CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
A MUTUAL MISAPPREHENSION.
Luisa Valverde and Ysabel Almonte were fast friends--so fondly intimatethat scarcely a day passed without their seeing one another andexchanging confidences. They lived in the same street; the Condesahaving a house of her own, though nominally owned by her grand-aunt andguardian. For, besides being beautiful and possessed of a title--one ofthe few still found in Mexico, relics of the old _regime_--YsabelAlmonte was immensely rich; had houses in the city, _haciendas_ in thecountry, property everywhere. She had a will of her own as well, andspent her wealth according to her inclinations, which were all on theside of generosity, even to caprice. By nature a lighthearted, joyouscreature, gay and merry, as one of the bright birds of her country, itwas a rare thing to see sadness upon her face. And yet Luisa Valverde,looking down from the mirador, saw that now. There was a troubledexpression upon it, excitement in her eyes, attitude, and gestures,while her bosom rose and fell in quick pulsations. True, she had run upthe _escalera_--a stair of four flights--without pause or rest; and thatmight account for her laboured breathing. But not for the flush on hercheek, and the sparkle in her eyes. These came from a different cause,though the same one which had carried her up the long stairway withoutpausing to take breath.
She had not enough now left to declare it; but stood panting andspeechless.
"_Madre de Dios_!" exclaimed her friend in an accent of alarm. "What isit, Ysabel?"
"_Madre de Dios_! I say too," gasped the Condesa. "Oh, Luisita! whatdo you think?"
"What?"
"They've taken him--they have him in prison!"
"He lives then--still lives! Blessed be the Virgin!"
Saying which Luisa Valverde crossed her arms over her breast, and witheyes raised devotionally towards heaven, seemed to offer up a mute, butfervent thanksgiving.
"Still lives!" echoed the Condesa, with a look of mingled surprise andperplexity.
"Of course he does; surely you did not think he was dead!"
"Indeed I knew not what to think--so long since I saw or heard of him.Oh, I'm so glad he's here, even though in a prison; for while there'slife there's hope."
By this the Condesa had recovered breath, though not composure ofcountenance. Its expression alone was changed from the look of troubleto one of blank astonishment. What could her friend mean? Why glad ofhis being in a prison? For all the while she was thinking of a _him_.
"Hope!" she ejaculated again as an echo, then remaining silent, andlooking dazed-like.
"Yes, Ysabel; I had almost despaired of him. But are you sure they havehim here in prison? I was in fear that he had been killed in battle, ordied upon the march, somewhere in those great prairies of Texas--"
"_Carramba_!" interrupted the young Countess, who, free of speech, wasaccustomed to interlarding it with her country forms of exclamation."What's all this about prairies and Texas? So far as I know, Rupertowas never there in his life."
"Ruperto!" echoed the other, the joy which had so suddenly lit up herfeatures as suddenly returning to shadow. "I thought you were speakingof Florencio."
They understood each other now. Long since had their love secrets beenmutually confessed; and Luisa Valverde needed no telling who Rupertowas. Independent of what she had lately learned from the Condesa, sheknew him to be a gentleman of good family, a soldier of some reputation;but who--as once her own father--had the misfortune to belong to theparty now out of power; many of them in exile, or retired upon theirestates in the country--for the time taking no part in politics. As forhimself, he had not been lately seen in the city of Mexico, though itwas said he was still in the country; as rumour had it, hiding awaysomewhere among the mountains. And rumour went further, even to thedefiling of his fair name. There were reports of his having become arobber, and that, under another name, he was now chief of a band of_salteadores_, whose deeds were oft heard of on the Acapulco Road, wherethis crosses the mountains near that place of many murders--the CruzdelMarques.
Nothing of this sinister tale, however, had reached the ears of DonIgnacio's daughter. Nor till that day--indeed that very hour--had she,more interested in him, heard aught of it. Hence much of the wildexcitement under which she was labouring.
