Heart of the Sunset

  XXVIII

  THE DOORS OF PARADISE

  Alaire began the mockery of playing hostess with extreme distaste, andas the meal progressed she experienced a growing uneasiness. Longorio'sbearing had changed since his arrival. He was still extravagantlycourteous, beautifully attentive; he maintained a flow of conversationthat relieved her of any effort, and yet he displayed a repressedexcitement that was disturbing. In his eyes there was a gloating lookof possession hard to endure. Despite her icy formality, he appeared tobe holding himself within the bounds of propriety only by an effort ofwill, and she was not surprised when, at the conclusion of the meal, hecast restraint aside.

  She did not let him go far with his wooing before warning him: "I won'tlisten to you. You are a man of taste; you must realize how offensivethis is."

  "Let us not deceive each other," he insisted. "We are alone. Let us behonest. Do not ask me to put faith in your grief. I find my excuse inthe extraordinary nature of this situation."

  "Nothing can excuse indelicacy," she answered, evenly. "You transgressthe commonest rules of decency."

  But he was impatient. "What sentiment! You did not love your husband.You were for years his prisoner. Through the bars of your prison I sawand loved you. Dios! The first sight of your face altered the currentof my life. I saw heaven in your eyes, and I have dreamed of nothingelse ever since. Well, Providence opened the doors and set you free;God gave heed to my prayers and delivered you to me. Now you pretend togrieve at your deliverance; you ask me to respect the memory of yourjailer! Decency? Delicacy? What are they except artificialities, whichvanish in times of stress? Alexander the Great, Caesar, Napoleon,Porfirio Diaz--they were strong, purposeful men; they lived as I live.Senora, you dally with love."

  Alaire's face was white with anger as she replied: "You cause me toforget that you are my guest. Are you the man I considered you or theman you are reported to be?"

  "Eh?"

  "Are you the gentleman, the friend, you pretended to be, or--the vandalwhom no woman can trust? You treat me as if you were my jailer. What doyou mean? What kind of man are you to take advantage of my bereavement?"

  After a moment's consideration Longorio began haltingly: "I don't knowwhat kind of man I am, for you have changed me so. There was atime--I--I have done things--I have scorned all restraint, all lawsexcept those of my desires, and so, perhaps, I am a vandal. Make sureof this, however--I shall not injure you. Christ is no more sacred tome than you, my heart's treasure. You accuse me of indelicacy because Ilack the strength to smother my admiration. I adore you; my beingdissolves, my veins are afire with longing for you; I am mad with theknowledge that you are mine. Mad? Caramba! I am insane; my mindtotters; I grope my way like a man blinded by a dazzling light; Isuffer agonies. But see! I refuse to touch you. I am a giant in myrestraint. The strength of heroes is mine, and I strangle my impulsesas they are born, although the effort kills me. Senora, I await themoment of your voluntary surrender. I wait for you." He extended hisarms, and Alaire saw that his olive features were distorted withemotion; that his hands, his whole thin, high-strung body were shakinguncontrollably.

  She could summon no coherent words.

  "You believed I was a hawk and would seize you, eh?" he queried. "Isthat why you continue to shrink? Well, let me tell you something, if mytongue will frame the thoughts in my mind. My passion is so deep and sosacred that I would not be content with less than all of you. Your lipswould not satisfy mine unless they were hot with love, your kisses wetwith desire. I must have you all, and so I wait, trembling. I say thisso badly that I doubt if you understand. Listen, then: to possess youby force would be--well, as if I sacked a cathedral of its goldenimages and expected to gain heaven by clutching the Madonna in my arms.Senora, in you I see the priceless jewel of my life, which I shall wearto dazzle the world, and without which I shall destroy myself. Now letme tell you what I can offer you, what setting I can build for thistreasure. Marriage with Luis Longorio--"

  Alaire could not control a start.

  As if quickened by his intensity, the man read her thought. "You didnot imagine that I offered you anything less?"

  "What was I to think? Your reputation--"

  "Mother of God!" breathed the general. "So! That is what you meant amoment ago. That is why you refuse my embraces. No, no! Other womenhave feared me and I have laughed in their hair as they tore at myarms, but you--you will be my wife, and all Mexico shall bow at yourfeet." He checked her denial with a gesture. "Wait until I tell you thevision I have seen during these days of my despair. I see Mexico madewhole by my hands; a land of peace and plenty; a people with one nameupon their lips--the name of Longorio the Deliverer; and you as thefirst lady of them all. You know me for a man of tremendous ability inevery line. Well, I know myself, too. I have measured myself carefully,and I have no weakness. There is no other like me. Pancho Gomez? Bah!He is a red-handed bandit of no culture. Candeleria, his chief? Theidol of the ignorant and a dreamer of no force. Potosi? He is Presidenttoday, but what of tomorrow? Those who surround him are weaklings, andhe stumbles toward oblivion. Who will succeed him? Who will issue fromthe coming struggle as the dominant figure of Mexico? Who but thatmilitary genius who checks the Yankee hordes and saves the fatherland?I am he. Fate points the path of glory and I am her man of destiny. Yousee, then, what I bring you--power, position, riches. Riches? Caramba!Wait until my hands are in the treasury. I will load you with gold andjewels, and I will make you the richest woman in the world. Senora, Ioffer you dominion. I offer you the President's palace and Chapultepec.And with all that I offer you such passionate love as no woman ofhistory ever possessed."

