The Woman's Way

  CHAPTER XVIII

  A week later Derrick was tramping along a dusty road which led to thelittle town of San Leonardo, where, he had been told, he could find anight's lodging. He was tired and footsore; in addition to the Englishfive-pound note, he possessed but very little of the money with which hehad left the circus; though, during his tramp, he had been able to getan occasional job, helping some herdsman rounding up his cattle orassisting timbermen to adjust their loads, and he was hoping that hewould find some permanent employment in one of the big towns. He had theroad to himself, and was feeling rather down on his luck, as afriendless man in a strange land must do; and, worse than all, he was,at that moment, terribly home-sick. Not for the first time, he hadrealized how much he had given up when he decided to sacrifice himselffor Miriam Ainsley--no, Miriam Heyton, as she was now--the Miriam who,strangely enough, troubled his thoughts but little. Indeed, when he didthink of her, with the remembrance was mixed a kind of amazement that hehad ever loved her; for the illusion had now left him, and he knew thatshe had not been worth, at any time, all that she had cost him.

  "What a fool I have been!" was the thought, the bitterness of which somany men have felt. But for Miriam, and the villainy of the man who hadstolen her from him, he might have been still in England, might--whoknows?--in better circumstances, have met the girl at Brown's Buildings.He would have been free to love her and to tell her so.

  With a shake of the head, and a setting of the lips, he tramped on,every step giving him pain; and at last he neared the town.

  It was a small place, with a few scattered 'dobe houses, one of whichbore the sign indicating an inn. Outside the door, with their cigarettesbetween their lips, their whips lying beside them, sat and lounged agroup of cowboys. Derrick had made the acquaintance of many of theirkind since the night on which he had checkmated the specimens in thecircus, and he had got on very well with them; for your cowboy is anacute person, and knows a "man" when he sees him. As Derrick limped upthey stopped talking, and eyed him with narrowed lids.

  Derrick saluted them in Spanish fashion, for he had picked up a fewphrases, and one of the men made way for him on the rude bench, greetedhim with a nod, and slid a mug and a bottle of wine towards him. Derrickdrank--it was like nectar in his parched mouth--and the cowboy, with agrunt of approval, tendered him a cigarette and inquired curtly, but notunkindly, where he was going. Derrick replied, in broken Spanish, thathe was looking for work.

  The cowboy said, "Ingles," and nodded to one of his companions, who,with a sudden flush, said--

  "Thought you were a fellow-countryman. On the tramp, mate, eh? Well,I've done that myself, and, between you and me, there's many a betterjob." He filled up Derrick's mug and eyed him with friendly questioning."What's your line?"

  "Oh, anything," said Derrick, with a smile. "Tramps can't be choosers.You have a ranch here, I suppose?"

  The other Englishman nodded.

  "Yes, we're on Donna Elvira's ranch, three miles out." He jerked hishead in a westerly direction, then looked round at his mates. "Do youthink there's any room for him?"

  "Might be," replied one. "He'd better go up and see Don Jose."

  The English cowboy translated this for Derrick, adding:--

  "That's the overseer. Better go up and see him when you've rested andeaten. My name's Tom Dalton; they call me Tomas, of course. What'syours, and what's your county?"

  Derrick said, "Sydney Green," and added, "London."

  "Big county that," said Tom, with a grin. "Know anything about cattle?Not much use your going to Don Jose if you don't."

  "I've worked with them on the road a bit," replied Derrick; "and I'maccustomed to horses."

  The young man thought that Derrick might stand a chance, and againadvised him to eat and rest; and, having proffered more wine, thecowboys presently moved off and left him alone. He engaged a bed of thelandlord, got something to eat, and was dropping off to sleep in themoist, warm evening air, when he saw a cloud of dust rising down theroad, and presently a carriage, drawn by a pair of magnificent horses,came tearing towards him. At the sound of the carriage the landlordhurried out, and stood beside Derrick, waitingly. The vehicle was ofSpanish build, but had a touch of something English about it, and seatedin it was an elderly lady, dressed in the local fashion.

