CHAPTER XVII.--_Dona Josefa at Home._
Don Mariano had only said, "What is the plan?" a very natural and simpleinquiry, and yet it threw Clarence into something of a flutter, as itflashed vividly before his mind that the said _plan_ was based entirelyupon the fate of the Texas Pacific Railroad, and that as a naturalsequence it depended upon the wisdom, the moral sense and patriotism ofCongress. If Congress acted right and did its duty as the mentor,guardian and trustee of the people, all would be well. But would it?Would it, indeed? The past promised nothing to the future, judging bythe light of Don Mariano's experience. But why should the Texas Pacificnot be granted aid? The public treasure had been lavished to help theCentral Pacific, a northern road--why should the southern people not beentitled to the same privilege? These thoughts flashed throughClarence's mind before he answered, then he said, somewhat timidly:
"The plan is to establish a bank in San Diego, with Mr. George Mechlinfor President, and Don Gabriel for Cashier. The only drawback is, ofcourse, the delay there might be in constructing the Texas PacificRailroad--the delay in the growth of San Diego. As yet, however, we arehopeful, and the prospect seems good."
"The prospect is perfectly good, and I would have entire confidence init, if the fate of the railroad did not depend upon right and justlegislation. The Congressmen from the north do not seem to feel all theinterest they should in reviving the south. They are angry yet. The factthat they coerced back into the Union the southern people has notappeased them yet, it seems. I wish Tom Scott would build his roadwithout Congressional aid. The success of your banking project must, ofcourse, depend upon the amount of population in San Diego."
"Undoubtedly. And if there is no railroad, there will be no population.But Mr. Mechlin and myself are ready with our money, and with the leastencouraging sign we start our bank. I think we will begin at first withtwo hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Mechlin says he can subscribetwenty-five or thirty thousand dollars, and I will put the balance in,subscribing thirty thousand for Don Gabriel, twenty-five thousand forVictoriano and twenty-five thousand for Everett, with ninety thousandfor myself."
"You must be prudent in incurring risks."
"I am. I have more than two hundred thousand that I can put in this bankwithout troubling my government bonds or my farm."
Clarence then explained to Don Mariano his financial affairs.
Don Mariano smiled as he said: "I had no idea you were so well off."
"I expect to make a fortune out of my Arizona mines," said he, laughing.
"Take care. Do not put any of your government bonds in them."
"Indeed, I shall not. The interest on those bonds gives me nearlythirty-five thousand dollars per year, and this income is for--" hereClarence blushed and was silent.
"To take care of your wife," Don Mariano said.
"Yes, sir; for that alone. But do you think Dona Josefa will object tome after you explain my position?"
"As her only objection is that she thinks you are squatters, she wouldbe very unreasonable should she hold the same objections after she knowsthat you are not."
"You make me very happy telling me that. I hope you will let me knowsoon what answer she gives to you."
"Certainly. You can come to-morrow."
"I have some little packages that Mrs. Mechlin sends. I can bring themthis evening--the ladies might wish to see the contents."
"Of course, they will. They wouldn't be women if they didn't. They'llwant you to relate all the incidents of the voyage, too, and the trip tothe Yosemite. If you can, come this evening. I'll tell them you arecoming."
"Thank you, sir."
Everett and Victoriano overtook them now as they entered the valley.
"Say, Clary," Everett called out, "don't you want to get out here andchange seats with Tano?"
"I'll take him home," Don Mariano answered; and they all drove towardthe Darrell house.
At the door were Mr. Darrell and Alice. Immediately after, Darrell cameout to greet his son. He was rather cordial to Don Mariano, and askedhim to come in and take lunch. This was so very unexpected to all hishearers, that, with the exception of Don Mariano, all showed theirsurprise. This kind invitation, however, was politelydeclined--whereupon Victoriano, pretending to feel slighted because hewas not invited, tossed his head at Clarence and Everett, and marchedmajestically towards his father's carriage.
