Part 15 (1/2)
”Be careful!” he challenged.
”You met in the road----”
”So I told you,” returned Roddy.
”You dismounted and talked with her.”
Roddy laughed, and with a gesture of impatience motioned Vega to be silent.
”Is that all?” he demanded.
The Venezuelan saw the figure he presented. Back of him were hundreds of years of Spanish traditions, in his veins was the blood of generations of ancestors by nature suspicious, doubting, jealous. From their viewpoint he was within his rights; they applauded, they gave him countenance; but by the frank contempt of the young man before him his self-respect was being rudely handled. Not even to himself could he justify his att.i.tude.
”In my country,” he protested, ”according to our customs, it was enough.”
The answer satisfied and relieved Roddy. It told him all he wished to know. It was now evident that Vega's agent had seen only the first meeting, that he was not aware that Inez followed after Roddy, or that the next morning by the seash.o.r.e they had again met. The American brought the interview to an abrupt finish.
”I refuse,” said Roddy loftily, ”to discuss this matter with you further. If the mother of Senorita Rojas wishes it, I shall be happy to answer any questions she may ask. I have done nothing that requires explanation or apology. I am responsible to no one. Good-night.”
”Wait!” commanded Vega. ”You will find that here you cannot so easily avoid responsibilities. You have struck me. Well, we have other customs, which gentlemen----”
”I am entirely at your service,” said Roddy. He made as magnificent a bow as though he himself had descended from a line of Spanish grandees. Vega's eyes lit with pleasure. He was now playing a part in which he felt a.s.sured he appeared to advantage. He almost was grateful to Roddy for permitting him to reestablish himself in his own esteem.
”My friends shall wait upon you,” he said.
”Whenever you like,” Roddy answered. He started up the deck and returned again to Vega. ”Understand me,” he whispered, ”as long as I'm enjoying the hospitality of your country I accept the customs of your country. If you'd made such a proposition to me in New York I'd have laughed at you.” Roddy came close to Vega and emphasized his words with a pointed finger. ”And understand _this_! We have quarrelled over politics. You made an offensive remark about Alvarez; I defended him and struck you. You now demand satisfaction. That is what happened.
And if you drag the name of any woman into this I won't give you satisfaction. I will give you a thras.h.i.+ng until you can't stand or see.”
Roddy found Peter in the smoking-room, and beckoning him on deck, told him what he had done.
”You're a nice White Mouse!” cried Peter indignantly. ”You're not supposed to go about killing people; you're supposed to save lives.”
”No one is ever killed in a duel,” said Roddy; ”I'll fire in the air, and he will probably miss me. I certainly hope so. But there will be one good result. It will show Alvarez that I'm not a friend of Vega's, nor helping him in his revolution.”
”You don't have to shoot a man to show you're not a friend of his,”
protested Peter.
They were interrupted by the hasty approach of Vega's chief advisers and nearest friends, General Pulido and Colonel Ramon.
”Pino seems in a hurry,” said Roddy. ”I had no idea he was so bloodthirsty.”
”Colonel Vega,” began Pulido abruptly, ”has just informed us of the unfortunate incident. We have come to tell you that no duel can take place. It is monstrous. The life of Colonel Vega does not belong to him, it belongs to the Cause. We will not permit him to risk it needlessly. You, of all people, should see that. You must apologize.”
The demand, and the peremptory tone in which it was delivered, caused the fighting blood of Roddy's Irish grandfathers to bubble in his veins.
”'Must' and 'apologize!'” protested Roddy, in icy tones; ”Those are difficult words, gentlemen.”
”Consider,” cried Pulido, ”what great events hang upon the life of Colonel Vega.”