse of the
Spaniard was to deprive the Montijo family of his (Alvaros') countenance
and society until, alarmed at the loss, they should dismiss the cause of
it: but upon further reflection he came to the conclusion that it might
be unwise to adopt so very drastic a step, for two very good and
sufficient reasons, the first of which was that, being impecunious
himself, he had fully made up his mind to marry Dona Isolda and thus
acquire a substantial interest in the Montijo property and estates, and
was therefore unwilling to do anything which might possibly jeopardise
the position which he had worked so hard to gain as a friend of the
family; while the second reason was that he was by no means sure that
his abstention would be regarded by the Montijos as a matter of very
great moment. Then it was most unfortunate that Jack was not only an
Englishman, but a young man doubtless of position and substance, or he
would not be the owner of so costly a plaything as a steam-yacht. Had
he been anything but an Englishman, or an American, it would have been
comparatively easy to have had him arrested upon a charge of complicity
with the insurgents; but these nations had a most awkward and
inconvenient habit of looking after their people, and whenever one of
them chanced to get into trouble their Governments always insisted upon
instituting the most exhaustive enquiries into the matter, and were wont
to make it understood, with almost brutal distinctness of manner, that
they would not tolerate anything that bore the slightest suspicion of
irregularity. He had heard it whispered that the authorities had
received a hint from their spies on the other side to look out for a
yacht which was suspected of having on board contraband for the use of
the insurgents; but he argued that the vessel in question could scarcely
be the craft owned by this young man, for the simple reason that there
appeared to be nothing of a surreptitious or secret nature in his
movements, or in those of his yacht, which, as he understood, was, or
would very shortly be, in Havana harbour. No, the more he thought about
it, the more profoundly was he convinced that it would be impossible to
bring about Jack's removal by an attempt to involve him in the political
unrest of the islanders. Some other means must be tried. He wondered
whether, perchance, it might be possible to frighten the young man into
an early departure from the casa Montijo and the island. It was not a
very easy matter to frighten an Englishman, he knew, and this particular
one impressed Alvaros as being especially unpromising in that respect;
still, there was no harm in trying. Accordingly when, upon the next day
but one, the Spaniard again rode over to call upon the Montijos, he made
an opportunity to take Jack on one side for a moment and ask him whether
he had yet fixed a date for his departure from the island.
"A date for my departure?" echoed Jack. "Certainly not, Senor. On the
contrary, it is my intention to make quite a long stay here, and see
Cuba from end to end. It is even possible that I may decide to purchase
a property on the island, and try my luck as a tobacco planter."
"I fervently trust not, Senor, for your own sake," said Alvaros.
"Permit me to offer you a little friendly advice. Cut short your visit,
and leave Cuba at once. I advise you, as a friend, to do so."
"Indeed!" said Jack. "And why, pray? Of course you have some good
reason for offering me this advice, Senor Alvaros?"
"Yes," answered Alvaros, "I have; and it is this. Cuba is in a most
unsettled state at present. She is seething with rebellion, and all
strangers are regarded with the utmost suspicion by the Government.
Nothing would be easier than for you to find yourself involved in one of
the numerous conspiracies which we know to be brewing; and, once
involved, you would find it exceedingly difficult, if not absolutely
impossible, to extricate yourself. Therefore take my advice, and go
forthwith. It is good advice; for I tell you plainly that you are not
wanted here!"
"Thanks!" answered Jack coolly. "I am very much obliged to you, Senor
Alvaros, for the friendly feeling which has prompted you to give me what
I suppose you wish me to understand as a `warning'. But I must tell you
candidly that I believe you are taking a very exaggerated view of the
danger--if danger there be, which I greatly doubt. But, danger or no
danger, I shall still carry out my original plans; and if danger should
come--well, I daresay I shall be quite able to take care of myself."
So that was no good! The Spaniard had feared that it would not be of
much use to attempt to frighten an Englishman; and so it had proved.
Well, there were other ways, and those must be tried.
After Alvaros had left, that night, and the family had separated, Jack
accompanied Carlos into the room of the latter, and related what had
passed between the Spanish officer and himself, asking Carlos for his
opinion upon the subject.
"I will tell you, Jack, just exactly what I think," answered Carlos,
after considering the matter for some few minutes. "You must know that
Captain Alvaros made our acquaintance about a year ago, at a ball given
in Havana by the Capitan-General of the island. After that he contrived
to meet one or more of us on frequent occasions; and finally he
requested the Padre's permission to visit us. We none of us
particularly liked him; but it is not altogether wise policy to offend a
Spaniard, especially if he happens to be an official, in these times,
and so the Padre rather reluctantly gave his consent, and Alvaros
accordingly called here occasionally. While we have been away, however,
it appears that the man has somehow contrived to get himself posted at
Pinar del Rio, which, as you are aware, is not very far from here; and I
learn that since then his calls have been so frequent as to have become
a thorough nuisance. Now, from what my sister tells me, I have a
suspicion that Alvaros is anxious to contract a matrimonial alliance
with our family--which, I may tell you at once, Jack, he will not be
permitted to do; and my belief is that the fellow simply cannot endure
to see another man in Isolda's society, and that is why he wants you to
go. But of course you won't; and I am very glad indeed that you made
that quite clear to him. He was evidently trying to scare you off what
he apparently chooses to consider his preserves; but if he knew you as
well as I do, Jack, he would understand that it needs a good deal more
than the vague hints of a captain of Spanish infantry to frighten you.
Now, my advice to you is to take no notice whatever of the beggar, and
if he tries it on again--well, just repeat what you said to-night.
And--perhaps it will be better not to mention the matter, at all events
just yet, to the Padre, or in fact anyone else."