"Don't say that, please. The place was for sale, Hubert telegraphed me,and I telegraphed back to buy it."
"I didn't know you were so rich," he answered, sneeringly.
Clarence made no reply.
"Well, I must admit you have cornered me completely; but as I don't wantto live on the bounty of my rich son, I must get out of this place."
"You can refund me the price of one hundred and sixty acres, father, ifyou are too proud to accept that from me, which is little enough,considering your generosity to me all my life. The other two claims, youknow, you said would be one for Retty and the other for myself. Thishouse and the orchards are all on your claim."
"I have taken a dislike to the whole thing," said he, waiving his hand,as if to shift the position of the land in question. "You can have itall, together with the Alameda farm. There are other lands inCalifornia."
Mrs. Darrell and Clarence looked at each other. The case seemedhopeless. All were silent.
Mr. Darrell continued: "All I want before I leave here is to give yourgreaser father-in-law a sound thrashing and another to that puppy,Gabriel, who is so airy and proud, and such an exquisite, that it willbe delightful to spoil his beauty."
"But why should you wish to do that? What has Don Mariano done to you?and if Don Gabriel threw his _lazo_ on you, it was to protect hisfather."
"What has the old greaser done? He inveigled you into that landbusiness, and you together have made me ridiculous. That is what thematter is."
"Then you don't believe me?" Mrs. Darrell said.
"Don't you take so much credit to yourself, and throw yourself into thebreach like a heroine. If the Don hadn't had that pretty daughter,Clarence would not have been so obedient to his mother, perhaps."
Clarence rose to his feet, very pale, but he sat down again, andcontrolling himself, said as calmly as possible:
"I had never seen one, not one of Don Mariano's daughters when I went tooffer to pay for this land."
"Do you mean that you wouldn't have done so if your mother hadn't wishedit?"
"No sir, not that. I think I would, for I felt great sympathy with theDon for the contemptible manner in which the squatters received thepropositions he made them. I was convinced then that the land belongedto him, and nobody had a right to take it without paying for it."
"Aha! I knew we would come to that," said Darrell, sternly, glaring athis son. "I was a thieving squatter, of course, and that is what yousaid to your greaser father-in-law, who to reward your high sense ofhonor, took you to the bosom of his family. The cowardly dog, who willtake insults and not resent them, but has puppies at his heels to throw_lasooing_ at people."
"Pshaw! I never thought you capable of--"
"Of what? Insulting those greasers?"
"They are gentlemen, no matter how much you may wish to besmear themwith low epithets."
"Gentlemen that won't fight."
"They told you they would fight _like gentlemen_."
"Who told you that?"
"I did, father. I heard Don Mariano and Don Gabriel both tell you that,"Everett said.
"If they are so ready to fight, why didn't they do it when I told theold dog that the bait to catch you was his daughter?"
"What! Did you say that?" asked Clarence, reddening to the roots of hishair, his face quickly blanching again.
"I did--in clear language."
"In dirty, low, nasty language, and it is you who are the coward, toinsult _me_ under the shelter of your paternal privileges," saidClarence, rising. "You have been taunting me until I can bear it nolonger. I suppose you wish to drive me from your house. Be it so. Ileave now--never to enter it again."
"That suits me. You are too _greasy_ for both of us to live under thesame roof," said Darrell, contemptuously, with a gesture of disgust.
"Good-by, mother; good-by, my sisters; good-by, boys--take care ofmother and the girls. God bless you."
With a piercing cry, that rang through the house, Alice ran to Clarence,and throwing her arms around his neck, said:
"Kiss me, my darling, for if you leave us I shall be wretched until youreturn. Oh! I can't let you go."
Tenderly Clarence pressed his sister to his heart. He felt her armsrelaxing, her head fell back, and she closed her eyes. Lovingly he thenlifted her, and placing her upon a lounge, said:
"Alice has fainted, mother. My sweet sister, how dearly I love her, Godonly knows."
He covered her face with kisses, while his own was bathed in tears.Without lifting his eyes or saying another word, he walked out into thedarkness.
The delicious, fragrant air, loaded with the perfume of roses andhoneysuckle and heliotrope, seemed to breathe a farewell caress over hisheated brow, and the recollection of the loving care he had bestowedupon these flowers when he planted them to welcome his mother, flashedthrough his memory with a pang. He sighed and passed into the gloom,overpowered with a dread that made him feel chilled to the heart. Itseemed to him as if an unseen voice was warning him of a dire misfortunehe could not perceive nor avert. What could it be? Was Mercedes to betaken from him? Would her family object to him on account of hisfather's ruffianly behavior? Could he claim to be a gentleman, being theson of that rough? These thoughts flashed through his mind, filling himwith sickening dismay and inexpressible disgust. Would he dare stand inthe presence of Mercedes now? Or, would he return to town at this latehour? Where could he go for a shelter that night?
Mechanically he walked to the phaeton, got into it and took the reins todrive off.