Then her anxious look faded. A light came into her eyes, and a smile wreathed her mouth. And when Ames reached her and extended his huge, black wings again, she walked straight into them with a look of joy upon her beautiful face. Then the wings closed and completely hid the fair, white form from the gaping crowd.
For a few moments dead silence reigned throughout the 146 hall. Then the orchestra crashed, the vulture’s wings slowly opened, and the girl, who would have gone to the stake with the same incomprehensible smile, stepped out. The black monster turned and strode silently, ominously, back to the end of the hall, crossed the bridge, and disappeared through the door which opened at his approach.
“I’m going home!” said the shaken Gannette to his perspiring wife. “That looks bad to me! That girl’s done for; and Ames has taken this way to publicly announce the fact! My God!”
There was another astonished watcher in the audience that evening. It was the eminent Monsignor Lafelle, recently back from Europe by way of the West Indies. And after the episode just related, he approached Carmen and Mrs. Hawley-Crowles.
“A very clever, if startling, performance,” he commented; “and with two superb actors, Mr. Ames and our little friend here,” bowing over Carmen’s hand.
“I am so glad you could accept our invitation, Monsignor. But, dear me! I haven’t got my breath yet,” panted the steaming Mrs. Hawley-Crowles. “Do take us, Monsignor, to the refectory. I feel faint.”
A few moments later, over their iced drinks, Lafelle was relating vivid incidents of his recent travels, and odd bits of news from Cartagena. “No, Miss Carmen,” he said, in reply to her anxious inquiries, “I did not meet the persons you have mentioned. And as for getting up the Magdalena river, it would have been quite impossible. Dismiss from your mind all thought of going down there now. Cartagena is tense with apprehension. The inland country is seething. And the little town of Simití which you mention, I doubt not it is quite shut off from the world by the war.”
Carmen turned aside that he might not see the tears which welled into her eyes.
“Your entertainment, Madam,” continued Lafelle, addressing the now recovered Mrs. Hawley-Crowles, “is superb, as have been all of your social projects this winter, I learn. The thought which you expressed to me some months ago regarding Catholic activity in social matters certainly was well founded. I perceive that our Protestant rivals have all but retired from the field.”
Mrs. Hawley-Crowles swelled with pride. Carmen regarded the churchman with wonder.