She looked so slight and frail in her stiff black satin gown, which rendered more dazzling by contrast the whiteness of her neck and shoulders, even as her lustrous, smoothly dressed black hair stressed the warm pallor of her gentle countenance. A little statue in ebony and ivory she seemed to Don Pedro's fancy, and almost as lifeless until after supper he found himself alone with her in the deep jessamineclad galleries that stood open to the cool night breezes blowing from the sea.
His Excellency had gone off to indite a letter of grateful acknowledgment to the King, and had taken the friar to assist him. He had commended his guest to the attention of his wife, whilst commiserating with him upon the necessity. She had led Don Pedro out into the scented purple tropic night, and stepping now beside him came at last to life, and addressed him in a breathless anxiety.
«What you told us today of Don Rodrigo de Queiroz, is it true? That he is a prisoner in the hands of Captain Blood, but unhurt and safe, awaiting ransom?»
«Most scrupulously true in all particulars.»
«You You pledge your word for that? Your honour as a gentleman? For I must assume you a gentleman, since you bear commissions from the King.»
«And on no other ground?» quoth he, a little taken aback.
«Do you pledge me your word?» she insisted.
«Unhesitatingly. My word of honour. Why should you doubt me?»
«You give me cause. You are not truthful in all things. Why, for instance, do you say you are my cousin?»
«You do not, then, remember me?»
«I remember Pedro de Queiroz. The years might have given you height and slenderness; the sun might have tanned your face, and under your black periwig your hair may still be fair, though I take leave to doubt it. But what, I ask myself, could have changed the colour of your eyes? For your eyes are blue, and Pedro's were dark brown.»
He was silent a moment, like a man considering, and she watched his stern, handsome face, made plain by the light beating upon it from the windows of the house. He did not meet her glance. Instead his eyes sought the sea, gleaming under the bright stars and reflecting the twinkling lights of ships in the roadstead, watched the fireflies flitting among the bushes in pursuit of moths, looked anywhere but at the little figure at his side.
At last he spoke, quietly, almost humorously, in admission of the imposture. «We hoped you would have forgotten such a detail.»
«We?» she questioned him.
«Rodrigo and I. He is at least my friend. He was hastening to you when this thing befell him. That is how we came to be on the same ship.»
«And he desired you to do this?»
«He shall tell you so himself when he arrives. He will be here in a few days, depend on it. As soon as I can ransom him, which will be very soon after my departure. When I was escaping for, unlike him, I had given no parole he desired that if I came here, I should claim to be your cousin, so as to stand at need in his place until he comes.»
She was thoughtful, and her bosom rose and fell in agitation. In silence they moved a little way in step.
«You took a foolish risk,» she said, thereby showing her acceptance of his explanation.
«A gentleman,» said he sententiously, «will always take a risk to serve a lady.»
«Were you serving me?»
«Does it seem to you that I could be serving myself?»
«No. You could not have been doing that.»
«Why question further, then? Rodrigo wished it so. He will explain his motives fully when he comes. Meanwhile, as your cousin, I am in his place. If this boorish husband burdens you overmuch »
«What
are you saying?» Her voice rang with alarm.
«That I am Rodrigo's deputy. So that you remember it, that is all I ask.»
«I thank you, cousin,» she said, and left him.
Three days Don Pedro continued as the guest of the Governor of Porto Rico, and they were much as that first day, saving that daily Don Jayme continued to increase in consciousness of his new dignity as a Knight of Saint James of Compostella, and became, consequently, daily more insufferable. Yet Don Pedro suffered him with exemplary fortitude, and at times seemed even disposed to feed the Governor's egregious vanity. Thus, on the third night at supper, Don Pedro cast out the suggestion that his Excellency should signalize the honour with which the King had distinguished him by some gesture that should mark the occasion and render it memorable in the annals of the island.
Don Jayme swallowed the suggestion avidly. «Ah, yes! That is an admirable thought. What do you counsel that I do?»
Don Pedro smiled with flattering deprecation. «Not for me to counsel Don Jayme de Villamarga. But the gesture should be worthy of the occasion.»
«Indeed, yes. That is true.» The dullard's wits, however, were barren of ideas. «The question now is what might be considered worthy?»
Frey Alonso suggested a ball at Government House, and was applauded in this by Dona Hernanda. Don Pedro, apologetically to the lady, thought a ball would have significance only for those who were bidden to it. Something was required that should impress all social orders in Porto Rico.