CHAPTER FORTY.
FATAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
The death of this first victim, offered to the manes of his murderedfather, had to some extent the effect of appeasing the vengeful passionof Don Rafael. At all events his spirit became calmer; and othersentiments long slumbering at the bottom of his heart began to usurptheir sway. He perceived the necessity of justifying his conduct--whichhe knew must appear inexplicable--to the inhabitants of the hacienda LasPalmas. Had he done so at that moment all would have been well; butunfortunately a certain spirit of pride interfered to hinder him. A sonwho had punished the murderer of his father, ought he to excuse himselffor what he felt to be a holy duty? Moreover, could he expect pardonfor becoming the enemy of a cause he could no longer call his own?
This haughty silence on the part of Don Rafael could not do otherwisethan complete the ruin of his hopes, and render still more impassablethe gulf that had been so suddenly and unexpectedly opened up betweenhis love and his duty.
The news of Valdez' death--brought to the hacienda of Las Palmas by apassing messenger--together with the tenour of the inscription thatrevealed the author of it, had fallen like a bomb-shell into the familycircle of Don Mariano de Silva. Unfortunately the same messenger hadfailed to report the assassination of Don Luis Tres-Villas--for thesimple reason that he had not heard of it. His hosts, therefore,remained ignorant of the cause of this terrible reprisal.
From that moment, therefore, the family of Las Palmas could not dootherwise than regard the dragoon captain as a traitor, who, under thepretence of the purest patriotism, had concealed the most ardentsympathies for the oppressors of his country. Nevertheless the love ofGertrudis essayed that justification, which the pride of Don Rafael hadrestrained him from making.
"O my father!" exclaimed she, overwhelmed with grief, "do not judge himtoo hastily. It is impossible he can be a traitor to his country'scause. One day--I am sure of it--one day, he will send a message toexplain what has occurred."
"And when he does explain," responded Don Mariano, with bitterness,"will he be less a traitor to his country? No--we need not hope. Hewill not even attempt to justify his unworthy conduct."
In fine, the message came not; and Gertrudis was compelled to devour hergrief in silence.
Nevertheless the audacious defiance to the insurrection implied in theact of Don Rafael, and the inscription that announced it, had somethingin it of a chivalric character, which was not displeasing to the spiritof Gertrudis. It did not fail to plead the cause of the absent lover;and at one time her affection was even reconquered--that is, when itcame to be known that the head of the insurgent chief had replaced thatof Don Rafael's father, and that it was blood that had been paid forblood.
If in that crisis the captain had presented himself, Don Mariano, it istrue, might not have consented to his daughter forming an alliance witha renegade to the Mexican cause. The profound patriotism of thehaciendado might have revolted at such a connection; but an explanation,frank and sincere, would have expelled from the thoughts both of himselfand his daughter all idea of treason or disloyalty on the part of DonRafael. The latter, ignorant of the fact that the news of his father'sdeath had not reached Las Palmas--until a period posterior to the reportof that of Valdez--very naturally neglected the favourable moment for an_eclaircissement_.
How many irreparable misfortunes spring from that same cause--misunderstanding!
The two captains, Caldelas and Tres-Villas, soon transformed thehacienda of Del Valle into a species of fortress, which some species ofcannon, received from the governor of the province, enabled them to do.In strength the place might defy any attack which the insurgent bands ofthe neighbourhood could direct against it.
During the constant excursions which he made against the other twoassassins of his father, Arroyo and Bocardo, Don Rafael left the chargeof their citadel to the Captain Caldelas.
Listening only to the whisperings of his heart, he had finished bymaking a compromise between his love and his pride. Repelling the ideaof communicating by a messenger, he had at one time resolved to presenthimself in person at the hacienda of Las Palmas; but, carried forward bythe ardour of his vengeance, he dreaded that an interview with Gertrudismight have the effect of weakening his resolution; and for this reasonhe deferred seeking the interview, until he should complete theaccomplishment of that rash vow made over the grave of his murderedparent.
Notwithstanding the almost superhuman efforts which he daily made in thepursuit of the insurgents, the result was not such as to appease hisspirit of vengeance. Man by man did he accomplish the destruction oftheir band; but both the leaders still contrived to escape. In fine,after more than two months had passed since the death of Valdez, therumour became spread throughout the neighbourhood that Arroyo andBocardo had quitted the province of Oajaca, and gone northward with theremnant of their guerilla to offer their services to General Hidalgo.
On receiving this news Don Rafael, who had been absent on a protractedscout, returned to the hacienda Del Valle. During his absence, an orderhad arrived from the general-in-chief of the vice-regal army, commandinghim to return to duty with his regiment--the Queen's dragoons.
Before obeying this order, however, he resolved on devoting one day tothe affairs of his heart; and, permitting his love to conquer his pride,he determined on presenting himself at the hacienda of Las Palmas.
Alas! it might now be too late. A justification in the eyes of DonMariano would now be more difficult than it might have been two monthsbefore. During that time appearances had been converted into realities,suspicions into certainties, and Don Rafael was for him no longer aughtbut a common renegade. Certain words which he was in the habit ofrepeating to his daughter, told too plainly his opinion of the dragooncaptain; and these words rang in the ears of Gertrudis as a sadpresentiment which she almost believed already accomplished.
"Do not weep for the defection of Don Rafael," said the haciendado,endeavouring to dry his daughter's tears. "He will be false to hismistress, as he has been to his country."
What appeared a strange circumstance in the eyes of the father--thesewords only caused Gertrudis to weep the more abundantly and bitterly!
Nevertheless, such had been the former friendship of Don Mariano for theyoung officer--such the tender passion kindled in the heart ofGertrudis--that it is possible, had Don Rafael even then presentedhimself before them--his countenance open and beaming with the manlypride of accomplished duty--the frankness of his bearing, and theloyalty of his speech, might have still dissipated the clouds that hungover the heads of all.
Unfortunately destiny had decided otherwise. It was not decreed by fatethat at that hour Don Rafael should enter, as a friend, the hospitablegates of the hacienda Las Palmas.