Part 8 (1/2)
I walked thoughtfully back, because, after rendering that unian to experience sundry qual the strictthat I had done soether praiseworthy in getting the poor fellow's unfortunate feet out of the stocks, did all that justify the cajolery I had practised to attain my object? Or, to put it briefly in the old familiar way: Does the end sanctify the ined Let us suppose that I have a beloved friend, an ailing person of a nervous, delicate organisation, who has taken it into his poor cracked brains that he is going to expire at the stroke of twelve on a given night Without consulting the authorities on ethical questions, I should, in such a case, flit about his roo his timepieces, till I had advanced theht, triumphantly produce my watch and inform him that death had failed to keep the appoint on the conscience of any man The fact of the matter is, the circued on its own particularthe key was not one for e, since Ihad been a chief actor in it, but rather for some acute and learned casuist I thereforeit impartially before the first person of that description I should reatly relieved in mind, and turned into the kitchen once more I had scarcely sat down, however, before I round that one disagreeable consequence ofdevotion and gratitude--had yet to be faced She greeted my entrance with an effusive smile; and the sweetest smiles of some people one meets are less endurable than their black looks In self-defence I assumed as drowsy and vacant an expression as I could suenuous I pretended not to hear, or to rew so sleepy that I was several ti off ant nod, I would start up and stare vacantly around rim little host could scarcely conceal a quiet seously sleepy before At length he ued, and advised ladly I made my exit, followed in my retreat from the kitchen by a pair of sad, reproachful eyes
I slept soundly enough in the comfortable bed, which my obese Gulnare had provided for me, until the numerous cocks of the establish Re that I had to secure Marcos in the stocks before the irascible little istrate should appear on the scene, I rose and hastily dressed reasyhis o,_ and asked him to lend me the key of the prisoner's room; for this hat I had been instructed to do by the senora He got up and ith , I suppose, to trust me with the key When he threw the door open we stood silently gazing for some time into the ee hole cut in the thatch of the roof showed how and where he had made his exit I felt very much exasperated at the shabby trick the fellow had played on us, on me especially, for I was in a measure responsible for him Fortunately thean accomplice, but merely remarked that the stocks had evidently been left unlocked by the soldiers the evening before, so that it was not strange the prisoner had made his escape
When the other ot up, the matter was discussed with little excitement or even interest, and I soon concluded that the secret of the escape would remain between the lady of the house and myself She watched for an opportunity to speak to er at er, whispered, ”Ah, deceiver, you planned it all with hi and only made nity, ”I assure you on the word of honour of an English I ary it has happened”
”What do you suppose I care about his escaping?” she replied laughingly
”For your sake, sweet friend, I would gladly open the doors of every prison in the Banda if I had the power”
”Ah, how you flatter! But I o to your husband to learn fro with the prisoner who has not atteot away from her
The wretched little Juez, when I spoke to hiless phrases about his responsible position, the peculiar nature of his functions, and the unsettled state of the republic--as if it had ever known or was ever likely to know any other state! He thenme with that dreadful wo so he was only carrying out her private instructions The only co that a co me would be forwarded to the Commandante of the district in the course of the day, which would probably result inpassed on to that functionary In the edin it Of course, thehis fat wife at my head; still, I had no doubt that it was she who inspired these co hi by a courteous treatlishon the gate, feeling verythat, like Marcos Marco, I had run away during the night Never had I taken so sudden and violent a dislike to anything as I then and there did to that estancia, where I was an honoured, albeit a co sunshone down on the discoloured thatch and , while all about wherever I cast my eyes they rested on weeds, old bones, broken bottles, and other rubbish--eloquent witnesses of the dirty, idle, thriftless character of the inelic child-wife, with her violet eyes di forabsence, and even now perhaps shading her face with her lily hand and looking out on the white dusty road watching forate, because that abo ate with an excla my hostess to jump also and utter a screa just behindherself and laughing; ”whatexpression I had used; then added, ”Senora, I areat deal of exercise every day, and I a in the sunshi+ne, like a turtle on a bank of mud”
”Why, then, do you not take a walk?” she said, with kind concern
I said I would gladly do so, and thanked her for the permission; then she iallantly that I was a fast walker, and reminded her that the sun was excessively hot, and I should also have liked to add that she was excessively fat
She replied that it did not matter; so polite a person as myself would kno to accommodate his pace to that of his companion Unable to shake her off, I started for my walk in a so on atabundantly
Our path led us down to a little canada, or valley, where the ground waswith nurasses, very refreshi+ng to look at after leaving the parched yellow ground about the estancia house
”You seem to be very fond of flowers,” observed ive your nosegay when it is made?”
”Senora,” I replied, vexed at her trivial chatter, ”I will give it to the--” I had al scream she uttered suddenly arrested the rude speech on ht had been caused by a pretty little snake, about eighteen inches long, which she had seen gliding away at her feet And no wonder it glided away froantic and deformed a monster that fat woman must have seeht of a hippopota erect on its hind legs, would perhaps be co the shallow brain of the poor speckled thing when that huge wohed, and then, seeing that she was about to throw herself for protection like a mountain of flesh upon me, I turned and ran after the snake--for I had observed that it belonged to a harenus--and I was anxious to annoy the wohtened creature struggling initself about my wrist, I walked back to her
”Did you ever see such lovely colours?” I cried ”Look at the delicate pri into vivid crimson on the belly
Talk of flowers and butterflies! And its eyes are bright as two small diamonds--look closely at them, senora, for they are orth your ad atthat I would not obey her and drop the terrible reptile, she left e and went back to the house by herself
After that I continued st the flowers; but my little speckled captive had served me so well that I would not release it It occurred to ht serve as a sort of talisreeable attentions of the senora Finding that it was a very sly little snakey, and, like Marcos Marco in captivity, full of subtle deceit, I put it into my hat, which, when fir for the little arrowy head to insinuate itself through After spending two or three hours botanising in the _canada_, I returned to the house I was in the kitchen refreshi+ngwith siven me by this time
I politely rose and reotten the snake, when out it dropped on the floor; then followed screa out of the kitchen by madame, children, and servants After that I was coive it back its liberty, which no doubt tasted very sweet to it after its close confinement On my return to the house, one of the servants informed me that the senora was too ain, so that I was obliged to havewhich I was a prisoner I was avoided by everyone (except Brass buttons,--who appeared indifferent to everything on earth), as if I had been a leper or a dangerous lunatic They thought, perhaps, that I still had other reptiles concealed about my person
Of course, one always expects to find a cruel, unreasoning prejudice against snakes anorant people, but I never knew before to what ridiculous lengths it will carry thery, but on this occasion it had a use, for it enabledthe Juez returned, and I soon heard him loud in a stormy altercation with his wife Perhaps she wanted him to have me decapitated How it ended I cannot say; but when I saw hiiving ot up resolved not to be put off any longer So would have to be done, or I would know the reason why On stepping out I was very ate I went into the kitchen and asked Brass buttons, the only person up, what itme a _mate_ ”Perhaps the Juez desires you to leave the house before he is up”