"Forgive me, Ysabel!" said her friend, opening her arms, and receivingthe Countess in sympathetic embrace; "forgive me for the mistake I havemade."
"Nay, 'tis I who should ask forgiveness," returned the other, seeing themisapprehension her words had caused, with their distressing effect. "Iought to have spoken plainer. But you know how much my thoughts havebeen dwelling on dear Ruperto."
She did know, or should, judging by herself, and how hers had beendwelling on dear Florencio.
"But, Ysabel: you say they made him a prisoner! Who has done that, andwhy?"
"The soldiers of the State. As to why, you can easily guess. Becausehe belongs to the party of Liberals. That's why, and nothing else. Butthey don't say so. I've something more to tell you. Would you believeit, Luisita, that they accuse him of being a _salteador_?"
"I can believe him accused of it--some of those in power now are wickedenough for anything--but not guilty. You remember we were acquaintedwith Don Ruperto, before that sad time when we were compelled to leavethe country. I should say he would be the last man to stain hischaracter by becoming a robber."
"The very last man! Robber indeed! My noble Ruperto the purest ofpatriots, purer than any in this degenerate land. _Ay-de-mi_!"
"Where did they take him, and when?"
"Somewhere near San Augustin, and I think, several days ago, though I'veonly just heard of it."
"Strange that. As you know, I've been staying at San Augustin for thelast week or more; and there was no word of such a thing there."
"Not likely there would be; it was all done quietly. Don Ruperto hasbeen living out that way up in the mountains, hiding, if you choose tocall it. I know where, but no matter. Too brave to be cautious he hadcome down to San Augustin. Some one betrayed him, and going back he waswaylaid by the soldiers, surrounded, and made prisoner. There must havebeen a whole host of them, else they'd never have taken him so easily.I'm sure they wouldn't and couldn't."
"And where is he now, Ysabel?"
"In prison, as I've told you."
"But what prison?"
"That's just what I'm longing to know. All I've ye heard is that he'sin a prison under the accusation of being a highwayman. _Santissima_!"she added, angrily stamping her tiny foot on the tesselated flags."They who accuse him shall rue it. He shall be revenged on them. I'llsee justice done him myself. Ah! that will I, though it costs me allI'm worth. Only to think--Ruperto a robber! My Ruperto! _Valga meDios_!"
By this, the two had mounted up into the mirador--the Senorita Valverdehaving come down to receive her visitor. And there, the first flurry ofexcitement over, they talked more tranquilly, or at all events, moreintelligibly of the affairs mutually affecting them. In those there wasmuch similarity, indeed, in many respects a parallelism. Yet thefeelings with which they regarded them were diametrically opposite. Oneknew that her lover was in prison, and grieved at it; the other hopedhers might be the same, and would have been glad of it!
A strange dissimilitude of which the reader has the key.
Beyond what she had already said, the Condesa had little more tocommunicate, and in her turn became the questioner.
"I can understand now, _amiga mia_, why you spoke of Don Florencio. TheTejano prisoners have arrived, and you are thinking he's amongst them?That's so, is it not?"
"Not thinking, but hoping it, Ysabel."
"Have you taken any steps to ascertain?"
"I have."
"In what way?"
"I've sent a messenger to Tacubaya, where I'm told they've been taken."
"Not all. Some of them have been sent elsewhere. One party, I believe,is shut up in the Acordada."
"What! in that fearful place? among those horrid wretches--t
he worstcriminals we have! The Tejans are soldiers--prisoners of war. Surelythey do not deserve such treatment?"
"Deserve it or not, some of them are receiving it. That grandgentleman, Colonel Carlos Santander--your friend by the way--told meso."
