“You overwhelm her with your high and mighty notice, Excellency,” said the lad coming to her aid. “I will tell you truly––Ysobel has had patience with me since I had the height of your knee––and it is now a custom with her. She lived once in the house of my––relatives. We were both younger––and she had no dreams of wedding a wild Indian––nor I of seeking adventure among savages. She is afraid now that her husband may be blamed––or sacrificed for bringing strangers here––the story of the padre at the well of Ah-ko is not forgotten by her.”
Whereupon Don Ruy told her there should be no harm to José––if he was treated without welcome by the Te-huas he should go back in safety to Mexico to follow his own will in freedom.
The woman murmured thanks and was content, and his excellency surveyed the secretary in silence a bit, until warm color crept into the face of the boy to his own confusion.
“So!––Your independence was because you had a friend at court?”––he observed. “It is fool luck that you, with your girl’s mouth, and velvet cheeks, should get nearest the only woman in camp––and have a secret with her! It is high time you went to confession!”
Upon which he walked away, and left the two together, and Chico lay on the grass and laughed until called to make records of all that might occur between visiting Castilian and the Children of the Sun in their terraced village.
Then, while the men set about the preparations for a resting place, and supper Padre Vicente, with Don Ruy, Chico, Gonzalvo and the two Indians walked quietly to the gate in the great wall.
Many eyes were watching them as they were well aware, and ere they reached the gate, it opened, and the old governor Phen-tza, the war capitan and several of the older men stood there with courteous greeting of hand clasps and invitation.
For the first time since his marriage, Ka-yemo came face to face with Yahn Tsyn-deh, and quick anger flamed in his eyes as he saw her walk close to the side of Juan Gonzalvo who whispered to her––and her answer was a smile from provocative, half closed eyes.