Part 12 (1/2)
I thanked the officer, who had looked and spoken so unlike a revolutionary bandit, and, as soon as I had succeeded in cla the e, old-looking stone house at the end of the town, standing some distance back from the road, and screened from it by a double row of tall Lombardy poplars The back of the house was towards the road, and, passing round to the front after leaving our horses at the gate, we entered a spacious _patio_, or yard Running along the front of the dwelling was a wide corridor, supported by wooden pillars, painted white, while the whole of the _patio_ was shaded by an irape-vine This was evidently one of the best houses in the place, and, co sun and the white, dusty road, the vine-shaded _patio_ and corridor looked delightfully cool and inviting A gay coathered under the corridor, sorapes; and e ca she was singing I at once singled out General Santa Colouitar--a tall, iular features, and a bronzed, weather-beaten face He was booted and spurred, and over his unifored from his countenance that he was not a stern or truculent man, as one expects a Caudillo--a leader ofthat in a fewthe house, I was anxious to push forward and state my case to him The others, however, prevented ed in a vivacious conversation with the young lady sitting by hiirl I had eyes for no other face there The type was Spanish, and I have never seen a more perfect face of the kind; a wealth of blue-black hair shading the low, broad forehead, straight nose, dark, lu lips She was tall, perfect in her figure as in her face, and wore a white dress with a deep red China rose on her boso there unnoticed at the end of the corridor, I gazed with a kind of fascination on her, listening to her light, rippling laughter and lively talk, watching her graceful gestures, her sparkling eyes, and daht with a sigh--I felt a slight twinge at that disloyal sigh--I could have worshi+pped She was pressing the guitar on the General
”You have proo, and I cannot let you off,” she exclai that his voice was a very bad one; then, sweeping the strings, began that fine old Spanish song of love and war:
”_Cuando suena la trouerrera_”
His voice was uncultivated and soood deal of fire and expression in the performance, and it was rapturously applauded
The uitar, and, starting up hastily, bade the co forward, I placed an to speak
”I am pressed for tilancing at me ”You are a prisoner--wounded, I see; well, when I return--” Suddenly he stopped, caught hold of et hurt? Tell ht of twenty people all standing round staring at me, quite upset ible words, feeling thatscarlet to the very roots of my hair
”Let
”No, no,” said the General; ”he shall speak”
The sight of Alday so eager to give his version of the affair first restored er to me, and with that came back the power of speech and the other faculties which I had lost for a moment
”Sir General, all I have to say is this,” I said; ”I caer, lost, on foot, for my horse had been stolen from me I asked him for shelter in the belief that at least the one virtue of hospitality still survives in this country He, assisted by these two ed ood friend,” said the General, ”I ah an excess of zeal on the part of one of ret this incident, painful as it seems, since it enables me to assure you that one other virtue besides hospitality still survives in the Banda Oriental--I ratitude”
”I do not understand you,” I said
”We were coo,” he returned
”Have you forgotten the service you did me then?”
I stared at him, astonished at his words; and while I looked into his face, suddenly that scene at the istrate's _estancia_, when I ith the key to let my fellow-traveller out of the stocks, and he jumped up and seized my hand, flashed on me Still I was not quite sure, and half whispered tentatively, ”What, Marcos Marco?”
”Yes,” he returned, s, ”that wasa hand onto the others, ”I have o, when I was on my way hither, I was arrested at Las Cuevas in his company; it was byat the ti any return”
I ivento s out of the stocks However, as he thought proper to forget that part of the affair I was not going to recall it to him
There wereat that beautiful girl, as standing near with the others, I found her dark eyes fixed on my face with an expression of tenderness and sy to my heart
”They have hurt you badly, I fear,” said the General, addressing ain ”To continue your journey noould be i of you to remain where you are, in this house, till your ar lady, he said, ”Dolores, will you and yourfriend till I return, and see that his injured arm is attended to?”
”My General, you willhiht smile