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V 
 
A Daughter of Cuba 
 
 fi^ By 
 
 Helen M. Boweno 
 
 Chicago and New York: 
 
 Rand, McNally & Company, 
 Publishers. 
 
Copyright, 1896, by the Merriam Company. 
 Copyright, 1898, by Helen M. Bowen. 
 
THAT ONE, 
 
 ■WHOSE COMPANIONSHIP AND READY COMPREHENSION 
 MAKE BEAUTIFUL MY DAYS, 
 
 THIS BOOK 
 
 IS 
 
 TENDERLY INSCRIBED. 
 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 LiTHGOW Hamilton was moving up Broadway after the 
 fashion of a New Yorker intent on his own affairs, when he 
 found himself wheeled about suddenly by a friendly arm. 
 
 " Why, hello, Bertram !" he exclaimed, stopping to exchange 
 salutations. 
 
 " You are just the man I want to see," declared Mr. Ber- 
 tram, with satisfaction. " Demmes tells me that you are 
 going to Cuba." 
 
 " Yes," admitted Lithgow Hamilton, believing this to be 
 but one of many congratulations which he had received from 
 tliuse who were forced lo remain in the North during the win- 
 ter which already enveloped the land. '" Fortune favors me 
 this year. Jersdan & Lester are sending me down to make 
 better Contracts with the cotYee planters. Last year's produel 
 was below grade. By having a man in the island at this sea- 
 son they hope to secure larger consignments from those 
 plantations that have a reputation for growing the finest qual- 
 ities." 
 
 " You always were a lucky dog," commented Mr. Bertram, 
 with pleasant envy. 
 
 Lithgow Hamilton lifted his brows skeptically. 
 
 "There might be two opinions about that," he returned; 
 " but I must confess that this trip is exactly to my liking now. 
 We touched at Cuba when I came up from Honduras, but the 
 island is quite unfamiliar. I suppose it was my ability to 
 speak the Spanish language that secured me this opportunity." 
 
 " Shall you go into the interior?" 
 
 " Certainly ; that I shall be forced to do. Not an enviable 
 
6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 task, if what I hear is true. It is declared, however, that trav- 
 elling in Cuba has this advantage over joumeyings in other 
 countries, that one always can catch on the morrow the train 
 which should have gone yesterday." 
 
 Mr. Bertram viewed through his pince-nez the stalwart fig- 
 ure in front of him, with its brown hair growing far back on 
 the temples, the alert gray eyes, between the brows of which 
 was a thoughtful line, the mouth not so hidden by its dark 
 mustache as to conceal the fact that its under lip had a habit 
 of being bitten in by the strong upper teeth. 
 
 "Ha, ha!" Mr. Bertram laughed amusedly, while he men- 
 tally was taking notes as if to convince himself that he had 
 decided on the right man. " Surely there is nothing to com- 
 plain about in that. Have you any objections to undertaking 
 a little business for me down there — on the side?" 
 
 " Legitimate process?" queried Lithgow, smiling. 
 
 " Did you ever know me to deal in any other?" demanded 
 Mr. Bertram, drawing a cigar-case from his pocket and oflfer- 
 ing its contents to Lithgow. 
 
 "Well! You are a lawyer," explained Lithgow banter- 
 ingly. " What is the scheme?" 
 
 " It's no scheme ; it's a search," corrected Bertram. 
 
 " For what?" 
 
 " An estate in England is going begging for a master. The 
 heir is believed to be in Cuba." 
 
 " Ah, and you wish me to poke about seeking him," Lith- 
 gow nodded as he lighted his cigar. " Do you know the isl- 
 and? Every one who goes there is placed under surveillance, 
 especially if he be an American. They suspect you of every- 
 thing until you can prove how innocent are your intentions; 
 they even have a fashion of not waiting long for explanations, 
 I believe. They clap you into jail ; sometimes the only ex- 
 planation that they deem necessary is a rifle — with you at the 
 small end of it !" 
 
 " Yes, yes," assented the lawyer, hastily. " I know all that. 
 That is exactly why I thought, when I heard at the club of 
 your intended departure, that perhaps you could do what 
 others who had gone there for the same purpose have found 
 impossible. Your business will be known. You will be 
 hampered by espionage but little. If, in moving through the 
 interior, you should find opportunities for gaining information 
 
A DAUGIITER OF CUBA. 7 
 
 which would escape other people, it certainly is no aflfair of 
 Spain." 
 
 Lithgow appeared rather doubtful. 
 
 " Let me know what I have to do, first," he suggested. 
 " What is the storj-?" 
 
 " It is rather long. Have you the time to listen now? If 
 so, come up to the office." 
 
 Lithgow glanced at his watch. 
 
 " I can spare twenty minutes," he agreed. " After I hear 
 the kind of work involved I can tell you whether I will at- 
 tempt it. I should not like to make a failure of it; and of 
 course I would. I never was cut out for a detective." 
 
 "There is no reason why you should hesitate," Bertram 
 urged, as they walked in the direction of his office. " All that 
 you really can do is to bear in mind the history which I will 
 recount to you. If anything that might appear to have any 
 connection with it should happen in your way, I would wish 
 you to follow the clue, leaving no stone unturned. We have 
 a detective down there now ; he pursues one will-o'-the-wisp 
 after another, but achieves no satisfactory results. Searchers 
 have been sent from England, but nothing has been accom- 
 plished. The matter of scouring the States was placed with 
 our firm, thinking that the child might have been brought 
 here. We are convinced, however, that he never left the 
 island. Securing him means a neat sum for us, I can as- 
 sure you." 
 
 Passing through the outer office, he ushered Lithgow into 
 his private room and closed the door. From his desk he drew 
 forth a bundle of documents and a small box, which, when 
 opened, revealed a very peculiar ornament. This he handed 
 to Lithgow for inspection. It was a ring, clumsy in design, 
 half-barbaric. It bore a stone of a rich purple hue. 
 
 " This is only a copy of the original," the lawyer explained. 
 " It was intrusted to us by the English solicitors. The origi- 
 nal is supposed to be in the possession of — but I must tell you 
 the story : 
 
 " About thirty years ago, an English planter stationed in 
 Cuba came into unexpected possession, he being a fourth son, 
 of an estate and title in his mother-country. Immediately, 
 he prepared to sail with his wife and infant. For some rea- 
 son, there appears to have been hatred or jealousy on the 
 
8 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 plantation sufficient to cause one of the black women to ex- 
 change her baby for that of her mistress without the latter 
 being aware of the deception until too late to remedy. 
 
 "This half-breed, called 'Brown Annizae,' had been the 
 child's nurse, and had rebelled fiercely when she learned that 
 she was not to accompany them, a young mulattress having 
 been chosen in her place. The mistress, being fond of Anni- 
 zae, would have relented, but the master peremptorily refused 
 to allow Annizae, either with or without her child, to leave 
 the island. This fact, coming to Annizae's knowledge, fired 
 her with such a desire for revenge as only the breast of a de- 
 spised or deserted woman can harbor. While the preparations 
 were being completed, she busied herself about her usual du- 
 ties ; for, in a capricious humor, the little heir refused to per- 
 mit any one but his customary nurse to minister to him. Ow- 
 ing to this, she was allowed to attend them to the ship, having 
 her own child with her as well as the one who seemed to di- 
 vine that soon he was to be separated from her. When she 
 was rowed back to land she bore one wrapped in her arms, 
 having succeeded in crooning both of them to sleep before she 
 leftjthe sailing-vessel. To the delight of the young mulattress, 
 the remaining child continued to sleep after Annizae's depar- 
 ture. With occasional glances in his direction, but with most 
 of her visual faculty devoted to watching the objects on shore 
 disappear from view, she spent the time immediately follow- 
 ing the embarking. It was not until it was hours too late that 
 she discovered that llie slumbering cliild was Annizae's. 
 
 "Vainly they implored the captain to put back. It was 
 impossible, or at least he deemed it impossible, for him to 
 comply with their requests. It was in the slow days of sail- 
 ing-vessels, and many months elapsed before they were able to 
 secure any information from Cuba in response to their wild in- 
 quiries; then it was only the meagre statement that the wo- 
 man never had been seen after their departure, and it had been 
 supposed that, at the last moment, they had concluded to take 
 her with them. 
 
 " Whether the child is alive, or whether she dropped him 
 over the side of the boat is the question which his parents 
 spent years in attempting to ascertain. The mother died after 
 ten years ; but the father, Lord Harberton, kept up the search. 
 It has degenerated now, principally, into an effort to ascertain 
 
A DA r CUTER OF CCBA. 9 
 
 if the little lost heir met death. This proven, the next of kin 
 come into possession. The solicitors in London insist that 
 they miiSt have some proof of the lost heir's death, or that he 
 must be found." 
 
 Lithgow was biting his nether lip thoughtfully. The 
 story interested him. He turned the ring over curiously and 
 watched the December sunshine bring out the colors of the 
 stone. 
 
 " What has this to do with it" he questioned. " You think 
 that the original is in the possession of whom? You have left 
 something untold." 
 
 " Why, this ring was missed, or the one like it was missed, 
 and, it being the property of the master, it always was sup- 
 posed that the woman Annizae had stolen it." 
 
 "And this ring is all that one has to go on?" Lithgow 
 shook his brown head dubiously. 
 
 " The name, Anuizae; we have that, and it may be of more 
 importance than it seems. It is said to be very uncommon." 
 
 Lithgow laid the ring down. He appeared to have made 
 up his mind not to attempt an effort in a field where failure 
 looked to be so certain. Mr. Bertram began to argue that 
 even if he were not successful the matter would stand just as 
 it did now. Jf nothing should be gained, nothing would be 
 lust. 
 
 Lithguw loukfd at his watch. lie ari)se with an exclania- 
 tiuu uf surprise. His twcnly minuics had lengthened into 
 thirty. He picked up the ring again. 
 
 " Supposing that I conclude to do what I can, may I take 
 the ring to refresh my memory?" he asked. " The bizarre ob- 
 ject is fascinating. With it to remind me constantly of m)' 
 mission, I should be more likely to allow no opportunity to 
 escape me." 
 
 "Of course," agreed the lawyer. "Take it I If it brings 
 us the heir or any knowledge concerning him, I fancy that 
 neither of us will have to worry about money matters for 
 some time to come. When do you sail?" 
 
 " On the next steamer. Will it be necessary to see you 
 again?" Lithgow turned up his coat-collar as he asked the 
 question. He was anxious to be off. 
 
 " No; but you will keep me posted if you learn anything?" 
 Bertram shook hands warmly. " You can't know how thankful 
 
lO A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 I am to you for your readiness to help me. Really, it seemed 
 to be too good a chance to be lost." 
 
 "Oh, yes; I'll keep you apprised of my movements," 
 laughed Lithgow, secretly amused that Bertram should cher- 
 ish hopes that appeared so hopeless. " Write me in charge of 
 the American consulate. Good-by, if I don't see you again." 
 
 " Good-by!" cried Bertram. " Take good care of yourself! 
 I'll be down to see you off." 
 
 Lithgow took a street-car, rode ten blocks, then walked 
 five. Entering a building that bore no outward evidence of 
 its being the home of Art's devotees, he directed his way to a 
 nook reached only by the elevator and the north light. This 
 had been his prospective destination when he was accosted by 
 Mr. Bertram. He knocked at the door. 
 
 " Come in," said a clear voice hospitably, but the owner of 
 it did not look around to discern who the individual was that 
 had accepted her invitation to enter. Intent on the work with 
 which her hands were engaged, she had no thought for any- 
 thing else at that moment. Little by little she was building 
 up with bits of clay the svelte form of a well-known society 
 woman, who had given her an order for one of the graceful, 
 minute productions which, in the artistic world, were becom- 
 ing identified with the name of Beatrice Warrington. 
 
 " Working yet?" Lithgow exclaimed, with a tone of glad- 
 ness. " I was afraid that you had gone home." He advanced 
 toward her, and stood inspecting her labor critically. 
 
 " Oh, it is you, Lithgow !" Beatrice Warrington said, glanc- 
 ing over her shoulder. " I am anxious to satisfy myself in re- 
 gard to this. What impression does it make upon you? Does 
 it wear her characteristics?" She moved back to his side and 
 viewed through discouraged eyes the result of her afternoon's 
 labor. " I know that it lacks something. What is it?" 
 
 He pulled his mustache reflectively. He did not wish to 
 fall short of her expectations, but he really had no fault to 
 find with the dainty object before him. 
 
 " You know that I am no judge. Bee," he murmured, apol- 
 ogetically. " It looks quite perfect. I recognized it in a sec- 
 ond. You might— yes, don't you think that you might give a 
 trifle more of a tilt to her head? That is one of her manner- 
 isms, you know." 
 
 "Possibly I might," admitted the young sculptress reluct- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. II 
 
 antly. " But this is for her husband's Christmas present, 
 and she held her head very erect to-day, all of her little airs 
 quite gone. Perhaps he is not accustomed to them at home 
 and she wishes to appear natural." 
 
 " It may be that this is the aspect she wears when she is 
 making a demand on his bank account," siiggested Lithgow. 
 
 Beatrice laughed, and began to put her work in proper 
 shape for the night. 
 
 With the familiarity of long acquaintance Lithgow moved 
 about the studio, investigating whatever he chose, lifting up 
 the cloths enveloping the several swathed creations that 
 reared themselves spectrally in the gathering twilight. 
 
 "You have lots of woi'k on hand, I see," he commented; 
 and Beatrice turned questioningly as she noted his rueful 
 tone. 
 
 " More than I can well do," she answered, with enthusiasm. 
 " My star is beginning to creep up. Was it not fortunate that 
 I took advice and followed up my first success in the statuette 
 line? The idea, being novel, wins attention where more pre- 
 tentious work would pass unnoticed by those on whose ca- 
 prices my livelihood depends. I really am making a diminu- 
 tive fortune." 
 
 Lithgow seemed intently studying some sketches that 
 were pinned irregularly on the wall. His lip was shut in al- 
 most fiercely by his teeth. He turned his eyes from the 
 sketches to her face. His voice was very quiet when he 
 spoke. 
 
 " I suppose that you think I ought to congratulate you on 
 your success," he said; " but, instead of being glad, I am sor- 
 ry — for myself." 
 
 Beatrice pushed a chair into position with unnecessary 
 haste, hung up her clay-daubed apron, and took down her hat 
 and jacket. 
 
 " How ridiculous!" she exclaimed, with a laugh that tried 
 not to lose its carelessness. " I intend that all of my friends 
 shall rejoice with me. I am not going to be so busy that I 
 shall have to deny myself our old quarrelsome chats, Lith- 
 gow." 
 
 " Well, let's have one now," he begged, moving toward the 
 Dutch settle which was Beatrice's pride. " It is the last one 
 we shall have for some time, unless " 
 
12 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Why?" queried Beatrice. " What has happened?" 
 
 " I am going to Cuba!" 
 
 " Oh !" Lithgow observed with some satisfaction that there 
 was an unmistakable touch of regret in her voice. " When?" 
 
 " On the next steamer." He paused a moment ; then asked, 
 softly : " Won't you and the dear mother go with me?" 
 
 Beatrice's blue eyes deepened in tint. She drew herself 
 up with a breath of surprise. There was a question expressed 
 emphatically in her attitude, but she said nothing. 
 
 Lithgow took one of her hands and drew her persuasively 
 to the settle. 
 
 " I love you, Beatrice," he said. " I came up here this time 
 not to quarrel, but to ask you to marry me. We can go to 
 Cuba on our wedding-trip; I thought that you would like it. 
 You can pack a bag and away we will fly; — of course, we 
 would not leave the mother !" 
 
 Beatrice looked at him with puzzled eyes. His very 
 quietness showed her his earnestness, but his method of ac- 
 quainting her with his hopes was, to say the least, astonish- 
 ingly abrupt. 
 
 " It would be a delightful voyage, and mamma would en- 
 joy it intensely; but" — she pulled her fingers from his re- 
 taining grasp — "there would be one objection — I am certain 
 that both of us would t-vt-utnally find it an objection — we 
 Avould be married I'" 
 
 '■ Of course, we would be married," he declared. " Do you 
 mean to say that you " 
 
 " Wouldn't like it?" she supplemented, with a smile. 
 " That is just what we finally would discover, only, you see, 
 it would be too late." 
 
 Lithgow viewed her questioningly. The darkening light 
 made her hair appear a warmer gold than usual ; her e3'es 
 were more blue and more friendly than even they were wont 
 to be. 
 
 " Fond as I am of you, Lithgow, I certainly don't think 
 that I am the woman for you to marry," she told him gently. 
 
 " There is no other," he said, looking at her with his black- 
 lashed gray eyes full of truth. 
 
 "Perhaps not this instant," she smiled, teasingly; "but 
 there have been others, and there yet will be." 
 
 "I have told you too much!" he regretted. "But why 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 13 
 
 have you made me reveal my weaknesses to you? I never 
 would think of confessing to another mortal as I have to you ; 
 and you, of all others, are the one I desire should think well 
 of me !" 
 
 " That is folly !" she exclaimed. " I never have made you 
 tell me a single thing! How could I?" 
 
 " Well, the fact remains that I have talked to you more as 
 I would to a man," he said, retrospectively. " What has 
 made me do it, Heaven only knows! — unless it was that smile 
 of yours, which says " 
 
 " What?" Beatrice lifted her brows curiously. 
 
 " I don't know what it says," answered the man, doubt- 
 fully, looking at her frank face with keen eyes. " I wish that 
 I did. It has seemed to speak of so much to me, yet little 
 that is tangible. I always go from your presence with a con- 
 sciousness of being uplifted. The weight of life is less crush- 
 ing. You make one believe in humanity once more." 
 
 " I like such words," Beatrice announced, with candor. 
 "Women value tribute of that nature more than priceless 
 jewels." 
 
 " Perhaps— some women do," agreed Lithgow sceptically; 
 " women like you, who rebuild men's faith. We get dread- 
 fully shaken at times." 
 
 " You should not," blamed Beatrice. " Do you forget those 
 
 lines? 
 
 •"Happy he 
 With such a mother ! Faith in womankind 
 Beats with his blood, and trust in all things high 
 Comes easy to him, and the' he trip and fall 
 He shall not blind his soul with clay.'" 
 
 Lithgow took her energetic fingers within his own rever- 
 ently. 
 
 " Is it because you have believed that prophecy that you 
 have been so patient with me?" he asked, with humility. " I 
 have wished to make myself think that you— were interested, 
 that you cared for me." 
 
 "I do," vowed Beatrice warmly; "but, instead of marry- 
 ing you, I will tell you what I crave: your sympathy, your 
 belief in my ability to accomplish, the best that you have to 
 offer in the way of friendship." 
 
14 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 "You have all those now," he declared. "Are they all 
 that I may give to you, Bee?" 
 
 Beatrice "Warrington hesitated. The color crept slowly 
 up through her cheeks; her eyes grew almost daring. Lith- 
 gow felt that she never had appeared more tempting. Peo- 
 ple thought her cold, but he knew how tender was her heart, 
 how catholic her wide sympathy. 
 
 "You often have confessed to me," she said; "now I will 
 tell you something. It is a great secret. Only I and my 
 heart know it. I will love when one comes who can master 
 me. To him I will bow gladly, but his superiority must be 
 real; it must be such that my soul can recognize." 
 
 " I fear that you will have to look for the coming of the 
 archangel Michael," he discouraged. " Men are distressingly 
 human. Among them you never will find your superior 
 spiritually, I can tell you. I would have been glad to have 
 mastered you if I had known for what species of a creature 
 you were waiting. Is it too late for me to have another 
 try?" 
 
 " I am afraid so," she laughed. " My masterful lord proba- 
 bly never will appear save in stone or bronze. Such a crea- 
 tion I could worship without fear of making it egotistical. I 
 believe what we women long for is not so much equal rights 
 as the opportunity to worship. But we have discovered that 
 man is not worthy of our adoration. See how pitiable a god 
 he is — bowled over by the tiniest temptation!" 
 
 " You are severe on us. Bee," he expostulated. " Lots of 
 temptations go by us without touching us." 
 
 " But you always go over as easily as a tenpin if the rolling 
 ball hits you," she insisted. " Do I not know? Remember 
 how many peeps you have given me of your various discom- 
 fitures !" 
 
 " Well, I have been frank with you," smiled Lithgow. " I 
 have not posed for other than I am — a man with grievous 
 faults, but faults that you can eradicate." 
 
 " Oh, it is too much to ask a woman to do all the remodel- 
 ling!" The girl shook her head. "As I told you, she does 
 not wish to go down after her lord; she wishes him to be on 
 such a lofty pinnacle that she must look up to him; it is her 
 nature to desire to be able to do so. Some poor things live 
 happily all their lives under the delusion that the man they 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. \^ 
 
 reverenco is worthy it. I almost envy them. Delusions are 
 nice, if one can stay deluded." 
 
 " But one never does," sighed Lithgow. "I have deluded 
 myself with the hope that you cared enough to be willing to 
 give me the help of your hand. You do not know it, perhaps, 
 but a man always has the dream, or the reality, of a woman's 
 hand in his before he climbs very high." 
 
 " If one Icnies one can climb on forever, even without the 
 encouragement of the object beloved," declared Beatrice. 
 " Love means progression, a continued striving after 'the fly- 
 ing perfect.'" 
 
 " You are talking of etherealizations," he remonstrated. 
 " Such a love is beyond the conception of mortals." 
 
 " Because mortals like to play with little tin gods and gin- 
 ger-bread toys, from which they will not lift their gaze, and 
 they cry to themselves: 'These are real! These are all that 
 exist!' " 
 
 "I have raised my eyes from the toys at last, Beatrice," 
 he told her meaningly. " They can attract me no more. If 
 the time ever comes that I can prove this to you, will you 
 listen?" 
 
 Something leaped into Beatrice's face that softened it in- 
 describably. 
 
 "If the time ever comes," she promised, vtith perceptible 
 scepticism as to its probable arrival. 
 
