here, Carlos, I hope that my presence in this house is not going to
involve any of you in trouble or difficulty of any sort with the
Government. If I thought that there was the least likelihood of that--"
"My dear chap, there isn't," interrupted Carlos. "We are one of the
oldest and most influential families in Cuba; and the Spaniards know
perfectly well that to meddle with us would be to make a very serious
mistake. So do not allow any idea of that kind to worry you in the
least. You will stay on here just as long as you like; and the longer
you stay the better we shall all be pleased. Besides, there is going to
be a rising here before long, and then you will have an opportunity to
witness several very interesting things."
Two days later Captain Alvaros again presented himself; but this time,
instead of entering the house in his usual free and easy manner, he
enquired for Don Hermoso and, upon learning that that gentleman was in
his office, sent in a formal request for a private interview. He was at
once admitted, and found Don Hermoso seated at a large writing table,
which was strewed with account books and papers. The Don accorded his
visitor a courteous if somewhat stiff welcome, and, having requested him
to be seated, enquired in what way he could be of service--for this
formal visit had somehow suggested to Don Hermoso the idea that Captain
Alvaros desired to borrow money from him.
"Such a visit as this from me, Don Hermoso, can have but one object, and
I think you will have no difficulty in guessing what that object is,"
replied Alvaros, with a somewhat embarrassed laugh.
"Pardon me, Senor," answered Don Hermoso; "you credit me with a much
larger measure of perspicacity than I can lay claim to. To be perfectly
frank with you, I cannot conceive why you should desire a private
interview with me, unless--how shall I put it?--unless--you find
yourself in a position of temporary pecuniary embarrassment; and in that
case I should have thought that--"
"Senor Montijo," exclaimed Alvaros, starting to his feet indignantly,
"do you wish to insult me?"
"Certainly not, Senor," answered Don Hermoso blandly. "Pray be seated,
and dismiss from your mind at once any such unworthy suspicion. Why
should I desire to insult you? But if I am mistaken in my guess as to
the object of your visit, would it not be best for you to state your
business with me explicitly?"
"I will, Senor," answered Alvaros. "To be both explicit and brief,
then, I have called upon you this morning for the purpose of demanding
the hand of your daughter, Senorita Isolda, in marriage."
"To demand--the hand of--my daughter--in marriage?" gasped Don Hermoso
in amazement.
"Certainly, Senor Montijo," retorted Alvaros haughtily. "Surely there
is nothing so very extraordinary in making such a demand, is there?"
"Nothing very extraordinary, certainly," returned Don Hermoso, who had
quickly recovered a grip upon himself; "but something most entirely
unexpected, I assure you. You do me and my family too much honour,
Senor Alvaros. I presume you have some reason for supposing that your
suit will be acceptable to my daughter?"
"I have never had any reason to suppose otherwise, Senor," answered
Alvaros. "But even were the Senorita to entertain any foolish
objections--or imagine that she entertained them--I presume it would
make no difference in your decision. If she does not actually entertain
any sentiment of love for me at this moment I have not a shadow of doubt
as to my ability to inspire that sentiment as soon as we are married.
The young lady will raise no objection, I presume, if she is given to
understand that the marriage would be in conformity with your wishes;
and I imagine it is quite unnecessary for me to point out to you how
very greatly to your advantage and that of your whole family such a
marriage would be."
"Advantage, did you say, Senor?" retorted Don Hermoso. "Pardon me, I am
afraid that I am unusually dull to-day, but I am compelled to confess
that for the moment I scarcely see in what respect such an alliance
would be an advantage to us. If it would not be troubling you too much,
would you kindly explain?"
"Surely, Senor Montijo, it ought not to be very difficult for you to see
how highly advantageous it would be for you and yours to be allied in
marriage to an officer of some distinction--if I may be permitted to say
so--in the Spanish Army!" exclaimed Alvaros, in tones of haughty
surprise. "I am a scion of one of the best families of Spain, while
you, if you will pardon me for reminding you of the fact, are merely a
Cuban; and in these troublous days no Cuban is entirely free from
suspicion--"
"Enough, Senor!" interrupted Don Hermoso indignantly. "You appear to
despise me as `merely a Cuban'; but you either forget, or are ignorant
of, the fact that my father was born in Spain, and there are few Spanish
names that stand higher than that of Montijo. You have made a mistake,
Senor, in presuming to claim superiority for yourself over my family. I
decline the honour of the alliance which you have proposed; and I trust
that, under these circumstances, you will see the propriety of
discontinuing your visits to my house."
