“It is a magnificent scheme providing it succeeds. If it does not succeed better had we never been born. Shall we desperately attempt it?”
“Qué es eso—what is it? what is it?” she cried; and then a passion of excitement seized her, and her hands trembled.
“I will tell you the scheme in a minute. It depends not upon me and you only. I shall require the help of the lad, Jimmy. Is he to be trusted?”
“Your scheme—your scheme!”
“Is he to be trusted?” I continued, feigning to read aloud from the book that was before me, for I had thought I heard a man stop in his walk overhead. “My scheme is not to be thought of unless this youth will help us. You are a very observant lady. I have often seen you look attentively at Jimmy.”
“Vaya! If I have looked at him it was without thought, and because I had nothing else to do. What a face to gaze at attentively!”
“Do you think he is to be trusted?”
“You continue to ask me that question,” she exclaimed, petulantly twisting her prayer-ring as though hotly engaged in the aves. “First tell me your scheme, and then I will give you my opinion on Jimmy’s trustworthiness.”
On this, feigning to read aloud to her while I talked, that anyone above might suppose we were at our old game of playing at school, I communicated my scheme to her. A scheme it was: a distinct idea and project of deliverance; but several conditions, partly of chance, partly of contrivance, must attend its success. She listened eagerly, never removing her eyes from me, and once she was so well pleased that she clapped her hands and fell back with a loud laugh. This was not a behavior to object to. No man, warily observing us, would guess our talk, the significance of this long and intimate cabin consultation, from the hard laughter of the señorita, and the merry noise of the clapping of her hands. In truth I never could have imagined such spirit in a woman. She had clapped her hands at the one feature whose disclosure would have turned another woman faint, she being to act in it. It was this stroke of our projected business that had made the cabin ring with her laughter.
“How long will the work occupy?” said I.