Part 7 (2/2)
”Yes, certainly, if I can,” I answered
He laughed slightly and looked atrip ”No, no,for me,” he said
”I have the devil's tee, I insulted you It therefore surprised me when you came here and spoke kindly towas only on the surface; since the men one meets with are often like horned cattle When one falls, his coround reore him”
His manner surprised me; he did not now seem like the Marcos Marco I had travelled with that day Touched with his words, I sat down on the stocks facing hied him to tell me what I could do for him
”Well, friend,” said he, ”you see the stocks are fastened with a padlock If you will get the key, and take , before the old one-eyed lunatic is up, you can coain nobody will be the wiser”
”And you are not thinking of escaping?” I said
”I have not even the faintest wish to escape,” he replied
”You could not escape if you did,” I said, ”for the room would be locked, of course But if I were disposed to do what you ask, how could I get the key?”
”That is an easy ood senora to let you have it Did I not notice her eyes dwelling lovingly on your face--for, doubtless, you reminded her of some absent relative, a favourite nephew, perhaps She would not deny you anything in reason; and a kindness, friend, even to the poorest man, is never throay”
”I will think about it,” I said, and shortly after that I left hi, and, the close, s unendurable, I went out and sat down on a log of wood out of doors Here the old Juez, in his character of amiable host, ca to the republic
Presently his wife ca air would have an injurious effect on his inflao indoors Then she subsided into a place at an to talk about Fernando's dreadful temper and theher tone soay and pleasant speeches for the young and pretty senoritas?”
”Ah, senora, you are yourself young and beautiful in ay when my poor fellow-traveller is fastened in the stocks, where your cruel husband would also have confined me but for your timely intervention You are so kind-hearted, cannot you have his poor tired legs taken out in order that he ht?”
”Ah, little friend,” she returned ”I could not atte
Fernando is a monster of cruelty, and would immediately put out my eyes without remorse Poor me, what I have to endure!”--and here she placed her fat hand on mine
I drew my hand away soed the thing better
”Mada yourself at reat favour, will you now deny ? If your husband is so terrible a despot, surely you can do this without letting hiive you my word of honour that the Juez will never hear of it, for I will be up early to turn the key in the lock before he is out of his bed”
”And illher hand on ratitude and devotion ofto my sweet boy?” said she ”After supper I shall slip the key into your hand; I aet it from his room
Before Fernando retires, ask to see your Marcos, to take hi; and do not let the servant see what you do, for he will be at the door waiting to lock it when you come out”
After supper the promised key was secretly conveyed tomy friend in misfortune Luckily the man who took me to Marcos left us alone for some time, and I related my conversation with the fat wo it till I alood friend,” he said, ”you have a noble, generous soul, have done reatest service it is possible for one man to render to another
You have, in fact, now placed ht, and els put it in my power to reward you at so it a little, I thought; then, when I had seen hiht, I walked back to the kitchen slowly and very thoughtfully
CHAPTER XI