“I refuse to believe that against the wishes of myself and my family you will persist in this. It is incredible! I can no longer be content only to ask you not to interfere—I forbid it.”
She advanced toward him, her eyes flashing with angry tears. Roddy, in his sympathy with her distress, would have been glad, with a word, to end it, but he felt he could not trust to her discretion. Her next speech showed him that his instinct was correct. Accepting his silence as a refusal, she turned with an exclamation to Pino Vega.
“If you will not listen to a woman,” she protested, “you may listen to a man.” With a gesture she signified Vega. He stepped eagerly forward.
“I am at your service,” he said.
“Speak to him,” Señora Rojas commanded. “Tell him! Forbid him to continue.”
Roddy received the introduction of Vega into the scene with mixed feelings. To the best of his ability he was trying to avoid a quarrel, and in his fuller knowledge of the situation he knew that for Señora Rojas it would be best if she had followed his wishes, and had brought the interview to an end. That Vega, who was planning treachery to Rojas, should confront him as the champion of Rojas, stirred all the combativeness in Roddy that he was endeavoring to subdue. When Vega turned to him he welcomed that gentleman with a frown.
“As the son of this house,” Vega began dramatically, “as the representative, in his absence, of General Rojas, I forbid you to meddle further in this affair.”
The demand was unfortunately worded. A smile came to Roddy’s eyes, and the color in his cheeks deepened. He turned inquiringly to Señora Rojas.
“The son of this house,” he repeated. “The gentleman expresses himself awkwardly. What does he mean?”
Since Inez had entered the room Roddy had not once permitted himself to look toward her. Now he heard from where she stood a quick movement and an exclamation.