The mention of Santander's name, but more a connection with the subjectspoken of, produced a visible effect on Luisa Valverde. Her cheekseemed to pale and suddenly flashed red again. Well she remembered, andvividly recalled, the old enmity between him and Don Florencio. Toowell, and a circumstance of most sinister recollection as matters stoodnow. She had thought of it before; was thinking of it all the time, andtherefore the words of the Condesa started no new train of reflection.They but intensified the fear she had already felt, for a time holdingher speechless.
Not noticing this, and without waiting a rejoinder, the other ran on,still interrogating:
"Whom have you trusted with this delicate mission, may I ask?"
"Only Jose?"
"Well; Jose, from what I've seen of him, is worthy of the trust. Thatis so far as honesty is concerned, and possibly cleverness. But, _amigamia_, he's only a humble servitor, and out there in Tacubaya, among thegarrison soldiers, or if it be in any of the prisons, he may experiencea little difficulty in obtaining the information you seek. Did you givehim any money to make matters easy?"
"He has my purse with him, with permission to use it as he may seebest."
"Ah! then you may safely expect his bringing back a good account, or atall events one that will settle the question you wish to have settled.Your purse should be a key to Don Florencio's prison--if he be insideone anywhere in Mexico."
"Oh! I hope he is."
"Wishing your _amanti_ in a prison! That would sound strange enough, ifone didn't understand it."
"I'd give anything to know him there--all I have to be assured he stilllives."
"Likely enough you'll soon hear. When do you expect your messenger tobe back?"
"At any moment. He's been gone many hours ago. I was watching for himwhen you came up--yonder on the Tacubaya Road. I see nothing of himyet, but he may have passed while we've been talking."
"_Muy amiga mia_! How much our doings this day have been alike. I,too, have despatched a messenger to find out all about Ruperto, and amnow awaiting his return. I ran across to tell you of it. And now thatwe're together let us stay till we know the worst or the best. God helpus both; for, to make use of the phrase I've heard among _marineros_,we're `both in the same boat.' What is this?" she added, stooping, andtaking up the gilded card which had been all the while lying upon thefloor. "Oh, indeed! Invitation to an airing in one of the Statecarriages--with such a pretty compliment appended! How free ElExcellentissimo is with his flattery. For myself I detest both him andit. You'll go, won't you?"
"I don't wish it."
"No matter about wishing; I want you. And so will your father, I'msure."
"But why do you want me?"
"Why, so that you may take me with you."
"I would rather wait till I hear what father says."
"That's all I ask, _amiga_. I shall be contented with his dictum, nowfeeling sure--"
She was interrupted by the pattering of feet upon the stone stairway;two pairs of them, which told that two individuals were ascending. Theheavy tread proclaimed them to be men. Presently their faces showedover the baluster rail, and another step brought them upon the roof.Both ladies regarding them with looks of eager inquiry, glided down outof the mirador to meet them.
For they were the two messengers that had been despatched separately,though on errands so very similar.
Returning, they had met by the front door, and entered the housetogether. Each having had orders to deliver his report, and withoutdelay, was now acting in obedience to them.
Two and two they stood upon the azotea,--the men, hat in hand, stood infront of their respective mistresses; not so far apart, but that eachmistress might have heard what the servant of the other said; for ontheir part there was no wish or reason for concealment.
"Senorita," reported Jose, "the gentleman you sent me to inquire aboutis not in Tacubaya."
Almost a cry came from Luisa Valverde's lips, as with paled cheek, shesaid,--"You've not heard of him, then?" But the colour quickly returnedat the answer,--"I have, Senorita; more, I have seen him."
"Seen Don Florencio! Where? Speak, quick, Jose!"
"In the Acordada!"
"In the Acordada!" in still another voice--that of the Condesa speakingin a similar tone, as though it were an echo; for she, too, had justbeen told that her lover was in the same gaol.
"I saw him in a cell, my lady," continued the Countess's man, now takingprecedence. "They had him coupled to another prisoner--a Tejano."
"He was in one of the cells, Senorita," spoke Jose, also continuing hisreport, "chained to a robber."