The Red Track: A Story of Social Life in Mexico

by Gustave Aimard

  CHAPTER XIX.

  ASSISTANCE.

  The man who now entered the hall of mirrors was dressed like the riderswho promenade at the Bucareli, and gallop at carriage doors--that is tosay, in trousers with silk stripes down the sides, and a broad-brimmedhat decorated with a double gold string and tassels.

  He walked gracefully up to Don Sebastian, still holding his hat in hisright hand, bowed to him with that exquisite grace of which the Mexicansalone seem to have the privilege, and thrusting his hand into his side,he said, with an accent of cutting sarcasm, and in a harsh, metallicvoice--

  "Do you recognize me, Don Sebastian, and do you believe that I am reallyalive, and that it is not the ghost of Martial the Tigrero which hascome from the grave to address you?"

  At the same moment Belhumeur's clever, knowing face could be seenpeering through the doorway. With his eyes obstinately fixed on thegeneral, he seemed to be impatiently expecting an answer, which thelatter, struggling with several different feelings, evidently hesitatedto give. Still, he was compelled to form a resolution, so he rose andlooked the Tigrero boldly in the face.

  "Who are you, senor?" he said, in a firm voice, "and by what right doyou question me?"

  "Well played," said Valentine, with a laugh; "by heaven, caballero,it is a pleasure to contend with you, for, on my soul, you are a rudeadversary."

  "Do you think so?" Don Sebastian asked, with a hoarse laugh.

  "Certainly," the hunter continued, "and I am delighted to bear mytestimony to the fact; hence you had better yield at once, for you arein a dilemma from which you cannot escape, not even by a master stroke."

  There was a silence, lasting some minutes. At length the generalseemed to make up his mind, for he turned to Belhumeur, who was stilllistening, and bowed to him with ironical politeness.

  "Why stand half hidden by that door?" he said to him; "pray enter,caballero, for your presence here will be most agreeable to the wholecompany."

  The Canadian at once entered, and after giving the general a respectfulbow he leant over the back of Valentine's chair. The latter eagerlyfollowed all the incidents of the strange scene that was being playedbefore him, and in which he appeared to be a disinterested spectatorrather than an actor.

  "You see, senores," the general said, haughtily, "that I imitate yourexample, and, like you, play fairly. I believe that you entered my housein order to propose a bargain to me, Don Valentine? You, senor," hesaid, turning to the Tigrero, "whom I told that I did not recognize, andwhom I have the honour of receiving at my house for the first time, havedoubtless come as witness for these caballeros, who are your friends.Well, gentlemen, you shall all three be satisfied. I am awaiting yourproposal, Don Valentine. I allow, senor, that you, whose miraculousresuscitation I have hitherto denied, are alive, and are really DonMartial the ex-lover of Dona Anita de Torres. As for you, senor, whomI do not know, I authorize you to declare before any one you like thetruth of the words I utter. Are you all three satisfied, gentlemen? Isthere anything else I can do to afford you pleasure?--if so, speak, andI am ready to satisfy you."

  "A man could not yield to what is inevitable with better grace,"Valentine replied, bowing ironically.

  "Thanks for your approval, caballero, and be kind enough to let me know,without further delay, the conditions on which you are willing to leaveoff pursuing me with that terrible hatred with which you incessantlythreaten me, and whose result is rather long in coming, according to myjudgment."

  These words were uttered with a mixture of pride and contempt impossibleto express, and which for a moment rendered Valentine dumb, soextraordinary did the sudden change in his adversary's humour appear tohim.

  "I am waiting," the general added, as he fell back in his chair, with anair of weariness.

  "We will bring matters to an end," Valentine said, drawing himself upwith an air of resolution.

  "That is what I wish," the general interrupted him, as he lit acigarette, which he began smoking with the most profound coolness.

  "These are my conditions," the hunter said distinctly and harshly, forhe was annoyed by this frigid indifference. "You will at once leaveMexico, and give up Dona Anita, to whom you will not only restore herliberty, but also the right of giving her hand and fortune to whomsoevershe pleases. You will sell your estates, and retire to the UnitedStates, promising on oath never to return to Mexico. On my side, Ipledge myself to restore you your daughter's body, and never attempt toinjure you in any way."

  "Have you anything more to add?" the general asked, as he coolly watchedthe blue smoke of his cigarette as it rose in circles to the ceiling.