 He assisted in the laborious task of getting her sleeves 
 into the no less bouffant ones that her jacket boasted. He 
 watched her while she adjusted her hat before an antique mir- 
 ror which had the appearance of having suffered from the 
 small-pox at some time in its career. He concluded that it 
 would be well to begin the conquering without delay, 
 
 " I am going out home with you," he informed her. " It 
 is too late for you to be out alone; besides, the mother will 
 wish to give me a kiss of farewell. Must I not tell her about 
 the delightful trip she might have had as a mother-in-law?" 
 
 "Not a breath!" commanded Beatrice tragically, sending a 
 covert smile into the speckled mirror. " It was a preposter- 
 ous proposition! The idea of asking a woman to start on 
 such a journey with but a moment's notice. What is a week? 
 Why, it takes years for some people to get ready to be mar- 
 ried. I don't think I have been half severe enough. I should 
 
l6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 iTot be surprised if this is one of your jokes I You always have 
 played jokes on me from babyhood." She pulled down her 
 dotted veil, wriggled her nose to make sure that the dainty 
 gauze was perfectly arranged, and opened the door. 
 
 " I am serious more often than you fancy," he told her 
 lightly. "You simply have not got the key to my nature. 
 Just because we have known each other always you believe 
 that you read me like a book." 
 
 " Don't I?" she queried. 
 
 " You read always in the same place," was his injured re- 
 ply. " There are other pages." 
 
 " And other women's faces are on them." 
 
 " Well — you can erase them all if you will. 
 
 " I want you to do the erasing," she laughed. " But you 
 never will. I wager — my next work — that you will return 
 from Cuba freshly enamored." 
 
 " Of you." 
 
 " No, not of me; of some southern beauty or of a northern 
 girl wintering there." 
 
 " What is the use of having good intentions when so little 
 faith is placed in them?" demanded Lithgow. " I receive no 
 encouragement from you. Your fancy paints me much blacker 
 than I am. All that I need is a governor. I am like an engine 
 that goes on making numberless revolutions to no purpose. 
 Be my governor, Bee!" 
 
 " Too responsible a position," returned the girl. " I don't 
 know what a governor on an engine is. However, you may 
 write me often enough to keep me posted. I can determine 
 from your letters how the affair is progressing." 
 
 " What affair?" 
 
 " Oh, any affair that happens to be on the tapis." 
 
 " Do I reveal myself so? By the way, I must tell you of 
 the odd thing that cropped up to-day. I am commissioned 
 not only to look up coffee estates but to discover the where- 
 abouts of an heir who has been so fortunate as to fall into pos- 
 session of a title of which he never has heard." 
 
 He recounted his meeting with Mr. Bertram and its re- 
 sults. Beatrice listened with the keenest interest. 
 
 " Why, it is like a story !" she exclaimed. " You may have 
 great adventures before you! You must rehearse this for 
 mamma's ears. You will dine with us, of course. I will 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 17 
 
 make the coffee myself — you know my coffee ! — and mamma 
 shall concoct some of those hot tea-cakes that you used to 
 like. Don't you remember?" 
 
 " Remember? The mere mention of them takes me 
 back " 
 
 "Mercy! Don't tell how far!" she begged. " When I re- 
 alize how long ago we were children I can feel that a new 
 wrinkle creeps in at the corner of my frightened eye. You 
 used to order me around outrageously then." 
 
 "Did I?" he questioned, with rather wistful reflection. 
 " Yet I am mildness itself now. It is well enough to have a 
 master, but isn't it better to have slaves? If I once possessed 
 imperious qualities, I suppose that I can conjure them again 
 to my aid. I will make the effort while I am gone. Prepare 
 to defend yourself against the attack which will be inaugu- 
 rated on my return." 
 
 " Forewarned " she said. " You never would do for a 
 
 general !" 
 
 Lithgow was welcomed by Mrs. Warrington with the 
 warmth that his dead mother's friend always accorded him. 
 This household had been a second home to him, and when the 
 fortune which supported it had flown and the death of Mr. 
 Warrington followed, Lithgow had proved to the bereaved 
 woman the help and comfort that a son would have been. 
 
 Five days later he was aboard a steamer that pushed its 
 way out through the Narrows bound for southern seas. His 
 thoughts were of Beatrice as he leaned over the taffrail and 
 watched the pilot swing down into the boat below. He was 
 full of regret that she had chosen not to have the delights of 
 this voyage. He was man enough to believe that, despite her 
 seeming indifference, he would win her some day; then, why 
 not now? 
 
 There was a pleasant wintry sharpness in the air when he 
 embarked, but by the third morning out the atmosphere pulsed 
 with a warmth that rendered heavy clothing insupportable. 
 
 Lithgow sauntered on the deck, past the white boats and 
 orange- tipped chimneys. He smoked much and read desulto- 
 rily in a worn little volume which Beatrice had handed him, 
 with the comment that the sight of it might keep her in his 
 mind and so enable him to cling to his intentions. 
 2 
 
1 8 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Through waters that grew more divinely blue, under skies 
 that throbbed with color, caressed by winds which seemed 
 only the warm, sleepy breath of a sea beating with slumber- 
 ous emotions, the hours bore him. The gold and sapphire 
 days became longer, the sunsets more gorgeous, until the 
 twilights vanished altogether and darkness dropped with the 
 suddenness peculiar to the far south. 
 
 In the wake of the steamer a long plume of phosphores- 
 cent light stretched its iridescence to that magic line where 
 sky and whispering waters mingled. The well-known glitter- 
 ing Orion and the Pleiads floated in the heavens, as if they, 
 too, were voyaging and lost in admiration of their southern 
 kindred. 
 
 Indolently sunk in his sea-chair, lulled by the narcotic at- 
 mosphere that rests in Caribbean waters, Lithgow's thoughts 
 still drifted to Beatrice ; but they were very dreamy, discon- 
 nected thoughts. It seemed to him that he had been floating 
 thus for many years. His eyes were turned to where the 
 Southern Cross flamed through the purple night. Slowly it 
 was mounting to a height from which, at the hour when night 
 and day become one, it would send its proclamation of su- 
 premacy over all the little worlds beneath. 
 
 The captain came near and Lithgow, with the ennui of an 
 ocean traveller, inquired : 
 
 " When shall we be in Havana?" 
 
 " In the morning, sir, the ship will be riding in the finest 
 harbor known; it boasts that it can hold the fleets of the 
 world." 
 
 " Will it ever hold other fleet than that of Spain?" ques- 
 tioned the American. 
 
 " If certain hopeful spirits are to be believed — yes !" an- 
 swered the captain cautiously. " But it is wiser to reply as 
 the Ctibans themselves do : ' Quien sabe? 
 
 " The inevitable answer to every question in the lands on 
 which Spain has set her seal !" commented Lithgow. " Who 
 knows?" After a pause he asked : " Is there any disturbance 
 in the island now?" 
 
 " It is safe to conjecture that one is just finished or another 
 about to be beguti," the captain laiighed, with a shake of his 
 broad shoulders. " What Cuba needs is a general such as the 
 States have known. There were such in the last war, the 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. I9 
 
 ten-year war, but they had tremendous forces against them. 
 Just at present there is a bandit who is causing the govern- 
 ment some trouble. He is daring enough for a leader; but 
 other qualities are requisite. His name is Gonzalo Alarcon. 
 If you go into the interior you must look out for him and his 
 men. He is unscrupulous enough to take you as prisoner and 
 demand ransom." 
 
 " I would be much more likely to join them than pay a ran- 
 som to secure liberty," declared Lithgow. "I'd like nothing 
 better than to help the Cubans win their freedom !" 
 
 " Ssh — " warned the captain, glancing about them. " You 
 must learn better than to utter such expressions in these 
 waters, or you are likely never to return to the States. This 
 Alarcon is no patriot; he simply is a brigand for gain, I sup- 
 pose. In case there were a war no doubt but what he would 
 join the forces of the rebels; but it is not men like him who 
 make up Cuba's dauntless armies. Her wars have been fought 
 by the flower of the island, youths who died with the word of 
 liberty on their lips. It makes the blood of a Yankee boil 
 when he thinks of the oppression these Cubans endure !" 
 
 Lithgow could not but be amused at the vehemence of the 
 man who had but that instant warned him against such utter- 
 ances. They discussed the Cuban question in guarded tones 
 until the captain pointed upward. 
 
 " The Cross begins to bend !" he said. " It is midnight." 
 
 The hour being past for which he had waited, Lithgow rose 
 to his feet, stifling a yawn. 
 
 " I shall sleep on deck," he returned. " It will be daylight 
 in two or three hours." 
 
 But he did not sleep. A curious unrest grew upon him 
 with the coming of the dawn which he watched creep up. 
 The sun followed with the rapidity known to the tropics. It 
 disclosed that they lay outside the harbor. 
 
 When the magic waters were entered he stared down de- 
 lightedly through the transparent emerald fluid. The Ijrilliant 
 tints of the fish frolicking beneath the surface were to be seen 
 as plainly as if they lay throbbing on the marble of Marti's fish 
 market. 
 
 The shadow of the grim fortress, the Moro. threw itself far. 
 The shadow of the secrets wliich it holds, of the thousands 
 who, entering its walls, have never since been heard of, lies 
 
20 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA, 
 
 heavier on the heart of the people. From its towers hung the 
 red and yellow flag of Spain, blood and gold — typical, indeed, 
 of that avaricious realm. 
 
 The red-tiled roofs and many-colored fagades of the houses 
 on the west and southwest sides of the bright water began to 
 glisten as the day waxed strong. In the distance rose pur- 
 pling hilltops crowned with palms and decked with a green 
 fire of foliage that centuries can not quench. Vociferous boys 
 came out in boats. Lithgow tossed coins to the sand below, 
 in order to see the lithe, naked bodies dive through the sap- 
 phire waters. He was alert with that expectancy which at- 
 tends landing on new shores. When the quarantine boat had 
 made its appearance and the officials had rendered a clean bill 
 of health to all passengers, he descended into one of the small 
 craft that swarmed around the steamer. As he did so the 
 book which Beatrice had given him fell from his pocket into 
 the water. Instantly it was fished out and presented to him, 
 some the worse for its mishap. As he regarded it regretfully 
 his glance caught the passage : 
 
 " No man can antedate his experience, or guess what fac- 
 ulty or feeling a new object shall unlock, any more than he 
 can draw to-day the face of a person whom he shall see to- 
 morrow for the first time." 
 
 A quiver ran over him, tingling every nerve. Wondering 
 what was in the lines to awaken dormant senses in that fash- 
 ion, he reread them, but the surprising emotion did not re- 
 turn. He thrust the volume back in his pocket. The words 
 were impressed indelibly on his memory, from which they 
 were destined to repeat themselves with deep and deeper 
 meaning during the days that were to come to him on Cuban 
 shores. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The radiant sunlight of the tropics lay over the emerald 
 ^tretches of the Cuban cane-fields that comprised Gilbert Pal- 
 grave's sugar plantation of La Sacra Sonrisa. The swaying 
 tassel-tips at the head of each succulent shaft had yellowed 
 slowly beneath the breathless heat of many such afternoons 
 that drowsed their way toward the west. Ebony workers 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 21 
 
 moved like a colony of ants through the rows, cutting clown 
 the slender stalks with machetes that swung with rhythmic 
 regularity. Shapely mulattoes with curiously turbaned heads 
 lent color to the scene as they, amid much chattering, spread 
 out the crushed cane to dry, to serve again in the capacity of 
 l)d^iizo, fuel for the voracious maw of the engine that rumbled 
 ponderously in the low, white buildings where the manufac- 
 ture of sugar went on tirelessly night and day during the four 
 months of the grinding season. 
 
 Beyond the rich green of the orange grove gleamed the 
 walls of the dwelling, its austere exterior betraying no hint of 
 the beauty and bloom enclosed in the cloistered court, roofed 
 only with the blue of the sky. 
 
 In the most comfortable chair of the estrada, — the six rock- 
 ing-chairs, which, facing each other, form a marked feature 
 of a Cuban drawing-room, — sat the master of the estate, the in- 
 evitable cigar between his fingers, a half-amused, half-troubled 
 contraction on his brows. From under lids just lifted from the 
 sleep of the customary afternoon siesta he was watching the 
 restless movement to and fro through the sala of a lithe, girl- 
 ish figure behind which trailed long, white draperies that were 
 caught up occasionally through her girdle. She was his only 
 child, Raquel, motherless since infancy. He remarked men- 
 tally, with a wave of gladness, how like her mother she looked 
 now that she was merging into womanhood : the same dusky, 
 riotous hair, the identical rich color, the same— no, not the 
 same eyes! Beneath Raquel's slumberous lids shone some- 
 thing that had been wholly foreign to her mother. Gilbert 
 Palgrave wondered vaguely whence had come to the child that 
 fire, that fierce intensity which made her such an enigma to 
 him. try though he would to imderstand her moods. 
 
 " Ay de mi ! " she sighed as she paused in front of a little case 
 of books that showed indubitable signs of much usage. " Was 
 it not sufficient evil to be born a woman without the additional 
 one of being born in Cuba, where nothing ever happens?" 
 
 " Except revolutions," completed her father. 
 
 " Yes, nothing except revolutions— that fail !" she amended, 
 wheeling herself suddenly face to face with him to demand : 
 " Do you know what I would do, J>c7/>a tnio, if I were a man?" 
 
 "That is easy enough to prophesy, mi cam mia," he re- 
 sponded lightly. " You would follow the customary path trod 
 
22 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 b}' Cuban youths. Going abroad to be educated, you would 
 imbibe ideas inimical to tyranny. Incidentally you would 
 squander what little fortune your old English father is trying 
 to keep from the hands of the Spanish Jews. Then you would 
 return to the island to throw yourself into whatever struggle 
 for liberty might then be on the tapis." 
 
 With loving impetuosity she clasped him, turning his fea- 
 tures up to view them scrutinizingly, after which she kissed 
 his eyes and lips with tender fervor. 
 
 " Old !" she cried indignantly. " You are younger now than 
 I am, j>apa mio ! I have grown old in nursing impatient long- 
 ings; but you — are content. You are not all the tim.e fighting 
 against yourself as I am." 
 
 " Why do you fight, ninaV the father asked curiously. 
 
 " Quien sabe ? " she answered discouragedly with that sphinx- 
 like reply which the Spanish-speaking tongue gives to every 
 troublesome query : " Who knov^'s?" She resumed her im- 
 patient march around the spacious room much as a lioness 
 glides with noiseless swing back and forth in the cage. Behind 
 bars the topazolite orbs of imprisoned creatures turn with fever- 
 ish questions in their depths; and so burned the eyes which 
 looked out from the face of this Cuban seiiorita shut in by the 
 monotony of cane-fields. 
 
 " I only know that I hunger for action," she continued after 
 a pause, during which she seemed to have been making an en- 
 deavor to analyze herself. " This stagnant plantation life 
 seems unbearable. I want to live, paj>a viio ! I want to make 
 the world know that I am in it. If I were a man I would be 
 the Napoleon for whom Cuba waits. I would have but one 
 thought before me — the liberation of my land from Spanish 
 rule !" 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave could not forbear smiling. He was some- 
 what accustomed to those outbreaks ; he had grown to accept 
 them as inseparable from Raquel. 
 
 " It is well that the Governor-General is not aware of your 
 anti-Spain proclivities, or I might find myself immured in the 
 
 Moro, the ingenio confiscated, and you ! What under the 
 
 sun makes Cuba's liberation of such moment to you, a child 
 who has seen nothing of life?" 
 
 "Ah, it is that, it is that!" she cried. "Perhaps it is be- 
 cause I have seen so little of anything that I long for change, 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 25 
 
 work, something that will banish the length of these days that 
 sleep themselves away one into the other until often I fancy 
 that I can imagine what might have been the reflections of an 
 antediluvian toad when he discovered that the cell was form- 
 ing which, for a thousand years, was to shut him in from the 
 world." 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave pushed back his rapidly graying hair as 
 he surveyed her critically, from her rebellious, shadowy tresses 
 to the arch of her instep. 
 
 " If the season turns out well and I can manage to pay some 
 of my debts, perhaps Havana will be possible next year," he 
 suggested. " There you will find a field more fascinating than 
 the struggle for Cuban independence. I must not forget that 
 you are no longer my childish comrade, but, instead, a tall 
 beauty who must be presented to society, ride in the Paseo 
 to be stared at, and — marry well." There was a slight flavor 
 of tender sarcasm in his tone, not for his daughter but for the 
 sex whose aim in life is supposed to be so circumscribed. In 
 his own mind he had little doubt that all these vagaries of 
 Raquel's would vanish under the magic spell of Havanese gay 
 life. It was true that she had seen little. Most of her educa- 
 tion had been gleaned from the rather heterogeneous collec- 
 tion of books with which he had surrounded himself when he 
 had taken up his abode so far from his native land. Possibly 
 he had made a mistake in not placing her under more feminine 
 influence than the plantation afforded. Old Tia Juana had 
 hardly been equal to the rearing of this half-English nature. 
 These were his reflections as he listened to her passionate re- 
 ply, flung not at him but at fate. 
 
 " That is what is so intensely humiliating about being a 
 woman! Instead of seeking fame or fortune for myself, 
 shoulder to shoulder with others in the race, I must swing in 
 my hammock and eat my heart out with longing to achieve, 
 until that day when one who has won these things for himself 
 will come and offer to share his honors with me, as if I were 
 a mendicant." 
 
 The sound of wheels followed her speech. Gilbert Pal- 
 grave arose with some alacrity, as if even he found an inter- 
 ruption in the quiet day rather enjoyable. 
 
 " It is only old Monsieur Theuriet!" Raquel disappointedly 
 exclaimed, watching the approach of the old-fashioned volante 
 
24 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 with its silver trimmings, gayly decked horses, and smiling 
 postilion. 
 
 " I wonder that he ventures out so boldly minus outriders 1" 
 commented the sugar planter, as he went into the court to wel- 
 come the owner of the coffee estate of La Buena Esperanza. 
 " The reports are that the highways are watched by banditti of 
 late. Here is the event for which you have prayed, in the 
 shape of a visitor, Raquel. Come and bid him welcome." 
 
 Raquel's eyes were very sombre. 
 
 " He is so tiresome !" she said, half to herself, in extenuation 
 of her intention to escape the caller. " I suppose that he will 
 stay for supper. I must go and tell Tia Juana." 
 
 The clatter of the horses' feet resounded on the tiles at the 
 entrance. The girl listened for a moment to the exchange of 
 salutations between host and guest, undecided whether to obey 
 duty or inclination. When she heard the voices approaching 
 the sala she stepped backward quickly into the adjoining 
 apartment, from which she took her way to the cocina, where 
 the culinary operations of the household went on under the 
 supervision of old Tia Juana, who had been the only mother 
 Raquel ever had known. The sharp, staccato utterances of 
 the women could be heard even above the roar of the mill, as 
 they gossiped and quarrelled over their kitchen labor. Some- 
 times Raquel sat among them, watching Tia Juana' s fingers as 
 she fashioned tempting delicacies, the while recounting grew- 
 some tales that could congeal even adult blood. But to-day 
 she was not in the mood for such entertainment. Instead, she 
 slipped back into the court, now deserted, and rolled herself 
 into the hammock of maguey ropes. 
 
 During the blazing noon, great, gorgeous strips of brilliant- 
 hued cloth were stretched across the little quadrangle. Now 
 they hung with lazy, clinging folds down the azure-tinted 
 stucco, lending an oriental effect to the corridor-bordered 
 square filled with heavy bloom which half hid the old fountain 
 where the water splashed and dripped so drowsily that even 
 the lizards hung to the edge, mesmerized by the spell it seemed 
 to exercise over all whose ears caught its cadences. Gos- 
 samery vines, which appeared to spring from air and feed on 
 it, created blossoms that hung like butterflies from hair-like 
 stems. 
 
 Here, in this spot of calm, Raquel had swung and dreamed 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 25 
 
 until she felt a kinship with the lizard and his mates, chained 
 by a life of inertia. 
 
 "Wake!" she murmured commiseratingly, reaching out to 
 poke a lizard with her slender forefinger until he fell over into 
 the water. " You have not moved from that spot all day. You 
 might as well be dead !" 
 
 That brief excitement over, she sought to amuse herself by 
 watching to see which of the gently swaying plumes of the 
 lofty palm that shot its gray Corinthian column up from the 
 centre of the quadrangle would be the first to lose the glint 
 of the rapidly dying day. 
 
 " Sant:ssi//ia ! What exasperation there is in the thought 
 that while I sleep in the few hours before the morrow you 
 will have looked upon all the vast unknown for which I hun- 
 ger!" she cried, apostrophizing the declining sun. "You will 
 have smiled, as you have done for ages, at your own image in 
 the Nile ; and, rising again on the Antilles, you will find me 
 as ignorant, as full of longings as ever, praying for some break 
 in the monotony of my slowly creeping days." 
 
 There was an infinitesimal amount of comfort to be derived 
 from commiserating herself as well as the lizard, and she ex- 
 tracted the most possible from it while she idly noted the mel- 
 low tints, followed by tender grays and ethereal greens, steal 
 through the sky, the shadow of approaching night sweeping 
 slowly after. 
 
 " I should like to know ivhy we have to live !" she mused 
 discontentedly. " Why are we placed here without our wish 
 to live out our lives as best we can; then, if we fail to live 
 well, be punished for not overcoming evils that we don't know 
 how to vanquish? Tia Juana says that babies always cry when 
 they find themselves here. I wonder is it because they are 
 disappointed to find themselves within the limitations of a life 
 on this earth?" 
 
 A star that gleamed like a ruby came out of the darkening 
 heaven and feigned to dance on the tip of the silent palm up 
 into which she was gazing. This green-crested palm shaft, 
 whose concentric rings revealed its claims to antiquity, was 
 the only confidant to whom she propounded these troublesome 
 queries. To both problems and solutions it gave but sighs. 
 From its vantage of years it could discern that all human ques- 
 tions meet with but one answer — silence. 
 