For nearly a full minute Alvaros glared at Don Hermoso, as though he
could scarcely believe that he had heard aright, could scarcely credit
the fact that a "rascally Cuban", as he mentally termed Montijo, had had
the unparalleled, the unspeakable audacity to spurn--ay, spurn was the
correct word--an alliance with him, Don Sebastian Alvaros, Captain in
the army of His Majesty the King of Spain! It was unthinkable! It was
an insult that could only be wiped out by blood! And yet it would be
exceedingly awkward to quarrel with these people; for if he did it would
put an end at once and for ever to any possibility of marriage with the
daughter. And he simply must marry her, by hook or by crook: his honour
demanded it, for he had already boasted freely among his fellow-officers
of his conquest of the fairest maid in Cuba; and his credit also
demanded it, for he had made the same boast to the money-lenders in
Havana, and had raised considerable sums of money on the strength of it.
Swallowing his rage, therefore, he made an attempt to retrace that
false step by exclaiming:
"Pardon me, Don Hermoso, but I have been most unfortunate in my choice
of words, and, believe me, you have entirely mistaken my meaning. What
I really intended to convey was--"
But in that brief minute of silence Don Hermoso had read the man's real
character in his face, and had instantly come to the conclusion that he
would rather see his daughter lying dead than in the power of such a
ruffian; he therefore cut short the officer's protestations by assuring
him that his words admitted of no misinterpretation, and that therefore
he must persist in his refusal.
"Very well, then," exclaimed Alvaros, "if you prefer to have me for an
enemy, instead of a friend and ally, be it so, Senor Montijo; I will not
disappoint you. But beware! You have insulted me, and I am a man who
never forgets or forgives an insult!"
And, springing to his feet, he dashed his braided cap on to his head,
strode clanking and jingling to the door, and so took his departure
without further word of farewell.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
SENOR ALVAROS GETS TO WORK.
For fully a quarter of an hour after the departure of Alvaros, Don
Hermoso sat plunged in a deep and somewhat anxious reverie. He scarcely
knew whether he was more pleased or annoyed at what had just happened:
for, on the one hand, he was at last rid of a distinctly uncongenial
acquaintance, which had been almost thrust upon him in the first
instance, and which had proved ever more uncongenial and unwelcome with
the lapse of time; while, on the other hand, he fully recognised that he
had made for himself a vindictive and implacable enemy who, although not
very formidable or dangerous just then, might at any moment become so.
For although Senor Montijo was one of the most important and influential
persons in the island, he was a Cuban; and, as such, he was well aware
that, thanks to the corruption which was then rampant among the Spanish
officials of the Government, there could be no hope of justice for him
if he were brought into collision with any of these officials, of whom,
of course, Alvaros was one. The word of a Cuban, however important his
position might be, was of absolutely no weight whatever; and Don Hermoso
was fully aware that it would be no very difficult matter for Alvaros to
absolutely ruin him if he chose. Yet even ruin would be preferable to
seeing his beloved daughter the wife and slave of such a man as Alvaros
had proved himself to be; and, for the rest, should it come to be war to
the knife between them--well, he must take his chance with the rest of
the Cubans, and trust to the coming revolution to enable him to hold his
own.
His reverie was interrupted by the arrival of Milsom, who, having taken
the _Thetis_ into Havana harbour and snugly berthed her there, and
further made every possible provision for her safety, had turned her
over to the capable care of Perkins, her chief mate, and had now come on
by train as far as Pinar del Rio, and from thence by Don Hermoso's
carriage, to pay his promised visit to the hacienda Montijo. He was
full of glee at the unconcealed uneasiness with which the Spanish
officials regarded the presence of the yacht in the harbour; and their
evident belief that, despite the strict search of the vessel by the
commander and lieutenant of the _Tiburon_, she carried, hidden away in
some cleverly-contrived place of concealment, the contraband of which
they had been informed by their spies on the other side of the Atlantic.