  There was something in her appearance so arresting that Derrick woke upfully and leant forward to peer at her; as she came nearer he saw thatshe was not so old as he had thought; for though her hair wassnow-white, her dark eyes were bright and lustrous; she was very paleand there were deep lines on her face, which must, in her youth, havebeen exceedingly beautiful, and was even now handsome, though thin andcareworn. She was leaning back, almost reclining, with an air at oncegraceful and haughty; it was evident to Derrick that she was a personageof some importance, and he was not surprised to see the landlord whipoff his hat and bow low, with a gesture of extreme deference.

  "Who is that?" asked Derrick, with an interest and curiosity whichsurprised himself.

  The landlord lifted his swarthy brows and, extending his huge hands withan expression of pitying surprise, demanded of Derrick where he had comefrom that he did not know Donna Elvira.

  "The lady of the ranch?" said Derrick, excusing his deplorable ignoranceby explaining, as well as he could, that he had come from a distance.

  "Donna Elvira of--all the senor sees!" exclaimed the landlord, with asweep of his hand which included all the earth in view. "The rich, theall-powerful senora. Her _estancia_ is on the other side of the hill. Itis magnificent, superb, worthy of so great an Excelencia. The senorshould trouble himself so far as to view it. It was probable that herExcellency might consent to see the senor, for it was well known thatthe Donna Elvira was good to all strangers--especially foreigners," headded, nodding encouragingly at Derrick.

  Derrick declared himself grateful for the suggestion, and, with greaterinterest, asked if he could be permitted to wash himself. With thecourtesy of his nation, the landlord led him to an outhouse providedroughly with means of ablution, and Derrick enjoyed a thorough goodwash; then, feeling quite another man, he set off towards the ranch andthe house of the overseer.

  Jose, the overseer, received Derrick with Spanish politeness, andlistened phlegmatically to his request for employment; and, in response,informed Derrick that his experience was insufficient; and Derrick,receiving the verdict, was limping away, when a little dog came boundingdown the road which wound from the great house to the overseer's lodge.It yapped round Derrick's legs; then suddenly its bark turned to asqueal and it held up one paw and regarded, with an eye of entreaty, theface of the man at whom it had been yapping.

  Derrick knew what had happened, and sought for the thing which had runinto its foot. He found the thorn, and, not being able to extract itwith his fingers, seated himself on the bank, and took out hispen-knife. As he did so, the white-haired lady came, with stately step,round the bend; she glanced at Derrick, but passed him and went to DonJose.

  "I want to speak to you," she said. "But who is that man, and what is hedoing with Pepito?"

  Don Jose explained. Donna Elvira spoke for a few minutes longer; thenshe turned and walked towards the house. By this time Derrick hadperformed the surgical operation on Pepito, and was about to set himdown, when the lady stopped and said:

  "What is the matter with my dog, senor?"

  "It was,"--began Derrick, in Spanish; then, as he did not know theSpanish word, he concluded, in English, "a thorn."

  Donna Elvira started, but so slightly that the involuntary movement ofsurprise was unnoticed by Derrick. "You are English?" she said, in hisown language.

  "Yes, my lady," replied Derrick.

  Pepito's foot still hurt him, and, with extreme sorrow for himself, heturned over on his back.

  "He is still in pain," said Donna Elvira. "Will the senor oblige me bycarrying him to the house?"

  Derrick picked up Pepito and followed the tall and stately figure up thedrive. Presently they came in sight of
the _casa_. Donna Elvira ascendedslowly the broad steps of the verandah and seated herself in asatin-cushioned rocking-chair. She was silent and immovable for so longa space that Derrick was inclined to think that she had really forgottenhis presence; then, slowly, she turned her head and looked at him, witha kind of masked scrutiny.

  "What is your name, and whence do you come, senor?" she asked, in avoice which was low and grave.

  Derrick told her that his name was Sydney Green, and that he came fromLondon.

  "To seek your fortune here, as so many English do?" she inquired.

  "For that--and other reasons, my lady--I mean, senora," replied Derrick.

  "And you have not found it?" she said, with a glance at his worn clothesand haggard face.