26 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Sometimes I think that people who unwillingly have died 
 desire to come back here and live again," she continued. 
 " Who knows but that their wistful spirits steal into the bodies 
 of those just entering upon this existence? Perhaps that is 
 why some men have women's natures, and why some women 
 are torn by fierce, eager souls which long to be again what they 
 were in the previous life ! What would a woman do with the 
 soul that was Napoleon's? How it would torment her! How 
 it would turn with loathing from the needle, demanding the 
 sword ! How it would storm within her, longing for action, 
 ready to lead an army again over the Alps I" 
 
 She put her fingers to her throat as if to free something 
 that fluttered there and choked her. 
 
 " I like to fancy that it was Napoleon's spirit that came into 
 the world with me," she whispered to the palm, stretching out 
 one arm to throw it around the trunk as she swung near. She 
 held herself against the tree, her cheek pressed close to the 
 tawny-gray swathing encasing its heart. " How foolish ray 
 rebellion must seem to you!" she said to it in sudden self- 
 scorn. " You lift your head up and up unceasingly, conscious 
 there is a constant growth within you which nothing can baffle. 
 You still will toss your plumes when I and my ambitions are 
 but a memory. Yet, king though you are, I am mightier than 
 you ; my span of j^^ears may be only one thousandth part of 
 yours, but in it I shall know^ — I must know — the heights and 
 depths, the bliss and bane which are vouchsafed to mortals. 
 You who are immortal are debarred from such experiences, 
 though perhaps you have known them too in some other age — 
 the cycle in which Daphne flourished. Who knows? Is that 
 why your leaves sigh so when I rail at the fate which set me 
 in the cane-fields of sleepy Cuba?" 
 
 She had watched the stars creep out and swing their varied 
 censer-lamps across her little patch of sky for so many nights 
 through so many years that she knew where to look for each 
 wanderer in heaven's highway. Though she did not know 
 them by name she had christened them with appellations culled 
 from mythology, and they were viewed as friends, these night- 
 ly comers. But there were hours like this when their impas- 
 siveness irritated her. 
 
 " It is well enough for them to be calm," she thought. 
 " They have seen everything. The world obediently turns 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 27 
 
 her many phases toward them and they are forever in motion 
 themselves. But I — I am nothing. I see nothing. I only 
 know of what I read. I presume it will be my lot to be mar- 
 ried and never see beyond the edge of Cuba ; never learn any 
 more ; never grow wiser ; only grow fat and sit in estradas and 
 gossip! O Madre dc Dios ! Libra vie dc mal f 
 
 She sprang from the hammock to escape the picture her 
 fancy had drawn of her mature years. The sound of her 
 father's earnest voice drew her toward it. Midway in the 
 doorway of the sala she paused, observing M. Theuriet. It 
 seemed to her that he had not changed an iota in all the years 
 during which she had been advancing into womanhood. He 
 always had looked old to her youthful vision. A Frenchman, 
 his nationality would have been patent to any eyes. Years 
 among the Cubans had removed none of the characteristics of 
 his race; if anything, they were intensified. The jet-black 
 appearance of his hair and mustache seemed at variance 
 with the yellow parchment-like skin, but in keeping with the 
 foppis^ elegance which he ever maintained and which ever 
 was associated in her mind with him. He was gesticulating 
 gently with his graceful, slender fingers. She did not catch 
 his words. Presently her father spoke again : 
 
 " If all goes well this year and I meet with no reverses, I 
 may be able to stand firmly on my feet once more ; then, I can 
 free myself from the hands of those atrocious usurers, the Cat- 
 alans. As you know, the expenses of the last two years have 
 been double the profit, owing partly to the cost of the new 
 machinery. However, the principal loss has been due to the 
 increase in the manufacture of beet sugar. You cofi'ee planters 
 don't have such things to worry you." 
 
 " Ah, pardon, mon ami T M. Theuriet shook his cigar in a 
 slightly argumentative way at his host. " You forget ze een- 
 sectsl Unseen, can zey not ruin ma eentire crop? Cairtainleel 
 Worse — zey can ruin ze reputation which I hav' won for ma 
 plantaceon as producing ze finest coffee een Cuba! Hav' I 
 told you zat ze New York firm ov Jersdan & Lester are send- 
 ing a man down here to negotiate wiz me for ze whole output 
 from La Buena Esperanza? Ma foi! Hav' I not? I hav" re- 
 ceived notice some time ago. Ze man was to sail soon. I ex- 
 pect heem daily now. His societc will be quite a treat for 
 us, will eet not? Zese Americains are often clevair." 
 
28 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave sighed. He had no particular interest in 
 the possible wit of a man who was coming to buy a crop not 
 his own. He was blaming the choice which had made him a 
 sugar planter instead of a coffee grower. M. Theuriet had 
 been steadily waxing richer and he himself had become poorer. 
 Sugar was lower in price with each year. The plantation now 
 was mortgaged to its fullest extent, and, in addition, he owed 
 ten thousand to the man before him. He knocked the ashes 
 off the end of his cigar with the tip of his little finger, which 
 had become calloused by reason of being thus continually em- 
 ployed. 
 
 " What shall you do if the close of the season finds me a 
 bankrupt. Monsieur?" he asked, placing his cigar again between 
 his lips while he eyed the Frenchman anxiously. " You know 
 that you would lose your loan completely, for I was able to 
 give you little or no security." 
 
 M. Theuriet glanced up at that moment and beheld the 
 vision in the doorway. 
 
 Like some revivified creation of the Past, straight as a 
 palm, with the witching grace of a veritable Hebe in face and 
 limb, Raquel stood ; one arm, bare but for the drapery that fell 
 from the shoulder, held back the gauze curtain that shut the 
 sala from the court. In her luminous eyes lay mingled all the 
 fire and all the dreams born of the clime. 
 
 After viewing her a moment in silent admiration, M. Theu- 
 riet said in a tone which reached only the father's ear: 
 
 " You are fortunate enough, 7non ami, to hav' one posses- 
 sion which I would be glad to tak' as securitee an' len' you 
 een addition twenty times ze amount. C'est vrai /" 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave turned wonderingly in the direction indi- 
 cated by M. Theuriet's glance, as the Frenchman rose to his 
 feet with an alacrity which years had been powerless to im- 
 pair. Puzzled, not comprehending the full meaning of his 
 guest's words, Palgrave watched Raquel as she advanced, giv- 
 ing to M. Theuriet the salutation for which he stood waiting. 
 Her face was troubled. She turned to her father anxiously. 
 
 " Is it as bad as you picture, papa inio ?" she cried distressed- 
 ly. "Are we so near bankruptcy and you have not told me? 
 I should have been the first to know." 
 
 "No, no, dulce," h.e. reassured her; "there is nothing for 
 you to worry about. I am in a bit of a financial strait, but 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 39 
 
 M. Theuriet has been kind enough to tide me over what ap- 
 pears to be the worst of it. Bestow your thanks upon him. 
 He has done us great service." 
 
 " What can I say to him that you have not already said in 
 gratitude?" she exclaimed, all of her old dislike for the man 
 vanishing before this proof that he had been obliging to her 
 father. " I am certain that we never can repay him in full 
 measure. One can pay pesos, but not kindness." 
 
 " I intend to," announced Gilbert Palgrave, with grave deci- 
 sion, " though I caution him that it ma}' be some time before I 
 am able. However, we will hope for the best. 'It's a long 
 lane that has no turning!' " 
 
 Raquel bent her dark head until her lovely face was in 
 front of her father's. Compelling his eyes to look into her dis- 
 turbed ones, she said pleadingly : 
 
 " You must let me help you pay these debts, papa viio. 
 There is nothing I would not do to help you." 
 
 " I know, dear ; I know," smiled Palgrave, patting her cheek 
 with loving fingers. " But what is there that you could do?" 
 
 "Oh, I don't know!" she breathed hopelessly. "In Cuba 
 a woman can do nothing. Now, if we were in your country 
 I could work at many things. All there seems to be here is 
 cane cutting — and the blacks do that far better than I could." 
 She smiled a trifle at the thought of attempting such labor, 
 but the shadow did not lift from her countenance. 
 
 M. Theuriet was contemplating her with his sharp, black 
 eyes. Once he opened his thin lips to speak, then closed 
 them again tightly. 
 
 "So the only thing that you really can do is to make me 
 happy," Palgrave added convincingly. "And, the way you 
 can succeed is to be happy yourself. When I think that you 
 are irked and discontented, I feel that I have failed in my life 
 work." 
 
 " Ah, I never will be selfish again," she told him contritely. 
 " I never v»-ill complain more, yet— I would work for you, papa, 
 if only I might. I could be happier so. I am too idle. I only 
 dream." 
 
 "Sometimes, mademoiselle, an opportunitec comes before 
 one is prepared," suggested M. Theuriet with a peculiar inlcnt- 
 ness in his gaze. "You are full of hope ; you may help him 
 mor' zan he fancies. Who knows.'" 
 
30 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Raquel threw out her hands with a wearied gesture. What 
 was the use of hoping when she knew so well what each day 
 would bring? Nothing new had been brought for years. Her 
 sanguine nature was becoming morbid. 
 
 "Who knows anything here in Cuba, except that vSpain 
 crushes us more cruelly every year?" she returned, stepping 
 out of the long window, which, guiltless of glass, opened its 
 iron-barred jalousies outward. 
 
 " That is her pet grievance," explained her father amused- 
 ly. " I can't imagine what good she hopes to accomplish by 
 nourishing it ; but it is true she has little to occupy her time. 
 Perhaps she should have been placed in a convent ; however, 
 I could not have spared her." 
 
 " Pardon, but I could suggest a remedee," remarked the 
 Frenchman. " At some future day I will tell you what eet ees, 
 eef you choose. Non ; to me eet appears notnecessaire, now. 
 Your words hav' mad' her content for ze time at least. You, 
 she idolizes. To mak' you feel joy she would deny herself ; 
 ees eet not so? Oui, out, won ami ! Zat ees as eet should be ! 
 Eet ees filial lov'. Eet should be encouraged." 
 
 It was growing late. With the suddenness peculiar to the 
 West Indies, darkness was opening great, wide eyes over the 
 slumberous Caribbean and its coral isles. The deep blue of 
 the vault overhead was becoming lit with immense stars which 
 hung so near that it seemed as if it would be an easy thing to 
 accomplish the Spanish saying, " Tomar el cielo con las manos," 
 to take the sky with one's hands. Between the boughs which 
 met overhead she caught glimpses of these planets, and walked 
 with her head tilted backward, her hands clasped behind her, 
 until she reached the river. 
 
 A tiny boat-house, built of rich Indian woods, floored with 
 cool tiles, and covered with flowering vines, had been erected 
 so that it projected over the stream. Tied to one of the tree 
 boles supporting the thatched roof of maguey was a canoe 
 which long ago had been fashioned into suitable shape for her. 
 She stepped down into the boat and pushed out. Hedged in 
 by cane the river wound its tortuous way through the planta- 
 tion, past the plantain grove and the negro quarters, on its 
 way to join larger streams that drifted to the sea. During 
 the rainy season it often became swollen to the size of a 
 torrent ; but now it purled along quietly, caressing the sides of 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 31 
 
 the canoe in a friendly manner as Raquel propelled her craft 
 indolently. 
 
 The rhythmic chant of the workers at the mills reached 
 her ears; a mournful melody which lost by distance its harsh- 
 ness, being blended with the dull crunching of the cane and 
 the hum of the engine. She could distinguish the cries of 
 the negroes at the cauldrons: " A-a-b'la! A-a-b'la! E-c-cha 
 candcla ! " The sound rose above the barbaric chorus of the 
 gangs at work filling the troughs with cane and carting away 
 the crushed strips to spread out as bagazo. 
 
 Half occupied in listening to these rude melodies, familiar 
 though they were, she failed to notice that the canoe had left 
 the middle of the river and was drifting leisurely toward the 
 other bank. Suddenly its gentle motion ceased. Glancing 
 backward in surprise, thinking that the boat had run ashore, 
 she found her face in close proximity to the rough, bearded one 
 of a man who stood waist-deep in the water, holding the sides 
 of the canoe. 
 
 Uncertain at first that it was not a creature concocted by 
 her fearful fancy, she made only a frantic effort to push the 
 craft from his reach ; then a terrorized cry rose to her lips, 
 but it was crushed back by a heavy hand. The paddle was 
 wrenched from her grasp by another figure which loomed up 
 on the other side of her. The two men dragged the boat 
 ashore. Here they were surrounded by other shadowy forms 
 that stole out of the cane, seeming to the frightened girl to 
 gloat over her capture. 
 
 They spoke in whispers. Now and then they indulged in 
 subdued laughs at her desperate struggles to free herself. 
 They bound her limbs. They tied a thick bandage over her 
 mouth. She was powerless. 
 
 " Caramba ! It is a small tiger that we have snared '" com- 
 mented one as, in spite of her wild resistance, he took her in 
 his arms and made his way into the safety of the cane. 
 
 " Es verdad !" sl^vc\\\X'S.^ the others admiringly. " Alarcon 
 will welcome this capture, even though it be a woman. She 
 has the courage of a man !" 
 
 The stars shone on. The water became still. The palm 
 in the court whispered to itself uneasily. Gilbert Palgrave 
 offered M. Theuriet another cigar. 
 
32 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 An entire army might hide within the green fastnesses of 
 the enormous stretches of cane covering a Cuban sugar plan- 
 tation. 
 
 It was with no fear of discovery that the brigands had 
 tethered their horses therein. Mounting their animals, the 
 party sped into what seemed a rustling sea of shadows. 
 
 Raquel struggled vigorously, and found herself but held the 
 more firmly. 
 
 " Madre de Jesii ! She is a little fighter !" the one who bore 
 her cried to the man next behind him. 
 
 They rode swiftly but stealthily. The tassels of the cane 
 above their heads waved and nodded in rhythm with the melody 
 the blade leaves made, clashing against each other in a mimic 
 war. 
 
 But Raquel heard nothing of the music of the whispering, 
 swaying cane forest through whose aisles she was borne. That 
 she was at the mercy of one of the lawless bands of refugees 
 who made their rendezvous in the mountainous district she 
 knew for a certainty. She had caught the sound of a name 
 which had power to strike terror to every timid heart. To be 
 in the grasp of Gonzalo Alarcon's men was held to be enough 
 to curdle the blood of the most courageous of captives. Her 
 horror was intense to the point of agony. She knew that her 
 father would beggar himself before he would fail to raise any 
 sum that they might demand; but her memory brought to 
 mind frightful atrocities which she knew often were perpe- 
 trated upon such unfortunate victims as herself whose ransom 
 might be delayed. The recollection of these marrow-freezing 
 tales which she had heard recounted in the cocina by the black 
 women, who no doubt had embellished the stories to please 
 their imaginations, filled every step of the journey with incon- 
 ceivable dread. 
 
 When the cavalcade left the protection of the cane and 
 began an upward ascent Raquel's hope died within her. She 
 fought her captor with renewed energy, which, however, was 
 of little avail considering that she was pinioned and unable to 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 33 
 
 utter a sound. His laugh of amusement stirred her with im- 
 potent fury that exhausted her without effecting her escape. 
 
 The hushed march went on. 
 
 At last they struck the edge of the forest, which, mantling 
 the hills in a tangled mass of green as impregnable as the 
 Chinese wall to one not initiated, offers retreats more secure 
 than buttressed fortresses. 
 
 The men divided. Two of them went in front of the one 
 who carried Raquel across his high saddle. The others brought 
 up the rear. 
 
 A vivid flash cut the darkness for an instant, followed by a 
 second flash ; then a steady light. The foremost riders bore 
 aloft tapers of brown wax which cast faint gleams ahead into 
 the labyrinth of Briarean arms that seemed to call a voiceless 
 halt to the invaders. 
 
 As they pushed on up the precipitous cliffs of green, turned 
 black beneath the alchemic touch of night, long, clinging vines 
 wound themselves about the adventurous ones daring to pierce 
 the mysteries of tropical jungles. Cool leaves swept with lin- 
 gering caress over the colorless face of the girl prisoner. Sharp 
 weapons in the hands of the horsemen cut right and left through 
 the green growth which formed so dense a barrier at every step 
 of the way. 
 
 " Diablo ! If we had gone back by the other route we would 
 not have had to carve our way through," grumbled the second 
 brigand with dissatisfaction. 
 
 " Basia, Jose !" exclaimed the one who appeared to act as 
 leader. " Art thou a nine-lived cat that thou couldst afford to 
 run the risk of having a bullet put througli thy skin ? Thou 
 dost hate exertion more than thou dost value anything, even 
 the pesetas which this night's work will bring us." 
 
 " As God wills!" shrugged Jose, with what seemed curious 
 irrelevancy. " But I have two eyes, and thou dost pull wool 
 over thine when thou hopcst this labor will net us a centavo, 
 Manuel." 
 
 " PorqiKT demanded Manuel, clasping his burden a trifle 
 more securely. " Don Gilberto Palgravc is a rich man ; is 
 that not true? Of course! And he will pay royally. If he 
 does not we will know how to make him." He felt Raquel 
 shiver apprehensively in his arins. 
 
 "That is as it may be," agreed Jose, "but is that saying 
 3 
 
34 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 that we will get any of it? To where did the Molinos ransom 
 go? Answer me that if thou knowest ! /had none of it!" 
 
 " It would all have gone down thy throat if thou hadst had 
 it," laughed Manuel, appealing to the others to know if his 
 words were not the words of a truth-speaker. 
 
 For a few moments there was a prospect of a drawn battle 
 between Manuel, the temporary leader, and Jose, the insubor- 
 dinate, but the danger was averted by the quick intervention 
 of the other members of the raiding party. Jose went on in 
 moody silence. 
 
 Hour after hour passed. Still they kept the slow tread 
 through the tortuous forest ways, which were filled with the 
 heavy fragrance of the marvellous bloom which hung around 
 and above them veiled in the darkness. A silence which 
 seemed filled with the respiration of countless forms of vege- 
 table life palpitated about them. But the men were familiar 
 with it. To Raquel alone did it feel oppressive, ominous. 
 
 Just as the first golden shaft of dawn fell upon the forest, 
 penetrating dimly through the dense, green darkness of trop- 
 ical luxuriance, the band halted and dismounted. 
 
 Raquel was unbound. 
 
 Bruised by the thongs, cramped b}^ the uncomfortable posi- 
 tion in which she had been held so long, the girl was forced to 
 close her teeth upon her lip to keep a little cry from escaping 
 her as she drew herself to her full stature. All of the endur- 
 ance and resolution of her nature came into play. She was 
 determined that they should discover neither fear nor suffer- 
 ing in her demeanor. 
 
 A peculiar call was given by the leader of the band. 
 
 Pushing through what appeared to be an impenetrable 
 thicket, Raquel and her captors faced a group of half-clad men 
 who, springing up at the sight of the returning party, crowded 
 around them, crying excitedly : 
 
 " Que for tuna ?" 
 
 " Good fortune !" replied the marauders triumphantly, fall- 
 ing back to reveal the trembling but defiant girl in their midst. 
 " See for yourselves ! Is it not so — no?" 
 
 " Dios r ejaculated one of the members of the camp admir- 
 ingly. " Go summon Alarcon !" he added to a j-outh at his 
 elbow; but the youth did not move to obey the bidding. 
 Fascinatedly his lustrous eyes dwelt on Raquel's pale face, 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 35 
 
 in which the terror was apparent in spite of her effort to 
 hide it. 
 
 "Faya, Zufiega !" ordered the man again. "Goon! Hast 
 thou not seen a woman before? One would think her a fer- 
 de-lance by the way thou dost stare at her !" 
 
 The long, black eyes of the boy flashed and his thin nostrils 
 expanded with the quick gasp one sometimes gives on awaken- 
 ing. He turned and moved sv/iftly toward the surrounding 
 masses of undergrowth. 
 
 Raquel had heard the words. From the row of peering 
 faces in front of her the eyes of the youth had looked upon her 
 with none of the expression that the countenances of his com- 
 panions wore. She read in his surprised gaze something that 
 she took to be pity, and, snatching at even this faint hope, 
 she watched his graceful body swinging as lightly as a panther 
 across the space of the clearing. His wavy, blue-black hair 
 tossed with his rapid movements; his gold-tinted physique 
 was perfectly molded. He seemed a reincarnated faun as he 
 darted into the mysterious alleys of the forest. Anxiously 
 she waited his reappearing. He came in company with a stal- 
 wart figure that strode toward the group with the imperious- 
 ness of a commander. She knew that she looked upon the 
 most dreaded man among the mountain bandits. With eyes 
 rendered keen by fear she studied him as he approached. 
 
 Instead of the monster she had anticipated she beheld an 
 imposing man, but one in whose face lurked none of the hid- 
 eous cruelty she had supposed was inseparable from his daily 
 countenance. Had she met him anywhere save in the depths 
 of this forest surrounded by his sworn followers she would have 
 set him down as a courtier of exceptional manners. His glance 
 was austere, his air masterful ; clad in the habiliments of some 
 former captive, he was as far removed from what she had ex- 
 pected as a man well could be. She was conscious that her 
 courage revived in a wonderful degree. Her utter lack of 
 knowledge of the world was responsible for her belief that 
 scoundrelism and a gentlemanly air of breeding are incompat- 
 ible. That she had less to fear than she had thought, his first 
 words seemed to prove. After his deep glance at her, a glance 
 that she felt had reached through and beyond her, he demanded 
 with evident dissatisfaction : 
 
 " Is this as much as you men are capable of — after all this 
 
36 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 waiting? Where is the game you meant to bag? We have no 
 time to waste with small captures, and above all — with 
 women." 
 