"They have put on board us no less than four custom-house officers--
empleados de la aduana, as they call them--to see that nothing is
surreptitiously landed from the ship," he exclaimed with boisterous
enjoyment; "and four boats now guard around us every night! Oh, they
are a great people, these Spaniards!"
Then he went on to relate how, a few hours after his arrival, a boat had
come alongside from the _Tiburon_, which was also lying in the harbour,
bearing a challenge for him from Lieutenant Silvio Fernandez, her
lieutenant, who demanded satisfaction from him for his insulting
behaviour on the occasion of the yacht being stopped by the gunboat; and
how he had accepted the challenge to fight and, being the challenged
party, had chosen fists as the weapons wherewith the duel was to be
fought: and he made merry over the lieutenant's indignation when he had
declined to accept swords or pistols as a substitute for fists. "Of
course," he concluded, "the fight did not come off, although I remained
in Havana forty-eight hours longer than I originally intended, in order
to give Senor Fernandez every chance."
During dinner, that night, Don Hermoso related to his family and guests
the particulars of the interview that had occurred between him and
Alvaros in the afternoon; and if he had, even for a moment, entertained
the slightest doubt as to the wisdom of the step which he had taken in
declining Alvaros' proposal and dismissing him from the house, it was
finally dissipated when Senorita Isolda expressed in quite unmistakable
terms her relief and gratification.
The next few days sped very pleasantly, for the young people, at any
rate, who passed their time in shooting, or in taking long rides about
the surrounding country; and Senorita Isolda frequently found herself
contrasting the genial, hearty friendliness and chivalrous courtesy of
her brother's English friends with the stiff, haughty, overbearing
manner and overweening conceit of the Spanish officers, who seemed to
think that such attentions as they chose to pay her ought to be regarded
as a vast condescension on their part.
It was about a week after the dismissal of Alvaros by Don Hermoso that,
at the end of a long and fatiguing day's shooting, ending up with a very
pleasant musical evening, the party in the casa Montijo retired,
somewhat late, to their several rooms; and Jack Singleton, weary with
much tramping under the scorching sun, lost no time in disrobing and
flinging himself, with his pyjama suit as his only covering, upon his
bed, where he almost instantly sank into a sound and dreamless sleep.
He had probably been asleep for at least three hours, although it seemed
to him only as many minutes, when he suddenly started broad awake, with
the disagreeable feeling that he was no longer alone, or rather, to put
it more exactly, that someone had that instant stealthily entered his
room by way of the window, which, as is customary in Cuba, had been left
wide open for the admission of every possible breath of air.
For a moment he lay perfectly still, listening intently, and peering the
while into the darkness which encompassed him. All was perfectly still,
however, save for the faint rustle in the night breeze of the mosquito
curtains which surrounded his bed, and the musical tinkling of the
waters of the fountain outside; while the darkness was so intense that
it was only with the utmost difficulty he could dimly discern the
opening of the window, which, it will be remembered, looked out upon a
patio, or kind of courtyard. Suddenly the room was faintly illumined
for a moment by a flicker of summer lightning, and Jack felt almost
positive that during that fraction of a second he caught a glimpse of
something by the open window which had certainly not been there when he
retired for the night--something which suggested a crouching human
figure. Stretching out his hand, Jack cautiously and noiselessly parted
the mosquito curtains, with the object of getting a clear view when the
next flash should come, as come he knew it would. And come it did, a
minute or two later, disclosing to the young man's astonished gaze a
form on hands and knees, about halfway between the window and the bed.
