"I am a mother! I am a mother! and since no one else will look out for my son, I will look out for him myself!" roared the improvised lioness.

"In the name of the Virgin, niece, don't let your pa.s.sion get the best of you! Remember that you are committing a sin. Let us say the Lord's Prayer and an Ave Maria, and you will see that this will pa.s.s away."

As he said this the Penitentiary trembled, and the perspiration stood on his forehead. Poor dove in the talons of the vulture! The furious woman completed his discomfiture with these words:

"You are good for nothing; you are a poltroon! My son and I will go away from this place forever, forever! I will get a position for my son, I will find him a good position, do you understand? Just as I would be willing to sweep the streets with my tongue if I could gain a living for him in no other way, so I will move heaven and earth to find a position for my boy in order that he may rise in the world and be rich, and a person of consequence, and a gentleman, and a lord and great, and all that there is to be--all, all!"

"Heaven protect me!" cried Don Inocencio, sinking into a chair and letting his head fall on his breast.

There was a pause during which the agitated breathing of the furious woman could be heard.

"Niece," said Don Inocencio at last, "you have shortened my life by ten years; you have set my blood on fire; you have put me beside myself.

G.o.d give me the calmness that I need to bear with you! Lord, patience--patience is what I ask. And you, niece, do me the favor to sigh and cry to your heart's content for the next ten years; for your confounded mania of sniveling, greatly as it annoys me, is preferable to these mad fits of rage. If I did not know that you are good at heart----Well, for one who confessed and received communion this morning you are behaving--"

"Yes, but you are the cause of it--you!"

"Because in the matter of Rosario and Jacinto I say to you, resignation?"

"Because when every thing is going on well you turn back and allow Senor de Rey to get possession of Rosario."

"And how am I going to prevent it? Dona Perfecta is right in saying that you have an understanding of brick. Do you want me to go about the town with a sword, and in the twinkling of an eye to make mincemeat of the whole regiment, and then confront Rey and say to him, 'Leave the girl in peace or I will cut your throat'?"

"No, but when I advised the senora to give her nephew a fright, you opposed my advice, instead of supporting it."

"You are crazy with your talk about a fright."

"Because when the dog is dead the madness is at an end."

"I cannot advise what you call a fright, and what might be a terrible thing."

"Yes; because I am a cut-throat, am I not, uncle?"

"You know that practical jokes are vulgar. Besides, do you suppose that man would allow himself to be insulted? And his friends?"

"At night he goes out alone."

"How do you know that?"

"I know every thing; he does not take a step that I am not aware of; do you understand? The widow De Cuzco keeps me informed of every thing."

"There, don't set me crazy. And who is going to give him that fright?

Let us hear."

"Caballuco."

"So that he is disposed--"

"No, but he will be if you command him."

"Come, niece, leave me in peace. I cannot command such an atrocity. A fright! And what is that? Have you spoken to him already?"

"Yes, senor; but he paid no attention to me, or rather he refused. There are only two people in Orbajosa who can make him do what they wish by a simple order--you and Dona Perfecta."

"Let Dona Perfecta order him to do it if she wishes, then. I will never advise the employment of violent and brutal measures. Will you believe that when Caballuco and some of his followers were talking of rising up in arms they could not draw a single word from me inciting them to bloodshed. No, not that. If Dona Perfecta wishes to do it--"

"She will not do it, either. I talked with her for two hours this afternoon and she said that she would preach war, and help it by every means in her power; but that she would not bid one man stab another in the back. She would be right in opposing it if anything serious were intended, but I don't want any wounds; all I want is to give him a fright."

"Well, if Dona Perfecta doesn't want to order a fright to be given to the engineer, I don't either, do you understand? My conscience is before every thing."

"Very well," returned his niece. "Tell Caballuco to come with me to-night--that is all you need say to him."

"Are you going out to-night?"

"Yes, senor, I am going out. Why, didn't I go out last night too?"

"Last night? I didn't know it; if I had known it I should have been angry; yes, senora."

"All you have to say to Caballuco is this: 'My dear Ramos, I will be greatly obliged to you if you will accompany my niece on an errand which she has to do to-night, and if you will protect her, if she should chance to be in any danger.'"

"I can do that. To accompany you, to protect you. Ah, rogue! you want to deceive me and make me your accomplice in some piece of villany."

"Of course--what do you suppose?" said Maria Remedios ironically.

"Between Ramos and me we are going to slaughter a great many people to-night."

"Don't jest! I tell you again that I will not advise Ramos to do any thing that has the appearance of evil--I think he is outside."

A noise at the street-door was heard, then the voice of Caballuco speaking to the servant, and a little later the hero of Orbajosa entered the room.

"What is the news? Give us the news, Senor Ramos," said the priest.

"Come! If you don't give us some hope in exchange for your supper and our hospitality----What is going on in Villahorrenda?"

"Something," answered the bravo, seating himself with signs of fatigue.

"You shall soon see whether we are good for anything or not."

Like all persons who wish to make themselves appear important, Caballuco made a show of great reserve.

"To-night, my friend, you shall take with you, if you wish, the money they have given me for--"

"There is good need of it. If the soldiers should get scent of it, however, they won't let me pa.s.s," said Ramos, with a brutal laugh.

"Hold your tongue, man. We know already that you pa.s.s whenever you please. Why, that would be a pretty thing! The soldiers are not strait-laced gentry, and if they should become troublesome, with a couple of dollars, eh? Come, I see that you are not badly armed. All you want now is an eight-pounder. Pistols, eh? And a dagger too."

"For any thing that might happen," said Caballuco, taking the weapon from his belt and displaying its horrible blade.

"In the name of G.o.d and of the Virgin!" exclaimed Maria Remedios, closing her eyes and turning her face in terror, "put away that thing.

The very sight of it terrifies me."

"If you won't take it ill of me," said Ramos, shutting the weapon, "let us have supper."