"Let me tell you something, while I have the opportunity. You are in great danger here. Senor, I wish to help you. I have tried for weeks to stir up some manhood in the hearts of these cowardly sheep in Seguro.
The Prince has been missing for days, since he went into that castle. I want to save my beloved Princess from the same fate which I fear overtook him when he braved the horrors of that castle. It is a place of Satan, senor."
The American smiled at her, as he asked:
"Now, do you really believe in all that superst.i.tious trash, my good girl? You look intelligent."
The girl crossed herself piously.
"Have we not been taught by the priest, of the fiends who haunt the earth and wreck human happiness? How can I say such things could not happen, for the sins of bygone people? Not that I would think anything but love and respect for the Prince and his wonderful sister, her Highness! But, senor, I feel the same as do the other dwellers of Seguro."
"And how is that?"
"I feel that strange things have gone on in that castle. Even a great gentleman like the Duke says so. Surely if educated n.o.blemen put faith in such things, we simple folk are not far wrong to believe what we are taught. But still..."
"Yes, there you are, my good girl. You have a "but still"--and that means a doubt. The doubts of the world have been the foundation stones of modern freedom--it was the doubts of the old farmers and traders back in America which threw off the yoke of the old kingdom, and made a great free country. If you have a doubt you may be saved. As for the Duke--the only G.o.d he pays allegiance to is himself--and he"s not been so sure of that divinity during these last iconoclastic ten days."
"I don"t understand, Senor Warren?" she replied, in bewilderment.
"Of course you don"t, or you wouldn"t be kow-towing to this royalty stuff, and you would hand a bottle to that Don Roughhouse or whatever his name is, right on his cla.s.sic brow, with a cla.s.sic smash. You ought to see how an American girl would treat one of these big bullies! Well, what about my danger? It never worries me when I know where and when and how to expect it. Whatever you tell will be absolutely our secret."
Dolores looked at Rusty, who was struggling with a cigarette--he was more accustomed to Pittsburgh stogies, but his motto in life was based on the famous advice concerning Roman imitation!
"How about the Senor Moor, senor? May you trust him?" she asked nervously.
"Rusty is no Moor--he"s an Afro-Methodist, my girl. He can"t understand Spanish anyway, even though he"s the best little guesser this side of the Ohio River. But I"d trust Rusty with my life. Go ahead with the danger signals."
She heard a footfall on the balcony above them.
"Let me pretend to read your palm, senor. I know we are being watched."
"All right, read away--my palm will show you that after this trip through Spain my clothesline needs washing. But, what"s the fortune of the castle?"
It was the old Jarvis, now--blithesome, devil-may-worry, shrewd, and recovered completely, through the change of scene and a certain new interest in life which the reader may have already divined.
The girl led him away from beneath the balcony, to the side of the big fireplace. She took up his hand and examined it carefully.
Nor did her shrewd eyes miss the face on the balcony,--that of the Duke of Alva! She exaggerated her studious examination, and then in a low tone proceeded with the explanation of the lines of fate and life.
"Every one of these breaks in your lifeline shows a moment when you stood face to face with death. Ah, senor, in all my experience I have never seen such an adventurous palm.... You have stood elbow to elbow with death, and yet those little squares about the breaks show a guiding spirit of protection."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "_Ah, senor, in all my experience I have never seen such an adventurous palm...._"]
Warren was beginning to be bored. Yet something in the girl"s furtive glances toward the balcony, which did not miss his own sharp eyes, convinced him that she was endeavoring to get a message to him.
She continued, her own hand trembling unmistakably.
"Ah, Senor Americano, there is one break which has not yet been reached by the line of time. The protecting square of your guardian saint is not perfect there, as with the others."
The Kentuckian laughed incredulously.
"Oh, I guess I can build up a square when the time comes and let the break take care of itself."
"But the time is now," and her voice was tremulously low.
"Now--what do you mean, now?"
She nodded her head, and with half-closed eyes gazed at the fireplace significantly.
"And are the fortune-teller"s eyes so brilliant and so keen that they can light up the future and behold the day and the hour?" queried Jarvis.
"Not my eyes, senor," and her voice died down to a whisper, "but my ears."
The step of the Duke was upon the resonant stairs.
"In all my experience I have seen but one hand like yours, senor,--it speaks of danger; and that hand belongs to Don Robledo, to Don Robledo!"
The n.o.bleman"s voice cut short the seance. There was a warning note in it.
"Well, Dolores, and why are you not attending her Highness? You know the house, and she needs a.s.sistance."
"Pardon, senor." She stepped back and courtesied to Carlos, who came down the stairs, advancing toward Warren. "I will go at once, your Excellency."
"Good-by, senorita; I"ll take good care of the little square. Thanks for your occult wisdom," were Warren"s smiling words, as he looked at the Duke.
"Well, Mr. Warren. Looking into the future?"
"Yes, Duke, and the immediate future promises to be very interesting.
That little fortune-teller has occult powers, indeed. A dark man is to cross my path soon."
Carlos had crossed the room to a position from where he could look into the taproom. He seemed to be satisfied with what he saw there. He turned toward the American.
"Do you believe in such foolery, Mr. Warren? I had thought you too intelligent to believe in superst.i.tious things like fortune-reading."
"I like to believe some of these things on this occasion, for I hope it means someone I very much want to meet."
The Duke now approached him very earnestly.
"Mr. Warren, I feel a certain responsibility for her Highness, and all that pertains to my cousin. The prospect of your death to-night is most uncomfortable, when it can be so easily avoided by your own common sense. I seriously advise your waiting until the morning."
"So, you don"t think I"ll come back?"
"I think that if you go to the castle to-night, you take your life in your own hands."
Warren opened and shut his sinewy fingers, and laughed back: "I"ve got a pretty good grip."
"Look here," put in the n.o.bleman. "You Americans are noted as being shrewd traders. You get dollar for dollar when you bargain--and generally a few extra dollars. You are not going to give your life away for nothing, are you?"
"Oh, it is not worth very much," retorted Jarvis. "The deal was made on a bargain day. My life happened to be a little below par, and a good customer came along."