As before, the glimmer of the lightning was but momentary, but, brief as
it was, it sufficed Jack to see that the individual, whoever he might
be, held a long, murderous-looking knife in his right hand; and the
inference was obvious that he was there for no good purpose. Jack had
learned, among other things, to act promptly and with decision, and no
sooner was he again in darkness than, with a single bound, he was on his
feet on the floor, where he instantly came into violent collision with
the stranger, who was at that precise moment in the very act of rising
from his knees. Brief as had been the flicker of the lightning, it had
enabled Jack to measure his distance and to note the exact spot occupied
by the unknown: the moment, therefore, that he came into contact with
the intruder his left hand fell unerringly upon the right wrist of the
other, which he seized in so vice-like a grip that the arm became
immovable; while with his right he grasped the man by the throat and
thrust him violently backward, at the same instant twining his right leg
round the legs of his antagonist, with the result that both crashed to
the ground, Jack being uppermost. His antagonist was an immensely
powerful man, lithe and sinewy as a leopard, and he struggled furiously
to free himself, hitting out savagely with his free left hand and
landing one or two very nasty blows on Jack's face; until the latter,
with one knee on his prostrate foe's chest, managed to get the other
upon his left forearm and thus pin it to the ground. Meanwhile Jack's
grip upon the throat of the man was by no means to be shaken off, and
the struggles of the stranger were rapidly growing weaker as the breath
was remorselessly choked out of him, when Milsom and Carlos, both of
whom had been awaked by the commotion, dashed into the room, bearing
lights, and loudly demanding to know what was the matter.
"I'll be shot if I know," answered Jack; "but I daresay this chap can
tell us. He got in through the window; and as the lightning showed him
to be a stranger, and I also noticed that he carried a rather
formidable-looking knife, it occurred to me that it might be wise to
make a prisoner of him, and get him to tell us who he is, and what he
wants. Now, friend, I will trouble you for that knife." The man
surrendered the weapon with a sullen scowl. "Thanks!" said Jack. "Now
you may stand up."
The man rose to his feet, revealing to the gaze of the three friends a
tall and sinewy form, attired in the picturesquely-tattered garb of a
muleteer, or wagoner. The fellow was a low-class Spaniard, of
singularly vicious and disreputable appearance; and as he glared
vindictively at his captor he looked capable of anything, murder
included. For a moment he appeared inclined to make a desperate bid for
liberty; but as Jack had slipped between him and the open window, while
Milsom, with a cocked revolver in his hand, stood with his back against
the closed door of the apartment, he thought better of it, and simply
enquired:
"Well, what are you going to do with me?"
"That will depend, to some extent, upon the answers which you may see
fit to give to our questions," answered Carlos. "First of all, who are
you; and what errand brought you here?"
"My name, Senor Montijo, is Panza--Antonio Panza; my present occupation
is that of a carrier of goods; and I suppose I may as well confess at
once that my business here was to murder the English senor, your
friend."
"To murder me?" repeated Jack. "And why, pray? What harm have I ever
done you, that you should desire to murder me?"
"None whatever, Senor," answered the man. "But it would appear that you
have harmed somebody else, or I should not have been hired to slit your
throat."
"So," exclaimed Carlos, "that is the explanation, is it? I suspected as
much! And pray who is the coward who hired you to do his dirty work for
him?"
"Ah, pardon, Senor; that is just what I may not tell you!" answered
Panza. "I was paid handsomely to undertake this piece of work; and it
was part of the bargain that, should I fail, I was to keep my employer's
secret."
"Is it permissible to ask how much you were paid?" demanded Jack.
"Certainly, Senor," answered the fellow. "I was paid fifty doubloons to
kill you, if I could, and to hold my tongue about it."
"Fifty doubloons--a trifle over fifty pounds sterling!" exclaimed Jack,
in comic disgust. "Is that all that my life is worth to your employer?"
"He told me that it was the utmost he could afford to give, Senor; and
it was quite enough to tempt me. Why, were I to work all my life at my
trade as a carrier, I could never hope to save fifty doubloons, nay, nor
the fourth part of that sum. It is not so very long ago that I risked
my life constantly as a contrabandista, for a profit of one-fifth of
that amount."
"Well, Antonio," said Carlos, "according to your own showing you have a
very elastic conscience, which you appear to have made pretty completely
subservient to your own interests. Now, I suppose you know what will
happen to you if we hand you over to the authorities?"
"Yes, Senor," answered the ruffian. "I shall probably be sentenced to
six months' imprisonment with hard labour; which sentence will be
commuted to one month, if I behave myself, as I shall, of course."
