CHAPTER XXV.
WHEN THE OFFICER OF THE GUARD CAME.
It was a remarkable tableau.
The dark dungeon with its mouldy stone walls was a fitting background.
Roderic's little lantern did not cast a superabundance of light, butthere was enough to show the three figures in the scene.
Inez, poor girl, had staggered back and seemed almost paralyzed--halfcrouching she leaned one hand against the wall for support, and witheyes distended by amazement and horror, stared at the prisoner asthough appalled by the thought that her Leon had gone mad--that thecruel Spaniards had driven him out of his mind, else why should hetreat her so roughly, she who would give her life for him if need be?
Roderic grasped the truth, and yet it was so astounding that he couldnot believe the positive evidence of his senses.
It seemed as though the hand of a magician had been extended to bringabout such an amazing transformation.
He came to rescue Leon, and found in the young man's dungeon--Georgia!
Was ever surprise more complete?
Who could the wizard be--had brother and sister the power of changingtheir personality at will?
Strange fancies rioted through his excited mind as he stood thereand stared--the situation was remarkable enough to arouse the mostextravagant and marvelous thoughts.
At the same time Roderic was conscious of a powerful desire to takethis bold maid of San Juan to his heart, for his love was still strongwithin him.
And as he thus stood and looked at her, perhaps with reproach uponhis face, the anger seemed to gradually die away from her eyes, thecolor returned to her cheeks, her upraised hand that had flung Inezso violently back fell to her side and she trembled with a mixture ofemotions.
Strange place indeed for an explanation and yet Roderic knew it wasbound to come.
He wished to know many things, and on her part a revolution of feelingmust take part in her heart toward the devoted being whom she had soscornfully thrust aside.
Of the three then, Inez was the first to find her tongue, to giveutterance to the anguish that racked her soul.
"Holy Mother," she wailed, "he knows me not--they have robbed himof reason--they have broken my heart. Oh! Leon, unsay those cruelwords--tell me that you still love me, or I too must go mad!"
The prisoner of the fortress doubtless heard, but never once were thoseluminous midnight orbs removed from Roderic's face.
His disguise might have baffled some but it was of no avail where thoseeyes were concerned.
One look and the mask had been torn away--she had known him from theinstant he rushed through the arched doorway.
By this time Roderic had succeeded in mastering his emotions--at leasthe was in a fair way to gradually assume control.
The situation, too, was becoming unbearable, for Georgia, if theprisoner could be the girl he loved, seemed gradually being overwhelmedby confusion, perhaps because thus seen in male attire by the man whoserespect she desired above all others, or it might be from some otherequally potent reason.
"Georgia!"
Just one word, but what an effect it had upon the other--the prisonerof the dungeon burst into tears, all the while protesting and accusingRoderic of duplicity, declaring that her love had turned to hate, andyet giving this assertion the lie by the very emphasis with which shespoke.
It was a tirade of almost meaningless phrases, just such as one mightexpect from an impulsive whole hearted daughter of the tropics, wholoved and suffered, and whose brave front, artificially sustained, hadgiven way under this sudden shock.
Roderic did not wince--Roderic knew he held the magic power in hisgrasp whereby he could change this mourning into rejoicing--he knew sheloved him in spite of what she might say, yes loved him with an undyingaffection such as only a woman of her stamp could experience.
He waited a minute or so until she had exhausted the violence of heremotions.
When finally she had hidden her face in her hands, as if she dared nolonger let him gaze upon her weakness, Roderic took a step toward herand spoke gently.
At the sound of his beloved voice she trembled like an aspen leaf,and as she heard the astounding intelligence imparted by his calmwords, first she looked from between her fingers, then both handsfell from her face, and finally with bated breath she hung upon hisclosing sentences, utterly transformed, radiant with a sudden return ofhappiness such as she had believed could never again be her portion onearth.
What he said was but a hurried review of this meeting with Inez undersuch strange conditions, the appointment he had made for a rendezvousin the plaza, and last of all their desperate undertaking in company onthis night, resolved to save Leon if it be in mortal power to do so.
She looked toward Inez, into whose brain something of the wonderfultruth was beginning to enter.
