CHAPTER VI.
We were received by the Spanish Governor immediately after our landing.
I had already pictured him, in my thoughts, as a man of commandingpresence, with keen, dark eyes set in a stern countenance; crisp,curling locks--such as Melinza's--but silvered lightly on the temples;an air of potency, of fire, as though his bold spirit defied the heavyhand of time.
'Twas therefore a matter of great surprise to me--and some relief--when,instead, I beheld advancing toward us a spare little figure withsnow-white hair and a pallid face. His small blue eyes blinked upon uswith a watery stare; his flabby cheeks were seamed with wrinkles, andhis tremulous lips twitched and writhed in the shadowy semblance of asmile: there was naught about him to suggest either the soldier or theman of parts.
He was attired with some pretension, in a doublet of purple velvet withsleeves of a lighter color. His short, full trousers were garnished atthe knee with immense roses; his shrunken nether limbs were cased insilken hose of a pale lavender hue, and silver buckles fastened thetufted purple ribbons on his shoes. On his breast was the red cross ofSt. James--patent of nobility; had it not been for that and his fineattire he might have passed for a blear-eyed and decrepit tailor fromHaberdashery Lane.
I plucked up heart at the sight of this little manikin.
"Can this be the Governor and Captain-General of San Augustin?" Iwhispered in the ear of my betrothed.
"'Tis not at the court of _our_ Charles only that kissing, or promotion,goes by favour!" was his answer, in a quick aside. Then he met theadvancing dignitary and responded with grave punctilio to the suavewelcome that was accorded us.
Melinza's part was that of master of ceremonies on this occasion. Heappeared to have laid aside his rancour, and his handsome olivecountenance was lightened with an expression of great benignance when hepresented me to the Governor as--"_the honourable and distinguishedsenorita Dona Margarita de Tudor_."
I looked up at Mr. Rivers with an involuntary smile.
"My betrothed, your Excellency," he said simply, taking me by the hand.
The blear-eyed Governor made me a compliment, with a wrinkled hand uponhis heart. I understood no word of it, and he spoke no French, so Mr.Rivers relieved the situation with his usual ease.
This audience had been held in the courtyard of the castle, which is aplace of great strength,--being, in effect, a square fort built ofstone, covering about an acre of ground, and garrisoned by more thanthree hundred men.
We stood in a little group beneath a dim lamp that hung in a carvedportico which appeared to be the entrance to a chapel. Captain Baulk andthe rest were a little aloof from us; and all around, at the open doorsof the casemates, lurked many of the swarthy soldiery.
Suddenly light footsteps sounded on the flagged pavement of the chapelin our rear, and a tall, graceful woman stepped forth and laid her handupon my shoulder. Through the delicate folds of black, filmy laceveiling her head and shoulders gleamed a pair of luminous eyes thatburned me with their gaze.
She waved aside the salutations of the two Spaniards and spoke directlyto me in a rich, low voice. The sight of a woman was so welcome to methat I held out both hands in eager response; but she made no move totake them: her bright eyes scanned the faces of our party, lingering onthat of my betrothed, to whom she next addressed herself, with a littlecareless gesture of her white hand in my direction.
Mr. Rivers bowed low, and said, in French: "Madame, I commend her toyour good care." Then to me: "Margaret, the Governor's lady offers youthe protection of her roof."
His eyes bade me accept it, and I turned slowly to the imperiousstranger and murmured: "Madame, I thank you."
"So!" she exclaimed, "you can speak, then? You are not dumb? I hadthought it was a pretty waxen effigy of Our Lady, for the padre here,"and she laughed mockingly, with a glance over her shoulder.
Another had joined our group, but his bare feet had sounded no warningtread. The sight of the coarse habit and the tonsured head struck achill through me. Two sombre eyes held mine for a moment, then theirowner turned silently away and re-entered the chapel door.
Melinza was standing by, with a gathering frown on his forehead.
"Such condescension on your part, Dona Orosia, is needless. We canprovide accommodations for all our English guests here in the castle."
"What! Would Don Pedro stoop to trick out a lady's boudoir?--Nay, shewould die of the horrors within these gloomy walls. Come with me, child,I can furnish better entertainment."
I turned hastily toward my dear love.
"Go!" said his eyes to me.
Then I thought of Barbara, and very timidly I asked leave to keep her byme.
"She may follow us," said the Governor's lady carelessly, and sharplyclapped her hands. Two runners appeared, bearing a closed chair, and setit down before us.
"Enter," said my self-elected guardian. "You are so slight there is roomfor us both."
In dazed fashion I obeyed her, and then she followed me.