  "Nothing; but take care, senor, I too have taken an oath, and fromwhat I have told you, you must have seen how far I have detected yoursecrets. Accept or refuse, but come to a decision; for this is the lasttime we shall meet face to face under the like conditions. The game weare playing is a terrible one, and must end in the death of one of us;and I shall show you no pity, as, doubtless, you will show me none.Reflect seriously before answering yes or no, and I give you half anhour to decide."

  The general burst into a sharp and nervous laugh. "_Viva Dios_,caballero!" he exclaimed, with a contemptuous toss of his head, "I havelistened to you with extreme surprise. You dispose of my will with anincomparable facility. I do not know who gives you the right to speakand act as you are doing; but, by heaven, hatred, however active it maybe, can in no case possess this privilege. You fancy yourself much morepowerful than you really are, I fancy; but, at any rate, whatever mayhappen, bear this carefully in mind--I will not retreat an inch beforeyou. Accepting your impudent and ridiculous conditions would be tocover myself with shame and my utter ruin. Were you the genius of Evilclothed in mortal form, I would not the less persist in the track I havelaid down for myself, and in which I will persevere at my own risk andperil; however terrible may be the obstacles you raise, I will overthrowthem or succumb bravely, buried beneath the ruins of my abortiveplans and my destroyed fortunes. Hence consider yourself warned, DonValentine; that I despise your menaces, and they will not stop me. Andyou, Don Martial, since such is your name, that I shall marry my ward,in spite of the efforts you may make to prevent me, and shall do sobecause I wish it, and because no man in the world has ever attemptedto resist my will without being at once mercilessly crushed. And now,senores, as we have said all we have to say to each other, and I thinkthere is no more, and we can have no doubt as to our mutual intentions,permit me to take leave of you, for I wish to go to the Santa Annatheatre, and it is already very late."

  He rang the bell, and a footman came in.

  "Order the carriage," he said to him.

  "Then," Valentine said as he rose, "it is war to the death between us."

  "War to the death! be it so."

  "We shall only meet once again, general," the hunter remarked; "and thatwill be on the eve of your death, when you are in Capilla."

  "I accept the meeting, and will bow uncomplainingly before you if youare powerful enough to obtain that result; but, believe me, I am notthere yet."

  "You are nearer your fall than you perhaps suppose."

  "That is possible; but enough of this; any further conversation will beuseless. Light these gentlemen down," he said to the servant, who atthis moment entered the room.

  The three men rose, exchanged dumb bows with the general, and,accompanied by him to the door of the room, they followed the footman,who preceded them with candles. Two carriages were waiting at the footof the stairs; Valentine and his friends got into one of them, thegeneral took his seat in the other, and they heard him give the order ina firm voice to drive to the Santa Anna theatre. The coachmen floggedtheir horses, which started at a gallop, and the two carriages left thehouse, the gates of which were closed after them.

  The Santa Anna theatre was built in 1844 by the Spanish architect,Hidalgo. This building has externally nothing remarkable about it,either in regard to frontage or position; but we are glad to state thatthe interior is convenient, elegant, and even g
rand.

  After passing through the external portico, you enter a yard coveredwith a glass dome, next come wide stairs with low steps, large and loftylobbies, a double row of galleries looking on the front yard, and airycrush-rooms for the promenaders.

  The house is well built, well decorated, and spacious; it has three rowsof boxes, with a lower circle representing the pit boxes, and anotherabove the third circle for the lower classes. In the pit, it is worthmentioning that each visitor has his stall, which he reaches easily andcomfortably by passages formed down the centre and round the theatre.The boxes nearly all contain ten persons, and are separated from eachother by light colonnades and partitions. To each box is attached aroom, to which people withdraw between the acts, and, instead of thebalconies which in our theatres conceal a great part of the ladies'toilets, the boxes have only a ledge a few inches in height, whichallows the splendid dresses of the audience to be fully admired.

  We have dwelt, perhaps with a little complacency, on this description ofthe Santa Anna theatre, for we thought that, at the moment when it isintended to rebuild the Opera and other Parisian theatres, there can beno harm in displaying the difference that exists between the frightfuldens in which the spectators are thrust together pell-mell every nightin a city like Paris, which claims to be the first, not only in Europe,but in the whole world, and the spacious airy theatres of a country likeMexico, which in so many respects is inferior to us as regards ideas ofcivilization and comfort. It would, however, be very easy, we fancy, toobtain in Paris the advantageous results the Mexicans have enjoyed fortwenty years, and that at a slight expense. Unfortunately, whatever maybe said, the French are the most thorough routine nation in the world,and we greatly fear that, in spite of incessant protests, things willremain for a long time in the same state as they are today.