That look no longer spoke of contempt and hatred--there was a new lightin her eye as though her soul had awakened to a glorious realization ofthe possibilities opening before.
In Inez the devoted daughter of Morro's stern governor, the girl whohad saved Leon from a prison cell in Cuba, the woman whose love hadmade her that same Leon's wife and who was therefore her own sister,she saw a different being from the dark-eyed houri whom she oncebelieved had stolen Roderic's heart--circumstances alter cases, andthe same scene we have looked upon in the deceptive moonlight becomestransformed in the garish light of day.
"His wife--my brother's wife--oh! what is this strange thing you tellme--that would be too much happiness--I must be dreaming."
The girl had met with such a revulsion of feeling that she threatenedto become incoherent again; but Roderic, advancing another step laid ahand upon her arm, his touch acting like magic, for he seemed to infusesome of his own calmness into her.
"Go closer to Inez--see, the poor girl is bewildered, overwhelmedat finding you here when she expected Leon, just as I too am deeplypuzzled. Speak to her--ask her who she is, and what she seeks at therisk of her life. Ah! you cannot hate her, sweetheart, she who lovesyour brother so dearly--your sister. Take her to your heart, you twowhom Heaven has brought together so strangely."
His words stirred both of those who heard--the girls looked at eachother yearningly, for a new emotion had leaped into their souls.
Unable to longer restrain their feminine feelings they were speedilyclasped in each other's arms, while Roderic stood by, holding hislittle lantern, complacently watching the demonstration, meanwhilecongratulating himself that his skies had cleared and that the futurepromised glorious possibilities.
He was still greatly puzzled and for the life of him unable tocomprehend how Georgia could take the place of Leon in this dungeon ofthe old fortress, difficult of access and vigilantly guarded by notonly one but two sentries.
At the same time he knew an explanation would speedily be forthcoming,and hence exercised what patience he possessed.
It is not so difficult to do this when all things seem to be comingone's way.
Presently Georgia remembered.
As she turned from Inez and faced her lover, face and neck weresuffused with scarlet.
In his eyes it was a beautiful sight, and he could not remember everhaving seen her look so charming.
"Oh! Roderic, can you, will you forgive my cruel, unjust suspicions, myinsane jealousy that caused me to treat you so bitterly, that refusedto hear your explanations? I do not deserve your love, but God knows Icould not live without it. Tell me you forgive such a wretch, and makeme happy again."
He opened wide his arms, and forgetting her confusion, forgettingeverything but that she loved him and had again found Paradise, herhead was quickly pillowed on his shoulder, and she looked up into hisface, smiling through her tears.
"You do forgive?"
"As I hope to be forgiven. Let it be forgotten, even as you said of mytransgression. We love--we have been true to each other--the futurelies before us, why should we burden ourselves with foolish doubts andfears? From this hour then we begin anew, n
or may all Satan's powerprevail against us, nor shall I have reason to fear a Jerome or aJulio, the latter of whom turns out to be the erring black sheep in thefamily of Inez--her step-brother. As to Leon----"
"_Carramba!_ yes, what of Leon?" cried Inez, with suddenly renewedinterest.
What indeed.
Roderic himself was conscious of a keen interest in the youngman--where had he gone and what brought Georgia to his dungeon?
Plainly the time had arrived for explanations, nor did Georgia show adisposition to withhold them.
"You wonder to find me here?" she said, releasing herself from his arms.
"Naturally so."
"And disguised as--as, a man," with confusion.
"Under the conditions if you came here at all it would have to be underfalse colors."
"The case was desperate--it admitted of no false modesty. Leon was tobe shot in the morning. I laid my plans and sought help of the only oneI believed I could trust in all San Juan. Heaven bless her kind spirit,and forgive me for ever having believed she could have stooped so lowas to take the heart that belonged to me."
"What! you went to Cleo?" he exclaimed.
"Nothing more nor less, since I dared not ask the active assistanceof my guardian Don Porfidio, who endeavored in vain to have Leon'ssentence dismissed or changed. Yes, the Senorita Cleo not only receivedme warmly but gave me aid and promised that if we succeeded Leon shouldsail away on her yacht to safety."