  Derrick shrugged his shoulders; there was no need for words.

  "It is often so," remarked Donna Elvira. "There are many English here inthis country. Was it wise to leave your native land--your parents, forall the ills that might befall you in a strange country?"

  "It was not," admitted Derrick, with a smile.

  At the smile, which transformed his face, Donna Elvira's long,exquisitely-shaped hands closed spasmodically on the arms of the chairand a strange expression flashed for an instant across her face; it wasan expression almost of fear, of the suddenly-awakened memory of a thingpainful, poignant. The expression lasted only for an instant; the next,her face was quite calm again.

  "Had you quarrelled with your parents?" she asked, with a kind of politeinterest.

  "I have no parents," said Derrick; "they are dead."

  She was silent for a moment; then she said:

  "That is sad; but death is the common lot." There was another pause;then she said: "Don Jose tells me that you are seeking employment, butthat he could find you none. Will you tell me what it is that you havedone, the work you were accustomed to do?"

  "Well, I've been all sorts of things," said Derrick, reluctantly enough."By profession I'm an engineer, I suppose; but----" He paused. "Well, Ihad a stroke of bad luck in England, and I had to leave it and chuck upmy profession. Since then I've been a jack-of-all-trades."

  "What you have told me has interested me," Donna Elvira said. "Besides,"she added, "I have been in England--I had friends there. It is becauseof this that I desire to help you, senor. You say that you are anengineer. I think there should be work for you here on the _estancia_;there is machinery." Derrick sat up with a sudden lightening of theheart. "We have to send to a distance, sometimes as far as Buenos Ayres,when we need repairs. Do you think you can undertake this work?Besides--you are well educated, of course, as is the English fashion forgentlemen?"

  "I'm afraid not," said Derrick. "Unfortunately, it is not the fashion togive the English gentleman a good education. The other fellows at theBoard school get that; but I can read and write, and keep accounts--atleast, I think so," he added.

  "It is sufficient," said Donna Elvira. "Consider yourself engaged,senor. As to the salary----"

  "Pardon!" interjected Derrick, with a grin. "Wouldn't it be better tosee whether I'm worth anything more than my board and lodging before wespeak of salary, senora?"

  "We will consider," rejoined the Donna Elvira; then she looked straightbefore her again, with an impassive countenance, with so vacant a gazethat Derrick felt that she had forgotten him once more. While he waswaiting to be further addressed or dismissed, he studied the pale andstill beautiful face. He was so lost in conjecturing the past of thisstately lady, living in solitude in this vast house, mistress of a greatestate and enormous wealth, that he almost started when, waking from herreverie, she said:--

  "I will talk with you further, senor. Meanwhile, will you go to mymajor-domo?"

  Derrick bowed and turned away; but as he was descending the steps shespoke again, and in a voice that, as it seemed to him, quaveredslightly.

  "You will be good enough to return to me in an hour, senor?"

  Derrick bowed again, and went in search of the major-domo. A servant ledhim through the hall of the house to a small room, where sat theindividual of whom he was in quest; but, before he had begun to try toexplain his presence in broken Spanish, a servant came hurrying in and,with a muttered apology, the major-domo sprang up and hastened off. Hereturned after awhile, and, beckoning to Derrick, led him to a bedroom.

  "Yours, senor, by her Excellency's instructions." He disappeared, butpresently returned and laid a pile of clothes on the bed with another,"Yours, senor. I will await you."

  With a feeling of bewilderment, of unreality, Derrick changed into thefresh clothes slowly, eyeing and touching them as if he suspectedsomething of magic in them.

  A little while afterwards the major-domo appeared and led him into aluxuriously-furnished room. Donna Elvira was reclining in a chair; sheinclined her head slightly and motioned him to be seated opposite her.At his entrance she had shot one swift glance at him, her brows haddrawn together, and her lips had quivered; but now she sat calmly, herhands clasped tightly in her lap. Derrick was the first to speak.

  "I want to thank you, senora, for your great kindness to me," he said,with all a man's awkwardness. "It is all the greater because I am astranger, a man you know nothing about----"

  He paused at this, and his face grew red, for the story of the forgedcheque flashed across his mind.

