An Eagle Flight Part 28

In vain Dona Consolacion began to leap about, making signs for Sisa to imitate her. In the distance a band was playing a slow and majestic march; but the creature leaped furiously to another measure, beating within herself. Sisa looked on, motionless. A faint curiosity rose in her eyes, a feeble smile moved her pale lips; the alfereza's dance pleased her.

The dancer stopped, as if ashamed, and raised the terrible whip, well known to thieves and soldiers.

"Now," said she, "it's your turn! Dance!" And she began to give light taps to the bare feet of bewildered Sisa, whose face contracted with pain; the poor thing tried to ward off the blows with her hands.

"Ah! You're beginning, are you?" cried Dona Consolacion, with savage joy, and from lento, she pa.s.sed to allegro vivace.

Sisa cried out and drew up first one foot and then the other.

"Will you dance, accursed Indian!" and the whip whistled.

Sisa let herself fall to the floor, trying to cover her feet, and looking at her tormenter with haggard eyes. Two lashes on the shoulders forced her to rise with screams.

Her thin chemise was torn, the skin broken and the blood flowing.

This excited Dona Consolacion still more.

"Dance! Dance!" she howled, and seizing Sisa with one hand, while she beat her with the other, she commenced to leap about again.

At length Sisa understood, and followed, moving her arms without rhythm or measure. A smile of satisfaction came to the lips of the horrible woman--the smile of a female Mephistopheles who has found an apt pupil: hate, scorn, mockery, and cruelty were in it; a burst of demoniacal laughter could not have said more.

Absorbed by her delight in this spectacle, the alfereza did not know that her husband had arrived until the door was violently thrown open with a kick.

The alferez was pale and morose. When he saw what was going on, he darted a terrible glance at his wife, then quietly put his hand on the shoulder of the strange dancer, and stopped her motion. Sisa, breathing hard, sat down on the floor. He called the orderly.

"Take this woman away," he said; "see that she is properly cared for, and has a good dinner and a good bed. To-morrow she is to be taken to Senor Ibarra's."

Then he carefully closed the door after them, pushed the bolt, and approached his wife.

x.x.xIV.

RIGHT AND MIGHT.

It was ten o'clock in the evening. The first rockets were slowly going up in the dark sky, where bright-colored balloons shone like new stars. On the ridge-poles of the houses men were seen armed with bamboo poles, with pails of water at hand. Their dark silhouettes against the clear gray of the night seemed phantoms come to share in the gayety of men. They were there to look out for balloons that might fall burning.

Crowds of people were going toward the plaza to see the last play at the theatre. Bengal fires burned here and there, grouping the merry-makers fantastically.

The grand estrade was magnificently illuminated. Thousands of lights were fixed round the pillars, hung from the roof and cl.u.s.tered near the ground.

In front of the stage the orchestra was tuning its instruments. The dignitaries of the pueblo, the Spaniards, and wealthy strangers occupied seats in rows. The people filled the rest of the place; some had brought benches, rather to mount them than to sit on them, and others noisily protested against this.

Comings and goings, cries, exclamations, bursts of laughter, jokes, a whistle, swelled the tumult. Here the leg of a bench gave way and precipitated those on it, to the delight of the spectators; there was a dispute for place; and a little beyond a fracas of gla.s.ses and bottles. It was Andeng, carrying a great tray of drinks, and unfortunately she had encountered her fiance, who was disposed to profit by the occasion.

The lieutenant, Don Filipo, was in charge of the spectacle, for the gobernadorcillo was playing monte, of which he was a pa.s.sionate devotee. Don Filipo was talking with old Tasio, who was on the point of leaving.

"Aren't you going to see the play?"

"No, thank you! My own mind suffices for rambling and dreaming,"

replied the philosopher, laughing. "But I have a question to propose. Have you ever observed the strange nature of our people? Pacific, they love warlike spectacles; democratic, they adore emperors, kings, and princes; irreligious, they ruin themselves in the pomps of the ritual; the nature of our women is gentle, but they have deliriums of delight when a princess brandishes a lance. Do you know the cause of all this? Well----"

The arrival of Maria Clara and her friends cut short the conversation. Don Filipo accompanied them to their places. Then came the curate, with his usual retinue.

The evening began with Chananay and Marianito in "Crispino and the Gossip." The scene fixed the attention of every one. The act was ending when Ibarra entered. His coming excited a murmur, and eyes turned from him to the curate. But Crisostomo observed nothing. He gracefully saluted Maria and her friends and sat down. The only one who spoke to him was Sinang.

"Have you been watching the fireworks?" she asked.

"No, little friend, I had to accompany the governor-general."

"That was too bad!"

Brother Salvi had risen, gone to Don Filipo, and appeared to be having with him a serious discussion. He spoke with heat, the lieutenant calmly and quietly.

"I am sorry not to be able to satisfy your reverence, but Senor Ibarra is one of the chief contributors to the fete, and has a perfect right to be here so long as he creates no disturbance."

"But is it not creating a disturbance to scandalize all good Christians?"

"Father," replied Don Filipo, "my slight authority does not permit me to interfere in religious matters. Let those who fear Senor Ibarra's contact avoid him: he forces himself upon no one; the senor alcalde and the captain-general have been in his company all the afternoon; it hardly becomes me to give them a lesson."

"If you do not put him out of the place, we shall go."

"I should be very sorry, but I have no authority to remove him."

The curate repented of his threat, but there was now no remedy. He motioned to his companions, who rose reluctantly, and all went out, not without hostile glances toward Ibarra.

The whisperings and murmurs began again. Several people came up to Crisostomo and said:

"We are with you; pay no attention to them!"

"To whom?" he asked in astonishment.

"Those who have gone out because you are here; they say you are excommunicated."

Ibarra, surprised, not knowing what to say, looked about him. Maria's face was hidden.

"Is it possible? Are we yet in the middle ages?" he began. But he checked himself and said to the girls:

"I must excuse myself; I will be back to go home with you."

"Oh, stay!" said Sinang. "Yeyeng is going to dance!"

"I cannot, little friend."

While Yeyeng was coming forward, two soldiers of the guard approached Don Filipo and demanded that the representation be stopped.