  When the general entered his box, which was in the first circle,and almost facing the stage, the house presented a truly fairy-likeappearance. The extraordinary performance had brought an immense throngof spectators and ladies, whose magnificent dresses were covered withdiamonds, which glittered and flashed beneath the light that played onthem.

  Don Sebastian, after bending forward for a moment to exchange bows withhis numerous acquaintances, and prove his presence, withdrew to the backof the box, opened his glasses, and began looking carelessly about him.But though, through a powerful effort of the will, his face was cold,calm, and unmoved, a terrible storm was raging in the general's heart.

  The scene that had taken place a few minutes previously at his mansion,had filled him with anxiety and gloomy forebodings, for he understoodthat his adversaries must either believe or feel themselves verystrong thus to dare and defy him to the face, and audaciously enterhis very house. In vain he tortured his mind to find means to get ridof his obstinate enemy; but time pressed, his situation became at eachmoment more critical, and unless some bold and desperate stroke provedsuccessful, he felt instinctively that he was lost without chance ofsalvation.

  The president's box was occupied by the first magistrate of theRepublic, and some of his aide-de-camps. Several times, Don Sebastianfancied that the president's eyes were fixed on him with a strangeexpression, after which he bent over and whispered some remarks tothe gentlemen who accompanied him. Perhaps, this was not real, and thegeneral's pricked conscience suggested to him suspicions far from thethoughts of those against whom he had so many reasons to be on hisguard; but whether real or not, these suspicions tortured his heart andproved to him the necessity of coming to an end at all risks.

  Still the performance went on; the curtain had just fallen before thelast act, and the general, devoured by anxiety, and persuaded that hehad remained long enough in the theatre to testify his presence, waspreparing to retire, when the door of his box opened, and Colonel Lupowalked in.

  "Ah, is it you, colonel?" Don Sebastian said to him as he offered hishand and gave him a forced smile. "You are welcome; I did not hope anylonger to have the pleasure of seeing you, and I was just going away."

  "Pray do not let me stop you, general, I have only a few words to say toyou."

  "Our business?"

  "Goes on famously."

  "No suspicion?"

  "Not the shadow."

  The general breathed like a man from whose chest a crushing weight hasbeen just removed.

  "Can I be of any service to you?" he said, absently.

  "For the present, I have only come for your sake."

  "How so?"

  "I was accosted today by a lepero, a villain of the worst sort, whosays that he wishes to avenge himself on a certain Frenchman, whomhe declares you know, and he desires to place himself under yourprotection, in the event of the blade of his navaja accidentallyslipping into his enemy's body."

  "Hum! that is serious," the general said with an imperceptible start. "Ido not know how far I dare go in being bail for such a scoundrel."

  "He declares that you have known him a long time, and that while doinghis own business, he will be doing yours."

  "You know that I am no admirer of navajadas, for an assassination alwaysinjures the character of a politician."

  "That is true; but you cannot be rendered responsible for the crimes anyvillain may think proper to commit."

  "Did this worthy gentleman tell you his name, my dear colonel?"

  "Yes; but I believe that it would be better to mention it in the openair, rather than in this place."

  "One word more; have you cleverly deceived him, and do you think that hereally intends to be useful to us?"

  "Useful to you, you mean."

  "As you please."

  "I could almost assert it."

  "Well, we will be off; have you weapons about you?"

  "I should think so; it would be madness to go about Mexico unarmed."

  "I have pistols in my pocket, so I will dismiss my carriage, and we willwalk home to my house; does that suit you, my dear colonel?"

  "Excellently, general, the more so because if you evince any desire tosee the scoundrel in question, nothing will be easier than for me totake you to the den he occupies, without attracting attention."

  The general looked at his accomplice fixedly. "You have not told me all,colonel?" he said.

  "I have not, general, but I am convinced that you understand the motive,which at this moment keeps my mouth shut."

  "In that case, let us be off."

  He wrapped himself in his cloak and left the box, followed by thecolonel. A footman was waiting under the portico for his orders to bringup the carriage.

  "Return to the house," the general said; "it is a fine night, and I feelinclined for a walk."

  The footman retired.

  "Come, colonel," Don Sebastian went on.

  They left the theatre and proceeded slowly toward the Portales deMercaderes, which were entirely deserted at this advanced hour of thenight.