Everett overtook him, and would not let him get in, insisting upon hisremaining to luncheon. Victoriano then indicating that he was entirelypacified, remained, perfectly happy, knowing his seat would be nearAlice, and that was the allurement, but he said to Tisha, as she came toset a plate for him:
"Your cooking is so good, Tisha, that I always come sneaking around,begging for an invitation, for I am sure you have something nice to giveus."
"La massa! and right welcome ye are, too, by everybody in this 'erefamily, and I knows it exactly."
And Tisha winked to herself in the pantry, indicating to the crockery onthe shelves that she knew why Massa Tano liked her cooking, "and MissAlice knows it, God bless her," said Tisha, nodding her head to the rowsof preserves and pickle jars, in sheer exultation, for there was nothingso interesting to Tisha on the face of the earth as a love affair.
"_All the world love the lover_," says Emerson, and Tisha could certifyto this aphoristic truth, for who more humble than Tisha? And yet herheart went headlong to the lover, whoever he might be. Therefore, a loveaffair in the Darrell family was to Tisha perfectly entrancing. She hadbeen in a state of undefined bliss ever since her perceptive organs andother means of information had indicated to her that _Clarence was inlove_! She had taken upon herself to watch and see that the affairprogressed and ended happily.
In the evening Clarence proceeded to deliver the packages sent by Elvirato her mother and sisters.
With beating heart he timidly ascended the steps of the front veranda ofthe Alamar house, for he did not feel entirely certain that DonaJosefa's objections would be withdrawn. He was not kept in suspenseabout the matter, however, as now, preceded by woolly Milord, thehandsome matron herself came forward to meet him, extending her hand inwelcome most gracious. She never had seemed to him so handsome, soregally beautiful. He thought that he had been right in imagining Junomust have looked like her. And when she smiled, as she extended her handto him, he thought that such was surely the smile, the manner and thebeauty of a goddess.
"I am so glad to welcome you, Mr. Darrell," said she, "and knowing thatyou wish to speak to me, and as I, too, wish to speak with you alone, Ithought I would meet you here by myself."
Milord barked, wagged his tail in token of friendship, and sat up tolisten.
"You are very kind," Clarence said, placing the packages on a table nearhim, not knowing, however, what else to say.
"Sit down," Dona Josefa said, pushing one of the large arm-chairs forClarence to sit near. "And let me begin our conversation by apologizingfor the very wrong, very unjust opinion I have had of you. Believe me,it gives me great pleasure to know I was mistaken."
Her voice, her manner, were more gracious than her words, and Clarencethought that it was not to be wondered that the daughters were so verycharming.
"I am the one who should apologize," he hastened to reply; "I ought tohave asked Don Mariano to explain my position to you before."
"I wish you had, for that would have saved us many anxious thoughts. Butlet us not regret the past too much, only enough to cause us toappreciate the present. I understand how you felt, not wishing to seemdisrespectful to your father, and yet not agreeing with him."
"It has been the source of very painful feelings to me to see my fatherso misled, but I have found very great comfort in the fact that mymother agrees with me. She told me she would never come down if I didnot pay for the land."
"Yes; Mariano told me this, and I beg of you to convey to her my regretsat having been in error about this matter. Will you do so, please?"
"Certainly, madam; with great pleasure."
"I trust that her good influence will be of great assistance to you inpersuading your father to change his views."
"Yes, I hope so; in fact, I feel pretty sure that, more or less warmly,all of my brothers and sisters will agree with me, especially Everettand Alice. Another fact, also, is in my favor, that my father promisedto Don Mariano, when he first took up the land, that he would pay for itif the Courts decided against the settlers. That promise, I think, willhave a good effect, for he always keeps his word. When the appeal isdismissed I shall remind him of it. In the meantime I shall watch myopportunities to conciliate him, for I feel sure he will resent myhaving paid for the land without his consent."
"That is a pity. I am very sorry for that."
