CHAPTER VIII.--_Victoriano and His Sister._
The golden rays of a setting sun were vanishing in the west, and asilvered moon was rising serenely over the eastern hills, when thephaeton, having distanced the other carriages by a full half hour,reached the foot of the low hill where the Alamar house stood. TheFrench windows opening upon the front veranda, sent broad streams oflight across the garden and far over the hill. Sounds of music greetedAlice and Clarence on their arrival. He checked his horses saying:
"You see there are two roads here; one goes directly to our house, whilethe upper one passes close to the gate of the Alamares. I can take theupper road if you would like to hear the music."
"I would, indeed, unless it might seem intrusive."
"They are too kind hearted to think that, besides, I have a message ofDona Elvira to deliver," he said, guiding his horses to the left, slowlyclimbing the hill to approach the gate silently. The phaeton stood inthe penumbra between the lights of two windows, and it had not beenheard. The singing had ceased, the prelude of a Spanish song was begunand interrupted. The lady at the piano arose and selected another pieceof music, and began the accompaniment of the old and well known "Don'tyou Remember Sweet Alice, Ben Bolt?"
"Who is that lady?" asked Alice in a whisper.
"She is Miss Mercedes," whispered Clarence, glad of the excuse towhisper, and with a preparatory checking of breath and swallowing ofsomething that seemed to fill his throat always, when her name wasmentioned.
"I hope she will sing," said Alice.
"Perhaps," was the laconic reply, and both waited in silence. Clarencecould distinctly hear his heart throbs.
A man's voice, a fine tenor, began the song. He sang the first stanza socorrectly and with so much feeling that it seemed to Clarence that hecould not have listened to the simple melody before now attentivelyenough to appreciate its pathos, for it sounded most sweetly touching tohim. Only one verse was sung.
"I never thought that song capable of so much expression, or Tanocapable of giving it so well."
The reason why Victoriano interrupted this song was because Mercedes hadsaid, "Sing something else, Tano, that song is too sad. It will give methe blues."
"Me too. Those American songs always speak of death or dying. Ugh! Yousing something lively." Then he added, "I wonder why the Darrellshaven't come? I suppose they are going to remain in town untilto-morrow." So saying he walked to the window. His eyes were too welltrained to distinguish objects in the darkness not to have quicklyperceived the phaeton, though it could not be seen very distinctly. Hesaw it, but thought it must be Gabriel and Elvira returningunexpectedly. He ran to the gate, exclaiming:
"Hallo! What made you return? Didn't the Holmans come? What hashappened?"
"Nothing," Clarence answered. "The Holmans came all safe and sound, andI delivered them into the hands of Don Gabriel, who, accompanied by DonaElvira, came to meet them. Dona Elvira requested me to say that theywill remain in town a couple of days and then come home."
"And where is your family?" asked Tano, coming to the phaeton.
"They are coming, and here is a small part and parcel of thesame--called our sister Alice. Don Victoriano permit me to present MissAlice Darrell."
"Miss Alice, your humble servant," said Victoriano, bowing. "Allow me togo to the other side of the phaeton to try a more graceful bow a littlenearer, and the honor of shaking hands, _a la Americana_".
Mercedes came now, tripping down in the path, also thinking that theircarriage had returned, because some accident had happened to somebody.
"Is that you, Gabriel?" said she.
"You come and see," said Victoriano.
She came close to the phaeton, right between the wheels, but stillthinking she saw Gabriel, said: "What has happened? Ah! it is Mr.Darrell," she added, with a tremor in her voice, that made Clarencethink she was alarmed.
He hastened to reply: "Nothing has happened. Your friends are all safeand well."
"This is Miss Alice Darrell. Can you bow to her in the dark, and shakehands?" asked Victoriano.
"I think I can, but she might not see my bow," said Mercedes, laughing,and extended her hand, saying: "I am glad to make your acquaintance,Miss Darrell."
Clarence took her hand, as Alice had not seen it.
"See here, that hand was for me," Alice said, laughing.
"Certainly," said Clarence, putting Mercedes' hand in hers.
"Will you not shake hands with Clarence?" said Victoriano. "I declare,solemnly, girls are very ungrateful. Here Clarence has been so sorry,because you hurt your foot, and you have never thanked him for his kindsympathy."
"Mr. Darrell has never expressed his kind sympathy to me, how was I topresume he felt it?"
