Part 22 (2/2)
After supper on the eve of my departure he saddled his horse and rode off to attend a dance or gathering of so _estancia_, for now that he had recovered froer to resume the social pleasures my presence had interfered with
I went out to s a very lovely autuht of an unclouded newup and down in a narrow path a with Paquita, when old Santos came out to me and mysteriously inforh the large rooh a narrow, die into another rooh the rest of the house was now in darkness, the old colonel having already retired to bed, it was very light here, there being about half a dozen candles placed about the roo with delighted ad on another person seated on the sofa And on this individual I also gazed silently for sonised Deed that astonishrub had coold butterfly She had on a grass-green silk dress, h in the waist, puffed out on the shoulders, and with enorar plentifully tri, thick hair, which had hitherto always been worn in heavy plaits on her back, was now piled up in great coils on her head and surh at least, and about fifteen inches broad at the top, looking like an iree pendants reaching to her bare shoulders; she also wore a necklet of half-doubloons linked together in a chain, and heavy gold bracelets on her ared to her grandreen was not the proper tint for Demetria's pallid co set down as a barbarian in ave me a shock of pleasure to see her She saw that I was very much surprised, and a blush of confusion overspread her face; then, recovering her usual quiet, self-possessed manner, she invited me to sit on the sofa by her I took her hand and cohed a little shy laugh, then said that, as I was going to leave her next day, she did not wish me to remember her only as a woman in rusty black I replied that I would always rearreat, unmerited misfortunes, her virtuous heart, and for the kindness she had shown to ether conversing pleasantly, before us were Ra their eyes on their ht was quite open and childlike, and gave an additional zest to the pleasure I felt Demetria seeht-hearted than I had seen her before
That antique finery, which would have been laughable on another woman, somehow or other seee sinorance of the world displayed in her conversation, and that gentle dignity ofridiculous in any costuth, after we had partaken of _mate_ served by Ramona, the old servants retired frolances at their metaan to languish, De constrained in rown so fa that it was tio, and thanked her for the pleasant evening I had spent, and expressed a wish that her future would be brighter than her past had been
”Thank you, Richard,” she returned, her eyes cast down, and allowing her hand to rest in mine ”But must you leave me so soon?--there is so ladly reain by her side
”My past has been very sad, as you say, Richard, but you do not know all,” and here she put her handkerchief to her eyes There were, I noticed, several beautiful rings on her fingers, and the handkerchief she held to her eyes was a dainty little e in herEven the quaint little shoes she ere ee rosettes on the the handkerchief from her face, she continued silent and with eyes cast down, looking very pale and troubled
”Deuess the nature of the trouble you speak of, but if it is one I can help you out of, speak to me without reserve”
”Perhaps you can help me, Richard It was of thisBut no can I speak of it?”
”Not to one who is your friend, Demetria? I wish you could think that the spirit of your lost brother Calixto was here in me, for I am as ready to help you as he would have been; and I know, Demetria, that you were very dear to him”
Her face flushed, and for a ain, she replied sadly, ”It is impossible! I can say no more to you now My heart oppresses me so that my lips refuse to speak
To- I leave you, and there will be no opportunity of speaking,” I said ”Don Hilario will be here watching you, and, though he is so much in the house, I cannot believe that you trust him”
She started at the name of Don Hilario, and cried a little in silence; then suddenly she rose and gaveto-morrow, Richard,” she said ”Then you will kno much I trust you and how little I trust him I cannot speak , and he shall tell you all”
There was a sad, wistful look in her eyes e parted that hauntedinto the kitchen, I disturbed Ramona and Santos deep in a whispered consultation They started up, looking soo out, they got up and went back to their e evening I had passed, wondering very much what Dereen butterfly,” I called it; but it was really all too sad even for a hter is often the best weapon to ay sunshade suddenly opened in the face of an angry bull Unable to solve the riddle, I retired to my room to sleep my last sleep under Peralta's dreary roof
CHAPTER XXV
About eight o'clock next -delayed journey, still mounted on that dishonestly acquired steed that had served ood Hilario's offer of a horse Though all s, and ht for in the Banda) had not earned me one copper coin, it was soenerosity had savedto Paquita well dressed, on a splendid horse, and with dollars enough in my pocket to take us comfortably out of the country Santos rode out with ht road to Montevideo; only I knew, of course, that he was the bearer of an important comue without any approach to the subject on his part, in spite of sundry hints I threw out, I asked hi over the question for as long a time as would be necessary to work out a rather difficult mathematical problem, he answered that he had
”Then,” said I, ”let rinned ”Do you think,” he said, ”that it is a thing to be spoken in half a dozen words? I have not come all this distance merely to say that theFriday, Dona De story, senor”
”How ? Do you intend it to last all the way to Montevideo? The longer it is the sooner you ought to begin it”
”There are things easy to say, and there are other things not so easy,”
returned Santos ”But as to saying anything on horseback, who could do that?”
”Why not?”
”The question!” said he ”Have you not observed that when liquor is drawn froeade, or even rum, which is by nature white and clear--that it runs thick when the cask is shaken? It is the same with us, senor; our brain is the cask out of which we draw all the things we say”
”And the spigot--”