 " But, Comandante, her father is Palgrave, the sugar plant- 
 er," explained Manuel, the leader of the capturing party. " She 
 will bring a heavy ransom. Old Theuriet escaped us, and 
 while we watched for him this muchacha slipped right into 
 our hands. It seemed a shame not to take her. We can cap- 
 ture the Frenchman another time." 
 
 "Bah! Who can tell of to-morrow?" returned Alarcon. 
 " You have been watching him for weeks. He would have 
 been worth taking. He is an old coward, fond of luxury and 
 life. He would have given half his estate for escape from Gon- 
 zalo Alarcon. This seiiorita will be more trouble than gain." 
 
 " She is all that he has. He will pay any sum for her," de- 
 clared Manuel. " You will find that my words are true, sefior 
 mio !" 
 
 Manuel's assertion caused Raquel to forget both timidity 
 and exhaustion. 
 
 " He is not telling you the truth, Seiior Alarcon," she cried 
 excitedly. " My father is not able to pay even a small ransom. 
 The ingenio is mortgaged now to its fullest extent. He can 
 get no more money from the Catalans, and he has had to bor- 
 row from old Monsieur Theuriet to pay interest on the mort- 
 gage. He fears that he can not pull through this year, seiior, 
 — how then can he pay one centavo for ransom? Your eyes 
 are not cruel, Seiior Alarcon ; surely you would not wish to 
 make him a pauper ! Would you harm one who would fight 
 for Cuba if need be?" 
 
 Gonzalo Alarcon's stern eyes dilated. He fell back a step 
 involuntarily. 
 
 " Is 3^our father against Spain?" he demanded, with surprise. 
 For a man to dare to take such a stand in Cuba would be sui- 
 cide almost. It was small wonder that the guerrilla chief 
 viewed her with amazement. 
 
 " No, seiior ; but I am !" 
 
 Standing there in the midst of these mountain men, her 
 long, white draperies loosened by her struggles, her dusky 
 hair dishevelled, she looked so fragile and so tender that the 
 almost imperceptible smile which crossed Alarcon's face was 
 permissible. He bowed low before her. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 37 
 
 " I am glad that there is one soul in Cuba fearless enough 
 to assert itself," he said admiringly. " Consider Gonzalo Alar- 
 con and his men your slaves." 
 
 " Were I a man, as Our Holy Mother of Sorrows knows I 
 would I were. I would not allow you to send for ransom," she 
 went on passionately. " I would join your band ; I would urge 
 you not to fight for petty spoil but for Cuba's freedom. With 
 such a grand issue at stake how can you spend your time in 
 wrenching ransom from innocent captives? Though I am a 
 woman I yearn to be doing the work that you might do— if you 
 would. I would never rest. I would devote my all to the hope 
 of liberty for the island. You, in whose hands lies the power 
 to aid your country, content yourself with an ignoble occupa- 
 tion, robbing your fellow-men of liberty and fortune." 
 
 Gonzalo Alarcon motioned his men away. He folded his 
 arms across his breast and regarded her with a gaze that nar- 
 rowed and deepened as he listened to her words. He never 
 had encountered a captive of similar dauntlessness. She in- 
 terested him. 
 
 " Bueno y santo !" he said with an assumption of submission. 
 " You would urge me to throw myself and men into the strug- 
 gle for what never will come to Cuba — liberty ! How do you 
 know, scfiorita viia, but that is what we are doing? Do you 
 suppose that we proclaim our plans from the house-tops?" 
 
 Raquel hesitated. The man's manner puzzled her. She 
 was amazed at her own temerity in addressing him as .she had, 
 and more amazed at his reception of her words. She looked 
 at him questioningly, wondering how it was that this gentle 
 brigand had acquired so unenviable a reputation throughout 
 the island. 
 
 " But you are said to be merciless and mercenary," she told 
 him slowly. " You can not have the interest of Cuba at heart 
 when you seize her people and hold them for ransom that they 
 cannot afford to give without impoverishing themselves. I 
 never have heard that you were suspected of cherishing revo- 
 lutionary intentions. Yrm are known simply as Alarcon, the 
 brigand, not the patriot." 
 
 The man's face flushed darkly under its coat of bronze. 
 This being called to account by a prisoner was a novel expe- 
 rience to a man who wielded such power as the brigand leader 
 did; but its very unusualness made it attractive to him. 
 
38 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " No ; you never have heard and you never will hear of one 
 tenth of the brave souls who have given and will give their 
 lives for the vain hope of Cuban emancipation," he said. " You 
 count that giving your father's all would be forfeiting too much 
 for the cause. The men who follow me have done more ; their 
 lives are Cuba's." 
 
 He watched the effect of his utterance on Raquel. A swift 
 change went over her face. For the instant she forgot her 
 perilous position in her delight at finding that the mountain 
 nourished a band of men thrilling with a hope like her own. 
 
 " So would I give mine, seiior !" she cried. " I would devote 
 everything to it !" 
 
 " Yet you declare that no ransom must be demanded of 
 your father, though you must know that the sum which you 
 bring us will go into the exchequer destined to secure Cuba's 
 liberty. This is our only way of obtaining supplies for these 
 forest soldiers. We cannot tax the people as Spain does to 
 feed and pay her army that she sets over Cubans to keep them 
 in subjection. All we can do is to insist that those whom we 
 take as prisoners shall pay us enough to enable us to add to the 
 fund which eventually is to free the entire island from her 
 tyrant." Alarcon was an astute student of men — and women 
 as well. He could anticipate the impression which these sen- 
 tences would make upon her, and he was not disappointed in 
 his estimate of her character. She had shown him with her 
 first words where her sympathies lay, and he was far too clever 
 not to keep in the line with them. 
 
 " I would not demur if there were none but m^'self to con- 
 sider," she declared, with a despairing gesture of her hands. 
 " Gladly would I give my life to carry on the hope to fulfill- 
 ment; but my father, he cannot raise one peso, senor! I speak 
 the truth. If the plantation must be forfeited to win my free- 
 dom there will be no place for the blacks to go — there even 
 will be no roof to cover our heads. Be merciful, seiior! It is 
 a poor system to secure Cuba's freedom by making her daugh- 
 ters sacrifice theirs !" 
 
 Over the chief's countenance had been creeping a change. 
 Into his eyes had stolen a cunning; the hard lines of his face 
 softened beneath the power of a thought that made him say 
 with the persuasive flattery common to southern tongues : 
 
 " And the senorita laments that she is not a man ! What 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 39 
 
 feminine ignorance ! God knows that there is many a woman's 
 heart in Cuba capable of accomplishing more than its men ever 
 will. It is a pity that you are not what you so ardently desire 
 to be. I need svich as you woi;ld prove. Believe my words 
 that it was not by my orders that you were seized ; but, since 
 you are here, it scarcely would be wise to permit so needed a 
 prize to escape. We men of the mountains niust live ; and we 
 also must supply ourselves with ammunition against the day 
 when we shall rise in might to drive the Spaniards from the 
 island. Those who enter oiir domains must be ransomed or — " 
 
 There was a pause, during which she looked anxiously into 
 his face for a hint of what was coming. She nerved herself to 
 receive the alternative without flinching. 
 
 " — or they must join us." 
 
 " But that — I cannot!"' she cried, with a little bewildered 
 gasp. 
 
 "No?" he queried calmly. " Forgud?" 
 
 " Of what use should I be?" Unmitigated wonderment was 
 in her voice and eyes. 
 
 " Have you lived so little that you do not know that often 
 it is the power behind the throne that controls?" He asked 
 the question with a look that made his eyes soft and powerful. 
 " Know you so little of the history of man and nations?" 
 
 " Know? How should I know?" demanded she. Into her 
 face flashed new fears which her resolute spirit could not ban- 
 ish. There was something in Alarcon's look against which she 
 felt herself fighting blindly. She realized afreirh her helpless- 
 ness and dependence. His proffered alternative, instead of 
 showing her the power of woman, revealed to her how com- 
 pletely at his mercy she was. Here was the seeming oppor- 
 tunity to help Cuba which she had craved, but, rising up in 
 wildest opposition to it, was the love for her father which 
 stormed within her. The island's future sunk into insignifi- 
 cance before the awful prospect of being separated from him. 
 All of her courage was gone. She shivered with apprehen- 
 siou. 
 
 Gonzalo Alarcon took a quick step forward. 
 
 " You have seen nothing?" questioned he meaningly. " I 
 can see that you long to live— to conquer. It has l^een women 
 like you who have urged men on to achieve great deeds that 
 would have remained undone but for their inspiration. Women 
 
40 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 like you make Cuba's freedom possible. In your eyes — deep 
 down — one can read the thirst. I will lead you to victorie& 
 Will you follow.?" 
 
 Raquel's eyes indeed now burned with an odd intensity. 
 She was frightened by those black ones which held hers by a 
 spell which seemed sapping her volition. The scene about 
 her appeared to revolve with lightning rapidity. Only that 
 unfamiliar face with its strange smile stood out before her 
 vision. She was conscious that he still spoke to her. 
 
 " I will go for the ransom myself, seiiorita. Failing to 
 secure that, you are to become one of us — and you shall rule, 
 rule even me, Gonzalo Alarcon." 
 
 Raquel's reply was only the frightened quickening of her 
 breath. 
 
 How dear the safety and monotonous peace of La Sacra 
 Sonrisa seemed as she realized that, even if ransomed, the 
 walls of the old hacienda could shelter her no more ; her ran- 
 som would place the plantation in the grasp of strangers. She 
 reeled at the thought and put out her hands vaguely, ignorant 
 that the relief of temporary unconsciousness was coming to 
 her aid. 
 
 The chief saw the movement and caught her fingers in his 
 own. 
 
 " You are tired, seiiorita !" he exclaimed, with self-re- 
 proach. " Your courage made me forget that you have not 
 the endurance of a man." 
 
 But his hold on her was not sufficient to prevent her from 
 slipping downward limply with white face. The strength pro- 
 duced by her momentary courage had vanished. All of the 
 terror and exhaustion which she had suffered now showed in 
 her face. Alarcon drew her forcibly up into his arms for a 
 moment, while he curiously inspected her pale features. 
 
 " Caspita ! What a daring little one she is !" he murmured. 
 
 As he placed her on the soft forest carpet, he glanced about 
 him and discovered Zufiega crossing the open space with a sad- 
 dle on his shoulder. 
 
 " Hola, Zuiiega ! Call Annizae !" Alarcon ordered. 
 
 As if the entire camp had been watching, the summons was 
 obeyed by each and all. Two women crowded forward eager- 
 ly. To the foremost one the chief said authoritatively : 
 
 " Take charge of her! She is not to be out of your sight." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 41 
 
 The woman, tall and muscular, bent over the outstretched 
 form of Raquel, then glanced up at Alarcon questioningly. 
 
 " She is exhausted," explained the chief. " She must have 
 the best of care." The other woman went and peered down 
 over Annizae's shoulder. The indubitable beauty of the girl 
 appeared to excite her. She also glanced up at the chief, but 
 the expression of her eyes was quite different from that which 
 had been given by Annizae. 
 
 " Is she to be ransomed?" she demanded in an undertone of 
 Alarcon. 
 
 " What is that to you, Faquita?" asked he carelessly. 
 
 " What is it not to me?" she retorted. 
 
 Alarcon placed one finger under her chin and lifted it teas- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Jealous again.>" he inquired. " Does a woman never learn 
 that jealousy is death to love?" 
 
 The eyes of Faquita smouldered beneath their heavy lids. 
 
 Annizae had picked Raquel up lightly in her strong arms 
 and now carried her through the green network from which 
 the chief had advanced. 
 
 Faquita followed her. 
 
 Gonzalo Alarcon joined his men, inquiring into the full par- 
 ticulars of the capture. 
 
 " It is little gold that we will get from it," he told them, in- 
 tentionally belittling their success. " M. Theuriet would have 
 been a mine to us." 
 
 Here arose a chorus of voices proclaiming how great was 
 the estate called La Sacra Sonrisa, and how indefatigable 
 were the sugar mills. 
 
 Alarcon listened in silence for a time, then he said im- 
 patiently: 
 
 " For all that, Seiior Palgrave may not be able to procure 
 sufficient pesos to ransom his daughter; and we shall have 
 another woman in camp." 
 
 The men glanced from under their lids significantly at each 
 other. "Who goes for the ransom. Comandante?" queried 
 Jose, striking his spurs together reflectively as he sat on the 
 felled trunk of one of the forest monarchs. 
 
 " Don Gonzalo knows better than to send thee. Jose," 
 laughed Manuel provokingly. " Thou wouldst sleep and for- 
 get thy mission." 
 
4* A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " I pray he sends not me," returned Jose without show of 
 anger. " It is too perilous. Zunega is most cat-like. He 
 could pin the threats on Seiior Palgrave's pillow with ten 
 knives and none would hear him." 
 
 " Zunega is to be placed as guard over the girl," announced 
 Alarcon with decision. " I myself will go for the ransom." 
 
 "Diablo! Before the threats have been delivered?" ex- 
 claimed the men. " Do you forget the price of ten thousand 
 pesos set on your head, Comandante?" 
 
 "I forget nothing," answered Alarcon quietly. "If it is 
 possible to secure gold, you know well that I am the one to do 
 it. I will go alone. Twenty of you station ^^ourselves at the 
 Paso del Diablo the night of the morrow. I will summon you 
 from there when I need you." 
 
 Despite the evident camaraderie which existed between 
 Goij-zalo Alarcon and his men, gathered from man}' sources, 
 he never failed to make himself obeyed. His was a motley 
 company that required of no man his past. The invincible 
 will of Alarcon ruled. 
 
 Preparations were made for his departure. After the camp 
 breakfast with its fragrant coffee had been disposed of, the 
 lithe Cuban horse which always carried the chief was duly 
 caparisoned. In vivid contrast with the general properties of 
 the camp, the gaily embroidered saddle-cloth on which the 
 high-peaked Spanish saddle was placed shone against the 
 sombre background of the forest with something of barbaric 
 splendor. Zuiiega stood at the head of the animal, caressing 
 it with the tenderness one bestows on a beloved object. 
 
 Alarcon was conferring with Annizae, in whose charge he 
 intended to leave Raquel. At breakfast, in the presence of the 
 camp, he had commissioned Zuiiega to act in the capacity of 
 guard, supplementing Annizae's watchful care. Zunega had 
 received his orders with eyes that gave no evidence of the 
 tremor which shook him at this proof of the faith reposed in 
 him. That the post had been coveted by other members of 
 the camp was shown by the signs of disapproval with which 
 his appointment was accepted, disapproval which quickly was 
 silenced by Alarcon's lightning glance. It did not take a great 
 amount of perception to acquaint them with Alarcon's deci- 
 sion that, failing in securing the ransom, the new acquisition 
 to his band would be a satisfactory one so far as he was con- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 43 
 
 cerned. despite his assertion that the feminine element in a 
 guerrilla camp was more trouble than gain. 
 
 When Alarcon came to mount he viewed the trappings of 
 his caballo with disfavor. He had them removed and an in- 
 conspicuous blanket placed in lieu of the saddle-cloth. 
 
 " When the Spanish goverament is anxious for a man it is 
 well for that man to attract little attention," he remarked 
 grimly, as he swung himself into position on his horse's 
 back. 
 
 " Adios, liombres .'" 
 
 " Adios ! Adios! Vaya usted con Dios .'" cried the members 
 of the camp, as he rode off into the emerald wall surrounding 
 them. " God go with you !" And they appeared to see noth- 
 ing absurd in the hope that the High Ruler of the universe 
 would assist Alarcon in his nefarious design of exacting the 
 impossible from Gilbert Palgrave. 
 
 Zuiiega watched the moving horseman as far as the green 
 forest veil would permit. 
 
 An unanalyzed feeling of exultation was in his heart. 
 
 He turned and went with supple step to begin his duties as 
 jailer. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 When Raquel's absence was discovered, the wildest ex- 
 citement reigned at the ingenio. The devastation which the 
 horses' feet had created in the cane left little doubt to be en- 
 tertained as to what fate had befallen the beloved one of the 
 plantation. 
 
 Frantic with fear, Palgrave got his men together hastily, 
 leaving a few boys and decrepit negroes to watch over the fur- 
 nace fires. Double affliction was his in this enforced idleness 
 which would fall upon the mill and fields right in the height 
 of the grinding season, when forces should have been kept at 
 work night and day in order to complete the work within the 
 usual four months. He realized fully what this loss of time 
 meant to him and his sugar crop ; but there was no alternative. 
 Raquel must be found and wrested from her captors. 
 
 M. Theuriet, as anxious as his neighbor, summoned all of 
 the available blacks from his coffee estate, and, at their head, 
 
44 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 presented himself at La Sacra Sonrisa, subject to the orders of 
 the bereft father. 
 
 Leaving the wellnigh deserted plantation lying lonesomely 
 beneath the midnight sky, the two cavalcades followed the 
 course left by the tread of the abductors' horses. Palgrave 
 knew that it would have been wiser to have waited for dawn, 
 but the terrible pressure of Raquel's need would not permit 
 him to delay one second longer than necessity demanded for 
 making preparations to rescue her. 
 
 In the edge of the forest the two companies separated, 
 taking different routes in the hope of circumventing the 
 rascals. 
 
 The tangles and dense growth of fecund tropical vegetation 
 balked their progress continually. To their untrained eyes the 
 mysterious ways through which they pushed laboriously were 
 misleading in the extreme. What with the darkness of the 
 heavens and the gruesome blackness of this wanton plant 
 luxuriation they finally were forced to pause and wait for 
 day, relaxing none in vigilance lest they might be attacked 
 by some of the dauntless denizens to whom this intricate 
 mountain labyrinth was home. To the tense nerves of Gil- 
 bert Palgrave it seemed as if he could hear the winging flight 
 of the precious moments, so oppressively still was nature's 
 vast cathedral. And yet there was a constant murmur of 
 growth in the air. Everything was thrilling with the vitality 
 of a rich life; but there was an odor, warm, damp, which 
 chilled him, as if the wind of destiny had blown to him from 
 off Death's pallid face. 
 
 With the first suggestion of sunlight to aid them they took 
 up the interrupted search. As day grew their eyes perceived 
 that overhead hung canopies of vines flung from tree to tree, 
 tapestries of a million hues interwoven. 
 
 Through the long hours that followed ere another night 
 shut down, they scoured the forest as well as they were able, 
 unfamiliar as they were with its secrets. Long ago they had 
 lost the trail of the brigands, but still they kept on, hoping 
 against hope. Palgrave trusted that M. Theuriet had been 
 more fortunate than he. The thought that the Frenchman 
 possibly might have stumbled into the proper route secured 
 him against utter discouragement as the fruitless moments 
 crept by. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 45 
 
 When the second night stole up shadow-like from the edge 
 of the distant sea, he felt himself no nearer her. 
 
 " God in Heaven ! What is to be done?" he cried in despair. 
 
 Suddenly the sound of voices reached their ears, accom- 
 panied by the crash of underbrush. His men threw themselves 
 into an attitude of defence. 
 
 " Thank the Lord!" he breathed joyously. " We have run 
 across their path." 
 
 But in another instant he caught IM. Theuriet's unmistak- 
 able pronunciation, which, despite his many years in the 
 country, still retained its distinctive Gallic features. 
 
 " Cuidado, homines r the Frenchman was cautioning the 
 foremost. " Tak' care ! We mus' niov* wiz sure steps. To 
 remain zere anozer night will be folly, but too much haste 
 .may be disastrous as well." 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave knew then with sinking heart how wholly 
 vain had been the effort to wrench Raquel from the hands that 
 held her. Doubtless, for fear of pursuit, the guerrillas had 
 borne her far beyond his most persistent seeking. 
 
 He raised his voice and called to M. Theuriet, urging his 
 horse forward as he did so. 
 
 As they met, the combined yellow glare of the many can- 
 dles, each black now being the bearer of one as the darkness 
 deepened, threw the haggard countenance of the father and 
 the sallow, wrinkled visage of the coffee planter into relief 
 against the background of the forest foliage. 
 
 Each viewed the other with keen disappointment, 
 
 " We must have been moving in circles," said Palgrave, with 
 a hopeless cadence in his speech. 
 
 " To my mind, ze most senseeble course to pairsue, now 
 zat all trace of zem we hav' lost, ees to return to ze plantaceon 
 and await " began M. Theuriet. 
 
 " And leave her in the hands of those devils?" cried the 
 father with fierce opposition, though he also was aware that 
 it was useless to wander thus blindly through the mazes of the 
 mountain vegetation. 
 
 " Mais — but what bettair can we?" questioned the coffee 
 planter anxiously. " Zis expediceon ees useless, n'est-ce pas ? 
 Cairtainlee we can call for aid in ze shape of ze guardia civile, 
 or — " 
 
 " Yes, but what may be her fate in the mean time 1" inter- 
 
46 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 rupted Palgrave wildly. " Do you forget the national trait? 
 I only shall have ' manana, juafiana,' that everlasting crj' of 
 the Spaniard, breathed into my ears — that is all !" 
 
 " Pardon, mon ami, you hav' not pairmit me to complet' 
 mon sentence," observed M. Theuriet apologetically. " Ze 
 first move zat ze brigands will be likelee to mak' will be to de- 
 mand an enormous ransom, — ees eet not so? Pairfectlee. 
 Bien, eef zat be forthcoming, well and good! You will hav' 
 Raquelita returned to La Sacra Sonrisa. But eef eet be ab- 
 sent or difficile to appear, you may receiv' occasional remind- 
 airs ov her een ze shape ov fractions ov her pairson." 
 
 " Satan take your diabolical tongue !" groaned Palgrave dis- 
 tractedly. " Do you desire to drive me mad? Do you think 
 that, during these terrible hours I have not recalled every 
 atrocious violence that I ever heard was committed by them? I 
 mean to find her if it takes the rest of my life, God helping me !" 
 
