Again from the men came the murmur of approval, and Roddy, still regarding them, to prevent himself from speaking pressed his lips tightly together.
Knowing how near Senora Rojas might be to attaining the one thing she most desired, his regret at her distress was genuine, and that, in her ignorance, she should find him a most objectionable young man he could well understand. The fact aroused in him no resentment. But to his secret amus.e.m.e.nt he found that the thought uppermost in his mind was one of congratulation that Inez Rojas was more the child of her Venezuelan father than of her American mother. Even while he deeply sympathized with Senora Rojas, viewed as a future mother-in-law, she filled him with trepidation. But from any point he could see no health in continuing the scene, and he rose and bowed.
"I am sorry," he said, "but I cannot find that any good can come of this. I a.s.sure you, you are mistaken in thinking I am of any importance, or that I carry any weight with the Rojas party. Believe me, I do not. I am doing nothing," he protested gently, "that can bring harm to your husband. No one outside of your own family can wish more sincerely for his safety."
The chorus of men interrupted him with an incredulous laugh and murmurs of disbelief.
Roddy turned upon them sharply.
"We can dispense with the claque," he said. "My interview is with Madame Rojas. If you gentlemen have anything to discuss with me later you will come out of it much better if that lady is not present. If you don"t know what I mean," he added significantly, "Caldwell can tell you."
Senora Rojas had no interest in any annoyance Roddy might feel toward her guests. She recognized only that he was leaving her. She made a final appeal. Rising to her feet, she exclaimed indignantly:
"I refuse to believe that against the wishes of myself and my family you will persist in this. It is incredible! I can no longer be content only to ask you not to interfere--I forbid it."
She advanced toward him, her eyes flashing with angry tears. Roddy, in his sympathy with her distress, would have been glad, with a word, to end it, but he felt he could not trust to her discretion. Her next speech showed him that his instinct was correct. Accepting his silence as a refusal, she turned with an exclamation to Pino Vega.
"If you will not listen to a woman," she protested, "you may listen to a man." With a gesture she signified Vega. He stepped eagerly forward.
"I am at your service," he said.
"Speak to him," Senora Rojas commanded. "Tell him! Forbid him to continue."
Roddy received the introduction of Vega into the scene with mixed feelings. To the best of his ability he was trying to avoid a quarrel, and in his fuller knowledge of the situation he knew that for Senora Rojas it would be best if she had followed his wishes, and had brought the interview to an end. That Vega, who was planning treachery to Rojas, should confront him as the champion of Rojas, stirred all the combativeness in Roddy that he was endeavoring to subdue. When Vega turned to him he welcomed that gentleman with a frown.
"As the son of this house," Vega began dramatically, "as the representative, in his absence, of General Rojas, I forbid you to meddle further in this affair."
The demand was unfortunately worded. A smile came to Roddy"s eyes, and the color in his cheeks deepened. He turned inquiringly to Senora Rojas.
"The son of this house," he repeated. "The gentleman expresses himself awkwardly. What does he mean?"
Since Inez had entered the room Roddy had not once permitted himself to look toward her. Now he heard from where she stood a quick movement and an exclamation.
For an instant, a chill of doubt held him silent. Within the very hour, she had told him that to keep him loyal to her father she had traded on his interest in her. Had she, for the same purpose and in the same way, encouraged Vega? To Roddy, she had confessed what she had done, and that she loved him. With that he was grandly content.
But was she still hoping by her promise of marriage to Vega to hold him in allegiance, not to herself, but to her father? Was her exclamation one of warning? Had he, by his question, precipitated some explanation that Inez wished to avoid? He cast toward her a glance of anxious inquiry. To his relief, Inez rea.s.sured him with a nod, and a smile of trust and understanding.
The exchange of glances was lost neither upon Vega nor upon Senora Rojas. In turn, they looked at each other, their eyes filled with angry suspicion.
What she had witnessed caused Senora Rojas to speak with added asperity.
"Colonel Vega has my authority for what he says," she exclaimed. "He _is_ the son of this house. He is the future husband of my daughter Inez."
The exclamation that now came from Inez was one of such surprise and protest that every one turned toward her.
The girl pushed from her the chair on which she had been leaning and walked toward her mother. Her eyes were flashing, but her manner was courteous and contained.
"Why do you say that?" she asked quietly. "Has Colonel Vega told you that, as he has told others? Because it is not true!"
Senora Rojas, amazed and indignant, stared at her daughter as though she doubted she had heard her.
"Inez!" she exclaimed.
"It must be set right," said the girl. "Colonel Vega presumes too far on the services he has shown my father. I am not going to marry him. I have told him so repeatedly. He is deceiving you in this, as he is deceiving you in matters more important. He is neither the son of this house nor the friend of this house. And it is time that he understood that we know it!"
In her distress, Senora Rojas turned instinctively to Vega.
"Pino!" she exclaimed. "You _told_ me! You told me it was her secret, that she wished to keep it even from her mother, but that you thought it your duty to tell me. Why?" she demanded. "Why?"
Vega, his eyes flaming, in a rage of mortification and wounded vanity threw out his arms.
"My dear lady!" he cried, "it was because I hoped! I still hope," he protested. "Inez has been poisoned by this man!" He pointed with a shaking finger at Roddy. "He has filled her mind with tales against me." He turned to Inez. "Is it not true?" he challenged.
Inez regarded him coldly, disdainfully.
"No, it is not true," she said. "It is the last thing he would do.
Because, until this moment, Mr. Forrester thought that what you told him was a fact." She raised her voice. "And he is incapable of speaking ill of a man--" she hesitated, and then, smiling slightly as though in enjoyment of the mischief she were making, added, "he knew was his unsuccessful rival."
Furious, with a triumphant exclamation, Vega turned to Senora Rojas.
"You hear!" he cried. "My rival!"
Inez moved quickly toward Roddy. Placing herself at his side, she faced the others.
Her eyes were wide with excitement, with fear at what she was about to do. As though begging permission, she raised them to Roddy and, timidly stretching out her hand, touched his arm. "Mother," she said, "I am going to marry Mr. Forrester!"
VIII
The silence that greeted the announcement of Inez, was broken in a startling fashion. Before her mother could recover from her amazement one of the windows to the garden was thrown open, and a man burst through it and sprang toward Vega. He was disheveled, breathless; from a wound in his forehead a line of blood ran down his cheek. His appearance was so alarming that all of those who, the instant before, had been staring in astonishment at Inez now turned to the intruder.
They recognized him as the personal servant of Vega. Without considering the presence of the others, the valet spoke as he crossed the room.
"The police are in your house," he panted. "They have searched it; taken the papers. They tried to stop me." He drew his hand across his face and showed it streaked with blood. "But I escaped by the harbor.
The boat is at the wharf. You have not a moment!" His eyes wandered toward Pulido and Ramon, and he exclaimed delightedly, "You also!" he cried; "there is still time!"
General Pulido ran to the window.
"There is still time!" he echoed. "By the boat we can reach Quinta Tortola at the appointed hour. Colonel Ramon," he commanded, "remain with Senor Caldwell. You, Pino, come with me!"
But Vega strode furiously toward Roddy.
"No!" he shouted. "This man first! My honor first!"
At this crisis of his fortunes, Sam Caldwell, much to the surprise of Roddy, showed himself capable of abrupt action. He threw his arm around the waist of Vega, and ran him to the window.
"d.a.m.n your honor!" he shrieked. "You take your orders from _me_! Go to the meeting-place!"