I thought I should be crushed in the narrow space, and the idea of beingthus suddenly torn away from my betrothed filled me with terror. I madea desperate effort to spring out again; but a soft, strong hand grippedmy arm and held me still, and in a moment we were borne swiftly awayfrom the courtyard into the dark without.
I wrung my hands bitterly, and burst into tears.
"_O cielos!_ what have we here?" cried the rich voice, petulantly. "'Tisnot a waxen saint, after all, but a living fountain! Do not drown me, Ipray you. What is there to weep for? Art afraid, little fool? See, I ambut a woman, not an ogress."
But 'twas not alone for myself that I feared: the thought of my dearlove in Melinza's power terrified me more than aught else,--yet I darednot put my suspicions into words. I tried hard to control my voice as Iimplored that I might be taken back to the fort and to Mr. Rivers.
"Is it for the Englishman, or Melinza, that you are weeping?" demandedmy companion sharply.
"Madame!" I retorted, with indignation, "Mr. Rivers is my betrothedhusband."
"Good cause for affliction, doubtless," she replied, "but spare me yourlamentations. Nay, you may _not_ return to the fort. 'Tis no fit placefor an honest woman,--and you seem too much a fool to be aught else.Here, we have arrived----"
She pushed me out upon the unpaved street, then dragged me through anopen doorway, across a narrow court filled with blooming plants, andinto a lighted room furnished with rich hangings, and chairs, tables,and cabinets of fine workmanship.
I gazed around me in wonder and confusion of mind.
"How does it please your pretty saintship? 'Tis something better thaneither Padre Ignacio's hut or Melinza's galley, is it not? Are youcontent to remain?"
"Madame," I said desperately, "do with me what you will; only see, Ipray you, that my betrothed comes to no harm."
"What should harm him?" she demanded. "Is he not the guest of myhusband?"
"His guest, madame, or his prisoner?"
She gave me a keen glance. "Whichever role he may have the wit--or thefolly--to play."
I wrung my hands again. "Madame, madame, do not trifle with me!"
"Child, what should make thee so afraid?"
I hesitated, then exclaimed: "Senor de Melinza bears him no goodwill--he may strive to prejudice your husband!"
The Governor's wife looked intently at me. "Why should Melinza haveaught against your Englishman?"
I could not answer,--perhaps I had been a fool to speak. I dropped myface in my hands, silently.
Dona Orosia leaned forward and took me by the wrists. "Look at me!" shesaid.
Timidly I raised my eyes, and she studied my countenance for a longminute.
"'Tis absurd," she said then, and pushed me aside. "'Tis impossible! Andyet----a new face, a new face and passably pretty. Oh, my God, thesemen! are they worth one real heart pang? Tell me," she cried, fiercely,and shook me roughly by the shoulder, "has Melinza made love to youalready?"
"Never, madame, never!" I answe
red quickly, frightened by her vehemence."Indeed, their quarrel did not concern me. 'Twas about two lads that hada wrestling-match upon the galley. And although they were both angeredat the time, there may be no ill feeling between them now. I was foolishto speak of it. Forget my imprudence, I pray you!"
But her face remained thoughtful. "Tell me the whole story," she said;and when I had done so she was silent.
I sat and watched her anxiously. She was a beautiful woman, with awealth of dark hair, a richly tinted cheek, glorious eyes, and a small,soft, red-lipped, passionate mouth--folded close, at that moment, in ascornful curve.
Suddenly she rose and touched a bell. A young negress answered thesummons. Dona Orosia spoke a few rapid words to her in Spanish, thenturned coldly to me.
"Go with her; she will show you to your apartment, and your woman willattend you there later on. You must be too weary to-night to join us ata formal meal, and your wardrobe must be somewhat in need ofreplenishing. To-morrow you shall have whatever you require. I bid yougoodnight!"--and she dismissed me with a haughty gesture of her whitehand.
The chamber that had been assigned to me--which I was glad to share withthe good Dame Barbara--was long and narrow. There was a window at oneend that gave upon the sea; and through the heavy barred grating, setstrongly in the thick casement, I could look out upon the low sea-wall,and, beyond that, at the smooth bosom of the dreaming ocean, heavingsoftly in the quiet starlight, as though such a sorrow lay hidden in itsdeep heart as troubled even its sleep with sighs.
If I pressed my face close against the bars I could see, to the left ofme, the ramparts of the castle, where my dear love was. The slow tearsrose in my eyes as I thought that this night the same roof would notshelter us, nor would there be the same swaying deck beneath our feet.
While we had been together no very real sense of danger had oppressedme; but from the first hour of our parting my heart grew heavier withforebodings of the evil and sorrow which were yet to come.
Margaret Tudor: A Romance of Old St. Augustine Page 6