 " But, zay hav' anticipated pairsuit and, wherever zay are. 
 hav' fortified zemselves against attack," M. Theuriet argued. 
 " Are zay not sartain to be well armed? Zare ees but one zing 
 to do." 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave's face grew whiter. He knew how im- 
 possible that one thing would be. He thrust his spurs reck- 
 lessly into his horse's sides and plunged rashly down the pre- 
 cipitous path which turned in the direction of the valley. His 
 men followed quickly. After a quarter of an hour he paused 
 and allowed the Frenchman to urge his animal abreast. 
 
 " What on earth am I to do, Theuriet?" he asked helpless- 
 ly. " My hands practically are tied when it comes to the ques- 
 tion of raising a ransom. None know better than you how 
 difficult, how fruitless will be the effort to secure gold, situated 
 as I now am. If you recollect, we were discussing my position 
 when she disappeared from the sala." 
 
 " I remember," assented Theuriet with a sigh. With Pal- 
 grave's confession of utter inability to cope with this serious 
 monetary problem, the Frenchman's face had undergone a 
 subtle change that the shadows of the coming night concealed. 
 " Ov cours' eet will be out ov ze posseebl' for you to furnish 
 much gold quicklee; but for ze sak' ov our long friendsheep 
 an' also for ze sak' ov ze belle mademoiselle who ees dear to 
 me I am more zan willing to advance any sum ov which you 
 may hav' need." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 47 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave's countenance turned a purplish tinge. 
 He appeared to reel in his saddle for an instant. The par- 
 simony of M. Theuriet was well known. Not for a moment 
 had Palgrave thought that the Frenchman would propose to 
 place him under additional indebtedness, knowing as Theuriet 
 did the Englishman's inability to give him satisfactory secu- 
 rity. The father leaned down and forward, looking into the 
 face of Theuriet with doubting eyes. 
 
 " Do my ears play me false?" he demanded sharply. " Do 
 you jest with me?" 
 
 " Nevair befor' was I so een earnest," swore M. Theuriet 
 emphatically. 
 
 " Have you thought what your offer may bring upon you?" 
 Palgrave asked anxiously. " It may cripple you seriously. It 
 will be long before I can repay you. Have you thought of 
 that?" 
 
 " Cairtainlee ! I hav' thought of all," replied Theuriet 
 calmly. 
 
 Palgrave drew a long breath. He had been almost afraid 
 to ask the Frenchman to reconsider his proposition, yet his 
 sense of fairness would not permit him to accept the generos- 
 ity of his neighbor without reminding him what a precarious 
 loan it was likely to prove. 
 
 " I would rather die than permit you to make such a sacri- 
 fice for me," he declared warmly, " but I see nothing else for 
 me to do; my death would be productive of nothing. With 
 life, however, there is a prospect that in a few years I may 
 be able to discharge my indebtedness. Until then your only 
 reward will be in the consciousness of having performed a 
 most noble deed." 
 
 " You hav' ze opportunitee ov repaying me at once and also 
 ov cancelling all previous indebtedness eef you but choose to 
 say ze word," returned M. Theuriet. He spoke not quite as 
 calmly now. There was a hint of repression in his voice, but 
 the words themselves were electrical enough to claim the at- 
 tention of their hearer. 
 
 Palgrave looked at him in questioning silence for some mo- 
 ments, during which he was endeavoring to fathom the mean- 
 ing of the statement. At length he said slowly: 
 
 " I do not comprehend." 
 
 " Do you not recall, mon ami," explained Theuriet, moisten- 
 
48 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 ing his lips as he spoke, " when we were talking ov securitee I 
 said zat you had one possession which I would be willing to 
 take as securitee and lend you many pesos more?" 
 
 " Yes," answered Palgrave cautiously. " It was just as 
 Raquel entered. I intended to ask you, after she went out, 
 to what you referred; but it went out of my mind." 
 
 M. Theuriet smiled. 
 
 " Zat was ze security to which I referred," he murmured. 
 
 " The devil ! Have you taken leave of your senses?" Pal- 
 grave demanded. " I have not the faintest idea what you 
 mean." 
 
 " I mean zis," said M. Theuriet slowly. " I will pay ze ran- 
 som and your entire indebtedness — not alone what you owe 
 me, 7/10/1 a/zii — on ze condition zat when she ees returned to 
 you, you will giv' her to me. She ees ze security which would 
 indemnify me against all losses." 
 
 " Give her to you! For what?" The undisguised amaze- 
 ment in the father's tone brought a dull hue of color into M. 
 Theuriet's faded face, but he managed to answer steadily: 
 
 " For my wife." 
 
 Palgrave jerked his horse to a sudden halt. 
 
 " For your wife.?" he gasped. " Why, man, you are old 
 enough to be her father !" 
 
 " Oest vrai" admitted the Frenchman, wincing a trifle be- 
 neath the sting in the exclamation of the girl's parent," but, 
 pardon, I would be more kind to her zan her captors are like- 
 lee to be, zink you not so, unless ze ransom arreev' quicklee?" 
 
 The teeth of the sugar planter met fiercely through his 
 nether lip. 
 
 " Are those your only terms?" he asked bitterly. 
 
 " Could you wish bettair, my friend?" replied M. Theuriet, 
 with evident surprise. " Wiz one stroke, you recovair your 
 daughtair an' remov' your largest creditor, besides securing 
 his aid een settling wiz ze Catalans." He lighted a cigar while 
 he spoke, to hide the nervous twitching of his lips. He had 
 had a desire for Raquel ever since he had seen her blooming 
 into womanhood, but he never had dared to hope that such an 
 opportunity as this would be afforded him. He had made his 
 proposition. Pie felt certain that the fear of the parent for the 
 safety of his child would lead Palgrave to accept it, acting on 
 the maxim: "Of two evils, choose the lesser." Not that he 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 49 
 
 considered himself in the light of an evil, but it was evident 
 that Palgrave did in this connection. 
 
 " Not to save myself from the deepest dye of disgrace would 
 I consent to such an agreement," groaned the hard-pressed 
 man to himself, " but to save her from the life that is before 
 her if she is not ransomed — that is different. Anything is 
 better than her present condition." His eyes were burning. 
 He saw no other way by which he might take his loved one 
 from the perils which had become hers. 
 
 " Both ov us will zen hav' her," M. Theuriet said sugges- 
 tively. He spoke as if it already were settled. Perhaps it 
 would be a high price to pay for a bride, but, he consoled 
 himself with the reflection that she was worth it; and besides, 
 he was fond of his neighbor and was not averse to helping 
 him thus in his sore dilemma. 
 
 It was a long time before Palgrave uttered a word. They 
 proceeded silently. The night closed in about them. The 
 darkness seemed to throb with its own intensity. Palgrave 
 felt that it stifled him. The tapers in the fingers of the men 
 melted, bent, died down, and were replaced by others that 
 flared fitfully at first, lighting up with feeble glimmer 
 the anaconda-like twistings of the parasitic vines about 
 them. 
 
 The minutes dropped away. 
 
 Fatigue and depression lay with heavy gloom over the en- 
 tire number. 
 
 It was dawn of the second day before they crept, like a 
 column of ants, out from the shadow of the forest and began 
 to descend to the savannah. 
 
 The broad fields stretched wide their undulating surfaces 
 of yellow green cane. 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave's heart leaped into his throat and choked 
 him as he looked out over the magical scene. If it were sacri- 
 ficed to ransom her, to what place could they go.> No home 
 would be ready for her. Both of them would be destitute, 
 obliged to accept M. Theuriet's hospitality until they could 
 right themselves and get a fresh start. What would become 
 of the blacks? Some of them had never known other home 
 than this. He turned to the Frenchman abruptly. 
 
 " I accept your ofTcr," he said, with the air of one who after 
 a hard struggle, yields to the inevitable, "on this condition: 
 4 
 
50 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 she shall be allowed to choose. If she is willing to prove her 
 gratitude to you for doing what I am not able to do, I will 
 have nothing to say. But if she shrinks from fulfilling the 
 stipulations she shall not be forced into the union. I will go 
 out as a common laborer rather than " 
 
 " We are agreed," M. Theuriet hastened to say. " I accept 
 your restreection. I zink zat she will not need be forced eento 
 eet. I would desire only her willing acquiescence een ze mat- 
 tair." 
 
 But he knew Raquel's nature well enough to be certain 
 that, learning on what terms her freedom had been purchased, 
 she would remove the debt at any cost. 
 
 In the mean time, Gonzalo Alarcon had been forcing his 
 way rapidly through the jungles of interlaced green life gay 
 with magnificent bloom. The path became more formidable 
 the higher he climbed. His fleet animal moved with infinite 
 caution on the verge of precipices that jutted daringly over 
 foaming cascades of a thousand opaline tints, waters that 
 gushed joyously from subterranean sources, the sumideros or 
 caverns that honeycomb the surface of the island. The route 
 which he had chosen was far shorter than the one up which 
 Raquel had been taken. Many hours had not passed before 
 he halted on an eminence which afforded him an excellent 
 view of the ingenio of La Sacra Sonrisa. 
 
 Looking down on it from above, only the mass of tree-tops 
 was visible surrounding the house. The palms, alternating 
 with the mangoes and aguacates, rising far beyond them to 
 the height of a hundred feet or more, looked like green 
 plumes as they tossed gently|in the breeze, which did not reach 
 down to touch a leaf of the smaller trees. Set in the midst of 
 the bright gold-tinged cane fields, the grove of beautiful foli- 
 age resembled nothing so much as an exquisite emerald in a 
 glittering setting. 
 
 The absence of life on the plantation convinced him that 
 the male portion of the retinue of blacks had been detailed to 
 search for the missing girl, and he decided to make his way to 
 the hacienda without delay. 
 
 He spurred his horse down the precipitous wall of green 
 with a fearlessness that brought him a couple of hours later out 
 upon the unfrequented highway leading to the sugar planta- 
 tion. None would have thought, judging from his seemingly 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 51 
 
 careless demeanor, that there was a goodly price offered for 
 his person, alive or dead. 
 
 At a curve in the road he came suddenly upon two eques- 
 trians. His hand instantly was on his weapons, as were theirs. 
 
 " Halt!" ordered one of them in English, covering the soli- 
 tary horseman with a revolver. 
 
 Alarcon's horse was drawn up sharply. 
 
 " Peace, ainigos," he returned with the courtesy of the 
 country. " You have the advantage of me, senors. Can I 
 serve you? I place myself at your feet" — the latter decla- 
 ration being nothing more than a common salutation in all lands 
 where Spanish blood has entered. 
 
 Still wary, the two riders approached him. 
 
 "Si, se/lor ; the estate of La Buena Esperanza, the coffee 
 plantation of JM. Theuriet, we seek it," explained the one whom 
 Alarcon divined to be a Havanese guide escorting the stranger 
 through the interioi*. " Will you direct us? There is a fork 
 in the road some distance back. We fear we have taken the 
 wrong turning." 
 
 " Es vcrdad," nodded Alarcon in a most friendly manner. 
 " You have done so. I go to the same turning. Will you have 
 the grace to permit me to accompany you?" 
 
 " Con fmtc/io gusto, sefior," answered the first speaker, the 
 one who had been so peremptory with his demand. It was no 
 other than Lithgow, who had succeeded in coming this near 
 the property of the coffee planter to whom he bore letters. 
 His journey through the mysterious land of inland Cuba had 
 been fraught with no adventures worth chronicling. Owing 
 to warnings received in Havana he had been suspicious and on 
 the alert, but to no purpose ; and he had indulged in some 
 merriment over the exaggerated reports of the dangers attend- 
 ing an interior trip. Even this encounter, which had had the 
 flavor of possible trouble, quickly resolved itself into an ami- 
 cable meeting, though, when Alarcon came abreast, the Amer- 
 ican still deemed it advisable to keep a vigilant eye on this 
 highway acquaintance. 
 
 " El se/lor es IngUs — 710 T queried Alarcon smilingly. 
 
 " No ; Anierica?io," corrected Lithgow, with the briefness of 
 the foreigner. 
 
 " Ah, St ; one might have known," commented Alarcon. 
 " None but an American who knows nothing but freedom 
 
52 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 would be wandering thus alone through this portion of the 
 island. Were you not warned, sefior?" 
 
 " Times without number," answered Lithgow, adding with 
 a tone of apology : " That was the reason, pardon, senor, why 
 I mistook you for a possible " 
 
 " Guerrilla?" laughed Alarcon, helping him out. " I must 
 appear dangerous; is it so? Believe me, senors, I am pained 
 to have alarmed you. The last thing that a Cuban desires is 
 to frighten away American enterprise from the island." 
 
 Lithgow felt his doubts diminishing as to the reputable 
 standing of this gentleman. In his mind he set him down for 
 a planter of note. 
 
 " You are the first individual, seiior, from whom I have 
 heard such a remark," he said with satisfaction. "It is a 
 strange people down here. They appear determined not to 
 advance. They put obstacles in the way of each proposed 
 improvement." 
 
 " Call it not the fault of the people but the fault of the 
 power that governs us," Alarcon answered, glancing at the 
 guide. " How can the tax-ridden populace take that which 
 Spain does not give them? She is not anxious for improve- 
 ments. She has no desire that the full resources of her rich 
 possession shall become known and draw covetous eyes, least 
 of all those of the mighty republic north of us." 
 
 The guide turned a gaze in which was dawning a wonder- 
 ing distrust upon this fearless speaker; for, even with but the 
 forest to hear, it is a bold man that utters such sentences in 
 Cuba. But Alarcon's attention was riveted now on the Amer- 
 ican. He missed the glance of the Havanese. He went on 
 earnestly : 
 
 " Cuba's mines are unworked because the taxes on the ex- 
 humed ore are more than the value of the stuff itself. Of its 
 thirty-five million acres, over fifteen million are forests, over 
 seven million are barren, only about three million are devoted 
 to agriculture, here where the ground needs only to be 'tickled 
 with a hoe and it laughs' and brings forth such harvests as no 
 other land knows. Many plantations have lain in waste since 
 the ten-year war. The planters become poorer each year be- 
 cause the taxes eat their profits. Not until Cuba gains her 
 freedom will she be anything but an orange sucked dry. 
 Spain drains her of everything. Spanish soldiers quartered 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 53 
 
 on us, thriving at the island's expense, will some day find them- 
 selves pushed into the sea, and before Spain can send others 
 over, Cuba will be able to take possession of herself." 
 
 " Such words are not uttered in Havana," the American 
 said significantly. 
 
 " No, nor here, seilor, save by those who dare," returned 
 Alarcon as significantly. 
 
 Lithgow regarded him keenly. 
 
 " I am glad to have met you, seiior," he told him. " You 
 are the only person I have seen who has not been afraid of 
 something, governor-general, priests, taxes, fever, failure — 
 but you appear to defy such small matters." 
 
 Alarcon indulged in a peculiar smile. They had reached 
 the fork in the road. He urged his horse into it, at the same 
 time lifting his sombrero with the ineffable grace of him who 
 boasts of Castilian blood. 
 
 " Gracias, sc/lor," he replied, with a gesture of farewell. " A 
 Cuban sometimes rejoices at an opportunity to say what he 
 thinks. Adios ! You now are on the borders of the estate of 
 M. Theuriet. Two miles will bring you to the hacienda. Vaya 
 listed con Dios ! " 
 
 And each rode his way, unaware that their first was not to 
 be their last meeting. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Just as night fell, Tia Juana, the present head of the Pal- 
 grave household, was summoned to the bolted entrance by a 
 loud and repeated knocking. She thrust a turbancd head out 
 of a safe aperture and took a deliberate survey of the producer 
 of the commotion. 
 
 " Madrc de Dios ! Thinkest thou that I will let thee in?" 
 she queried silently. " How knowest I that thou art not the 
 devil himself in disguise?" 
 
 The disturbance continued, and she heard the words: 
 " Open quickly! I have news of the lost sciiorita." 
 Tia Juana scrambled hastily from her post of observation 
 and obeyed the mandate of the stranger joyfully, besieging 
 him with questions that elicited but meagre replies. 
 
54 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " The communication is only for Senor Palgrave," he re- 
 buked her with authority. " Where is he?"' 
 
 " He seeks the senorita in the mountains, se/ior mio. Satan 
 take the black souls of those brigands !" she answered, drop- 
 ping into the lamentations which prevailed at the ingenio. 
 
 Alarcon showed his white teeth in a satisfied smile. 
 
 " How long since he went, ;/// bonita T' he asked, giving her 
 a glance of such flattering admiration that the heart of Tia 
 Juana never could have withheld any information that he 
 might have demanded. It was long since the eye of mascu- 
 linity had accorded her anything but indifference, and she 
 expanded under it as a faded violet will beneath the rains of 
 April. 
 
 " A night and a day, scTior inio — ever since the senorita 
 was stolen. Dios visit the fires of perdition upon the wild 
 riders!" 
 
 " Then it is safe to presume that this night will bring his 
 return," commented Alarcon comfortably, preparing to make 
 himself at home. 
 
 " God grant it !" breathed the woman. " But he will return 
 only when he brings her; he so swore." 
 
 Alarcon shrugged his broad shoulders lightly. 
 
 " Muy bien" he said. " Then I must wait. I am as raven- 
 ous as a judio. Will your sweet hands have the grace to 
 bring me the best that the hacienda affords? — and wine, too, 
 querida iiiia; a bottle of Don Gilberto's best wine!" 
 
 Flushed with the tremor that his endearing words gave her 
 long-quiet heart, Tia Juana hastened into the cocina to do his 
 bidding, imparting to the other women the excitement of her 
 own manner. 
 
 While waiting for his orders to be executed, Alarcon looked 
 about him. He was pleased with the scrutiny. He found 
 himself surrounded by an air of comfort to which he had been 
 a stranger these many years. He appropriated Palgrave 's 
 cigars. He glanced over the well-filled bookshelves, but 
 therefrom he gained little, as most of the volumes were printed 
 in the English language and Alarcon's education had been ac- 
 quired in Spain, from which land he had been exiled to Cuba 
 for some early misdemeanor for which exile had been deemed 
 the most suitable punishment. 
 
 Completing his examination of the hacienda as far as was 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 55 
 
 possible, he went out to investigate the estate and measure 
 its resources. 
 
 The fires had gone out in the mill, something that never 
 had happened during the sugar season in all the years that the 
 plantation had been in the Englishman's hands. Cold and 
 black the furnaces loomed up, filled with the ashes of dead 
 fires — fires that had made the place appear a veritable Pluto's 
 realm as the lurid light flamed and flickered over the bare, 
 ebony backs of the workers as they passed to and fro, keeping 
 time to the high, weird, monotonous chant of the gangs filling 
 the troughs with cane. For a scene of ceaseless activity none 
 is equal to a sugar plantation during the season, and, by com- 
 parison, the spot now looked as if a plague had struck it. 
 
 Alarcon knew what a tremendous loss these few days of 
 absolute idleness would mean to the planter, yet he did not 
 think of swerving from his intention of securing ransom from 
 the strained exchequer of Palgrave. 
 
 After partaking with appreciation of the meal which Tia 
 Juana and her supernumeraries had concocted, he swung him- 
 self in Raquel's hammock, disregarding Tia Juana's plain an- 
 nouncement that it was considered sacred since the disappear- 
 ance of the young mistress. 
 
 With a soul not wholly insensible to the whisperings of 
 the palm's high-lifted crest, he revelled in the temerity that 
 allowed him to eat and sleep beneath the roof from which his 
 men had stolen its chief treasure. His thoughts dwelt on the 
 girl. He could fancy how she had lain thus, idly swinging 
 night after night, shut in so completely from the world. 
 
 " No wonder that she longs for work to do, for worlds to 
 win !" he said to himself in the darkness. " If it were not for 
 the gold that I hope to g^et, she .should remain with us; she 
 should know the exhilaration of danger, the wildness of vic- 
 tory. Her frail body shelters the soul of a man hungry to 
 make the world /.?^/ him, praise him, blame him. And if the 
 gold is not to be had— she ^//a// become one of us!" 
 
 The sound of the water splashing forlornly in the fountain 
 broke in upon his thoughts. After a time he continued his 
 cogitations: 
 
 " At first she might hate me for the loss of all these delights, 
 but some day — she would thank me : for with her bold spirit 
 to urge a man on there would be no limits placed on his pos- 
 
$6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 sible achievements. On some to-morrow she would look back 
 with shrugs to the uneventful hours spent here, some to-mor- 
 row when Cuba might be at her feet and I, Cuba's hero. 
 Stranger things have been. It would be a sweet revenge on 
 old Spain for the indignities she heaped on me as a prisoner. 
 I've a mind to let the girl stir me to action. So far I have 
 been content to levy tribute on Spain's subjects. To raise a 
 force sufficient to drive Spain from the country would be to 
 wreak a grand vengeance on her and her rulers. For Dios ! 
 I will do it on some viafiana ! " 
 
 He lighted another cigar and indulged in a faint smile at 
 his own expense as he realized that his castles in Spain were 
 towering up with only the blue of the heavens to roof them. 
 
 " There is Faquita, however," he reminded himself, with a 
 frown. " One camp could never hold her and her successor. 
 Dust of the saints! Why is it that women will be faithful 
 when one would prefer them otherwise?" 
 
 The purple night wore on and away. 
 
 Alarcon retained his position in the hammock and slept the 
 sound sleep that tradition accords to the innocent alone. 
 
 He did not hear the approaching hoofs w^hich wound their 
 way slowly toward the entrance. 
 
 Twice a sharp summons rang out. 
 
 When Tia Juana hurried fearfully to the heavily barred 
 door, Alarcon caught her by the arm persuasively. 
 
 " Speak not a word of me," he whispered, with a threat in 
 his tender tones, " or I shall know how to silence you." 
 
 Bewildered, for she had intended to announce at once his 
 presence, Tia Juana blundered with agitated fingers that slow- 
 ly undid the chains. Before swinging wide the entrance, she 
 glanced behind her. The stranger was nowhere to be seen. 
 
