Part 12 (2/2)
He confided to me only last night, that he had picked up a pocket-book belonging to the Doctor and given it to Aladdin, without a witness or receipt, and evidently of his own accord.”
”A pocket-book of the Doctor's?” repeated Dona Maria.
”Ay; but it contained nothing of thine,” said Maruja. ”The poor child had sense enough to think of that. But I am in no hurry to ask your consent and your blessing yet, little mother. I could even bear that Amita should precede me to the altar, if the exigencies of thy 'business' require it. It might also secure Captain Carroll for me.
Nay, look not at me in that cheapening, commercial way--with compound interest in thine eyes. I am not so poor an investment, truly, of thy original capital.”
”Thou art thy father's child,” said her mother, suddenly kissing her; ”and that is saying enough, the Blessed Virgin knows. Go now,” she continued, gently pus.h.i.+ng her from the room, ”and send Amita hither.”
She watched the disappearance of Maruja's slightly rebellious shoulders, and added to herself, ”And this is the child that Amita really believes is pining with lovesickness for Carroll, so that she can neither sleep nor eat. This is the girl that Faquita would have me think hath no longer any heart in her dress or in her finery! Soul of Joseph Saltonstall!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the widow, lifting her shoulders and her eyes together, ”thou hast much to account for.”
Two weeks later she again astonished her daughter. ”Why dost thou not join the party that drives over to see the wonders of Aladdin's Palace to-day? It would seem more proper that thou shouldst accompany thy guests than Raymond and Amita.”
”I have never entered his doors since the day he was disrespectful to my mother's daughter,” said Maruja, in surprise.
”Disrespectful!” repeated Dona Maria, impatiently. ”Thy father's daughter ought to know that such as he may be ignorant and vulgar, but can not be disrespectful to her. And there are offenses, child, it is much more crus.h.i.+ng to forget than to remember. As long as he has not the presumption to APOLOGIZE, I see no reason why thou mayst not go.
He has not been here since that affair of the letters. I shall not permit him to be uncivil over THAT--dost thou understand? He is of use to me in business. Thou mayst take Carroll with thee; he will understand that.”
”But Carroll will not go,” said Maruja. ”He will not say what pa.s.sed between them, but I suspect they quarreled.”
”All the better, then, that thou goest alone. He need not be reminded of it. Fear not but that he will be only too proud of thy visit to think of aught else.”
Maruja, who seemed relieved at this prospect of being unaccompanied by Captain Carroll, shrugged her shoulders and a.s.sented.
When the party that afternoon drove into the courtyard of Aladdin's Palace, the announcement that its hospitable proprietor was absent, and would not return until dinner, did not abate either their pleasure or their curiosity. As already intimated to the reader, Mr. Prince's functions as host were characteristically irregular; and the servant's suggestion, that Mr. Prince's private secretary would attend to do the honors, created little interest, and was laughingly waived by Maruja.
”There really is not the slightest necessity to trouble the gentleman,”
she said, politely. ”I know the house thoroughly, and I think I have shown it once or twice before for your master. Indeed,” she added, turning to her party, ”I have been already complimented on my skill as a cicerone.” After a pause, she continued, with a slight exaggeration of action and in her deepest contralto, ”Ahem, ladies and gentlemen, the ball and court in which we are now standing is a perfect copy of the Court of Lions at the Alhambra, and was finished in fourteen days in white pine, gold, and plaster, at a cost of ten thousand dollars. A photograph of the original structure hangs on the wall: you will observe, ladies and gentlemen, that the reproduction is perfect. The Alhambra is in Granada, a province of Spain, which it is said in some respects to resemble California, where you have probably observed the Spanish language is still spoken by the old settlers. We now cross the stable-yard on a bridge which is a facsimile in appearance and dimensions of the Bridge of Sighs at Venice, connecting the Doge's Palace with the State Prison. Here, on the contrary, instead of being ushered into a dreary dungeon, as in the great original, a fresh surprise awaits us. Allow me, ladies and gentlemen, to precede you for the surprise. We open a door thus--and--presto!”--
She stopped, speechless, on the threshold; the fan fell from her gesticulating hand.
In the centre of a brilliantly-lit conservatory, with golden columns, a young man was standing. As her fan dropped on the tessellated pavement, he came forward, picked it up, and put it in her rigid and mechanical fingers. The party, who had applauded her apparently artistic climax, laughingly pushed by her into the conservatory, without noticing her agitation.
It was the same face and figure she remembered as last standing before her, holding back the crowding grain in the San Antonio field. But here he was appareled and appointed like a gentleman, and even seemed to be superior to the garish glitter of his new surroundings.
”I believe I have the pleasure of speaking to Miss Saltonstall,” he said, with the faintest suggestion of his former manner in his half-resentful sidelong glance. ”I hear that you offered to dispense with my services, but I knew that Mr. Prince would scarcely be satisfied if I did not urge it once more upon you in person. I am his private secretary.”
At the same moment, Amita and Raymond, attracted by the conversation, turned towards him. Their recognition of the man they had seen at Dr.
West's was equally distinct. The silence became embarra.s.sing. Two pretty girls of the party pressed to Amita's side, with half-audible whispers. ”What is it?” ”Who's your handsome and wicked-looking friend?” ”Is this the surprise?”
At the sound of their voices, Maruja recovered herself coldly.
”Ladies,” she said, with a slight wave of her fan, ”this is Mr.
Prince's private secretary. I believe it is hardly fair to take up his valuable time. Allow me to thank you, sir, FOR PICKING UP MY FAN.”
With a single subtle flash of the eye she swept by him, taking her companions to the other end of the conservatory. When she turned, he was gone.
”This was certainly an unexpected climax,” said Raymond, mischievously.
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