“But, senor; surely I can see him?”
“Divil a bit.
Besides fwhat ud be the use?
He wudn’t know ye from his great grandmother.
I till yez agane, he’s been badly thrated, an ’s now besoide hisself!”
“All the more reason why I should see him.
I may be of service.
I owe him a debt—of—of—”
“Oh! yez be owin’ him somethin? Yez want to pay it?
Faith, that makes it intirely different.
But yez needn’t see him for that.
I’m his head man, an thransact all that sort av bizness for him.
I cyant write myself, but I’ll give ye a resate on the crass wid me mark—which is jist as good, among the lawyers.
Yis, misthress; yez may pay the money over to me, an I promise ye the masther ’ll niver axe ye for it agane.
Trath! it’ll come handy jist now, as we’re upon the ave av a flittin, an may want it.
So if yez have the pewther along wid ye, thare’s pins, ink, an paper insoide the cyabin.
Say the word, an I’ll giv ye the resate!”
“No—no—no!
I did not mean money.
A debt of—of—gratitude.”
“Faugh! only that.
Sowl, it’s eezy paid, an don’t want a resate.
But yez needn’t return that sort av money now: for the masther woudn’t be sinsible av fwhat ye wur sayin.
Whin he comes to his sinses, I’ll till him yez hiv been heeur, and wiped out the score.”
“Surely I can see him?”
“Shurely now yez cyant.”
“But I must, senor!”
“Divil a must about it.
I’ve been lift on guard, wid sthrict ordhers to lit no wan go inside.”
“They couldn’t have been meant for me.
I am his friend—the friend of Don Mauricio.”
“How is Phaylum Onale to know that?
For all yer purty face, yez moight be his didliest innemy. Be Japers! its loike enough, now that I take a second luk at ye.”
“I must see him—I must—I will—I shall!”
As Isidora pronounced these words, she flung herself out of the saddle, and advanced in the direction of the door.
Her air of earnest determination combined with the fierce—scarce feminine—expression upon her countenance, convinced the Galwegian, that the contingency had arrived for carrying out the instructions left by Zeb Stump, and that he had been too long neglecting his cue. Turning hurriedly into the hut, he came out again, armed with a tomahawk; and was about to rush past, when he was brought to a sudden stand, by seeing a pistol in the hands of his lady visitor, pointed straight at his head!
“Abajo la hacha!” (Down with the hatchet), cried she. “Lepero! lift your arm to strike me, and it will be for the last time!”
“Stroike ye, misthress! Stroike you!” blubbered the ci-devant stable-boy, as soon as his terror permitted him to speak. “Mother av the Lard!
I didn’t mane the waypon for you at all, at all!
I’ll sware it on the crass—or a whole stack av Bibles if yez say so. In trath misthress; I didn’t mane the tammyhauk for you!”
“Why have you brought it forth?” inquired the lady, half suspecting that she had made a mistake, and lowering her pistol as she became convinced of it. “Why have you thus armed yourself?”
“As I live, only to ixecute the ordhers, I’ve resaved—only to cut a branch off av the cyacktus yez see over yander, an phut it undher the tail av the owld mare.
Shure yez won’t object to my doin’ that?”
In her turn, the lady became silent—surprised at the singular proposition.
The odd individual she saw before her, could not mean mischief.
His looks, attitude, and gestures were grotesque, rather than threatening; provocative of mirth—not fear, or indignation.
“Silince gives consint.
Thank ye,” said Phelim, as, no longer in fear of being shot down in his tracks, he ran straight across the lawn, and carried out to the letter, the parting injunctions of Zeb Stump.
The Mexican maiden hitherto held silent by surprise, remained so, on perceiving the absolute idleness of speech.
Further conversation was out of the question. What with the screaming of the mare—continuous from the moment the spinous crupper was inserted under her tail—the loud trampling of her hoofs as she “cavorted” over the turf—the dismal howling of the hound—and the responsive cries of the wild forest denizens—birds, beasts, insects, and reptiles—only the voice of a Stentor could have been heard! What could be the purpose of the strange proceeding? How was it to terminate?