 When Gilbert Palgrave finally secured admittance to the 
 court, the fact that he was not accompanied by Raquel caused 
 such a wail of disappointment to be sent up that for the time 
 Tia Juana completely forgot the unbidden guest. 
 
 " Hush !" exclaimed Palgrave peremptorily, to whom this 
 show of grief was intolerable. " No good is to be done by 
 such a commotion. Get me some coffee, Juana, and put the 
 other women to work caring for the men. We are exhausted." 
 
 Obediently she served him, watching him the while with 
 anxious eyes. Outside the tired blacks were relating sorrow- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 57 
 
 fully the discouragements which had met the essay to pene- 
 trate the forest ; but the master told her nothing. A blight 
 seemed to have fallen upon him. He appeared to have aged 
 twenty years. 
 
 She looked about her searchingly, wondering where the 
 stranger had concealed himself. She marvelled at such con- 
 cealment. Why did he not make triumphant declaration that 
 he bore information concerning the seiiorita? She knew that 
 longer delay to announce his presence would be inexcusable 
 on her part. 
 
 " Dear master, Juana has good news," she ventured tremu- 
 lously, at last. 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave looked up at her with a mute question 
 in his worn face. He waited for her to tell it. 
 
 " One has come, seiior, who brings word of the seiiorita." 
 
 The sugar planter rose to his feet and laid his hand instinct- 
 ively on the weapon at his belt. He had no doubt what kind 
 of a message had been brought. 
 
 " Where is he?" he demanded. His voice was full of 
 menace. 
 
 " Aqut, senor," came the answer calmly, and, turning, Gil- 
 bert Palgrave found himself face to face with the stalwart 
 figure of the man who had had the audacity to sleep within 
 his walls. 
 
 " And you are — — ?" asked the father. 
 
 " One who has come to aid you in freeing the seiiorita." 
 Alarcon's quiet tone was convincing. Palgrave hesitated. 
 This was a little different from what he had expected. 
 
 " How?" he questioned, his voice tense and strained with 
 the curb he was keeping upon himself. " By what method?" 
 
 " Furnish the ransom that is requested, seiior." 
 
 "Never!" declared the Englishman, bringing down his 
 hand with force among the dishes which Tia Juana had set 
 before him. " I will have you strung up as a malefactor and 
 all who come after you on the same mission, until your leader 
 will be glad to return my daughter to secure a cessation of 
 hostilities." 
 
 " Muy bien," bowed Alarcon. " The seiior knows best how 
 he values his child, and which is of more importance, the 
 seiiorita or gold." 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave 's face quivered. 
 
58 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " We need the gold," Alarcon went on, " and that is why 1 
 have dared to present myself before you unattended — to warn 
 you. IVe need the pesos far more than we need the girl ; but 
 the chief has become so enamored of her" — here a smile curved 
 his lips a trifle — " that he may refuse even ransom for her. I 
 am here to urge you to immediate action if you hope to have 
 her returned to you. Alarcon knows our need of the ransom, 
 but the danger is that he may let his inclinations get the bet- 
 ter of his judgment, and leave us to secure gold from some 
 other source." 
 
 Palgrave's already pale face turned ashen in hue. 
 
 " My Godr! Alarcon! Is it into his hands that she has fallen? 
 Heaven help us ! It is not that I care for the gold ; it is the 
 fact that I cannot secure it. The money-lenders have me in 
 their power completely. I cannot raise another medio, even 
 on next year's crop. Think of the position I am in, man, and 
 have pity ! I would sell my soul to procure her freedom, but — 
 what can I do? You demand gold — gold I have not." 
 
 Gonzalo Alarcon wisely gave no evidence of his identity. 
 
 " Yes, seiior, we must have gold," he replied. " There is 
 more at stake than you think. Possibly you are in favor of 
 Spanish officials and Spanish soldiers for whom you are taxed 
 so severely; they are the ones who pocket your profits. This 
 money which must redeem your child will go to arm those who 
 are willing to fight for such as you who are crushed by the 
 iron heel of Spain. Cuba must be rid of her oppressors." 
 
 The sugar planter thrust out his hands bitterly. 
 
 " Yes!" he cried. " Cuba has heard that again and again, 
 and what does it amount to? Defeat, defeat! And then the 
 taxes are piled on anew to pay for Spain's war expenses in 
 conquering us. The planters are the ones who suffer the most 
 lamentably. Look how it was after the last revolt ! Even if 
 I could afford it, I should be a fool to furnish funds to equip 
 an army that will make havoc of every estate in the island, my 
 own included." 
 
 The chief's shoulders moved with the philosophical shrug 
 of the Cuban. Though he had not the faintest connection 
 with the patriots, even then planning cautiously for a future 
 revolution, Alarcon deemed it wise to pretend that the ransom 
 was to be devoted to the noble cause of liberty. In case of in- 
 surrection he and his men would be certain to link themselves 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 59 
 
 with the common cause, but never could he be classed legiti- 
 mately among those dauntless ones who pour their noble blood 
 so freely forth for the land that they love. 
 
 " The revolution will come some day whether you help or 
 not, senor," he observed. " If a portion of the assistance pro- 
 ceeds from you, you and your possessions will be protected." 
 
 " But it is impossible!" Palgrave asserted, with despairing 
 accent. " I am at your mercy. I must have my child, but — 
 I have nothing- to offer you as purchase-money." 
 
 Gonzalo Alarcon looked at him steadily. 
 
 " Borrow of M. Theuriet," he suggested. " He has accom- 
 modated you before; he may again." 
 
 The planter's expression became one of angered astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 " How could you know?" he demanded. 
 
 " Our sources of information are extensive," smiled Alar- 
 con, not thinking it necessary to betray that he had learned 
 this from Raquel herself. " M. Theuriet will loan you any 
 amount now, is it not so?" 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave realized his bitter position. A convulsion 
 of impotent rage shook him. He saw that his effort to secure 
 her without this sacrifice was of no avail. It was like beating 
 against a stone wall to appeal to the emissary before him. 
 Controlling himself with all the force of a strong will, he 
 summoned Tia Juana, who had withdrawn discreetly on the 
 discovery that she had not been far wrong in her first remarks 
 on Alarcon when she had viewed him from her post of 
 vantage. 
 
 " Send Diego for M. Theuriet," ordered the master. " Tell 
 him to make haste. M. Theuriet must come back with him." 
 On returning from the mountains, M. Theuriet found that 
 those he had left in charge had recognized the American as 
 the guest their master was expecting and had installed him 
 as hospitably as M. Theuriet himself could have done. 
 
 The commotion of the early home-comers awakened the 
 entire household, and Lithgow, dressing hastily, descended 
 to the sala to meet his host. 
 
 The worn appearance of M. Theuriet and his men and the 
 lamentations of the women told Lithgow how fruitless had 
 been the search, even before M. Theuriet himself acquainted 
 him with the result. 
 
6o A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " I grieve zat I was not 'ere to giv' j'-ou ze welcome zat has 
 been waiting for you, Mr. Hamilton," Theuriet said when 
 Lithgow presented himself with his credentials. " Doubtless 
 you hav' learned ze cause ov my absence. Out? Ah, eet ees 
 verra sad ! You will pardon eef I leav' you while I reraov' my 
 fatigue? Merci! Consider my house your own." 
 
 Lithgow had listened the night before to a most vivid 
 account of the abduction, and, after rehearsing it to Beatrice 
 in a letter which he gave to the guide, had gone to sleep in 
 the unluxurious bed known to tropical countries, feeling that 
 he indeed was in the land of romance and mystery. He 
 scarcely had been able to credit the story as first it was related 
 to him. His host's manner convinced him that it had not been 
 the dream it had seemed to him on awakening. 
 
 Thinking it scarcely worth while to go back to bed, he 
 stationed himself in one of the chairs of the estrada to take 
 another nap, if might be, and so wear away the time until the 
 proprietor of the estate should be in a condition to execute 
 business. Despite the tempting, dreamful ease which ap- 
 peared to hover over the plantation, he contemplated remain- 
 ing at La Buena Esperanza no longer than was necessary for 
 the proper consummation of the matter he had in hand. 
 
 That it would be a halcyon spot in which to spend the rest 
 of his life he had decided after one glance up the cool, per- 
 fumed avenue of West Indian trees that led to the white gal- 
 leries of the mansion which M. Theuriet had had constructed 
 after the style of French architecture. 
 
 He had not been able to compose himself to somnolency 
 when the rapid beat of horses' hoofs up the palm-lined avenue 
 broke in upon his thoughts. There was something suggestive 
 of alarm in the sound, and the household was in commotion 
 again. 
 
 It was Diego and a companion, bearing Don Gilberto 
 Palgrave's message. 
 
 M. Theuriet soon appeared in response to the summons, 
 looking very haggard by the brightness of the day. 
 
 A curious elation was in his face. 
 
 He approached his guest. 
 
 " My neighbor, whose daughtair was taken by zose 
 scoundreals, has sent word for me to return wiz hees messen- 
 gairs," he explained. " I shall ride over een ze volante, and 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 6 1 
 
 as such episodes are rare een ze States I zought zat you might 
 enjoy accompanying me. From what I can gathair from Diego 
 a demand has been made for ransom." 
 
 " You could not favor me more," Lithgow cried gratefully, 
 preparing with alacrity to avail himself of the opportunity. 
 " When your servants recounted the tale of what had occurred, 
 I found it difficult to believe that such things could take place 
 in this age of the world. I thought that feats of that nature 
 had fallen into disuse. There is hope for the world yet, if 
 romance is not all dead." 
 
 " Call you eet 'romance'?" queried M. Theuriet. " We call 
 eet ze horrors of brigandage." 
 
 During the drive over to the sugar plantation, M. Theuriet 
 rehearsed the story of Raquel's unfortunate abduction; and 
 the American listened and exclaimed, all the while congratu- 
 lating himself that it was to be his luck to witness the close 
 of this adventure which had befallen a Cuban maiden. 
 
 " Beatrice will regret that she did not come," he thought 
 complacently while the old-fashioned volante was rocked 
 along cumbersomely. 
 
 With a word of explanation from his host, Lithgow found 
 himself received with grave cordiality by the bereft father. 
 Being ushered into the sala, he was electrified to behold that 
 he was face to face with his highway acquaintance. His first 
 impression was that the man was, like M. Theuriet, a neigh- 
 boring planter who had come to the assistance of Palgrave; 
 but there was that latitude in his attire which, contrasted with 
 the simpleness of taste which both planters displayed, sug- 
 gested a certain freedom from conventional restraint that only 
 an untrammelled existence can give. To the American's 
 questioning gaze Alarcon responded with a smile of grim 
 amusement. 
 
 " Buenas dias, seFior" he saluted, with the pleasant courtesy 
 of the land. " It appears that we are destined to know each 
 other better — no?" 
 
62 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 When Raquel returned to consciousness, she found herself 
 within the shelter of a palm hut fashioned after the simple 
 style of architecture known to the humble montero. 
 
 The hazy recollection of the experiences through which she 
 had passed beat in upon her mind with the vagueness of a 
 dream, until, with the entrance of the woman called Faquita, 
 she sprang up with a cry of complete remembrance. 
 
 Faquita viewed her with eyes that were not easy to read, 
 and knelt beside her with a utensil filled with hot coffee. 
 
 " Drink !" she urged. 
 
 Raquel pushed the proffered refreshment aside gently. 
 
 " Who are you?" she asked, looking wonderingly into the 
 countenance before her. " Are you another unfortunate 
 captive?" 
 
 Faquita shrugged her shoulders and revealed beautiful 
 white teeth in a mocking laugh. 
 
 "Perhaps; who knows?" she replied lightly. "Some call 
 me the wife of Alarcon. I am known as 'Faquita.' " 
 
 Raquel raised herself on her rude bed and grasped the arm 
 of the speaker tightly, peering into the woman's eyes with 
 trenchant gaze. 
 
 " His wife !" she echoed. " He did not " 
 
 " Speak as if he had one?" completed Faquita, with a dis- 
 agreeable laugh. 
 
 " I am so glad !" breathed Raquel, with a sigh of relief. 
 " You will remain with me — no? Oh, sefwra mia, I beg 
 you !" 
 
 "No; I may not," returned Faquita. "He has told 
 Annizae to care for you. Mira ! I have brought you coffee. 
 You must eat ; you must drink. You will need your strength 
 if you hope to return to the house of your father." 
 
 Thus propelled by the most powerful incentive which could 
 be given her, Raquel drained the dish of the familiar beverage. 
 She had not realized how weak and faint she was from lack of 
 nourishment. She was uncertain whether or not to venture 
 to ask this girl to help her to escape. That had been her first 
 impulse; but the discovery of the creature's relation to the 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 63 
 
 chief made her hesitate. She lay back on the couch and 
 closed her eyes. Her brain was awhirl with the intoxication 
 of the hope which had burst into life at the sight of a com- 
 panion of her own sex. 
 
 Faquita had risen and stood regarding the white face of 
 the prostrate girl narrowly. Almost was there malevolence 
 in her gaze. Raquel lifted her lids again. Something in the 
 interchange of their eyes impelled her to reach out and catch 
 hold of Faquita's hand. 
 
 " If the ransom does not come, you will help me?" she 
 whispered. 
 
 Faquita bent nearer. Her coal-black orbs, closely set in 
 her gypsy-like face, glistened as she said softly: 
 
 " What would you wish?" 
 
 "To escape!" Raquel's voice and eyes were eloquent in 
 their pleading. 
 
 At that instant the masculine figure of the elder woman 
 appeared in the entrance. She gave an unmistakable excla- 
 mation of anger at the sight of Faquita, and snatched the dish 
 from which Raquel had drank the coffee. Into it she looked 
 half suspiciously, glancing from it to Faquita, then to Raquel, 
 with an expression resembling anxiety. 
 
 " It would not be well for Gonzalo to see thee here," she 
 said meaningly. " What didst thou bring in this?" 
 
 Faquita lifted her shoulders in that inimitable gesture of 
 the Cuban and walked carelessly out of the hut, humming a 
 refrain that revealed that this forest existence was by no 
 means the only one she had known. 
 
 Raquel arose and tried to steady herself against the frail 
 walls of the tropical dwelling. The exhaustion and excessive 
 fear which she had undergone the night previous had told 
 seriously on her strength. 
 
 " Has the chief gone for ransom?" she questioned anxiously. 
 
 "What then?" returned the woman coldly; but she placed 
 food before Raquel and urged her to partake of it. Then she 
 left her charge alone. 
 
 Raquel watched for the return of Faquita, but the girl 
 came not. Remembering her suggestion, Raquel endeavored 
 to eat that she might be possessed of all possible endurance 
 whatever should come, but the coarse food was not tempting 
 and she was too sick at soul to do anything but turn over in 
 
64 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 her mind again and again different methods of escape that 
 suggested themselves. 
 
 She crept stealthily toward the entrance, believing that 
 she was not guarded, but as she reached the aperture which 
 served as door she caught the sound of cautious voices. 
 
 " She would not dare !" she heard a man say in response to 
 some low words that had proceeded from Annizae. 
 
 " Quicn sabe?" replied the woman, unconvinced. " Alarcon 
 told her not to approach the senorita. She stole past you 
 while I was getting almerzo for the setiorita." 
 
 " I saw her," said the other voice. " She told me you had 
 sent her with coffee." 
 
 "Ah, she lied with that quick tongue of hers!" cried 
 Annizae. " Here is the bowl. What was in it besides coffee? 
 Faquita does nothing like that to help me. She had another 
 motive. What was it?" 
 
 The man drew nearer the entrance. Raquel perceived 
 that it was the gold-skinned youth who had been called 
 Zuiiega. There was agitation in his tone. 
 
 " Faquita would not dare use the juice of the manchineel 
 apple," he declared, " not now, anyway. The senorita may be 
 ransomed. If she is not, then it may be well to watch 
 Faquita; but — she is too cowardly." 
 
 Annizae was sombre. 
 
 " Think you so?" she queried skeptically. " You men 
 believe anything that wears petticoats. Faquita saw the look 
 on Alarcon 's face. She knows that even a ransom may not 
 restore the senorita to her home." 
 
 Zuiiega's brow contracted. 
 
 " I will guard well," he said. " Faquita shall enter no 
 more." 
 
 Raquel had crouched on the ground. She now laid her 
 face against the earth to hide the moan that rose to her lips 
 in spite of herself. 
 
 The mere name of the deadly manchineel apple curdled 
 her blood for a time; then a curious relief followed on the 
 horror. She understood what lay before her if she were not 
 ransomed, and this discovery of the danger to be appre- 
 hended from the quickly aroused jealousy of Faquita revealed 
 to her an avenue of escape of which she felt she would be 
 swift to take advantage. The poison of the manchineel! 
 
^ DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 6$ 
 
 Surely she would have no difficulty in obtaining the deadly 
 fruit! She would beg Faquita to procure it. Faquita need 
 fear no usurpation of her power. Perhaps when convinced of 
 this, Faquita would assist her to fly from the camp and Gon- 
 zalo Alarcon. 
 
 She recalled her boastful words in the sala — how that she 
 would be the Napoleon for whom Cuba waited. Here was 
 the opportunity at hand for her to wield an inspiring influence 
 over one who claimed to have the Cuban cause at heart; but, 
 face to face with the awful sacrifice of self involved, death 
 seemed nobler and infinitely more to be desired. 
 
 Fearful that Annizae would find her there, she slipped back 
 to her couch and lay motionless, concocting and rejecting, as 
 impossible, plan after plan. 
 
 The taciturn woman came and peered at her often, once 
 even shaking her gently. Upon Raquel opening her eyes 
 inquiringly, she went away satisfied, stationing herself out- 
 side the hut. 
 
 It seemed to Raquel that she had been in this place for 
 years. Time moved so heavily. In fancy she could hear the 
 dripping of the water in the dear old court. She marvelled 
 that ever she had complained of its monotony. To hear once 
 again the roar and rumble of the mill, all the familiar sounds 
 which had made her life — what would she not give? Love 
 of country, adventure, glory, achievement, sank into nothing- 
 ness before that imperative longing for the safety of the walls 
 against which she had chafed with the impatience of youth. 
 
 Knowing how helpless she was, but feeling that absolute 
 inaction was no longer bearable, she arose again and placed 
 herself by the entrance to watch Zuiiega as he split the palm 
 boles into poles, staking them and tying them together with 
 ropes from the majaguay, forming thus a roof and rafters pos- 
 sessing all requisite strength. That he was constructing a hut 
 like the one she was in was very evident. The long stalks en- 
 circling the trunk of the palm he utilized by placing them over 
 the framework already built. In this, as well as in thatching 
 the roof with the long plume-stems, the uncommunicative An- 
 nizae assisted. 
 
 Raquel wished that they would talk as they worked. They 
 were silent. She peered forth into the catliedral-likc gloom 
 ot the surrounding forest and wondered if ever she could find 
 5 
 
66 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 her way through its mysteries did slie succeed in escaping. 
 She fancied that she could hear the vegetation struggling in 
 its battle for supremacy. She strained her hearing to catch the 
 speech that appeared striving to break through the solemn 
 stillness that, by a peculiar anomaly, was pulsing with sound, 
 the murmur of growth, the sigh of decay. Something seemed 
 to be whispering to her with cold, damp breath : 
 
 " This which you call yourself will be on some to-morrow 
 but a tiny heap of dust of no more consequence than this for- 
 est mould in which the feet sink noiselessly. What then? 
 Will the real identity go on living, progressing? What is the 
 meaning of the passion to accomplish something that shakes 
 you? Is it only the selfish desire to make the world aware of 
 your presence before that to-morrow arrives? The chance you 
 have craved has come to you : you turn from it with shudder 
 and dread. You fancied that you had a man's soul within you 
 — but, it is the timorous heart of a child." 
 
 "No! It is the miserable fear of a woman's nature," she 
 answered with mental fierceness. " Of a man nothing is re- 
 quired but courage; that will place him anywhere. But a 
 woman may not stand out fearlessly and face the world, not 
 here in Cuba, It is said that she can in other lands. Here, 
 she only can strike through the hands of others." 
 
 To escape from herself she turned toward Zuiiega. An- 
 nizae had disappeared amid the crepusculous gloom of the 
 green aisles for fresh material. 
 
 " When is the next uprising to be?" she asked him suddenly. 
 
 Zuiiega flashed upon her the surprised glance of his great 
 eyes, in the depths of which hid the melancholy one finds in 
 the orbs of those in whose veins flows a trace of Carib blood. 
 
 " What uprising, seiiorita ?" he questioned wonderingly. 
 
 " That which is to win Cuba her freedom," she replied, as- 
 tonished to find that explanation was necessary. 
 
 Zufiega's marvellously moulded shoulders moved with a 
 suspicion of irresponsibility. 
 
 " How should I know anything of that, seiiorita?" he que- 
 ried puzzledly. 
 
 " Is not my ransom to go for the arming of Gonzalo Alarcon's 
 men and the freedom of Cuba?" demanded Raquel. 
 
 " It is not for me to decide, senorita," was the evasive 
 reply, as he bent again to his work. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 67 
 
 With swift impulse, Raquel was out of the hut and facing 
 him before he divined her intention. 
 
 " You shall tell me," she cried breathlessly. " Will not this 
 gold be employed to provide ammunition for you against the 
 day when you and bands like yours will sweep across Cuba 
 fighting the Spaniards until we are free?" 
 
 Zuiiega dropped the branches he held. Pie threw out both 
 hands with the palms downward. His voice was full of shame. 
 
 " No, seiiorita ; no !" he said gravely. " We are brigands — 
 nothing more !" 
 
 Raquel gave an exclamation of keenest disappointment. 
 She stepped backward, scorn in her face. 
 
 " You, a man, dare confess yourself not a patriot when Cuba 
 is languishing for the strength of arms like yours!" she cried, 
 the fire of righteous contempt making her eyes blaze. " Here 
 in this mighty forest has no lesson been taught you but rapine? 
 The unmistakable speech that surrounds you here is the pro- 
 clamation of the tireless green life which continually asserts 
 the sure victory of 'that which is to be' over 'that which was.' 
 It is the prophecy Nature gives us that the old rule of Spain 
 must give way to the young blood of freedom-loving Cuban 
 hearts." 
 