"It is unpleasant that he should take so decided a view of so clear asubject, but I feel perfectly justified in acting as I did. What I doregret sincerely is that you and--and Miss Mercedes should not haveknown the truth sooner," said Clarence, reddening to the roots of hishair, for he felt that he was touching on most delicate ground; withanxious, beating heart he waited for her reply.
Her face flushed a little. Was it pride, or was it because the heart ofwoman must always flutter when in her presence the subject of love isapproached, in which ever direction it may be, and no matter if thesnows of eighty winters rest placidly on her brow? Love is woman'sspecial province--she has, or has had, or will have, power there. Manmight take, and absolutely appropriate, monopolize and exclude her frommoney-making, from politics and from many other pursuits, made difficultto her by man's tyranny, man's hindrances, man's objections--but in therealms of love he is not the absolute dictator, not the master. He mustsue, he must wait, he must be patient. Yes, the lord of creation oftenhas to take snubbing quite meekly, for he can't help it.
Clarence knew all this, but he saw Dona Josefa smile, and grew brave.
"Yes; Mercedes, poor child, was very unhappy, and it went to my heartlike a knife to send her away, but I deemed it to be my duty--I hoped itwould be for the best."
"And so it was. You did right."
"Yes, but it did not enter into my calculations that you were to jump onboard the steamer," said she, laughing.
Clarence's face and ears became crimson.
"I hope you have forgiven me for it," he stammered.
"I suppose I must," said she, still laughing.
"I assure you I had no idea of doing such a thing, but when I saw hergoing I didn't care what I did."
"And as you received some dispatches, you thought it was best todispatch other matters as well."
"But, after all, she left everything for _you_ to dispatch. My fate isin your hands."
It was now Dona Josefa's turn to blush.
"I thought that George and Mariano had decided that."
"No, indeed. It is all left to you. Please be merciful," he pleaded,feeling very nervous, for he heard steps and voices approaching fromthrough the hall.
"What shall I say?"
"Say _yes_."
"Yes," she said, smiling, with a kind look in her beautiful eyes.
He glanced quickly toward the front door, and seeing no one in sight,dropped on his knees, and seizing her hand, covered it with hurried andvehement kisses, saying:
"Thanks! thanks!"
And all before she knew what he was about.
"Impetuous boy! is that the way you rushed and assaulted my poor littleMercedes?" said she, laughing.
"You have said yes--God bless you for it."
"But, yes to what?"
"Ah! your heart will tell you."
"What is that? What about the heart?" asked Don Mariano, standing in thedoor. "This looks like love-making. I am interested. Let me hear alittle of it," said he, pulling after him a chair, to sit betweenClarence and his wife.
"It is love-making, only it is by proxy, and I am to guess at thingswithout being told," said she, still laughing.
Clarence was greatly embarrassed. He knew he had not formally asked forthe hand of Mercedes in the serious manner that the subject merited, buthe had been carried away by his fears, then by his hopes, and the matterwas launched before he could scarcely say how. When for months past hehad thought, time and again, of a probable interview with Dona Josefa,he had imagined himself talking to that queenly lady in his most statelySpanish. But now he had taken hold of Cervantes' language--I may say,jumped into it, just as he had jumped on the steamer's deck, thinking ofno difficulties in the way, except that they must be overcome in orderto reach Mercedes.
He gave a most appealing look to Don Mariano, whose kind heartimmediately responded by saying to his wife:
"If it is love-making, and you are to guess at it, there won't be muchdelay, for no woman was ever slow to guess such matters. I know _you_understood me very quickly."
"Hear him! but please do not learn such frightful lessons in vanity andconceit," said she, laughing again, but blushing also.
"I know she understood what I meant, when I would ride eighty miles onhorseback for the pleasure of serenading her. To do that, or jump aboardthe steamer after it is under way, means about the same thing, I think."
Don Mariano kept talking in that strain until Clarence recovered hiscomposure.
