Chata and Chinita, Chapters XXXIX-XLI [pp. 291-310]

1887.3 C/~ata and Chin i/a. 293
point where they were almost within sound main body of the troops waited for marching
of the bugles of Gonzales Ortega, who was orders, which were long delayed. Ruiz,
making his hurried and triumphant march closeted with the men who had been most
to the capital, it had been decided that up- amenable to his reasoning, urged openly
on that very morning a ~roniinciamen1o the arguments that he had but covertly sugshould be made, which, while involving no gested before. That exhausted apathy which
change of politics, should leave Vicente following an exploded project is far more
Gonzales to his fate in El Toro, and com- hopeless than tbat which, merely unignited,
pel the consent of Dona Isabel to th& appar- precedes its agitation, resisted all his efforts
ently spontaneous outburst of patriotism at revival. The officers, like the soldiers,
upon the part of her troops, which should listlessly waited to hear what would happen
confirm Ruiz in the command that she had next, absolutely indifferent to Ruiz, and contemporarily confided to him. cerned for the moment in a mere matter of
Ruiz had so cunningly planned every de- gossip-the escapade of a young girl.
tail that he doubted not that not only Dona Fowards noon some of the messengers reIsabel but Chinita as well would be con- turned. ~Iost of them had nothing to revinced of his entire ignorance of the Co lip, port, but the vaqiiero Gabriel, the husband
and that her ambition, and perhaps a some- of Caterina, as soon as he could escape the
what malicious satisfaction in the reversal questioning of Ruiz, disappeared. An hour
of the plans of Dona Isabel, would lead her later he entered the apartment of Dona
to an acceptance of the apparently unavoid- Isabel.
able forfeiture of her own. "What news, Gabriel? What news?"
To this end he had been patiently work- she cried excitedly. "Did you come upon
ing since the day he had found himself at any trace of-of the child - of those who
the head of the troops of Tres Hermanos. have stolen her away?"
He had been amazed at his own success. The i'aqiiero shook his head, and Dona IsaEverything had seemed to contribute to it. bel groaned. Those few hours had wrought a
Not even the triumph of seeing himself ac- terrible change in her appearance. She was
tually attracting the good will, if not the not young as she had been when shocks of
love, of Chinita had been denied him; and disaster had shaken her in by-gone years
now at the moment least expected, at the "I found no trace of them, mi Senora,"
most critical juncture, she had failed him. said the man slowly. "Perhaps my eyes are
It was impossible for him to assume his not as keen as they were, and they say when
usual self-sufficient air, as he re-issued from one thinks much one sees little. Since I
the apartment of Dona Isabel - an air that am married I find one must think. A woimposed on the majority of observers as that man gives one abundance for thought. She
of a man conscious of power, rather than as grinds corn for a man more surely than corn
a disguise of incompetency. His crest-fallen for his bread."
bearing as he gave the necessary orders for Dona Isabel looked up at him quickly.
scouts to be sent out in search of those who She knew that this oracular sentence had
in the night must have left the ill-guarded some bearing on the subject that absorbed
town, was evident to the most careless eye, her thoughts. "Speak," she said. "What
and did much to increase the feeling @f dis- has your wife to do with this?"
trust and coldness that was already begin- "She was the playmate of ~he young
ning to supplant the ill considered ardor of Senorita," he suggested.
a few hours before. "True, but what of that?"
The scouts had been despatched; and the "She would be likely to be in her confi