The Dust of Conflict Part 17

"You want the question answered?" said Appleby.

"Yes," said Nettie. "There are disadvantages in a divided allegiance."

"Well," said Appleby slowly, "I hope the decision I think you are alluding to will never be forced on me, for I have had sufficient of the Sin Verguenza. While I take Cyrus Harding's money I accept the obligation that goes with it; but when I was starving, and did not know where I would be safe from the cazadores, the Sin Verguenza fed me, and I think I owe them something."

Nettie Harding smiled and shook her head reproachfully, but there was a little gleam in her eyes. "They fed you!" she said. "Now, there are men in my country who would have expressed themselves much more artistically. Still, you would have felt ashamed, wouldn't you, if you had given yourself away? Do you know there is one reason why you made a second friend? You are like Julian, and when you meet him you will have a third who will, though he may not tell you so eloquently, remember what you have done for him."

Appleby sat silent, as he usually did when in doubt. He was not a vain man or apt to lose his head, while the one woman he might have fallen in love with was far away in England; but he knew who Julian was, and wondered whether Miss Harding had meant to supply him with a useful hint. In the meanwhile the swish of dresses, patter of feet, and tinkle of guitars grew louder, and drowned the soft splashing of the fountain among the flowers.

"That sounds very pretty," he said. "Have you noticed that there is something curious but alluring in Spanish music? They got it from the East, I think."

Nettie laughed. "The sh.e.l.l fits you very close. Still, you told me you had made a second friend, and that implies a good deal, I think. That is why I am going to ask you a question. What brought you out from the old country? I want to know more than my father does."

She looked him steadily in the eyes, and though Appleby was never quite sure why he did so he told her. Once or twice she asked an apposite question, and there was something in her close attention and unexpressed sympathy that wiled from him more than he had ever meant to communicate to any one, for Nettie Harding knew her influence and could direct it well. She sat thoughtfully silent for at least a minute when he had finished, and then once more looked at him.

"I don't know if you expect appreciation-but I think you were very foolish," she said.

"No," said Appleby slowly. "Not in this case. You see, he was very fond of her."

Again the little gleam showed in the girl's eyes, but she shook her head. "I have paid you too many indirect compliments, though you naturally did not notice them, to waste any more on you, and I am going to talk straight," she said. "The Deus ex machina is quite too big a part for you. To put it differently-why did you meddle with affairs altogether beyond your comprehension?"

"I think I told you she was very fond of him."

"You didn't," said Nettie. "Still, we are getting considerably nearer the truth now. Do you know you hit off that girl's character with an insight I never suspected you had in you? You made me understand her.

And you had seen her for just fourteen days."

"One can come to a conclusion about a man or woman in even a shorter time."

"Of course! In a good deal less. In one fateful moment-some folks believe!"

Appleby saw the little mocking smile fade from the girl's lips and something he could not quite fathom in her eyes, though it in a fashion suggested comprehension and sympathy. If he was right, Miss Harding's penetration appeared astonishing. He would not, however, betray himself, and his voice was even when he said, "You have not shown me yet where I was mistaken."

"In trying to bring folks together who were best apart; and when you thought she was fond of him you were wrong."

"No," said Appleby doggedly.

Nettie laughed in a curious fashion. "She does not know your friend as you do, for you gave him away by the excuses you made for him. The girl you have pictured to me could never be fond of that kind of man. She is in love with the man she thinks he is. You can appreciate the difference, but she will find him out sooner or later."

Appleby started. "No," he said. "I think he will tell her, and she will forgive him; though he did nothing very wrong."

"That man will never tell her-or speak a word to clear you. Still, I think you can do without friends of that kind. You have good ones in this country."

Appleby was glad that he was relieved of the necessity of answering, because the banker's wife waddled out, clad in black from heel to crown- for she wore a lace mantilla there-with powdered face, into the veranda; and since the camaraderie that existed between him and the girl was not likely to be understood or appreciated by a lady of Castilian extraction he went away. He also wanted to think, and descending to a nook of the patio where there was a seat lighted a cigar.

If Miss Harding was right, and he had seen already that she was a young woman of singular penetration, he had made his sacrifice-which had, however, not cost him very much-in vain; but what disconcerted him was the fact that she had forced the truth he had strenuously striven to close his eyes to upon him. Still, even that, he told himself, did not count for very much just then. Even if she did not love Tony, Violet Wayne was patrician to her finger tips and he an outcast adventurer.

That was a very convincing reason why he should think no more of her, and yet even then her face rose up before his fancy and would not be driven away. It was almost a relief when he heard a step behind him, and turning sharply saw a little olive-faced officer in tight green uniform smiling at him.