  He paused, spent by the force of his own intensity; it was plain thathe expected an immediate surrender.

  Alaire's lips parted in the faintest of mocking smiles. "You have greatconfidence in yourself," she said.

  "Yes. I know myself as no one knows me."

  "Why do you think I care for you?"

  Longorio's eyes opened. His expression plainly showed that he could notimagine any woman in her senses failing to adore him.

  "Don't you take much for granted?" Alaire insisted.

  The Mexican shook his head. Then his face lightened. "Ah! Now I see.Your modesty forbids you to acknowledge your love--is that it? Well, Iknow that you admire me, for I can see it. All women admire me, andthey all end by loving me." His chest arched imperceptibly; with aslender finger he delicately smoothed his black eyebrows. Alaire felt awild impulse to laugh, but was glad she had subdued it when hecontinued: "I am impetuous, but impetuosity has made me what I am. Iact, and then mold fate to suit my own ends. Opportunity has deliveredto me my heart's desire, and I will not be cheated out of it. Among themen I brought with me to La Feria is a priest. He is dirty, for Icaught him as he was fleeing toward the border; but he is a priest, andhe will marry us tonight."

  Alaire managed to gasp, "Surely you are not in earnest."

  "Indeed I am! That is why I insisted that you dine with me thisevening. I cannot waste more time here, for necessity calls me away.You shall go as my wife."

  "Do you think I would remarry on the very day I find myself a widow?"

  "The world will never know."

  "You dare to say that!" Her tone was one of disgust, of finality. "Iwonder how I have listened to so much. It is horrible."

  "You are still a little hysterical, and you exaggerate. If I had moretime I could afford to wait." He ogled her with his luminous gaze. "Iwould let you play with me to your heart's content and exercise yourpower until you tired and were ready to surrender."

  Alaire raised her head proudly, her nostrils dilated, her eyes ablazewith hostility. "This is very humiliating, but you force me to tell youthat I hate you."

  Longorio was incredulous rather than offended. He drew himself up tohis full height and smiled, saying, "That is impossible." Then,ignoring her impatience: "Come! You cannot deceive me. The priest iswaiting."

  When Alaire spoke next it was with an expression and wi
th a tone ofsuch loathing that his yellow face paled "Your conceit isinsufferable," she breathed.

  After a brief struggle with himself, the Mexican cried, hoarsely: "Iwill not be refused. You wish me to tame you, eh? Good! You have foundyour master. Make your choice, then. Which shall it be, surrenderor--compulsion?"

  "So! You have been lying, as I thought. Compulsion! Now the realLongorio speaks."

  He flung up his hands as if to ward off her fury. "No? Have I not mademyself clear? I shall embrace you only with the arms of a husband, forthis is not the passion of a moment, but of a lifetime, and I havemyself to consider. The wife of Mexico's next President must be abovereproach; there must be no scandal, no secrets hidden away for enemiesto unearth. She must stand before the people as a perfect woman; shemust lend prestige to his name. When I speak of compulsion, then, Imean the right of a husband--"

  Alaire uttered an exclamation of disgust and turned away, but heintercepted her, saying: "You cannot hold me at bay. It is destiny. Youshall be mine tonight. Think a moment! We are alone in the heart of acountry lacking in every law but mine. Your friends do not know whereyou are, and, even if they knew, they could not help you. Your nation'sprotest would avail nothing. Outside of these walls are enemies whowill not let you leave this house except under the protection of myname."

  "Then I shall never leave it," she told him.

  For the first time Longorio spoke roughly: "I lose patience. In God'sname have I not waited long enough? My strength is gone." Impulsivelyhe half encircled her with his thin arms, but she seemed armored withice, and he dropped them. She could hear him grind his teeth. "I darenot lay hands upon you," he chattered. "Angel of my dreams, I am faintwith longing. To love you and yet to be denied; to feel myself aflameand yet to see you cold; to be halted at the very doors of Paradise!What torture!"

  The fellow's self-control in the midst of his frenzy frightened Alairemore than did his wildest avowals; it was in something of a panic thatshe said:

  "One moment you tell me I am safe, the next you threaten me. You say Iam free, and yet you coerce me. Prove your love. Let me go--" "No! No!I shall call the priest."

