"How much is there?"
"I don"t know."
His tone was depreciative enough. However, the banker seemed not to mind it: he took the package and began to count it under the watchful eyes of the group of players who were gathered around the table, some seated, some standing.
"There are forty-one thousand reals."
"There is not enough in the bank," said one player, stretching out his hand for his stake.
"My credit is good for it," replied the banker, growing redder and redder; it seemed as though he were going to burst. While the banker was distributing the cards, absolute silence reigned. Don Alfonso"s was a seven.
"That is the end of it," said the banker, with ill-concealed dismay, throwing the pack down on the table.
Immediately he began to pay the smaller stakes, leaving Saavedra"s till the last. When he came to him there were left only twenty-nine thousand reals.
"I shall owe you twelve thousand," said he, handing over all that he had.
Don Alfonso took it and thrust it into his pocket angrily. The game was over. The banker, mopping the sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief, went over to the Andalusian, who had taken his seat on a sofa, and was calmly reading a newspaper.
"You have fifteen thousand duros in your pocket, my boy."
"I don"t know," replied Don Alfonso, without looking up.
"But I know: Villar and Gonzalez lost nine thousand, and we more than twelve thousand. All the rest put together did not take six thousand."
"Pish! it is quite possible," replied the _caballero_.
"Any one to see your face would say that what you carried in your pocket was fifteen thousand stones. See here, lend me thirty thousand reals, and that will put you in good humor."
Don Alfonso, without saying a word, took out his pocket-book, and gave him a handful of bills.
"Saavedra, you are on the downward track. The other evening I saw you in a box at the theatre making love to a mighty pretty girl. Be careful! on the day least expected you will be getting married."
Don Alfonso took out his watch, and, after looking at it, smiled coldly, saying:--
"At this very moment I am going to run away with that same little girl.
I am going abroad with her."
"I would not sell myself cheap," replied the other, without once thinking that it might be true. "But you would soon get tired of it. You and I are just alike; we are too old for such escapades."
"Good by, Gubells."
"Good by, my boy. Don"t fail to be on hand to-night, for there is going to be a game of golfe."
"Haven"t I told you that I am going to run away with that little girl?"
rejoined the _caballero_, at the door, with the same cold smile on his lips.
"A nice little piece!... Come back as soon as you can ... won"t you? and don"t fail to bring the marquis if you meet him."
Saavedra slowly descended the carpeted staircase of the Circulo. As he went into the street it was already growing dark. His _berlina_ was waiting for him at the door.
"See here, Julian! take me now to the Calle de Carretas, stop there, and wait near the mail-box. A senora will come, she will open the door, and get in with me. As soon as this occurs, without a moment"s delay drive like an arrow for Jetafe. You are well acquainted with the road, aren"t you? Good! then it will be necessary, even though you wind the horses, to get us there in a jiffy. I want to catch the train that leaves there at half-past eight. Don"t you be troubled at the adventure; it is a ballet girl from the Real who wants to go with me to Seville, and I cannot break my word. When we reach Jetafe I will give you further instructions about what you are to do."
The carriage reached the Calle de Carretas, and drew up where its owner had commanded. Don Alfonso leaned back in one corner so as to avoid the glances of the pa.s.sers-by, and waited.
Julia had been spending the afternoon at her sister-in-law"s, for that day she happened not to have a piano lesson; she was all the time in a state of nervous excitement, which Maximina was not slow to notice.
"What is the matter? Do you feel ill?" she asked.
"No. What makes you ask? What do you see in me that is strange?" she demanded, full of alarm.
"Nothing, nothing! don"t be disturbed. You are a trifle paler than usual, and there are circles under your eyes, nothing more."
"Oh, I think that I am a little nervous to-day."
Maximina smiled good-naturedly, supposing that she might have had some falling out with her lover, and so she ordered some _tila_ to be made for her.
In spite of the deep antipathy which she felt for Don Alfonso and the strong reasons that she had for considering him a miscreant, she saw that Julita was so desperately in love with him that she could not bring herself to say a word against him.
As the afternoon wore on, her restlessness increased. The youngest offshoot of the race of the Riveras was many times on the point of suffering in some slight degree in consequence of his n.o.ble aunt"s nervous condition. She hugged him to her heart tighter than was necessary; she tossed him up into the air and caught him again; she gave him hundreds of kisses on the same spot in his face until it burned brighter than a coal, and even--horrible thing--bit his nose. There is no need of saying that the ill.u.s.trious baby, swelling with indignation, protested against such treatment.
The young girl likewise showed herself more tenderly affectionate toward Maximina than usual.
"Maximina, how good you are! how good you are!"
And she almost squeezed her to death in her arms.
"I wish I were. I should like to be good," replied the young wife, blushing.
"How much I would give to be like you, Maximina!"
"If you weren"t better, you would be a pretty poor specimen."
"Oh! I am bad, Maximina, very bad!... But you will forgive all my failings, won"t you?"
And struck by a sudden inspiration, she jumped up, saying:--
"I am going to the study to write a letter."
"Aren"t you going to drink your _tila_?"
"Certainly I will take it; I will finish it afterward."
She went to her brother"s writing-room, and began in all haste to pen the following note:--
"My dearest Maximina, my soul"s sister: When you receive this, poor Julia will already have committed a great sin. I am going to Seville with Alfonso to beg his mother"s permission for us to marry. Try to pacify ..."
"Julia, your _tila_ is getting cold," said Maximina, laying her hand on the girl"s shoulder.