"The presumption would have been mine had I expressed all I felt," saidhe, taking off his glove, which action she rightly understood to meanthat he wished to shake hands with her.
She extended her hand, and he clasped it in his. That ineffable thrillwhich he felt for the first time in his life when he lifted her in hisarms was now felt again. It coursed through his veins with the warmblood that rushed to his heart.
Neither one took any notice of what Victoriano and Alice were sayinguntil they heard him say:
"That's all right. He is going to be married soon, then he'll be on theshelf. That's a comfort."
"Who will be on the shelf?" Mercedes asked.
"Gabriel, of course; and I am glad of it, as Miss Alice has just coollytold me that he is the handsomest man she ever saw, forgetting thatClarence is here, and poor me, too."
"Present company is always excepted," Alice argued; "and the rule, Isuppose, applies now, though I cannot well see whether it does or not,you being in the dark."
"That is so. Come out of the shadow." Clarence suggested.
"I can't now. I feel too abashed," Victoriano replied.
"He will soon recover. His fits of diffidence don't last long," saidMercedes.
"So he is diffident now?" asked Alice, laughing.
"Yes; that is why I don't want you to tell me that Gabriel is handsome;it abashes me too much."
"He is a good reasoner, too, you see that, Miss Darrell; though bymoonlight his logic shines but dimly. Come, we must not keep MissDarrell longer, since they will not come in," said Mercedes.
"I think you might stop and take supper with us," said Victoriano.
"O, no, thank you," Clarence answered. "We came in advance to light thelamps, and attracted by the music, took the liberty of coming over theroad."
"I am sorry. Then you must have heard me sing. Bah! Mercedes, it is yourfault," said Victoriano.
"Don't say that. You sing very well, only the song is very plaintive,and the better it is sung, the sadder is its melody," Clarence said.
"It must have seemed like a lugubrious welcome to Miss Alice. I shallnever sing that song again," said Victoriano, emphatically. "See if Ido."
"I am glad to hear you say that, for you are constantly singing it,"Mercedes said.
"I hope it will not be a prophetic coincidence that you should sing itas I came," said Alice, and as she spoke the supper bell rang.
"That is the prophecy I meant," said Victoriano, and all laughed, gladof the timely turn thus given to the conversation.
"With this assurance we must go home comforted," said Clarence, and allbade each other good night.
The lamps were lighted, and the windows and doors opened. The Darrellhouse looked as if there was an illumination for a national celebration.
"Let us go and see how the house looks from the front outside, alllighted up," said Clarence.
They went out to look at it from the garden.
"How could you build such a nice house, Clary, and how could papa allowit?" Alice said.
"Hush! You must never speak about the cost of this house or itsfurniture. I have made lots of money in stocks, and can afford it, butfather thinks stock gambling is next to robbery."
Mercedes and Victoriano remained for a few moment
s standing by the gate,watching the phaeton.
"By Jove! but isn't she sweet! She has just left me deaf and dumb!" saidVictoriano, as the phaeton disappeared down the hill.
"Perhaps you are deaf, since you don't hear the supper bell ringingagain, but as for being dumb I am sure the greatest beauty on earthcouldn't produce that effect."
"But I tell you I am, and I will go to see her and tell her soto-morrow," said he, following his sister to the supper room.
"You will do nothing of the kind. The idea!"
"Why not, pray? Clarence told me to call soon."
"Yes, but he supposed you would have the good taste to wait at least twoor three days."
"Three days! Three days! Not if I am alive!"
"What is that about being alive?" asked Rosario.
"Let him tell you," Mercedes replied.
"That I am going to see that sweet little Alice Darrell to-morrow, deador alive," explained Victoriano.
"Who will be dead or alive?" asked Carlota.
"I, of course! What a question?" Victoriano exclaimed.
"As you could not go there if you were dead, I thought you meant thatyou were to go and see her in that insensible state," said Carlota.
Victoriano looked at his sister reproachfully, saying:
"How mean to talk so about that sweet girl."
"It was to correct you from expressing yourself in that style of yours,mixing up things and ideas so incongruously. You ought to take care notto confuse things so absurdly," Dona Josefa said.
"Why don't you talk like Gabriel? He always uses good language--inSpanish or in English," Carlota added.
"Bother Gabriel, and Gabriel, and Gabriel! Everybody throws him at myteeth," said Victoriano, beginning to eat with very good appetite.