  Longorio turned toward the door, but halfway across the floor he washalted by a woman's shriek which issued from somewhere inside thehouse. It was repeated. There was an outburst in a masculine voice,then the patter of footsteps approaching down the tiled hallway.Dolores burst into her mistress's presence, her face blanched, her hairdisordered. She flung herself into Alaire's arms, crying:

  "Senora! Save me! God's curse on the ruffian. Oh--"

  "Dolores!" Alaire exclaimed. "What has happened?"

  Longorio demanded, irritably: "Yes. Why are you yelling like this:"'

  "A man--See I One of those dirty peladors. Look where he tore my dress!I warned him, but he was like a tiger. Benito will kill me when helearns--"

  "Calm yourself. Speak sensibly. Tell me what happened."

  "One of those miserable soldiers who came today--pig!" Dolores wasshaking, her voice was shrill. "He followed me. He has been drinking.He followed me about like a cat, purring and grinning and saying themost horrible things. Just now, when I went to your room, he waswaiting in the darkness and he seized me. God! It was dreadful."

  "A soldier? One of my men?" Longorio was incredulous.

  Alaire turned upon him with a blazing anger in her face. "Is this moreof your protection?" she stormed. "I give you and your men the freedomof my ranch, and you insult me while they assault my women."

  He ignored her accusation, inquiring of the elder woman, "Who was thefellow?"

  "How do I know," Dolores sobbed. "He is a--a thick, black fellow with ascar on his lip, like a snarl."

  "Felipe!"

  "Yes, Felipe! I believe they called him that."

  Longorio strode to the end of the livingroom, flung open the woodenshutters of a window and, leaning far out, whistled sharply on hisfingers.

  "Oiga! Teniente! Ho, you fellows!" he shouted.

  From the darkness a voice answered; a man, evidently on guard, camerunning.

  "Call old Pancho," the general directed. "Tell him to bring me blackFelipe, the fellow with the torn lip. Quick!"

  "Yes, general," came the voice; then the metallic rattle of spurs andaccoutrements as the sentry trotted away.

  Dolores had completely broken down now, and Alaire was trying tocomfort her. Their guest remained by the window, frowning. After a timethere sounded a murmur of voices, then a shuffling of feet in the hall;Alaire's friend, the old lieutenant, appeared in the doorway, saluting.Behind him were several others.

  "Here is Felipe," he announced.

  "Bring him in."

  A sullen, frowning man in soiled uniform was pushed forward, andDolores hid her face against her mistress's shoulder.

  "Is this the fellow?" Longorio inquired.

  Dolores nodded.

  "Well, what have you to say for yourself?" The general transfixed histrooper with a stare; then, as the latter seemed bereft of his voice,"Why did you enter this house?"

  Felipe moistened his scarred lips. "That woman is--nice and clean.She's not so old, either, when you come to look at her." He grinned athis comrades, who had crowded in behind old Pancho.

  "So! Let us go outside and learn more about this." Longorio waved hismen before him and followed them out of the room and down the hall andinto the night.

  When a moment or two had dragged past, Dolores quavered. "What are theygoing to do with him?"

  "I don't know. Anyhow, you need not fear--"

  There sounded the report of a gunshot, deadened indeed by the thickadobe walls of the house, yet sudden and loud enough to startle thewomen.

  When Longorio reappeared he found Alaire standing stiff and whiteagainst the wall, with Dolores kneeling, her face still buried in hermistress's gown.

  "Give yourself no concern," he told them, quickly. "I beg a thousandpardons for Felipe. Henceforth no one will molest you."

  "Was that a--shot?" Alaire inquired faintly.

  "Yes. It is all settled."

  "You killed him?"

  The general nodded. "Purely for the sake of discipline--one has to befirm. Now your woman is badly frightened. Send her away so that we mayreach an understanding."

  "Oh-h! This is frightful," Alaire gasped. "I can't talk to you. Go--Letme go."

  The man pondered for an instant. "Perhaps that would be better," heagreed, reluctantly, "for I see you, too, are unstrung. Very well! Myaffairs will have to wait. Take a few hours to think over what I havetold you. When you have slept you will feel differently about me. Youwill meet me with a smile, eh?" He beamed hopefully.

  "Sleep? You expect me to sleep?"

  "Please," he begged. "Beauty is like a delicate flower, and sleep isthe dew that freshens it. Believe me, you can rest in all security, forno one can come or go without my consent. You are cruel to postpone mydelight; nevertheless, I yield to your feelings. But, star of my life,I shall dream of you, and of that little priest who waits with the keyof Paradise in his hands."

  He bowed over Alaire's cold fingers, then stood erect until she andDolores had gone.