"God bless her!" muttered Roderic.
"And he will, beloved, depend on it. But time will not permit me totell all. Her Captain Beven came ashore with me, and waits near by forus to join him. Unfortunately we met Jerome on the street, showingCaptain Shackelford the sights of San Juan. I know he recognized mein spite of my disguise for they hung upon our track until we drewnear the fortress. I fear he may discover the truth and in some wayoverwhelm us with trouble. He is my evil genius--something within tellsme that through Senor Wellington the most bitter trial of my lifemust come. But at last we seemed to shake them off, and I found anopportunity to enter this awful place."
Roderic shuddered to think of this valiant girl undertaking such agigantic task alone--it seemed almost incredible, and he would not havebelieved it had not the fact come under his own observation.
"But--how did you gain entrance to this cell, and--where has Leon gone?"
"Yes, tell us of him, I implore," echoed Inez, who had hung upon everyword.
"You shall hear. I already knew where my poor brother wasconfined,--how I learned the facts I shall not say just now; and afterinfinite trouble I came to where a guard walked up and down before abarred door behind which I was positive Leon might be found.
"All had been prepared, Captain Beven having so doctored a flask ofliquor that the wretch drinking half of it would be overwhelmed bysleep.
"While the guard walked away from me I placed this bait where he wouldbe apt to kick it with his foot on his return.
"Everything worked smoothly, Senor Owen--the fellow gulped down some ofthe stuff and presently slept as sweetly as a cherub."
"Is sleeping still, and good for ten hours," declared Roderic, and thenresumed his attitude of listener, believing that something of deepimportance was coming next.
"When this result had been secured I opened the door and found Leonalive and well."
Inez uttered a fervent prayer of thanks.
"I had brought him some garments to put on, such as the Spanishsoldiers wear, but knowing the hour was near when the officer of theguard would come along to see that each sentry was in his place it wasdecided that until that critical time passed I was to remain in thecell, while with the door barred Leon would take the sentry's gun andmount guard----"
Inez uttered a startled cry that seemed to come from her very soul,and turning from them darted toward the door of the dungeon.
Roderic knew what it meant.
He suddenly remembered how he had placed the nervous guard _hors decombat_--at the time he considered this a remarkably clever piece ofbusiness--now he was ready to call himself a fool for his action.
Good Heavens! what if he had gone a little further than heintended--what if the breath had refused to return to the seeming guardafter his fall--it was Leon whom he had assailed, Leon, the very manfor whose sake, considering the fact that he was _her_ brother, he hadtaken all this deadly risk.
No wonder then he hurried after the impulsive wife, whom love sentflying through the cell door.
And Georgia, as yet failing to grasp the true sense of the situation,and unwilling to remain behind, also followed.
As Roderic issued from the dungeon he discovered Inez bending over theform of the bound guard, and the American held his breath with suspenseas he hurried toward them.
Ere he arrived however he was reassured.
"He lives, senor, thanks be to the Virgin--it is I, my Leon, your Inezwho has sworn to save you nor share your fate. A knife Senor Owen, sothat we may cut loose his arms. Oh! blessed moment that I behold youalive!"
Thus alternately addressing Roderic and anon her husband, Inez pillowedthe head of the bound man, who seemed too amazed to speak.
When however Roderic had opened his pocket knife and severed the bondswith which he had so carefully bound his victim, he was rejoiced to seehim immediately sit up.
All seemed to be going well.
Perhaps fortune had other favors in store for them--at least the cloudswere rolling away, leaving a clear sky above.
Inez had by this time managed to get her arms around the neck of herhusband, and was uttering happy expressions of endearment.
Roderic himself would not have minded copying this example, with thebeing he loved so close by, but just at this juncture the happy scenewas rudely and suddenly disturbed by a gruff voice uttering in vigorousSpanish some astonishment at what was occurring in the grim passage ofthe old fortress.
Of course it was the miserable officer making his rounds, and who hadarrived just at this interesting moment.
Miss Fairfax of Virginia: A Romance of Love and Adventure Under the Palmettos Page 25