"The operation don't hurt your teeth, though," said Rosario, "to judgeby the very effective manner in which you use them."
"Of course, I do, because I am an amiable good fellow, who bears nobodyill-will, even towards his harassing sisters, and much praised elderbrother, who is hoisted up to the skies a million times a day for myspecial edification and good example. It is a good thing, I tell you,ladies and gentlemen, a very fortunate thing, that I am so amiable, andGabriel so good a fellow, or else I would have punched his head intocalf's head-jelly, twice a day, many times."
"There is your confusion of ideas again. You are thinking that yoursmight have been the calf's head made into jelly," said Rosario.
"No, miss. I meant what I said."
"Gabriel is very strong and a good boxer," Don Mariano said.
"There it is again! Sweet Alice says he is the handsomest man she eversaw; Lote says he uses beautiful language, and now father implies thatthe fellow could whip me! Give me some more of that chicken _pipian_ toconsole myself with. Say, mother, why is this delicious chicken stewcalled '_pipian_?' Because it makes a fellow '_pio_' '_pio_' for more?or because the chicken themselves would cry '_pio_,' '_pio_', if theywere to see their persons cooked in this way?" Without waiting for ananswer to his question, he added: "I say, mother, arn't you and thegirls going to call on the Darrells?"
"No," laconically answered Dona Josefa.
"Why should we?" queried Carlota.
"Because they are neighbors like the Mechlins," Victoriano replied.
"Old Mathews is our neighbor, too," said Rosario.
"But he is a thief," replied Victoriano.
"Isn't to steal land robbery?" asked Carlota.
"The Darrells occupy the land they selected, with my consent, so I hopeno one in my family will do them the injustice to say that they havestolen our land, or that they are squatters," said Don Mariano firmly.Then added: "But I do not desire any one of you to speak of this matterwith anybody. Only remember, the Darrells are not squatters."
"What shall we say, for instance, if the Holmans should notice that weare very friendly to the Darrells, but not so towards the squatters?"Rosario asked.
"I think the Holmans will be too well-bred to ask questions," said DonaJosefa.
"They are well-bred, but they are very intimate friends," Rosario said
"And very inquisitive ones, too," added Victoriano.
"Refer them to me," Don Mariano said; "I'll give them quite asatisfactory answer."
"Meantime, are we not to visit them?" Victoriano asked.
"Visit whom?" Carlota asked.
"The Darrells, of course," Victoriano answered.
"I thought you meant the Holmans, as we spoke of them last."
"Bother, with your grammar, you had better keep school," Victorianosaid.
"You had better go to one," Carlota retorted.
"I have enough of it here. The question now is the visit to theDarrells. Is this family to visit them or not?"
"Why, you are to do so to-morrow, dead or alive," Rosario said.
"Bother! You will call, Mercita, won't you?"
"With pleasure, if mamma will permit me," Mercedes replied.
"You are a sweet pussy always, and the best of sisters. Can't she go,mother?"
"Certainly, if her father does not object."
"I not only do not object, but I shall be pleased to have Mercedes andher mamma and sisters all call, for I think Clarence's mother must be alady."
"Hurrah for father, he is a man after my own heart," said Victoriano,clapping his hands.
"Papa feels proud of your approval," Carlota said.
"I would suggest that Tano make a _reconnoitering_ visit before Mercedesgoes, as a leader of a forlorn hope," said Rosario.
"Goodness, how military your terms, but how little your courage," saidVictoriano, derisively.
"I admit that I always dread to face squatters," said Rosario.
"I think I said that the Darrells are not to be considered squatters norcalled so by any Alamar, and I repeat that such is my wish. Moreover,not every settler is necessarily a squatter," said Don Mariano.
"I beg pardon. I forgot that," said Rosario.
"Don't do it again, Rosy Posy, don't," said Victoriano, rising from thetable, stroking his sister's back as if to pacify a fractious colt. Thengoing to a window, said: "Mercedes come here. Look at that; isn't thatfountain lovely?"
In the front garden of the Darrell house, opposite to the front door andsurrounded by flowers and choice plants, Clarence had erected a fountainwhich was to emit its numerous jets of chrystaline water for the firsttime, when his mother should drive up to the door. She had done so, andthe fountain was sending upwards its jets of diamonds under the rays ofthe reflectors at the front door. The effect was pretty and brilliant.Clarence's filial love was sweetly expressed in the music of thefountain.