THE GREEN ROOM.
After wrapping himself carefully in his cloak, Leon pensively went along the streets leading to Crevel's inn. Diego's last words incessantly reverted to his mind, and he asked himself why the Indian had recommended him so eagerly to proceed to the posada. Another peculiarity, also, kept his mind on the rack; he had seen Diego take from the hands of the people waiting for him a large parcel which had all the appearance of a human body. He had also fancied that he heard a dull and plaintive groan from this bundle. "What could it be?" Leon asked himself in vain.
At length he reached the Calle San Agostino. The door of Crevel's inn was ajar, and a bright light illumined the interior. Leon went in. Crevel, seated at his bar, was talking in a low voice with Wilhelm, who, with his arms leaning on the chimney, was probably telling him some improper anecdotes, for the two men were laughing most heartily. The unforeseen arrival of the captain alone arrested the flow of their hilarity, and they exchanged a meaning glance which did not escape Leon.
"Still up!" the latter said.
"We were waiting for you, captain," Crevel answered.
"Thanks; but I would advise you to extinguish your lights, for people might be surprised at seeing them so late."
"That is quite true," said the landlord.
"Give me the key of the green room," Leon continued. "I need rest, and I will throw myself on the bed for an hour."
Crevel and Wilhelm looked at each other again, and winked in a most peculiar way.
"Did you hear me?" Leon resumed.
"Oh, perfectly, captain," the landlord replied. "You can go up, the key is in the door."
"Very good; in that case give me a light."
"You do not require it, for there is one in the room."
"Ah! now I see that you really did expect me."
"Eh, eh, I am not the only one."
"What do you mean?"
"I? Nothing, captain. Go up and you will see."
"See what?"
"I beg your pardon, captain, I forgot that it did not concern me, and that—"
"Come, Master Crevel, will you have finished soon or not? Of whom and of what are you speaking? Make haste and explain yourself."
"Why of the little Señorita up there—by the gods!"
"A woman in my room! Tell me, Wilhelm, do you know what Crevel is talking about?"
"Well, captain, you must know that—well—since—"
"Ah! I really believe that it would have been wiser to go upstairs and look for myself, you scoundrels."
And he prepared to ascend the stairs.
"Ah!" he said turning round and addressing Wilhelm; "do not stir from here without my orders, my boy, for I may want you."
"That is sufficient, captain."
Leon went out of the room, and, as he did so, heard the landlord, who was fastening his door, say to the German—
"The captain is a lucky fellow."
"That comes of being good-looking, Señor Crevel," the other replied.
More and more puzzled, the captain continued to ascend, and soon stood before the door of the green room. Crevel had told the truth, the key was in it, and a light could be seen gleaming through the cracks. The greatest silence, however, prevailed inside. After a moment's hesitation, the young man turned the key and entered, but at the first step he took he stopped and uttered a cry of surprise.
A young lady, seated in a chair, and dressed in the white garb of the novices of the Purísima Concepción, was sobbing and hiding her face in her hands. At the captain's cry, the girl started and quickly raised her head—it was Maria de Soto-Mayor.
Leon dared not believe his eyes. Maria in the green room! How did she happen to be here in the middle of the night? What could have happened? By what concourse of extraordinary events could she expect his coming? Wild with delight at this sudden apparition, the captain fell on his knees, murmuring—
"Oh, niña! bless you for being here."
And he tried to seize her hand and press it to his burning lips. Maria leaped out of the chair in which she was seated, and flashed at him a glance of supreme disdain.
"Whence, sir," she said, "do you derive the audacity to present yourself thus to me?"
"Señorita!" Leon said, surprised and discountenanced by Maria's hurried movement.
"Leave the room, sir," she continued, "and spare me at least the shame of listening to your remarks."
"Good Heaven!" Leon exclaimed, who began to suspect some infamous machination; "what have I done that you should treat me in this way?"
"You ask me what you have done? in truth, I do not know whether I am dreaming? would you learn it from me, then, and pretend not to know?"
"Oh, Maria! I am ignorant of the meaning of this: but on my mother's soul, I swear that a thought of insulting you never crossed my mind."
"In that case, sir, how do you explain your unworthy conduct?"
"I do not know to what you are alluding."
"Your presence here, sir, is a sufficient proof that you expected to find me here, even if you thought proper to deny your share in the abominable scandal which you have caused. Ah, Leon! could I suppose that you would offer me this outrage by publicly dishonouring me?"
"Oh!" Leon exclaimed, "there is some infernal mystery in all this. Maria, once again I swear to you that your every word is an enigma, and I ask you how it comes that I find you in this inn room when I believed you at the Convent of the Conception?"
Maria felt her convictions shaken by the accent of truth with which these words were imprinted: still, being unable to believe in the smuggler's innocence—so long as it seemed to her impossible that any other than he should have dreamed of tearing her from the convent—she resumed, though in certainly a milder tone—
"Listen, Leon. Up to this day I believed you a man full of honour and loyalty. Now the action which you have committed is infamous; but tell me that it was suggested to you by some wicked creatures. Tell me that you have obeyed an evil inspiration, and though I could not forgive you, for you have ruined me, I would try to forget and pray Heaven to efface your image from my heart. For mercy's sake let us leave this den as quickly as possible, and do not prolong a captivity which covers me with infamy."
"Do you want to drive me mad? Good Heaven! what can have happened during the hour since I left prison?"
"Prison!"
"Yes, señorita, the day before yesterday, after the visit which I paid you in the general's company, I was arrested and taken to the Calabozo, whence I was released scarce an hour ago."
"Can that be true?"
"Yes, on my honour."
"But, in that case, on whose authority did the man act who entered the convent at the head of his bandits and carried me off by main force?"