"You do not find the women of this country sympathetic-though you dance our dances well?" he said.

Appleby was on his guard, and regretted he had figured in the many- stepped dances he had been taught at Algeciras at all, for he had hitherto deemed it wise to evince no close acquaintance with Castilian customs; and Espada Morales had very keen eyes.

"That is a little astonishing, unless it is the national courtesy which prompts you to tell me so," he said.

Morales shrugged his shoulders. "The nice articulation of our 'jota' and 'zeta,' which are embarra.s.sing to strangers, is even more astonishing.

One does not overcome that difficulty in the two months you have spent in this country. Still, what is that to me? It is not my business to inquire where my friends acquired Castilian."

Appleby wondered whether this was meant as a hint that the prosecution of such an inquiry might not be desirable to him. He had seen the Colonel Morales twice in battle, and while he had little fear of recognition in his present guise had been told a good deal which by no means pleased him about the man. Morales had, it was believed, the scent of a sleuth-hound and the jaguar's voracity.

"It is at least an honor to be counted among a distinguished soldier's friends," he said.

Morales made a little gesture of deprecation. "Soldiering is an ill-paid trade, and you others are to be envied," he said. "This is why I appeal to you as the Senor Harding's superintendent and a well-wisher of Spain.

Mine is a poor country, and our troops are short of clothing and necessaries. The loyalists of this district have responded to the appeal we made them generously, and it seemed only fitting to give you an opportunity."

Appleby knew that the troops were wretchedly supplied with commissariat and drugs, and the affair was within the discretion Harding allowed him.

Still, he decided to make an experiment.

"If a hundred dollars would be of any service they will be paid to the treasurer of the fund," he said.

Morales fixed his dark eyes upon him for a moment, and grat.i.tude was not exactly what he read in them. Appleby, however, met them steadily, and the officer smiled.

"Two hundred would be more useful, but we come begging and not making a demand," he said. "The treasurer is, however, at Havana, and it would be a convenience if you gave the silver to me."

"Well," said Appleby, "I will give you one hundred dollars."

Morales expressed his thanks, but he did not go away. Indeed, Appleby felt that he was watching him covertly as he took out a cigar.

"There is another affair in which you could be of service to me," he said. "We have all our little shortcomings, and I have been unfortunate at the Casino. What would you? One has to ingratiate himself with these Cubans, and I have lost a good deal of money. Holding command as I do, I cannot ask one of them for a loan."

"Would that be a great disadvantage?" said Appleby.

Morales smiled again, not altogether pleasantly. "They might lend under fear of reprisal, which would be distasteful to me. Men's tongues, my friend, are very censorious in this country; but one could confide in your discretion, and I should be grateful if you could show me how to negotiate a small loan until the Administration remembers that our pay is due."

Appleby sat silent a s.p.a.ce, for he appreciated the delicacy of the officer's hint. Morales had, however, made his horseleech nature tolerably plain already, and Appleby decided to stand firm.

"I will mention it to Mr. Harding when he comes back," he said.

"To wait would be especially inconvenient to me."

"Still, that is the most I can do," said Appleby.

Morales shrugged his shoulders, discoursed about the dancing, and then moved away; but Appleby realized that his firmness would probably cost him something. He knew that Morales would for several reasons be chary of any attempt to hamper the prosperity of the San Cristoval hacienda, but he felt that its manager might be made to feel his resentment individually. Still, he was in Harding's service, and that fact carried an obligation with it.

Some time had now pa.s.sed since he had left the dancers and deciding that it would be advisable to make another appearance among them he had risen to his feet, when there was a trampling under the archway that led into the patio, and three men came into the light. Two of them carried rifles and wore the cazadores' uniform, but the third was hatless and ragged, and walked with difficulty, with a strip of hide between his ankles and his hands lashed behind him. Appleby started a little when he saw him.

The man's face was drawn and haggard, but he was one who had fought well with the Sin Verguenza.

It also became evident that he saw Appleby and recognized him, for he looked straight at him with an appeal in his eyes, and then, turning his head away, plodded apathetically into the patio between his captors.

That alone would probably have decided Appleby. The man had asked for help, but he had also made it plain that he had no intention of betraying a comrade; and Appleby knew that while the Castilian has his shortcomings, they are very seldom evident when he meets his end.

The cazadores led the man towards one of the bas.e.m.e.nt rooms, which served now and then as a place of detention when the Alcalde desired to question suspected persons, and thrust him in. Then one came out grumbling, and stopped his companion as with a gesture he crossed the patio.