Part 28 (1/2)
Bowing, he presented to her the doc.u.ment to which he had earlier directed my own attention. ”We are well advised that Senor Van Zandt is trafficking this very hour with England as against us,” he explained.
”We ask the gracious a.s.sistance of Senora Yturrio. In return we promise her--silence!”
”I can not--it is impossible!” she exclaimed, as she glanced at the pages. ”It is our ruin--!”
”No, Senora,” said Calhoun sternly; ”it means annexation of Texas to the United States. But that is not your ruin. It is your salvation. Your country well may doubt England, even England bearing gifts!”
”I have no control over Senor Van Zandt--he is the enemy of my country!”
she began.
Calhoun now fixed upon her the full cold blue blaze of his singularly penetrating eyes. ”No, Senora,” he said sternly; ”but you have access to my friend Mr. Polk, and Mr. Polk is the friend of Mr. Jackson, and they two are friends of Mr. Van Zandt; and Texas supposes that these two, although they do not represent precisely my own beliefs in politics, are for the annexation of Texas, not to England, but to America. There is good chance Mr. Polk may be president. If you do not use your personal influence with him, he may consult politics and not you, and so declare war against Mexico. That war would cost you Texas, and much more as well. Now, to avert that war, do you not think that perhaps you can ask Mr. Polk to say to Mr. Van Zandt that his signature on this little treaty would end all such questions simply, immediately, and to the best benefit of Mexico, Texas and the United States? Treason? Why, Senora, 'twould be preventing treason!”
Her face was half hidden by her fan, and her eyes, covered by their deep lids, gave no sign of her thoughts. The same cold voice went on:
”You might, for instance, tell Mr. Polk, which is to say Mr. Van Zandt, that if his name goes on this little treaty for Texas, nothing will be said to Texas regarding his proposal to give Texas over to England. It might not be safe for that little fact generally to be known in Texas as it is known to me. We will keep it secret. You might ask Mr. Van Zandt if he would value a seat in the Senate of these United States, rather than a lynching rope! So much do I value your honorable acquaintance with Mr. Polk and with Mr. Van Zandt, my dear lady, that I do not go to the latter and _demand_ his signature in the name of his republic--no, I merely suggest to you that did _you_ take this little treaty for a day, and presently return it to me with his signature attached, I should feel so deeply gratified that I should not ask you by what means you had attained this most desirable result! And I should hope that if you could not win back the affections of a certain gentleman, at least you might win your own evening of the scales with him.”
Her face colored darkly. In a flash she saw the covert allusion to the faithless Pakenham. Here was the chance to cut him to the soul. _She could cost England Texas!_ Revenge made its swift appeal to her savage heart. Revenge and jealousy, handled coolly, mercilessly as weapons--those cost England Texas!
She sat, her fan tight at her white teeth. ”It would be death to me if it were known,” she said. But still she pondered, her eye alight with somber fire, her dark cheek red in a woman's anger.
”But it never will be known, my dear lady. These things, however, must be concluded swiftly. We have not time to wait. Let us not argue over the unhappy business. Let me think of Mexico as our sister republic and our friend!”
”And suppose I shall not do this that you ask, Senor?”
”That, my dear lady, _I do not suppose!_”
”You threaten, Senor Secretary?”
”On the contrary, I implore! I ask you not to be treasonable to any, but to be our ally, our friend, in what in my soul I believe a great good for the peoples of the world. Without us, Texas will be the prey of England. With us, she will be working out her destiny. In our graveyard of state there are many secrets of which the public never knows. Here shall be one, though your heart shall exult in its possession. Dear lady, may we not conspire together--for the ultimate good of three republics, making of them two n.o.ble ones, later to dwell in amity? Shall we not hope to see all this continent swept free of monarchy, held _free_, for the peoples of the world?”
For an instant, no more, she sat and pondered. Suddenly she bestowed upon him a smile whose brilliance might have turned the head of another man. Rising, she swept him a curtsey whose grace I have not seen surpa.s.sed.
In return, Mr. Calhoun bowed to her with dignity and ease, and, lifting her hand, pressed it to his lips. Then, offering her an arm, he led her to his carriage. I could scarce believe my eyes and ears that so much, and of so much importance, had thus so easily been accomplished, where all had seemed so near to the impossible.
When last I saw my chief that day he was sunk in his chair, white to the lips, his long hands trembling, fatigue written all over his face and form; but a smile still was on his grim mouth. ”Nicholas,” said he, ”had I fewer politicians and more women behind me, we should have Texas to the Rio Grande, and Oregon up to Russia, and all without a war!”
CHAPTER XXII
BUT YET A WOMAN
Woman turns every man the wrong side out, And never gives to truth and virtue that Which simpleness and merit purchaseth.
--_Shakespeare_.
My chief played his game of chess coldly, methodically, and with skill; yet a game of chess is not always of interest to the spectator who does not know every move. Least of all does it interest one who feels himself but a p.a.w.n piece on the board and part of a plan in whose direction he has nothing to say. In truth, I was weary. Not even the contemplation of the hazardous journey to Oregon served to stir me. I traveled wearily again and again my circle of personal despair.
On the day following my last interview with Mr. Calhoun, I had agreed to take my old friend Doctor von Rittenhofen upon a short journey among the points of interest of our city, in order to acquaint him somewhat with our governmental machinery and to put him in touch with some of the sources of information to which he would need to refer in the work upon which he was now engaged. We had spent a couple of hours together, and were pa.s.sing across to the capitol, with the intent of looking in upon the deliberations of the houses of Congress, when all at once, as we crossed the corridor, I felt him touch my arm.
”Did you see that young lady?” he asked of me. ”She looked at you, yess?”