第26章

"I have written to him," continued Don Jose, with unheeding gravity; "have appealed to him as a friend, I have conjured him as a caballero, I have threatened him even as a champion of the Right, I have said to him, in effect--that this must not be as it is.I have informed him that I have made an appointment with you even at this house, and I challenged him to meet you here--in this room-- even at this instant, and, with God's help, we should make good our charges against him.It is yet early; I have allowed time for the lateness of the stage and the fact that he will come by another conveyance.Therefore, O Dona Dewdrop, tremble not like thy namesake as it were on the leaf of apprehension and expectancy.I, Don Jose, am here to protect thee.I will take these charges"-- gently withdrawing the manuscripts from her astonished grasp-- "though even, as I related to thee before, I want them not, yet we will together confront him with them and make them good against him.""Are you mad?" demanded the lady in almost stentorious accents, "or is this an unmanly hoax?" Suddenly she stopped in undeniable consternation."Good heavens," she muttered, "if Abner should believe this.He is SUCH a fool! He has lately been queer and jealous.Oh dear!" she said, turning to Polly Jenkinson with the first indication of feminine weakness, "Is he telling the truth? is he crazy? what shall I do?"Polly Jenkinson, who had witnessed the interview with the intensest enjoyment, now rose equal to the occasion.

"You have made a mistake," she said, uplifting her demure blue eyes to Don Jose's dark and melancholy gaze. "This lady is a POETESS! Thesufferings she depicts, the sorrows she feels, are in the IMAGINATION, in her fancy only.""Ah!" said Don Jose gloomily; "then it is all false.""No," said Polly quickly, "only they are not her OWN, you know.They are somebody elses. She only describes them for another, don't you see?""And who, then, is this unhappy one?" asked the Don quickly."Well--a--friend," stammered Polly, hesitatingly.

"A friend!" repeated Don Jose."Ah, I see, of possibility a dear one, even," he continued, gazing with tender melancholy into the untroubled cerulean depths of Polly's eyes, "even, but no, child, it could not be! THOU art too young.""Ah," said Polly, with an extraordinary gulp and a fierce nudge of the poetess, "but it WAS me.""You, Senorita," repeated Don Jose, falling back in an attitude of mingled admiration and pity. "You, the child of Jenkinson!""Yes, yes," joined in the poetess hurriedly; "but that isn't going to stop the consequences of your wretched blunder.My husband will be furious, and will be here at any moment. Good gracious! what is that?"The violent slamming of a distant door at that instant, the sounds of quick scuffling on the staircase, and the uplifting of an irate voice had reached her ears and thrown her back in the arms of Polly Jenkinson.Even the young girl herself turned an anxious gaze towards the door.Don Jose alone was unmoved.

"Possess yourselves in peace, Senoritas," he said calmly."We have here only the characteristic convalescence of my friend and brother, the excellent Roberto.He will ever recover himself from drink with violence, even as he precipitates himself into it with fury.He has been prematurely awakened. I will discover the cause."With an elaborate bow to the frightened women, he left the room.Scarcely had the door closed when the poetess turned quickly to Polly."The man's a stark staring lunatic, but, thank Heaven, Abner will see it at once.And now let's get away while we can.To think," she said, snatching up her scattered manuscripts, "that THAT was all the beast wanted.""I'm sure he's very gentle and kind," said Polly, recovering her dimples with a demure pout; "but stop, he's coming back."It was indeed Don Jose re-entering the room with the composure of a relieved and self-satisfied mind."It is even as I said, Senora," he began, taking the poetess's hand,--"and MORE. You are SAVED!"As the women only stared at each other, he gravely folded his arms and continued: "I will explain.For the instant I have not remember that, in imitation of your own delicacy, I have given to your husband in my letter, not the name of myself, but, as a mere Don Fulano, the name of my brother Roberto--'Bucking Bob.' Your husband have this moment arrive! Penetrating the bedroom of the excellent Roberto, he has indiscreetly seize him in his bed, without explanation, without introduction, without fear! The excellent Roberto, ever ready for such distractions, have respond! In a word, to use the language of the good Jenkinson--our host, our father-- who was present, he have 'wiped the floor with your husband,' and have even carried him down the staircase to the street.Believe me, he will not return. You are free!""Fool! Idiot! Crazy beast!" said the poetess, dashing past him and out of the door. "You shall pay for this!"Don Jose did not change his imperturbable and melancholy calm."And now, little one," he said, dropping on one knee before the half- frightened Polly, "child of Jenkinson, now that thy perhaps too excitable sponsor has, in a poet's caprice, abandoned thee for some newer fantasy, confide in me thy distress, to me, thy Knight, and tell the story of thy sorrows.""But," said Polly, rising to her feet and struggling between a laugh and a cry."I haven't any sorrows.Oh dear! don't you see, it's only her FANCY to make me seem so. There's nothing the matter with me.""Nothing the matter," repeated Don Jose slowly."You have no distress? You want no succor, no relief, no protector? This, then, is but another delusion!" he said, rising sadly.

"Yes, no--that is--oh, my gracious goodness!" said Polly, hopelessly divided between a sense of the ridiculous and some strange attraction in the dark, gentle eyes that were fixed upon her half reproachfully. "Youdon't understand."

Don Jose replied only with a melancholy smile, and then going to the door, opened it with a bowed head and respectful courtesy.At the act, Polly plucked up courage again, and with it a slight dash of her old audacity.

"I'm sure I'm very sorry that I ain't got any love sorrows," she said demurely."And I suppose it's very dreadful in me not to have been raving and broken-hearted over somebody or other as that woman has said.Only," she waited till she had gained the secure vantage of the threshold, "I never knew a gentleman to OBJECT to it before!"With this Parthian arrow from her blue eyes she slipped into the passage and vanished through the door of the opposite parlor.For an instant Don Jose remained motionless and reflecting.Then, recovering himself with grave precision, he deliberately picked up his narrow black gloves from the table, drew them on, took his hat in his hand, and solemnly striding across the passage, entered the door that had just closed behind her.