He then said: "I have been your ambassador before this queen, and hermajesty has granted your petition. So you have nothing more to do nowthan to fall on your knees and kiss her hands."
Whereupon, down went Clarence again on his knees, and seizing her hand,kissed it warmly and repeatedly, in spite of Dona Josefa'sprotestations, saying:
"That will do. Once is enough--once is enough. Reserve your kisses foryounger hands."
"I'll warrant he has plenty more in reserve," Don Mariano said,laughing.
And it was true, for Clarence was so happy that he could have kissed theentire Alamar family--all, all--irrespective of age or sex.
The days now passed pleasantly and peacefully enough at the Alamarrancho.
Don Mariano knew that he would have to go through many disagreeablescenes with the squatters when the appeal should be dismissed, but asthe law would be on his side _finally_, he confidently hoped to see theend of his troubles, intending to allow the squatters to keep theirhomes, provided only that they would fence their crops and pay their owntaxes.
Clarence reconciled himself to wait until the fall to take that ringwhich Mercedes had told him to bring himself. This would be the mostjudicious plan, as he would thus take the necessary time to have themines prospected and to decide about their purchase, before going to NewYork. In the meanwhile he worked in the garden, fenced and preparedground for planting grapevines and fruit trees. He read and wrote loveletters, and passed nearly all of his evenings at the Alamar house,holding Milord, who always came to be held by him as soon as he arrived.
The telegram from Fred Haverly came in due time, a few words only, buthow exhilarating they were to Clarence, making his pulse beat high.
It read thus:
"Prospect splendid. Far better than described. Have written to-day.Hurrah!"
Like the telegram, Fred's letter came promptly in the early part ofAugust.
The ledge was so wide, Fred said, that the miners had sunk theirprospect shaft in the center of the vein, and consequently all the rocktaken out was a high-grade ore. That he was going to run two drifts, andwould then have a more correct idea of the character of the mine, itsvolume, formation, etc. Only a small portion of the hanging wall wasvisible at the entrance, as the shaft went immediately into the veryheart of the broad vein.
"But," Fred added, "If the mine proves to be one-tenth as good as itseems, 'there are millions in it,' literally."
So Clarence must make up his mind to wait developments.
In the meantime the settlers had harvested their crops of hay and grain,and were hauling them to town. Don Mariano, as a matter of course, hadpaid dearly for these same crops, with the sacrifice of his fine cows,besides very heavy taxes. He had sent half of his cattle away to thesierra, and those left had been as carefully guarded
as possible, butstill the dumb brutes would be attracted by the green grain, and wouldobey the law of nature, to go and eat it, in utter disregard of the "nofence law."
Thus, every night the fusilade of the law-abiding settlers would beheard, as they, to protect _their_ "_rights under the law_," would beshooting the Don's cattle all over the rancho. In vain did he, or hissons and servants, ride out to find who fired. There was never a man tobe seen with a gun or rifle in his hands; it never could be proved thatany one of these peaceful farmers had fired a shot. The cattle werekilled, but who had done it no one could say. Day after day the_vaqueros_ would come in and report the number of cattle found shot,dead or wounded, that morning, and Gabriel would make a note of thenumber; at the end of the month he would add these figures, and the Donhad the sad satisfaction of knowing how many of his cattle were killed_under the law_. For although the law did not enjoin upon any one tokill cattle in this manner, the effect was the same as if it had said soplainly.
"I think Southern California isn't such a very dry country as people tryto make it out. The settlers on this rancho, I reckon, will realize nicelittle sums on their crops this year," Mr. Darrell observed at breakfastone morning.
"And with their little sums they should pay the Don for the cattle theyhave shot. It is a shame to take his land, have him pay taxes, and thenkill his cattle also," replied Mrs. Darrell. "Those heartless peoplekeep me awake sometimes with their cattle-shooting. I think the Don andhis family are too kind to bear all these daily (and nightly) outragesso patiently."
