"He is a man, then, who is going to be happy. Our cause is not that of fortunate men."

"No, but it is that of men of courage!"

"True," said the old man, seating himself again. "Let us suppose he consents to be our mouthpiece. Let us suppose he wins the captain-general, and finds at Madrid deputies who can plead for us; do you believe we shall have justice?"

"Let us try it before we try measures of blood," said Elias. "It must surprise you that I, an outlaw too, and young and strong, propose pacific measures. It is because I see the number of miseries which we ourselves cause, as well as our tyrants. It is always the unarmed who pay the penalty."

"And if nothing result from our steps?"

"If we are not heard, if our grievances are made light of, I shall be the first to put myself under your orders."

The old man embraced Elias, a strange light in his eyes.

"I accept the proposition," he said; "I know you will keep your word. I will help you to avenge your parents; you shall help me to avenge my sons!"

"Meanwhile, senor, you will do nothing violent."

"And you will set forth the wrongs of the people; you know them. When shall I have the response?"

"In four days send me a man to the lake sh.o.r.e of San Diego. I will tell him the decision, and name the person on whom I count."

"Elias will be chief when Captain Pablo is fallen," said the old man. And he himself accompanied the helmsman out of the cave.

XL.

THE ENIGMA.

The day after the departure of the doctor and the doctora, Ibarra returned to the pueblo. He hastened to the house of Captain Tiago to tell Maria he had been reconciled to the Church. Aunt Isabel, who was fond of the young fellow, and anxious for his marriage with her niece, was filled with joy. Captain Tiago was not at home.

"Come in!" Aunt Isabel cried in her bad Castilian. "Maria, Crisostomo has returned to favor with the Church; the archbishop has dis.e.xcommunicated him!"

But Crisostomo stood still, the smile froze on his lips, the words he was to say to Maria fled from his mind. Leaning against the balcony beside her was Linares; on the floor lay leafless roses and sampagas. The Spaniard was making garlands with the flowers and leaves from the vines; Maria Clara, buried in her fauteuil, pale and thoughtful, was playing with an ivory fan, less white than her slender hands.

At sight of Ibarra Linares paled, and carmine tinted the cheeks of Maria Clara. She tried to rise, but was not strong enough; she lowered her eyes and let her fan fall.

For some seconds there was an embarra.s.sing silence; then Ibarra spoke.

"I have this moment arrived, and came straight here. You are better than I thought you were."

One would have said Maria had become mute: her eyes still lowered, she did not say a word in reply. Ibarra looked searchingly at Linares; the timid young man bore the scrutiny with haughtiness.

"I see my arrival was not expected," he went on slowly. "Pardon me, Maria, that I did not have myself announced. Some day I can explain to you--for we shall still see each other--surely!"

At these last words the girl raised toward her fiance her beautiful eyes full of purity and sadness, so suppliant and so sweet that Ibarra stood still in confusion.

"May I come to-morrow?" he asked after a moment.

"You know that to me you are always welcome," she said in a weak voice.

Ibarra left, calm in appearance, but a tempest was in his brain and freezing cold in his heart. What he had just seen and comprehended seemed to him incomprehensible. Was it doubt, inconstancy, betrayal?

"Oh, woman!" he murmured.

Without knowing where he went, he arrived at the ground where the school was going up. Senor Juan hailed him with delight, and showed him what had been done since he went away.

With surprise Ibarra saw Elias among the workmen; the helmsman saluted him, as did the others, and at the same time made him understand that he had something to say to him.

"Senor Juan," said Ibarra, "will you bring me the list of workmen?" Senor Juan disappeared, and Ibarra approached Elias, who was lifting a great stone and loading it on a cart.

"If you can, senor," said the helmsman, "give me an hour of conversation, there is something grave of which I want to talk with you. Will you go on the lake early this evening in my boat?"

Ibarra gave a sign of a.s.sent and Elias moved away. Senor Juan brought the list, but Ibarra searched it in vain for the name of the helmsman.

XLI.

THE VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED.

The sun was just setting when Ibarra stepped into the little boat on the lake sh.o.r.e. He appeared disturbed.

"Pardon me, senor," said Elias, "for having asked this favor; I wished to speak to you freely, with no possibility of listeners."

"And what have you to say?"

They had already shot away from the bank. The sun had disappeared behind the crest of the mountains, and as twilight is of short duration in this lat.i.tude, the night was descending rapidly, lighted by a brilliant moon.

"Senor," replied Elias, "I am the spokesman of many unfortunates." And briefly he told of his conversation with the chief of the tulisanes, omitting the old man's doubts and threats.

"And they wish?" asked Ibarra, when he had finished.

"Radical reforms in the guard, the clergy, and the administration of justice."

"Elias," said Ibarra, "I know little of you, but I believe you will understand me when I say that though I have friends at Madrid whom I might influence, and though I might interest the captain-general in these people, neither they nor he could bring about such a revolution. And more, I would not take a step in this direction, because I believe what you want reformed is at present a necessary evil."

"You also, senor, believe in necessary evil?" said Elias with a tremor in his voice. "You think one must go through evil to arrive at good?"

"No; but I look at evil as a violent remedy we sometimes use to cure ourselves of illness."

"It is a bad medicine, senor, that does away with the symptoms without searching out the cause of the disease. The Munic.i.p.al Guard exists only to suppress crime by force and terrorizing."