 She pointed up to where bunches of string-like growth hung, 
 sending down green parasitic ofifshoots that swayed with sin- 
 uous, snake-like movement. 
 
 Zuiiega followed the direction of her glance with his own. 
 He knew well that soon those greedy, caressing tendrils would 
 attach themselves to the tree nearest ; that they would wind 
 themselves about its trunk, sending down to the ground long, 
 treacherous fibres to root again and send out still more fibres 
 which would throw themselves about their patron ; that these 
 inoffensive-appearing air-roots would drink the life and feed 
 on the substance of their victim until finally the green growth 
 of the matapalos would hide the skeleton of the object on which 
 it had feasted. 
 
 " That is what Spain is doing to Cuba," Raquel told him im- 
 pressively. " That parasitic plant is Spain. She quarters her 
 soldiers on us to keep us in tame subjection while she draws 
 all vitality from us. And this very army which feeds on us. 
 fights us, defeats us, we are forced to pay! Where is your 
 spirit that these things do not move you? Were I you, I would 
 
68 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 be one of Cuba's heroes, bold and noble, instead of a mountain 
 bandit whom our countrymen fear when they so gladly would 
 revere if they could." 
 
 The youth's mobile features changed in expression beneath 
 her words. Into his eyes crept a light of awakening. His 
 muscles hardened as if mentally he were measuring himself. 
 With his uplifted head and magnificent physique, he was a fit 
 model for a sylvan god. He had the appearance of having 
 heard a clarion call over the heaven-piercing tops of the forest 
 trees. The melancholy of his sombre eyes had been chased 
 away by an odd brilliancy that burned its way into Raquel's 
 memory as he brought his gaze back from the interlaced vines 
 above them. 
 
 " No es posible ! " he murmured with an accent of hopeless- 
 ness. " What can I? I am Zutiega only !" 
 
 " You are a man, with courage and strength, ' she returned, 
 carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment and the fact 
 that she had stirred perceptibly this forest denizen to the 
 need of his land. " What more is needed but the will?" 
 
 Zuiiega stood looking at her aghast. He could not grasp 
 the possibilities stretching before his vision. This life of 
 mixed freedom and exciting danger was the only one that he 
 had known. The startling suggestion of this eager-ej'ed, 
 white-robed creature came upon him with the tremendous 
 force of a Niagara. It swept him from his moorings. He had 
 an inexplicable feeling that he had been taken possession of 
 in some mysterious way. For the first time in his life he was 
 conscious of a sense of fear. Something cautioned him that 
 Annizae must not return to find her prisoner standing thus 
 before him. He motioned significantly toward the palm hut. 
 
 " Annizae !" he warned. 
 
 Raquel moved back to her position at the entrance. 
 
 Zuiiega went on dreamily with his task, scarce noting that 
 he did so. Unfledged thoughts crowded through his disturbed 
 mind. He essayed to regain his former content. It was not 
 possible. Ever5''thing seemed to have been torn away from 
 him with the suddenness of a whirlwind. 
 
 No more words were uttered between them. Raquel ob- 
 served his movements with a keen interest that she had not 
 felt before. Zuiiega was no longer to her mind one of the 
 men among whom he had been reared. He was a soul ca- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 69 
 
 pable of being moved to great achievements. She decided that 
 as she sat there, giving feminine admiration to the symmetry 
 of his firm, bronze, muscular development; admiration which 
 no artistic eye could withhold. Fresh plans were taking form 
 in her mind. She wondered if she could persuade this youth 
 to assist her to flee from Alarcon, providing that the ransom 
 should be delayed. She had moved him once ; might she not 
 hope to do so again? 
 
 Silent, they remained. A face that had been watching them 
 curiously through the foliage slipped away on the approach of 
 Annizae. It was the face of Faquita. It wore a peculiar smile. 
 
 Before night, Raquel found that the freshly built hut was 
 designed for her occupancy. After darkness had shut the 
 camp in as with a veil, Annizae signified that Raquel was to 
 accompany her to the space where the members of the camp 
 were congregated around the fire, over which simmered a gar- 
 licky soup in which all appeared to have an interest. 
 
 There was something savoring of witchcraft in the scene to 
 Raquel. In fantastic, tropical garb, devil-may-care faces 
 flitted back and forth through the lurid light. Each helped 
 himself from the soup and seated himself with his portion 
 on the spongy carpet of the woods. 
 
 Urged by hunger, Raquel was forced to accept some of the 
 concoction ; and she sat there with chills pervading her as she 
 met the glances and sly comments cast toward her occasion- 
 ally from swarthy visages. To these Zunega responded with 
 warning words when the offence was flagrant. Stationed on 
 the ground flat at her feet he seemed to divine her fear, for he 
 murmured reassuringly : 
 
 " No tenga viiedo. Have no fear, seiiorita. We men of the 
 mountains have few pleasures. You one will see." 
 
 Suddenly from out the enveloping night stole a mourn- 
 ful, long-drawn cry. Raquel would have leaped up in alarm 
 had not Zuiiega placed his fingers upon hers encouragingly. 
 He withdrew his hand quickly with an exclamation. 
 
 " What is it.'" Raquel questioned of him troubledly. 
 
 " Yo no scT was his mystified reply, looking from his fin- 
 gers up into her face. " Your touch is fire, sefiorita!" 
 
 "The cry — " she repeated anxiously, not heeding his note 
 of query that accompanied the explanation which lie supposed 
 she sought. 
 
i6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 "Oh, Faquita? — she will dance," he said. " Mira ! She 
 comes. In Havana she danced. It is not always that she will. 
 This night she wished for you to see her." 
 
 Raquel peered into the blackness out from which crept 
 again that chilling wail. This time it dropped into a slow, 
 mysterious chant, and Faquita flashed out of the darkness of 
 the trees. 
 
 About her waist a dazzling girdle of iridescent light quiv- 
 ered, emitted by a double row of cocullos, Cuba's wonderful 
 fire-flies, fastened to her belt by the little natural hooks at the 
 heads of the insects. 
 
 Encircled by this brilliant zone, with wild hair and wilder 
 eyes, she began to move slowly, rhythmically to and fro, round 
 and round, in strange gyrations, unique, graceful, exercising 
 on the spectators an influence which was half hypnotic. 
 
 The chant quickened into a rapid melody, high, sweet, and 
 penetrating. The dancer seemed to become fascinated with 
 her own music. Her motions grew wilder, more impassioned. 
 
 Those to whom this barbaric dance was not new watched 
 curiously to see how long the performer's endurance would 
 hold out. 
 
 The moments appeared interminable. 
 
 Raquel scarcely breathed. With every nerve tense she 
 watched until, finally, the convolutions became less, the steps 
 uncertain. 
 
 At last, the figure wavered, reeled, and would have fallen 
 had not Zunega sprung and caught it in his arms. Exhausted 
 though she was, Faquita contrived to drop down in close prox- 
 imity to Raquel. 
 
 With the tenderness of womanly interest, Raquel leaned 
 over the prostrate form of the dancer. In spite of the perils 
 of her position, she was attracted by this gypsyish piece of 
 femininity. Moreover, she had hopes of exciting her pity; 
 but, before she could frame her desire into speech even had 
 she so dared, the soft voice of Faquita whispered cautiously: 
 
 " Steal from the hut while he sleeps, senorita. I will watch. 
 I will take you to your father." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 71 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Ignorant of the identity of this man whose salutation was 
 so friendly ; unaware that a price in excess of the ransom he 
 demanded for the stolen seiiorita had been placed on his head 
 by a nervous government, Lithgow returned the greeting of 
 Alarcon in the sala of La Sacra Sonrisa with as much grace as 
 his American training would permit. 
 
 M. Theuriet and Gilbert Palgrave viewed the recognition 
 with pardonable amazement. 
 
 Lithgow explained his previous encounter with the gentle- 
 man. Alarcon remained quiet with the same smile touching 
 his features. 
 
 M. Theuriet contemplated the athletic figure of the bandit 
 through his pince-nez ; then he turned questioningly toward 
 the sugar planter, motioning his now removed spectacles 
 toward the chief. 
 
 " Ees zis ze man who demands ze ransom?" 
 
 Palgrave gave an affirmative inclination of the head. 
 
 M. Theuriet inspected Alarcon again very critically, be- 
 ginning- at the spurred boots and mounting slowly upward to 
 the unreadable eyes that looked out of the swarthy visage. 
 
 " You demand what sum, setior?" he inquired at length. 
 
 " Ten thousand pesos," answered Alarcon promptly. 
 
 The Frenchman gave a little shriek of expostulation. 
 
 " Moil Dieu ! C 'est impossible ! I can secure eet not !" 
 
 "Ten thousand, or the seiiorita remains with us," replied 
 Alarcon, with an insolence of power that stirred the hot blood 
 in all three of his hearers. 
 
 The face of M. Theuriet purpled with rage. He advanced 
 threateningly toward the gnerrilla, looking like a bantam 
 rooster challenging a game bird. 
 
 " Cuiddc/o, sciior r warned Alarcon, with his hands on the 
 weapons at his belt. " I have come here among you with no 
 protection save that which belongs to one who has the friend- 
 liest intentions. I desire to aid the father of the girl to secure 
 her. I come to warn him that no time is to be lost. Unless 
 the ransom is produced quickly, it will be useless. The seuo- 
 
72 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 rita will have been made the wife of the chief of the band, Gon- 
 zalo Alarcon." 
 
 If the interest of the American had needed awakening, those 
 words would have done it. Gonzalo Alarcon ! He remembered 
 that that was the name of the daring brigand of whom the cap- 
 tain had spoken. He had been endlessly cautioned in the cit- 
 ies against this individual, in whose latest victim he now was 
 destined to take the keenest concern. He was electrified by 
 the discovery that this man before him was the emissary of 
 the dreaded bandit. For the first time he understood the real 
 seriousness of the girl's position. As he looked at the firm, 
 hard-featured countenance and piercing, masterful eyes of 
 the supposed messenger of Alarcon, he felt that here was a 
 later-day edition of the fearless buccaneers who had plied 
 their illegal trade through the Caribbean waters, flying the 
 black flag of piracy. 
 
 M. Theuriet had stepped backward, his pince-nez dropping 
 from his nerveless fingers and dangling agitatedly by the chain. 
 He turned from the determined eyes of Alarcon to the care- 
 marked visage of the sugar planter. 
 
 " Can eet be — vrai?" he asked anxiously. 
 
 " I am afraid that it is only too true," Palgrave answered 
 despairingly, " It is wisest to lose no time. I sent for you, 
 monsieur, to ask you to leave no stone unturned to secure the 
 gold he demands." 
 
 "Eet will not be posseebl' to obtain eet for some days." 
 He shook his head discouragingly. 
 
 " It must be soon, seiior," reminded Alarcon significantly. 
 
 " Eet can not be before four days," the Frenchman declared. 
 " Moreover, I can get not more zan fiv' zousand." 
 
 " It must be ten thousand!" the brigand said slowly, with a 
 threat in his voice. " Not one centavo less." 
 
 " What eef I cannot?" 
 Alarcon shrugged his shoulders with the irresponsibility of 
 one v/ho has not matters under his charge. 
 
 "You will see the fair seiiorita no more, seiiors, Dios 
 sabe !" 
 
 The father shivered with the words. He spoke to M. 
 Theuriet in a strained tone : 
 
 " You swore to advance any sum, monsieur, if I accepted 
 your conditions. I agree to them ; I rather had see her your 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 73 
 
 wife than the mate of a renegade, a convict, if tales about him 
 are true! God help her and nie!" 
 
 The eyes of the brigand took on a sinister expression with 
 the speech of the sugar planter. For an instant they burned 
 with anger. He glanced comprehendingly from the French- 
 man to the father. He understood with a flash the conditions 
 which M. Theuriet had exacted in exchange for his loan. His 
 rage at the aspersion which Gilbert Palgrave had cast at him 
 found pleasure in the quick reflection that he had it in his 
 power not only to thwart the designs of the avaricious old 
 Frenchman, but also to retaliate cruelly on the planter. It 
 was the first time in Cuba that Alarcon had heard himself 
 called by the opprobrious term of " convict," and, though he 
 well knew that it belonged to him by the rights of justice, the 
 malice which it awoke in him was none the less keen. 
 
 With the arrogance of man, he compared mentally his well- 
 knit figure and superior physical attractions with those of the 
 middle-aged coffee-planter, and he decided that, obliged to 
 choose, Raquel would take him, his love, and the forest life in 
 preference to years spent in the wearisome society of old age. 
 
 To Lithgow the entire scene was more like a portion 
 from some opera than from real life. The novel surroundings, 
 tropical and sensuous in suggestion, the not yet familiar faces 
 of the two planters, the half-bizarre appearance of this son of 
 forest-clad mountains, all tended to make him doubt the ac- 
 tuality of the occurrence. It seemed odd to sit thus quietly 
 while the fate of a girl not yet seen was decided by these 
 methods. He had a wild inclination to take some part in it 
 himself, but he was not appealed to. The issue of the entire 
 matter appeared to rest with his host. He studied the form 
 and countenance of the Frenchman with a wondering curiosity 
 as to what would be the girl's feelings when she learned on 
 what terms her freedom had been purchased. He felt an un- 
 mistakable pity for her. He could not believe that any young 
 girl would welcome such a union. He thought of Beatrice. 
 How she would rave over the physique of this emissary of 
 Gonzalo Alarcon ! When she should receive his letter con- 
 taining a graphic account of these adventures, she would be 
 sorry enough that she had not reconsidered her decision, he 
 told himself with considerable satisfaction. 
 
 " Would eet not be propair to hav' an agreement drawn 
 
74 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 up?" ventured M. Theuriet, looking at his neighbor. " Een 
 eet I would release you, inon ami, from ze burden ov all pre- 
 vious indebtedness. I would agree to asseest you to meet 
 othair encumbrances. Eet might be well : — ze seiiorita would 
 comprehend bettair. ' 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave drew himself up with the sorrowful pride 
 of a man who will accept no benefits. 
 
 " Is not my word sufficient, Theuriet?" he demanded. " If 
 an agreement is drawn up, there must be inserted in it the 
 clause that she is free to choose. She shall not be forced into 
 defraying such a debt. I will work on the Havana docks as a 
 laborer first. If she is willing to accept your offer of marriage, 
 that is another thing. But— I prefer to remain your debtor, 
 monsieur. Gladly I will assume this additional debt rather 
 than permit her to be influenced against the dictates of her 
 heart. You know the value of my word. You shall have in- 
 terest on your loans, compound interest. Every centavo shall 
 be repaid." 
 
 A wave of feeling swept from the Frenchman's face the 
 business expression. The words of Palgrave seemed to have 
 hurt him. 
 
 " I hav' watched her grow into ze most beautiful woman- 
 hood," he said in a pathetic tone. " I hav' desired her for my 
 wife, abov' all othairs. She will be a parfait queen. Een 
 Havana she will be admired, I hav' years more zan she. She 
 will not look upon my suit wiz plaisir, but I will be so kind 
 to her zat she will learn to lov'. Every wish shall be grati- 
 fied." 
 
 His voice was freighted with anxiety. He bent his thin, 
 small frame toward her father with the air of a supplicant. 
 
 The American glanced from the two toward the straight 
 figure of Alarcon with scathing eyes. He would not have 
 thought that any type of manhood could witness this conver- 
 sation immoved. He sought to fathom the thoughts of this 
 man who watched the speakers through narrowed lids. As if 
 conscious of Lithgow's gaze, the chief flashed a look toward 
 him, then gave his attention to M. Theuriet again. 
 
 Though Lithgow could not read it in his face, Alarcon had 
 decided that the ransom to be won in this manner could be 
 secured in another way, the contemplation of which gave a 
 little amused twitch to his mustache which he stroked reflec- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 75 
 
 lively. What was to prevent the capture of M. Theuriet him- 
 self one of these days? The gold would be forthcoming then 
 speedily. And, in the interval of imprisonment, the French- 
 man could have the doubtful pleasure of witnessing the senor- 
 ita's happiness as Gonzalo Alarcon's wife. 
 
 "Pardon, seiiors," he spoke finally. "There is one diffi- 
 culty ; the chief will not relinquish the seiiorita to the arms 
 of a rival like M. Theuriet. Adios .'" 
 
 He bowed with a low sweep of his sombrero and moved 
 with easy dignity out through the bloom of the court to the 
 great entrance, his spurs clattering with metallic ring as he 
 crossed the tiled floor. 
 
 Theuriet stood aghast. Such a possibility as this had not 
 presented itself to his mind. Gilbert Palgrave had sprung up 
 with alarm as he saw this one chance of securing Raquel torn 
 away from him. 
 
 " Stop him ! Stop the devil !" he cried. 
 
 But it was too late. Without a backward look, Alarcon 
 was gone. 
 
 Making his way swiftly to the spot where he had tethered 
 his horse the night previous, he sprung into the saddle with 
 a laugh half of triumph, and soon was pushing his path through 
 the forest again, his thoughts on the girl he meant to make his 
 own despite Faquita or the murmurs of those in the camp who 
 would grumble at his failure to obtain the gold. 
 
 In the mean time, in the soft gloom of the taper-lighted 
 palm hut, Raquel's active mind turned over Faquita's words 
 with nervous anxiety. She peered out fearfully into the 
 awful blackness of the night-shrouded trees. 
 
 Had Faquita been in earnest? Should she venture? How 
 was she to cross successfully the prostrate form of Zuncga 
 stretched in front of the entrance? She knew that he did not 
 sleep, for occasionally he lifted his head in an alert way that 
 betokened ill to any hope of escape. In the opposite hut, she 
 knew that Annizae was stationed. Were her eyes wide with 
 watchfulness also? 
 
 She held her breath, listening, listening, desirous of at- 
 tempting to slip away, yet fearful of recapture and close 
 guarding. 
 
 The moments seemed so hideously long that she could not 
 tell whether hours or seconds crept past. 
 
76 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Finally she dared to lift herself into a sitting posture on 
 the side of her bed. Zuiiega moved not. Slowly, on limbs 
 that trembled, she raised herself to an upright posture. She 
 stood thus motionless for some time, listening again. She 
 took a step; paused; listened. Another step, holding her 
 robe above her ankles. As she neared the entrance she could 
 hear the regular breathing of her guard ; it was not the breath 
 of deep sleep however ; she was not certain that he slept at all. 
 She waited and waited, her heart beating so fiercely that she 
 thought the sound of it would reach his ears. 
 
 Little by little, she edged nearer him. She lifted still 
 higher the draperies with which she had been gowned at the 
 time of capture, but, unknown to her, one corner dropped from 
 her grasp and trailed behind her. Palpitating with fear, she 
 contrived to step lightly over him and, like a bird, darted 
 toward the dense undergrowth in a blind way. As she ran. a 
 hand caught hers and urged her on; the hand of Faquita, who 
 had lain in hiding for hours, watching the entrance, fearful 
 that her bidding would not be obeyed. On they sped, igno- 
 rant of the fact that the trailing wisp of Raquel's drapery had 
 touched Zuiiega's face and brought him to his feet in time to 
 see a faint suspicion of white disappear. He rushed after her, 
 knowing what it would mean to her to be lost in that forest. 
 Alone, unpiloted, she might wander for weeks only to sink to 
 death in exhaustion at last. 
 
 As he made his way through the darkness, a revelation was 
 borne in upon him. Without putting it into speech, Zuiiega 
 knew that with the advent of the seiiorita of La Sacra Sonrisa 
 into the camp something had come to him for which he knew 
 no name save that reverence with which he had paused before 
 the little wayside shrines that held the tiny, weatherbeaten 
 image of the Madre de Dios, Mother of Jesu. With a great 
 light, the realization flashed over him that without her pres- 
 ence the camp never could be the same to him again. A 
 glorious sense of power was with him as he dashed into the 
 underbrush. He meant to find her if it meant endless seeking. 
 The fever of pursuit was in his veins. Like Apollo after 
 Daphne, he rushed headlong. 
 
 Suddenly he stopped short, with a queer, sick feeling of 
 disappointment pervading him. There was no sign of her 
 white garments — nothing whatever to guide him. He threw 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUP A. 77 
 
 up his head and listened. His nostrils dilated with excite- 
 ment. Not a sound reached him but the familiar murmur of 
 the forest. 
 
 "She has fallen!" he whispered to himself. "She has 
 wounded herself. She has not gone afar; not a movement 
 can escape me." 
 
 Even as he spoke, he stumbled and fell, himself. He caught 
 a little muffled cry of alarm. Overjoyed, he laid his hands on 
 the object beneath his feet. 
 
 To his surprise he felt himself seized by a tenacious grasp 
 and a hand went over his mouth, while Faquita's voice whis- 
 pered : 
 
 " Hush ! Not a word ! Thou shalt help us to get away. 
 ZuTiega." 
 
 " Thou ? Faquita?" he cried in amazement. 
 
 " Hush !" she repeated warningly. " What is there strange 
 in that I am here?" 
 
 " But the seiiorita ! Where is the sefiorita?" he demanded. 
 
 Faquita moved from where she crouched and revealed that 
 her own garments had concealed the white ones of Raquel. 
 
 " I take her again to her home," she said determinedly. 
 " Gonzalo Alarcon shall not make of her life what he has made 
 of mine. Thou shalt help us, Zunega!" 
 
 " Nunca !" refused Zunega. " What thinkest I am? Is she 
 not under my care? Am I not to be held responsible?" 
 
 " Thou needst fear nothing," returned Faquita. " All that 
 thou dost need do is to secure one of the caballos and take it 
 to the paso. We will meet thee there. Alarcon will never 
 know that thou hadst any part in it." 
 
