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

1887.3 Chata and Chinita. 301
impressed with a belief in the ultimate dis- cribed to the forced separation from the
aster of the conservative cause. For child whose purity and innocence had so irChinita's sake he would risk involvement in resistibly attracted him. There were times
the ruin he foresaw, hoping that by some when he thought with what horror such a
spar he himself would float; but unless record as his would be viewed by that genassured of her good will-. The thoi~ghts tIe and upright nature; and a positive dread
of Ruiz carried him no farther. He would came upon him of her ever knowing the one
wait patiently as he might, and learn his incident that had been so vividly recalled
destiny from Chinita herself in the house to him by the appearance of the avenger
of Dona Carmen. upon the grave of the man he had mur Such were the hopes and emotions with dered years before - one among many he
which to his amazement he had found him- had almost forgotten. He said to himself
self face to face with Chata; and hence the that an evil spell had been upon him ever
blind rage with which he had believed him- since the day he had foolishly thrown away
self the victim of a conspiracy on the part the charm the elf-like child had given him.
of Ramirez and his own father to make use They had brought him word time and again
of the knowledge of the ascendency that of the miscarnage of his best laid plans.
Chinita h~d gained over his affections to Who had betrayed them?
entrap him into furthering their designs by He knew too well who had frustrated
representing her to be the daughter who had them. The American who had escaped his
been from her childhood promised to him knife at the cemetery see tried ubiquitous
in marriage. He did not for a moment re- since obtaining the commission which aufiect that his father might be as ignorant thorized him to wage war against him. Not
as hiniself of the identity of Ramirez's content with defending El Toro with unexdaughter, or might have drawn a false con- am pled bravery, he appeared at every point
clusion from his~~own hasty questions. where an advantage was to be gained.
With the same unreasoning fury with "Carrhil" he said to himself, "I shall be
which he had denounced Ramirez at the forced to give that fellow a thrust of my
banquet, he returned to the camp of Gon- dagger in secret; he is impervious to ball or
zales; and through a cleverly managed cor- the chances of open warfare. He or I must
respondence with Ramirez - in which how- fall. There`5 not room in all Mexico for
ever he dared not mention the name of him and me."
Chinita, lest he should awaken in his astute Whether there was room or not, it seemed
mind a suspicion that he conjectured the de- destined that they should remain in it toception which was to be played upon him- gether, though not without constant collihe gradually drew from the chief data that sion. Gonzales became to the mind of
enabled him to propose such movements as Ramirez far less ft~rmidable than this yelprocured for him a rame as a strategist, low-haired 6~ingo, who with a mere handful
which well might have satisfied a laudable of followers so constantly harassed and
ambition. baffled him. Like most men of his class,
Meanwhile Ramirez himself, though sur- he was intensely superstitious, and one
rounded by no despicable force, which was night in the moonlight he saw or fancied he
daily augmented by accessions from the saw a female form glide before him into
mountains or from the ranks of less popu- the chapparal. He caught but a glimpse of
lar leaders of either party, was for the first the face, but it had reminded him of Hertime in his life oppressed by a vague melan- linda, for whom he had done the deed that,
choly, which, with some impatience, he as- so late, seemed to have brought upon him