Part 34 (1/2)

”I am her confessor, and, I trust, her best friend,” he replied. ”As for yourself, G.o.d grant I may also become your friend and confessor.”

”Friend--yes!” I a.s.sented eagerly.

”And confessor!” he urged. ”Remember, you are now in the Kingdom of New Spain. It is in point to remark that a heretic was burned at the city of Mexico within the last three years.”

My head sank forward in gloomy meditation. I had crossed the Barrier, it is true; but now I saw yawning before me the abyss of the Gulf.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE HOUSE OF VALLOIS

Before I could pluck up my depressed spirits sufficiently to ask Father Rocus the thousand and one questions about my lady which for months I had been longing to have answered, the Governor-General rose from the table with an abruptness that surprised us. Though by now somewhat informed as to the Spanish-Mexican custom of the siesta, we had supposed that at a formal dinner, served in the usual mode, there would be some lingering over the wine.

We had sat scarcely an hour, all told. Yet His Excellency led us into the _sala_, and awaited our adieus with a manner which, though urbane, did not encourage extended farewells. As his bearing toward myself was markedly less gracious than toward Pike and Malgares, I for one was not so ill-pleased as I might have been over this hurried leave-taking.

In the outer gateway Malgares for the second time excused himself to gallop off to his senora, while we returned afoot across the plaza with the ubiquitous Walker. Upon reaching his quarters, the latter invited us to recline on the mattresses which had been provided for us by old Caesar. He himself preferred one of the long net hammocks such as are used among the Spaniards of the tropical coast lands. We chatted a few minutes over our _cigarros_, and then Walker dropped asleep.

Pike at once informed me that Salcedo had taken possession of all the papers in his little despatch trunk other than the letters from Mrs.

Pike. These last, prompted by the same chivalry which had induced Allencaster to restore me my treasures, the Governor-General had permitted my friend to pocket without examination, upon the statement that they were from a lady. But that all the really valuable papers, such as our charts, astronomical observations, and journals, would be retained the Lieutenant now had little doubt.

”However,” he concluded, ”worse come to worse, we have your copy of the courses and distances, covering everything except that side excursion to the Platte and down the Upper Arkansas.”

”And there is your keen eye and retentive memory,” I added. ”We have already seen enough of New Spain for the information to more than offset the loss of the papers--if they really are lost. Had we headed straight for the Red from the Rio del Norte, we should have saved the papers, but should have gone home as ignorant of New Spain as we came.”

”And you without seeing your senorita!”

”Ah, that!” I murmured. ”It may be I shall pay dearly for the venture.

You saw how Salcedo varied his manner toward me. But it is worth the risk. I could not have done otherwise!”

”I believe you, John. I myself caught a glimpse of your lady. I no longer wonder! But if Salcedo really is ill-disposed toward you, the sooner you get in touch with the senorita and her people the better. It may be they have influence.”

”I shall make every effort to do so before the day is over,” I said.

”The difficulty is this Walker.”

”He is an informer,” said Pike. ”Of that I have no doubts. I propose to give him enough and to spare of material for his tale-bearing.”

”Good!” I cried. ”A bold front is the best. Salcedo is bound to release you; while as for myself, if they garrotte me, they shall not have the satisfaction of saying that I cringed. No! we will tell this informer what we think of matters Spanish.”

Before Pike could reply, we were startled by a sudden out-clanging of bells in the towers of the _Parroquia_. Walker started up and stared at us. Pike yawned, stretched, and remarked to me, in a casual tone: ”You're right. This government is one fit only for masters and slaves.”

”You mean, a master and slaves,” I returned.

”No--one master here and one in Old Spain.”

”Why not put it, a master there and an overseer here? The comparison is in point between this arrangement and that of one of our Virginia or Carolina plantation-owners who lives in town and leaves his estate under the care of an overseer. You could hardly call the overseer a master.”

”The difference is that he drives people of a race born for slavery, while here--”