Part 27 (1/2)

O'Brien shook off the priestly hand, and fixed his eyes upon Seraphina.

I happened to be looking at his face; he seemed to be ready to go out of his mind. His jealousy, the awful torment of soul and body, made him motionless and speechless.

Seeing Don Balthasar appear by the bal.u.s.trade, the ruffians below had become silent for a while. His aged, mechanical voice was heard asking distinctly:

”What do these people want?”

Seraphina, from within the room, said aloud, ”They are clamouring for the life of our guest.” She looked at O'Brien contemptuously, ”They are doing this to please you.”

”Before G.o.d, I have nothing to do with this.”

It was true enough, he had nothing to do with this outbreak; and I believe he would have interfered, but, in his dismay at having lost himself in the eyes of Seraphina, in his rage against myself, he did not know how to act. No doubt he had been deceiving himself as to his position with Seraphina. He was a man who in his wishes. His desire of revenge on me, the downfall of his hopes (he could no longer deceive himself), a desperate striving of thought for their regaining, his impulse towards the impossible--all these emotions paralyzed his will.

Don Balthasar beckoned to me.

”Don't go near him,” said O'Brien, in a thick, mumbling voice. ”I shall------I must------”

I put him aside. Don Balthasar took my arm. ”Misguided populace,” he whispered. ”They have been a source of sorrow to me lately. But this wicked folly is incredible. I shall call upon them to come to their senses. My voice------”

The court below was strongly lighted, so that I saw the bearded, bronzed, wild faces of the _Lugarenos_ looking up. We, also, were strongly shown by the light of the doorway behind us, and by the torches burning in the gallery.

That morning, in my helplessness, I had come to put my trust in accident--in some accident--I hardly knew of what nature--my own death, perhaps--that would find a solution for my responsibilities, put an end to my tormenting thoughts. And now the accident came with a terrible swiftness, at which I shudder to this day.

We were looking down into the _patio_. Don Balthasar had just said, ”You are nowhere as safe as by my side,” when I noticed a _Lugareno_ withdrawing himself from the throng about the basin. His face came to me familiarly. He was the pirate with the broken nose, who had had a taste of my fist. He had the sentry's musket on his shoulder, and was slinking away towards the gate.

Don Balthasar extended his hand over the bal.u.s.trade, and there was a general movement of recoil below. I wondered why the slaves on the stairs did not charge and clear the _patio_; but I suppose with such a mob outside there was a natural hesitation in bringing the position to an issue. The _Lugarenos_ were muttering, ”Look at the _Inglez!_” then cried out together, ”Excellency, give up this _Inglez!_”

Don Balthasar seemed ten years younger suddenly. I had never seen him so imposingly erect.

”Insensate!” he began, without any anger.

”He is going to fire!” yelled Castro's voice somewhere in the gallery.

I saw a red dart in the shadow of the gate. The broken-nosed pirate had fired at me. The report, deadened in the vault, hardly reached my ears. Don Balthazar's arm seemed to swing me back. Then I felt him lean heavily on my shoulder. I did not know what had happened till I heard him say:

”Pray for me, gentlemen.”

Father Antonio received him in his arms.

For a second after the shot, the most dead silence prevailed in the court. It was broken by an affrighted howl below: and Seraphina's voice cried piercingly:

”Father!”

The priest, dropping on one knee, sustained the silvery head, with its thin features already calm in death. Don Balthasar had saved my life; and his daughter flung herself upon the body. O'Brien pressed his hands to his temples, and remained motionless.

I saw the bishop, in his stiff cope, creep up to the group with the motion of a tortoise. And, for a moment, his quavering voice p.r.o.nouncing the absolution was the only sound in the house.

Then a most fiendish noise broke out below. The negroes had charged, and the _Lugarenos_, struck with terror at the unforeseen catastrophe, were rus.h.i.+ng helter-skelter through the gate. The screaming of the maids was frightful. They ran up and down the galleries with their hair streaming.

O'Brien pa.s.sed me by swiftly, muttering like a madman.

I, also, got down into the courtyard in time to strike some heavy blows under the gateway; but I don't know who it was that thrust into my hands the musket which I used as a club. The sudden burst of shrieks, the cries of terror under the vault of the gate, yells of rage and consternation, silenced the mob outside. The _Lugarenos_, appalled at what had happened, shouted most pitifully. They squeaked like the vermin they were. I brought down the clubbed musket; two went down. Of two I am sure. The rush of flying feet swept through between the walls, bearing me along. For a time a black stream of men eddied in the moonlight round the bishop's coach, like a torrent breaking round a boulder. The great heavy machine rocked, mules plunged, torches swayed.