The President's Substitute [pp. 134-139]

The Presizeut's Substitute.
Municipality. "Rocamnbor and the club
are more to him than even his wife's
honor."
Zoyla started, but he continued impet uously, "But if that honor were never
more assailed than now, Zoylita, thou
wert indeed unsullied!"
The maid still slept, while Stephen
and Zoyla stood and gazed into each
other's loving eyes.
"No, he will not miss me, but the
household may remark our absence.
Este-,,ai mlio, I must leave thee and the
glorious moonlight, that surely shines
more clearly on a love like thine and
mine than on the dull work-a-day world!
See how it lights up the bronze figure of
the fountain! Could that figure but
speak, would it not tell us of many, many
who had lived, and loved, and enjoyed,
and suffered,-and all been forgotten,
- almost under its shadow? Ah! the
priests in yonder presbytery! I wonder,
do they ever miss the love of woman, the
delights of a home, - not a home like
mine, but an ideal one, where affection
is the beginning and end of all! Or are
their lives and hearts so devoted to God
and the Church that earthly hopes are
not dreamed of? Estevart qzerido," with
a sudden access of excitement in her
manner, "in thy country do they wed as
here? Or does young heart speak to
heart, and do young lives rush together
as birds mate in theprimavzera?" Then,
without a further word, she threw her
white arms about Estevan's neck, stifled
a rising sob, and moved on towards
Manuela, who waked quickly, and followed her mistress away towards the
Palacio, and so out of sight.
Soon the Plaza was quite deserted, and
while the birds and bees slept, lulled by
the heavy night perfumes of the lovely
garden, the hour of midnight tolled from
the great tower.
And still the men played on, in the
club yonder, their impassive Spanish
faces showing no emotion as the gains
ell first to one and then to another of
the assembly.
One, - two, - nearly three, before
they separated. They were all promi nent Limanians, several of them promi nent politicians. Among these latter
ranked the husband of the Dofia Zoyla,
who was in the Cabinet, and a close
friend of the President.
As Don Miguel gazed upon his wife
in her first sleep, while he prepared for
rest, he said to himself: "She is a good
little soul, after all, though she does not
interest or move me in the very least.
And she did very well for herself when
she married me; very well indeed! Take
it for all in all, it was a very fair arrangement for us both. She had youth and
beauty, with precious little money or position. I had much money, more position, no youth, and a small- yes, a decidedly small - amount of beauty." He
laughed softly at his own pleasantry,
and then looked at her again, lowering
the candle in his hand the better to examine her countenance. "She has
marks of tears on her face. I had no
notion that she ever wept, that she was
deep enough to feel anything so much
as that. I've surely never seen her cry.
But come to think, I have seen her do
very little!" His frequent grim smile
flickered an instant on the strong face,
and then went out. " But it is a most
comfortable arrangement when a man
sees so little of his wife. There is no
chance for complaints of abuse, such as
so many fool-wives make. They do expect so much of a man, some of these
silly women. Pah! Matrimony is a good
deal of a humbug, after all,- a civilized,
legalized humbug!-That last game was
capital, just the right sort of a nightcap
for a man! - Must see Don Tomas Arrosamena tomorrow, about that legal point
the President was so positive on today.
I am sure he was mistaken." So, murmuring to himself, the worthy Minister
of Finance sought sleep.
136
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