  She raised her eyes and looked at him.

  "It is nothing," she said, in a low voice. "One in my position learns tojudge men and women by their faces, their voices. Besides, I have toldyou that I have been in England, and I know when one is a gentleman.But, if you wish, if you think you would like me to know more, you maytell me--just what you please." There was a slight pause. "For instance,your father--was he an engineer, like yourself?"

  Derrick leant back and crossed his legs, and looked, not at the paleface before him, but at the floor, and his brows were knit.

  "It will sound strange to you, senora," he said, slowly, "but I don'tknow what my father was--not even what kind of a man he was. I never sawhim--to remember him."

  "He died--when you were young?" asked Donna Elvira.

  "Yes," assented Derrick, "and my mother, too. They must have been fairlywell off--not poor, I mean--for they left me, or, rather, the people inwhose charge they placed me, sufficient money to bring me up and educateme, and enable me to gain a profession."

  A shaded lamp stood on a table at the side of Donna Elvira's chair. Asif she found the light oppressive, she moved the lamp farther back, sothat her face was completely in the shade.

  "You lived in England; you were brought up there?" she said, still inthe same impassive voice.

  "Yes," said Derrick. "I lived in London, with my guardian--with thepeople who took care of me--until they died. Then I went to a place inthe country, a quiet place where I could study with less interruptionthan one gets in London."

  "You were all alone--I mean, you had no relatives?" asked Donna Elvira.

  "No," said Derrick, gravely; and, after a pause, he added: "You willthink this strange, too, senora--I know nothing, literally nothing, ofmy family. It is just possible that I have no relations. There are suchcases. Anyway, though of course I asked the usual questions of myguardians, they could, or would, tell me nothing. Perhaps they didn'tknow. All I could learn was that they had known my mother quiteslightly--and that they had been much surprised when I was brought tothem with the request that they would adopt me."

  "Do you desire to tell me, senor, why you left England?" asked DonnaElvira.

  "Yes; I want to," said Derrick, after a moment or two's silence. "I feelas if I wanted to confide in someone. Perhaps it's because you've beenso kind to me, have--well, taken me on trust. But I'm afraid I can'ttell you, senora. You see, other persons are mixed up with the affair.Let it go at this--I beg your pardon, I mean I hope you will besatisfied if I confine myself to saying that I got into trouble overthere in England."

  "Trouble?" She knitted her brows. "You mean--what do you mean?"

  "There you are!" said Derrick, w
ith a shrug of despair. "I was accusedof--well, something that I didn't do, but to which I couldn't pleadinnocence."

  Donna Elvira regarded him closely.

  "You shall tell me no more," she said, "but this: You have no other namethan the one you have given me?"

  Derrick's thoughts had wandered to the little room at Brown's Buildings,and he answered, absently:--

  "No; just Derrick Dene."

  The stately figure leant forward swiftly, almost as if it had beenpulled towards him by an unseen hand. Then Donna Elvira rose, and, inrising, her hand struck and overturned the light table; the lamp fell,the room was plunged in darkness. She uttered a cry; Derrick sprangtowards her and caught her in his arms, for he feared that the fallinglamp might have set fire to the dress of lace and muslin. He swung theslight figure away from the point of danger, and she seemed to collapsein his arms and cling to him.

  "It's all right," said Derrick, in the tone he would have used to anEnglishwoman of his acquaintance. "Don't be frightened. You're notalight; you're all right."

  As he spoke, still holding her, he reached forward and caught hold ofthe old-fashioned bell-rope; the major-domo rushed in, calling forlights. When they were brought by the startled servants, Donna Elvirawas standing away from him, gripping the back of the chair. Her face wasas white as the driven snow, her lids drooped as if she had recoveredfrom a swoon, her lips were quivering. As Derrick, horribly frightenedby her death-like pallor, made a movement towards her, she stretched outher hand and her lips formed, rather than spoke, the words, "Go! Go!"

  Her woman in attendance hurried towards her mistress; and Derrick,seeing that he could be of no further use, obeyed the command and leftthe room.