"Oh, Heavens!" said Leon, "that man! Oh, I understand it all now. Tell me, Maria, did you recognise his features?"
"Stay—yes, yes, it was certainly he."
"Who?"
"Your friend, who accompanied us on the journey to Valdivia."
"Diego!" Leon exclaimed.
"Yes, Diego."
"Oh, woe upon him, then!"
And seizing the bell rope he rang violently. In about a quarter of an hour, Crevel thrust a startled face through the half-open door.
"Do you want anything, captain?"
"Yes; send up Wilhelm at once."
The banian disappeared. Leon, suffering from a furious agitation, walked up and down the room displaying all the signs of a passion on the point of exploding. His face was pale; his muscles were contracted, and his eyes flashed fire. Wilhelm came in. At the sight of him Maria gave a start of terror, but Leon reassured her.
"Fear nothing, señorita; you are under my protection."
The German understood that he had committed some folly.
"Wilhelm," Leon said to him, fixing on him a scrutinizing glance, "listen carefully to what I am going to say to you, and answer me."
"Very good, captain."
"Where did you go the day before yesterday, after my arrest?"
"To Rio Claro, to find the lieutenant."
"What did he say to you?"
"He told me that he wished to deliver you, and gave me the meeting for last night at ten o'clock."
"He came here? What next?"
"Next, captain," the German said, twisting his hat between his fingers. "Well, it was—"
"Speak the truth; I insist on it."
"Well, the whole band was assembled."
"And what did you do?"
"Lieutenant Diego told us that you loved a novice in the convent of the Purísima Concepción, that he had sworn to make her yours, and we must carry her off."
"And then?"
"Then he led us thither, and by his orders we carried off the señora and brought her here to Crevel's, while Diego went off with another girl."
"Another, do you say?"
"Oh, Heaven!" Maria exclaimed.
"But who was it? Will you answer?" Leon commanded him, with a rough shake.
"On my word, captain, it was Doña Inez, the sister of Doña Maria."
"Malediction!" Leon said, furiously.
"Oh, my sister!—my poor sister!"
"The infamous fellow!" the young man continued; "what frightful treachery! Henceforth all ties are broken between us. This, then, was the vengeance he coveted!"
Then, addressing the German, who was looking at him anxiously, he said—
"Wilhelm, there is not a moment to lose; assemble our men, and let them all be here within an hour."
"All right, captain."
And the German dashed down the stairs at a tremendous pace. Leon then turned to Maria, who was sobbing.
"Courage, Señora. I cannot take you back to the convent, where you would no longer be in safety; but will you join your father at Santiago?"
"Do not abandon me, Leon, I implore you," she answered. "You alone can protect me. Oh, my poor sister!"
"If I cannot save her, I will avenge her in an exemplary manner."
The maiden no longer heard him. Absorbed in her grief, she dreamed of the fatality which had weighed on her ever since the day when her eyes first met Leon, and derived from them the love which was destined to change the calm life which she led at the convent into such terrible trials. Still, on seeing near her Leon—whose eagerness in lavishing attentions on her was incessant—she gave him a look of ineffable sweetness, while asking his forgiveness for having suspected him of complicity in the outrage of which she had been the victim.
"Maria," Leon said in reply, as he covered her hand with kisses, "do you not know that I would joyfully sacrifice my life at a sign from you?"
"Forgive me, Leon, for I should die if your love ceased to be as noble and pure as your heart."
"My love, Maria, is submissive to your wishes; it is the most fervent worship—the purifying flame."
"Leon, my sister is perhaps at this time abandoned defencelessly to the insults of her cowardly ravisher."
"Let me first restore you to your father, and then I will do all in my power to save your sister."
"What do I not owe you for so much devotion?"
"Have you not told me that you loved me?"
"Yes, Leon, I love you, and am proud of it."
"Oh, thanks!—thanks, Maria! God will bless our love, and I soon hope to tell your father of it. May he but approve of it."
"Does he not owe to you the life of his children? Oh, when I tell him how I love you, and how generous your conduct has been, be assured that he, too, will love you."
While the two young people were indulging in dreams of happiness and the future, Wilhelm was executing the captain's orders, and Crevel's posada was again filled by the members of the band. An hour had not elapsed when he came to tell Leon that everything was ready for departure.
"In that case," Leon said to him, "all you have to do is to select the best horse you can find in the landlord's corral, and get it ready for señorita Maria."
"All right, captain," Wilhelm answered, who knew no phrase better fitted to display his obedience than the one which he habitually used.
"All along the road to Santiago you and Joaquin will keep constantly by her side, and watch her carefully so that no accident may happen to her. Do you understand?"
"Yes, captain."
"In that case make haste, and here is something to hasten your movements," Leon continued, taking from his pocket some onzas and handing them to the German.
"Thanks, captain. You can come down with the niña whenever you like, for we shall be ready in a moment."
Very shortly after, in truth, Wilhelm was standing before the inn door, holding two horses—one for Leon, the other for Maria. When left alone with the latter, the captain took from under his cloak a large black manta, which he threw over the young lady's shoulders, and pulled the hood over her face.
"Now," he said to her, "let us go."
"I follow you," Maria answered.
Leaning on the young man's arm, she cautiously descended the stairs, and found herself in the midst of the smugglers who had invaded the convent. But, knowing that she was in perfect safety by Leon's side, she manifested neither surprise nor fear. Assisted by him, she mounted her horse, seized the reins, and placed herself resolutely in the first rank between Wilhelm and Joaquin.
The captain, after giving a final glance at his band, to assure himself that everything was in order, leapt upon the back of his mustang, and gave the order to start. The smugglers then proceeded at a sharp trot across the Almendral in order to reach the Santiago road.