"I thought you had given it up as a bad job to be the Don's champion,Mrs. Darrell," said her husband.
"If by being his champion I could save his cattle there would be nodanger of giving up my championship. What I regret is that my sympathyshould be so useless."
"Never mind, mother, the Don will soon have the power to drive all this_canaille_ out of his rancho," Clarence said.
"Do you include me with the _canaille_?" asked Darrell.
"No, father, I do not. I suppose you have not forgotten you promised DonMariano to pay for the land you located when the title should beapproved."
"When there is no more _dispute_ about it," Darrell explained.
"I understood you had said that when the government did not dispute it.We all know that the squatters will dispute it as long as they can findlawyers, who for a fee will fight against right and justice," Clarencesaid.
"I will keep to what I said--but I am not going to have my wordsconstrued to suit everybody," Darrell said, doggedly.
"How is the Don to have power to drive off the settlers, Clary? Tellus," Webster inquired.
"Don't you tell him, Clary. He'll go and tell it to the _squatters_,"Willie interposed.
"And since when did you learn to call the settlers squatters, MasterWillie? Ain't you a squatter yourself?" asked Mr. Darrell.
"No, I'm not. Am I, mamma?" asked Willie.
"I hope not, my dear. If I thought any one in this family were todeserve such a name I would not have come down to this place," Mrs.Darrell replied.
"What is a squatter, anyhow, mamma?" Clementine inquired.
"A squatter is a person who locates a land claim on land that belongs tosome other person," Mrs. Darrell explained.
"On land that other persons say belongs to them, but which land, as noone knows to whom it belongs, it is free to be occupied by any Americancitizen," Mr. Darrell added with emphasis.
"There you are again mixing the wilful squatter with the honest settler,who pre-empts his land legitimately. The dividing line between thesquatter and the settler is very clear to any one who honestly wants tosee it," Mrs. Darrell said, and three or four of her children started toexplain how well they did see that line.
"It is as plain as the nose on your face," Willie's voice said in a highkey. "The honest settler only pre-empts government land, but thesquatter goes into anybody's land before he knows who has title."
"Bravo!" cried Everett; "you got it straight this time."
"Then a squatter is a land thief?" Clementine inquired.
"That is a severe term," Alice observed.
"But isn't it true?" Clementine argued.
"No, because the squatter might not _intend_ to steal. He mightmistakenly take land which belongs to some one else. The intention iswhat makes the action a theft or not," Mrs. Darrell explained.
"But why should they make such mistakes? Ain't somebody there to say towhom the land belongs?" Master Willie inquired.
"Yes, but that somebody might not be believed, Master Willie, and thereis where the shoe pinches," Webster explained.
"Ah!" was Willie's exclamation, and he became thoughtful.
"I give it up," said Clementine with a sigh, making them all laugh.
"That is a very wise resolve," Darrell observed.
"I've got it, papa," Willie's voice again was heard saying.
"Well, what have you got?" his father asked.
"The government ought to say first to whom the land belongs, and not letanybody take a single acre until the government says it is public land.Isn't that the way you say, Clarence?"
"Oh, you are quoting Clarence. I thought it was your own original ideayou were giving us," Darrell said, and all laughed at Willie.
But he held his ground, saying; "It is Clarence's idea, but I onlyunderstood it this minute, so now it is mine."
"That is right, Willie. That is the way correct ideas are disseminatedand take root," Everett said.
"And erroneous ones, too," Darrell added.
"Which is the correct, papa?" asked Willie.
"Your mind is even more inquisitive than usual this morning, Willie,"said Jane.
"Suppose it is, do you object to it?" Willie queried.
"I think you had better be a lawyer," Lucy suggested.
"I mean to be. Then I will be the Don's lawyer."
"But suppose he don't want you?" asked Webster.
"But he will, for I will be honest."
"Will he want you if you are stupid, only because you are honest?" askedClementine.
"I hate girls, they talk so silly," said Willie, again bringing thelaugh on himself.