"Six months' hard labour?" exclaimed Carlos incredulously. "You are
strangely mistaken, friend. You are far more likely to get ten years'
penal servitude in Africa. Attempted murder is a crime that is usually
punished very severely."
"Usually--yes," assented the prisoner. "But that is when one attempts
to murder a Spaniard. This muchacho, however, is English; and nobody in
Cuba is just now likely to trouble himself very much over the attempted
murder of an Englishman. Besides, I have received a definite promise
that, if caught, I shall be very leniently treated."
"Oh, you have, have you?" exclaimed Carlos, in a tone that seemed to
indicate that he was beginning to see daylight. "That seems to point to
the fact that your employer is a man possessing a considerable amount of
influence with the authorities. But I fancy he must have entirely
forgotten the British Consul at Havana. Does he, or do you, imagine for
a moment that that gentleman will permit any tampering with justice
where one of his countrymen is concerned? Make no mistake about that,
my friend! So surely as you are brought to trial, so surely may you
rely upon receiving the maximum amount of punishment for your crime."
"Santa Maria!" gasped Panza. "I had forgotten that."
"I suspected as much," answered Carlos. "Now, if Senor Singleton here
should chance to be disposed to be merciful, to the extent of permitting
you to go free, would you be willing in return to swear upon that
crucifix which I see you wear round your neck that you will make no
further attempt upon his life; and also to disclose the name of your
employer?"
"That would be no good, Senor," said Panza. "My employer warned me
that, should I attempt to betray him, he would simply deny every word I
might say; and who would take the word of a suspected contrabandista
against that of a--well, a Spaniard of high position? It is true that
the judge might shrewdly suspect that there was a considerable amount of
truth in my story; but he would be very careful to conceal any such
suspicion, I assure you."
"It thus appears that your employer has taken the utmost care to shield
himself behind you, and leave you to bear the brunt of whatever may
befall," exclaimed Carlos. "But you have not replied to my question
yet. I asked you whether, in the event of Senor Singleton permitting
you to go free and unpunished, you would swear never again to lift your
hand against him; and also to disclose the name of your employer. As a
matter of fact, I know it already; but it would of course be more
satisfactory to have an explicit statement from you."
"If you know the man, as you say, Senor, you will also know that it will
not be of the slightest use to charge him with complicity in this,"
answered Panza.
"Possibly not," agreed Carlos. "Yet it would enable us to give Senor
Alvaros a hint that his machinations are known, and that henceforth we
shall be on our guard against them."
"Very well, Senor," agreed the would-be assassin. "You have named the
man who employed me; it is therefore evident that you know a great deal
more about this affair--whatever it may be--than he suspects, so it is
useless for me to attempt to keep the secret from you. Senor Alvaros is
indeed the man who employed me; but I am not going to be such a fool as
to go back and tell him that I have failed. I insisted upon receiving
payment in advance, and there is therefore no need for me to see him
again; I shall consequently leave Pinar del Rio, and resume my former
occupation of contrabandista. With Senor Alvaros' fifty doubloons I can
see my way to earn a very comfortable living as a smuggler; and if you,
Senor, should at any time require my services in that capacity--or any
other, for that matter--I shall be pleased to do my utmost to afford you
complete satisfaction."
"Very well, I will remember," said Carlos, laughing heartily at the
man's cool impudence. "But you have not yet taken the oath, you know,
and you must do that before we can release you."
Without a word of objection the Spaniard took the small bronze crucifix
in his hand, bowed his head reverently as he pressed it to his lips, and
then, holding it aloft before him, exclaimed:
"I swear upon this emblem of our redemption, and by all my hopes of
salvation, that I will never again attempt to take the life of the young
Englishman, if he will be so generous as to allow me to go free and
unpunished for what I have already done."
"Right, that will do! You are free to go, now, as soon as you please.
Open the door, Milsom, and let him pass," said Jack.
"Mil gracias y buenas noches, Senor," exclaimed Panza as he strode
toward the door. "One word before I go, caballeros; beware of Senor
Alvaros, for he bears no love for either of you."
And he passed into the night and the darkness.