Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-07
CHAPTER v,

very bad; what shall L do now! "A sort
Of mad meditation that in this meaningless
way became so tense as to positively fright
en- me. / went to sleep ultimately, just as
a man sentenced to death goes to sleep
Even when 1 awoke it kept me steady, in
way. l washed, dressed, walked, ate said
"Good-morning, Cesar to the old major
domo l met in the gallery; exchanged grins
with the negro boys under the gateway, and
watched the mules being ridden out bare
backed by other nearly naked negro boys
into the sea, with great splashing of water
and noise of voices. A small knot of men,
Enthusiastically Lugarenos, stood on the
beach. also, watching the mules, and ex-
changing loud ocular shouts with the
blacks.
As looked from the outer balcony above
the great gate, the Lugarenos turned about
to look at the Casa Riego They recog-
nized me, no doubt, and one of them -four
ished, threatening, an arm from under his
cloak. 1 retreated indoors
This was the only menacing sign, abso-
lutely the only one sign that marked this
day. 1t was day of pause Seraphina did
not leave her apartments; Don Balthasar
did not show himself; Father Antonio, hur-
rying toward the sick room, greeted me
with only wave of the hand. / was
not admitted to see Carlos; the nun came
to the door. shook her head at me- and
ting on the floor not very far away, seemed
unaware of me in so marked a manner that
1t inspired me with the idea of not taking
the slightest notice of him.
/ went to my room and sat thinking. Sud
denly / heard stealthy sound. l went to
the door and listened Then opening it the
merest crack, 1 saw the emptiness of the
gallery. Castro, on his hands and knees,
startled me by whispering at my feet:
Stand aside, senor.'
He entered my room on all-fours, and
waited till got the door closed before he
stood up.
EVEN he may sleep sometimes" he said.
"And the balustrade has hidden me-"
To see this little saturnine bandit, who
generally stalked about haughtily, as X the
whole Casa belonged to him by right of
fidelity, crawl into my room like this was
inexpressibly startling. He shook the folds
of his cloak, and dropped his hat on the
floor.
still, 1t is better so. The very women
Of the house are not safe,'' he said. Sc
nor, have no mind to be delivered to the
English for hanging. But 1 have not been
admitted to see Don Carlos and, therefore,
/ must make my report to you. These are
when am dead, as If my soul had passed
into his body"
He nodded sadly Isl, But Don Carlos is
a friend to me and you-you.' He shook
his head. and drew away from the
door. Two Lugarenos.' he said, Maui
uel and another one, did go last night. as
directed by the friar"-he supposed-"to
meet the Juez in the bush outside Rio Me-
dio. He holds all the people in his hand
in some way. Even l must be cautious.
though 1 am an humble trusted friend of
the Casa"
What harm could he do to you" 1 asked.
and Amigo Castro there. Bah! The devil,
alone. is his friend! He could deliver me
to justice, and get my life sworn away. He
could Quien sabe? What need he care
what he does
He looked at me fxedly. as If expecting
me to make sign, then shrugged his
shoulders.
"Bueno. Then look to it yourself senior
You are to me even as Don Carlos-all ex-
cept for the love. No English body is big
enough to receive his soul. No friend will
be left that would risk his very honor of a
noble for man like Tomas Castro. Let
me warn you not to leave the Casa, even If a
shining angel stood outside the gate and
called you by name. The gate Is barred,
now. night and day. i have dropped a
hint to Cesar and that old African knows
more than the senior would suppose 1 can
not tell how soon 1 may have the oppor-
tunity to talk to you again.
He peeped through the crack of the door,
then slipped out suddenly falling at once
on his hands and knees, so as to be hid
den by the stone balustrade from any
body In the patio.
Early in the evening l descended into
the court, and Father Antonio, walking up
and down the patio with his eyes on his
breviary. muttered to me:
''Sit on this chair and went on without
stopping.
I took a chair near the marble rim of
the basin with its border of English flow
ers. its splashing thread of water.
Father Antonio. his head down, and the
open breviary under his nose, brushed my
foot with the skirt of his cassock.
Have you any plan?'
When he came back, walking very slow
i said None"
his I prOnOunced ranilly.
~ should like to Carlos"
He frowned over the edge of the book.
I understood that he refused to let me
in. And. after all, why should l disturb
that dying man? He was preparing for
eternity. Father Antonio's business was
to save souls. l felt horribly crushed and
alone The priest asked, hardly moving
his lips:
What do you trust to?"
I had the time to mediate my reply
Tell Carlos 4 think of escape by sea-"
He made a little sign of assent, turned
Off toward the staircase, and went back
TO the sick room.
The folly OF it." thought. How could
i think OF It? Escape where? l dared
not even show myself outside the Casa.
My safety within depended on old Cesar
more than on anybody else He had The
key of the gate. and the gate was pracu-
Cally the only thing between me ana
miserable death at the hands of the first
ruftian l met outside. And with the
thought I seemed to stihe in that patio
open to the sky.
Cesar going his round along the gallery,
shufIied his silk-Clad shanks smartly be-
tween two young negroes balancing Ian
thOrns SUSPENDED on the shafts of their
halberds That little group had mediae
val and outlandish aspect. Cesar carried
n bunch of keys in one hand his staff Of
Office in the other. He stood aside. in
his maroon velvet and gold lace. holding
the three-cornered hat under his arm. bow
ing his gray. woolly head-the most vener-
able and deferential of major domos. His
attendants. backing against the wall,
grounded their halberds heavily at my APP
proach.
He stepped out to intercept me, and.
with great discretion. "Senor, a word" he
said In his subdued voice. "A moment ago
/ have been called within the door of
our senorita's apartments. She has given
me this for your worship, together with
many compliments, 1t is a seal. The
senior will understand"
I took It: 1t was tiny seal with her
monogram on 1t. Yes" l said.
"And Senorita Dona Seraphna has
charged me TO repeat'-he made a stealthy
sign. as IL to counteract an evil influence
1.-THE words, Two lives-one death The
senior will understand"
Eyes" l said. looking away with pang
at my heart
He touched my elbow. And to trust
Cesar. Senior, | handled her when she was
quite little. Let me most earnestly urge
upon your worship not to go near the win