 " That is like thy reasoning," scorned Zuiiega. " How can 
 I account for her slipping past me? Can I say that I slept?" 
 
 " S{, for thou didst," laughed Faquita cautiously. " Have 
 it as thou wilt, but I tell thee that never shall Alarcon place 
 her over me. If this fails, another will not! For the sake of 
 the sefiorita it is well that she goes now ; thou knowest that 
 as well as I. All the camp knows it. She will die here; she 
 fears Alarcon: /love him; there is the difference." 
 
 At the mere suggestion of the sefiorita succeeding Faquita 
 in the afTections of the chief, the blood surged away from his 
 heart, then rushed again through it with a miglity leap that 
 left him strangely weak. 
 
78 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Gonzalo will kill thee if this is done," he told her 
 slowly. 
 
 " What matter?" queried Faquita lightly. " It is easier to 
 die by knife than by jealousy. But, we waste time! If thou 
 art too cowardly to aid us, at least thou must not awaken the 
 camp. Promise that?" 
 
 Into Zuiiega's strong fingers crept those of Raquel plead- 
 ingly. He knew that they were not those of Faquita, for 
 their touch stung his blood into riotous action as they had 
 once before. 
 
 He heard her whisper with anxious entreaty : 
 
 " For the sake of — my honor ! For the sake of my father, 
 oh, do not refuse !" 
 
 Zuiiega felt himself waver before the inexplicable power 
 of her voice as the cane-tips bend beneath the force of the 
 winds of the savannahs. The temptation of his life faced him 
 there in the tropical midnight, fragrant with a thousand subtle 
 perfumes. To help her meant to shut himself out forever from 
 this camp which was home. He knew Alarcon ; and was aware 
 that such a violation of the trust reposed in him would be met 
 with sure retribution even if Alarcon's hand was years in ac- 
 complishing it. But opposed to this picture was the prospect 
 awaiting the girl ; a prospect which his fiercely beating blood 
 told him in unmistakable language was one which he never 
 could permit to meet fulfillment. 
 
 As he stood thus, her hand pressing his hopefully in the 
 sweet darkness, all this passed swiftly before his mental vi- 
 sion ; the senorita the mate of the chief, or himself a wanderer, 
 fleeing ever from Alarcon's determined revenge. With pas- 
 sionate disregard for danger, his heart chose the latter exult- 
 antly. At that moment it seemed an ecstatic happiness to 
 be able to give up all for her. Then, following, swept over 
 him suggestions of other lives than this nomad one. He knew 
 that there were others, though their apparent tameness never 
 had tempted him to relinquish the exhilarating experiences of 
 an outlaw existence. There returned to him her words of the 
 afternoon. Though the wild freedom of this brigand life 
 might be closed to him, it was true that Cuba remained to be 
 fought for — Cuba and the commendation of this girl who had 
 crossed his path and strangely turned its direction, almost 
 without his volition. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 79 
 
 " Vayamos f urged Faquita impatiently. " Let us go! 
 Annizae will waken next." 
 
 He loosened the fingers that she held so tightly. He 
 thought that he heard a quick sob of disappointment. 
 
 " Comest thou with us?" whispered Faquita, persuasively, 
 once more. 
 
 His throat contracted. It seemed to him that an iron hand 
 choked him as he made his renunciation silently. 
 
 " Go to the paso !" he answered at last. " 1 will be there 
 with the caballo." 
 
 CHAPTER Vni. 
 
 Strong with excitement, Raquel followed Faquita's lead 
 with feet that rebelled against the slowness with which they 
 were compelled to move through a darkness beside which night 
 itself would be luminous. Faquita held back thick ropes of 
 lianes to afford her a pathway, and assisted her over mould- 
 ering tree-trunks that sometimes seemed to crumble at their 
 approach. 
 
 The suspense and exhilaration of fear that accompanied 
 that flight by night through the mysterious Cuban forest, 
 where there were vines the icy touch of which was as deadly 
 as the snake-bite of the Area.d fer-de-hj/icc of the Windward 
 Islands! 
 
 Raquel's breath began to come in little, eager, tired gasps 
 that revealed how near to exhaustion she was with this unac- 
 customed exertion of battling with the impregnable walls of 
 Nature. She had a strange, bewildered feeling that she had 
 lived through this identical experience before. Her head 
 whirled with her effort to keep pace with Faquita's move- 
 ments, but her mind was alert with queer thoughts that the 
 night-hush of the forest seemed to breed. Here, one could 
 believe in a limitless past through which one might have lived 
 out lives without number, casting each behind him as a snake 
 casts its skin, the butterfly its chrysalis. 
 
 They found Zuiiega waiting for them in the gloom of the 
 paso, a rift in the mountains that permitted the light of the 
 stars to penetrate to the secrets of the softly growing forest 
 things. 
 
8o A DAUGHTER OF CUBA, 
 
 "Dos cal'allos," exclaimed Faquita, with surprise when she 
 discerned that he held two horses. " Forque?" 
 
 For reply, he silently placed her on one of the animals and 
 Raquel on the other, vaulting lightly up behind the latter. 
 
 Tactfully, Faquita refrained from questioning. In fact, it 
 might be said that her amazement kept her quiet. Guiding 
 the horse himself, he took the lead, and Faquita followed, seek- 
 ing in her mind some solution of this change in him. She 
 finally reached the conclusion that, when he felt that he had 
 piloted them beyond danger of pursuers, he would return with 
 greater speed to the camp by means of the second horse, leav- 
 ing them to find their way on to the plantation highways. 
 But, just as she had decided this, Zuiiega turned his head over 
 his shoulder and said : 
 
 " Thou canst return to the camp if thou wilt, Faquita. 
 Alarcon need not know of thy part in this matter. I will take 
 the seilorita to the plantation of La Sacra Sonrisa." 
 
 " Art thou mad?" exclaimed Faquita in amazement. " Alar- 
 con will riddle thee with bullets. Return quickly, Zunega! 
 He will not dare give to me the hatred he will give thee. I 
 can win him as thou canst not." 
 
 " I return no more," answered Zuiiega briefly, pushing on 
 through the thicket with an increase of speed. He felt the 
 form of the girl that he half held in his arms give a start of 
 surprise. 
 
 " What meanest thou?" demanded Faquita sharply, en- 
 deavoring vainly to urge her horse abreast of his. " Wilt thou 
 desert the camp? Thy life will not be worth a medio, Zunega." 
 
 " Not if Alarcon finds me," he admitted, " but he shall not 
 find me !" 
 
 Faquita almost groaned. 
 
 " Thou knowest him," she reminded. " Think well, Zune- 
 ga. It is foolish to risk all for the little setiorita. / have a 
 reason for venturing so much. I mean to teach him that 
 Faquita is first — and last !" 
 
 " How knowest thou but that I have a reason also?" queried 
 the youth. 
 
 " It is because I have urged thee," Faquita regretted. 
 
 " Who knows ?" smiled he in the darkness. " Thou shouldst 
 not thus grieve; I make it easy for thee to go back. Thou 
 canst escape his anger." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 8 1 
 
 " No ; Faquita, no ! Leave me not !" cried Raquel fearfully, 
 suspicious that, if she were deserted by the other, Zunega 
 might circle around to the camp and replace her in her former 
 imprisonment out of his sense of obedience to some bandit code 
 of honor. . His announcement that he did not intend returning 
 to his companions she believed was only made to increase her 
 confidence in him. 
 
 Faquita hesitated. She reasoned that if Zuiiega really was 
 determined to risk himself thus, there was no need of both of 
 them incurring the chief's displeasure; but Raquel's plea de- 
 cided her to go on at least a little farther. Perhaps she was 
 actuated somewhat by her indisputable curiosity to learn more 
 if possible as to Zunega's real intentions. Not for a moment 
 did she attribute his strange decision to the fiery words she 
 had heard Raquel deliver to him during the previous after- 
 noon. She supposed of course that the declaration of her own 
 jealousy and disinclination to be supplanted had been the spur 
 for his chivalrous action, his effort to move from her path the 
 rival that she feaied. 
 
 " Miiy bicn, senoriia mm, I will not leave thee imtil thou art 
 within thy father's walls," she agreed finally. " Thou needst 
 not fear." 
 
 Zuiiega said nothing further. 
 
 With the instinct of the race from which had come his 
 strange beauty, his waving blue-black hair, his marvellous 
 coloring, — the Caribs — he fought undcviatingly through the 
 forest for the straightest route to safety, battling successfully 
 with the oppositions which Nature interposed at every step. 
 
 They went on silently for fully two hours. The stupen- 
 dous radiance of another day had swept up the cast, but 
 through the dense foliage that closed about them it pene- 
 trated but little, only making their outlines appear ghostly as 
 they stole on. Their horses' feet sank with muffled tread in 
 the dust of the centuries that lay beneath the mighty arches 
 of this cathedral which ever-springing green life had built 
 with mystic touch. 
 
 Suddenly Raquel pitched forward. Zuiicga's hand, hold- 
 ing the bridle, alone saved her from what would have been a 
 disastrous fall had her head hit any of the thickly up-cropping 
 tree-trunks. With an exclamation of alarm he pulled her back 
 forcilily into his arms, and found that she had fainted from 
 6 
 
82 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 sheer exhaustion. They could not know that she resolutely 
 had ridden mile after mile with her teeth cutting through her 
 nether lip in the futile endeavor to overcome the horrible sense 
 of sickness that drew her the more irresistibly into its grasp 
 with every step that the horses took. 
 
 " Dios mio ! " he cried in consternation. " What is to be done? 
 If we dismount here, nothing will be gained. A little further 
 will bring us to the Cdrcel de Diablo. A subterranean stream 
 flows through it. We may be safe there. Will it do to wait?" 
 
 " Yo no se," answered Faquita troubledly. " If we had 
 aguardiente! If thou wilt dismount I will rub her hands. 
 She may recover." 
 
 Zunega studied Raquel's pale face anxiously. In the wan, 
 greenish twilight of the trees, she wore an unearthly appear- 
 ance. 
 
 " It may be as well to dismount here," he admitted reluc- 
 tantly. " I will slip her down into thine arms. If only we 
 could get her to the bottom of the canyon ! There will be 
 water to revive her." 
 
 Faquita received Raquel's inanimate form gently and 
 placed her in a recumbent position. Both of them worked 
 assiduously over her for some minutes, until finally, dis- 
 couraged, Zuiiega picked the prostrate girl up lightly and 
 strode on. 
 
 " Lead the caballos!" he called to Faquita. " It is danger- 
 ous. Every step must be taken with caution. We had gone 
 farther than I thought." 
 
 After a short descent he paused and deposited Raquel on 
 the earth again, while he took the horses from Faquita's hold 
 and tied them securely until such time as he could return for 
 them. Then, re-assuming his burden, he picked his way care- 
 fully down the precipitous wall of the cleft mountain to the 
 torrent below rushing madly over a rocky bed, foaming, seeth- 
 ing, whirling in its haste to reach the sea. The green draper- 
 ies of the mountain-side overhung its brink ; venturesome palms 
 had thrust themselves out at right angles from the common 
 foliage ; lianes had crept out over these and drooped in fes- 
 toons above the leaping waters, so that from mountain tc 
 mountain, which this aqueous ribbon separated, had been 
 flung an arch of emerald tint that excluded the sunlight and 
 Blade the depths of the river as black as Acheron itself. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CTBA. 83 
 
 On the stones at the side of the stream Raquel was lain, 
 while Faquita dexterously resuscitated lier. Zunega, with 
 strange thoughts in hisbrain, watched her being brought back 
 to consciousness. That perilous descent with her in his arms 
 had given birth to ideas which never, before her coming, had 
 been known to his philosophy. He stared at her unresponsive 
 features with questioning eyes. What was there about her fra- 
 gile, unconscious form to move him so? In that moment he 
 touched the mystery of human life: and the forest about him 
 might have whispered that the day never would come when 
 he could fathom the secret of the power that shook him, any 
 more than he comprehended it now when its blinding light fell 
 upon him for the first time. For the one real passion that 
 comes to the soul of the human defies description, analysis, 
 comprehension. It only can be accepted gratefully and per- 
 mitted to fulfill its destined mission of ennobling, purifying, 
 uplifting. 
 
 When she had been brought tea knowledge of their sur- 
 roundings, he went back for the horses and succeeded in lead- 
 ing them down the cliffs after a vast amount of persuasion. In 
 the mean time, Faquita, urged b)' her own hunger, had gone in 
 search of the forest fruits which were certain to be found near. 
 Left alone, Raquel had remained recumbent, hoping to gain 
 strength for the journey that lay before them. While elation 
 was in her heart, her body refused to respond to the urgings 
 of her mind, and she lay weak and tired close to the tumbling 
 waters that dashed their spray on her face as they swept wildly 
 over the rocks. 
 
 Her thoughts were with her father. Did his anxious heart 
 have a premonition that she was coming toward him? In 
 memory she went slowly over the entire ingenio, accosted 
 each black and was welcomed vociferously. The mental pic- 
 ture won a smile to her lips. She lived her return in imagi- 
 nation. She touched with delight the dear old books. She felt 
 that hereafter she should love the monotony which she had 
 thought so irksome. But even the hunger for home could 
 not render her oblivious to the wonders of the bloom that hung 
 above her, a veritable Solomon's hanging garden with all the 
 brilliant lianes, orchids of delicate hues, and strange sister 
 parasites dangling from every limb, swaying slightly like pen- 
 dulums. 
 
84 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " I wonder are they Nature's time-keepers," she murmured 
 musingly. " This is the spot of which Tennyson must have 
 been thinking when he wrote the ' Lotos-Eaters !' Here, in the 
 heart of prolific tropical vegetation, time almost seems to 
 swoon and pause awhile in its mad race !" 
 
 Half in dreams, Zuiiega found her when he returned. 
 
 He sat down near and watched her, his great eyes veiled 
 with the soft mist of melancholy. He was wondering what he 
 should do when she was once again within her father's protec- 
 tion. He could make his way to the cities. He could secure 
 work until the time came to enter into Cuba's struggle, but, — 
 could he live away from the forest? He had not known that 
 he loved it until now, when he contemplated leaving its safe 
 shelter and nourishing resources. He reached and plucked 
 some dark, shiny leaves tenderly. There was that in his face 
 which riveted Raquel's attention. She remembered his de- 
 claration that he would not return to the camp. Observing 
 him, she realized that it was the inestimable service which he 
 was rendering her that was shutting him out from the career 
 he had known. His manner now convinced her beyond any 
 manner of doubt that he had had no ulterior motive in thus 
 taking the escape into his own hands, and she was seized with 
 a sudden desire to know what were his plans. She had not 
 vanity sufficient to believe that her words were wholly respon- 
 sible for this relinquishment of all that had made his life. 
 
 " If you go no more back to Alarcon's band, what shall you 
 do?" she asked him as she propped herself against a giant trunk 
 that shot upward toward the sky from this deep gorge. 
 
 " Dios sabe, ^(?;7t^r/Ai," he replied gently. "God knows, not 
 I. When the day comes, I will fight for Cuba as you told me ; 
 but until then, — who knows?" 
 
 Raquel was silent. This simple avowal that he had been 
 swayed by her scorn brought to her an odd embarrassment 
 which she did not analyze. She glanced at him from under 
 her lids with unconquerable curiosity. He was not looking at 
 her. His gaze was fixed on the waters that swirled by them. 
 Finally, pointing to where sharp rocks rose out of the middle 
 of the river, he said slowly : 
 
 " After the last insurrection, sei^orita, it is said that Louis 
 Honorvath threw himself on these rocks from above. Im- 
 prisonment was to be his — or death. The home of him and 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 85 
 
 his men was here in these mountains, in the caves that the rush 
 of the underground rivers have hollowed out." 
 
 " And those same caves will be the homes of other men 
 with the same mission," Raquel found herself saying to him. 
 " Here and there arise the natures that are destined for such 
 works as lie before the Cuban. They rise above their fellow- 
 men with the same irresistible impulse of growth that sends 
 the palm upward, far above its associates. Where is the man 
 who will lead Cuba's next rebellion?" 
 
 " I will follow him," Zunega replied in a low voice. " You 
 have spoken words that will not be forgotten." 
 
 He turned his marvellous eyes toward hers. There was 
 that in the meeting that was like a flash of recognition that 
 neither of them fully understood. Moved by an unfamiliar 
 emotion, Raquel dragged her gaze from his peculiar one by 
 force of will. That moment long remained in her memory. 
 
 Faquita came toward them, bearing the result of her search. 
 The three ate the luscious fruit together, and Zunega and 
 Faquita were relieved to see that Raquel brightened visibly 
 when thus refreshed. 
 
 " We must creep along the side of the river as far as pos- 
 sible," Zunega told them. " We shall be in no danger of en- 
 countering Alarcon here as we might over the mountain. 
 When the stream seeks an underground passage again, we can 
 skirt the shoulder of the mountain. It will take more hours 
 but means safety." 
 
 " How shall I ever repay both of you?" cried Raquel, with 
 a burst of gratitude. " You, Faquita, you ought to remain and 
 be my sister. I have had none. You would be happy so, — woT 
 
 Faquita shook her head. 
 
 " Once I knew a home, a father, sisters," she said slowly. 
 " They have forgotten me long ago. My only home now is the 
 forest. I shall be happy in that I have outwitted Gonzalo Alar- 
 con. That is all tlic recompense I crave, senorita." 
 
 Raquel did not glance at Zunega as she inquired: 
 
 " Know you what I can do for you — senor? I fear there is lit- 
 tle I can offer, save the thankfulness of the house of Palgrave." 
 
 Zunega bowed low before her with all the courtly grace of 
 a kingly race. His sombrero swept the moss on the stones. 
 
 " Has the sciiorita not given me the chance to serve her?' 
 he asked softly. " It is suliieient." 
 
86 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Faquita's astute knowledge enabled her to read further than 
 even Zunega could into his own heart. His words and his 
 manner revealed to her the secret of his assistance. She shot 
 a swift look at Raquel. She perceived that the girl was as yet 
 ignorant of the passion she had awakened in the heart of the 
 man before her. 
 
 " Vayamos r she cried abruptly. " Surely it is time to 
 move. The seiiorita is better — no?" 
 
 " Ah, let us go!" echoed Raquel impatiently. " Every mo- 
 ment of delay means that much more suffering for my father. 
 I am strong again. I can endure anything. Let us go !" 
 
 " Can you ride alone?" inquired Zunega. " It is necessary 
 that I go ahead and cut a passage." 
 
 " There is nothing I cannot do, — if I must," answered the 
 girl firmly, unconsciously sounding the key-note of her 
 character. 
 
 It was rough, tedious riding that followed. Many a time 
 Faquita was tempted to go back and leave Zunega alone tore- 
 store Raquel to her home, but each time feminine curiosity 
 got the better of her fatigue and she pushed on faithfully, 
 revolving in her mind what she would say to Alarcon on her 
 return to camp. 
 
 Sometimes they were on one side of the stream and now 
 on the other, as it admitted of being forded. Under over- 
 hanging masses of foliage, through aggravating thickets that 
 crowded close to the verge of the water they crept, miles deep 
 in day's death. At one point, Zuiiega asked them to dis- 
 mount. He tethered the animals while Faquita besieged him 
 with questions. To these he vouchsafed no reply save a non- 
 committal smile. Finally, he plunged boldly into the jungle- 
 like vegetation that threatens to engulf the island. He called 
 to them to follow. Reluctantly they obeyed, finding traces 
 that this dense growth had been penetrated before. Moving 
 a great boulder with a forceful push of his shoulder, Zunega 
 revealed to their eyes a cave of immense dimensions. 
 
 " This is one of the caves of the mountains that has proved 
 a place of safety for many of those whom Spain believes dead," 
 he informed them. " Brave hearts have hid here. Some of 
 them have died here, hearts that would have won Cuba her 
 freedom if they could, seiiorita!" 
 
 Raquel peered into the damp gloom of the retreat, so un- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. S; 
 
 known to Spain, with eyes in which shone the worship that 
 belongs to heroes. No premonition whispered to her that she 
 was destined to know this historic spot inch by inch in the days 
 to come. No voice foretold the part this Cave of Lost Spirits 
 was to play in her future. But, as she laid her fingers on the 
 cool, mossy rocks, she shivered. 
 
 " It is strange that liberty should be bought at the price of 
 life," she murmured musingly, " liberty that is the right of 
 man ! And all the patriotic blood that has been shed for Cuba 
 seems to have profited her nothing. But the memory of brave 
 deeds burns in the heart of the Cuban people like an unquench- 
 able fire, a fire that yet will burst forth with such fury that 
 Spain herself will be consumed." 
 
 " Ah, perhaps," shrugged Faquita. " Long after we are 
 dead, let us hope. I remember a little of the ten-year war. 
 It was sad for Cuba." 
 
 "Care you nothing that Cuba lies helpless in Spain's fin- 
 gers?" cried Raquel, with surprise. 
 
 "Why should I?" queried Faquita, laughing. "I cannot 
 free her." 
 
 " But you might nerve others to," flashed Raquel. 
 
 Faquita laughed again. The subject was too stupendous 
 for contemplation in this stifling, moist heat that the tangled 
 mass of green seemed to hold. 
 
 Zunega led them back to the clearer air of the gorge. 
 
 " Soon we shall strike over the spur of the mountain and 
 descend to the savannahs," he said to Raquel. " You are not 
 far distant from the plantation." 
 
 Raquel gave a little choked cry of joy. 
 
 From that time on she counted the steps the horses took. 
 Each brought her nearer her father. Fresh energy came to 
 her with the thought. 
 
 They left the river and crept upward again. Zunega still 
 trudged ahead, apparently tireless. Once he stopped and 
 severed the great rope-like liantasse that tosses itself like a 
 ship's cable among the trees; this section of the hollow tube 
 he held to Raquel's thirsty lips, urging her to drain it of the 
 pint or two of pure, cold water which, absorbed by the roots 
 was ascending to be converted into leaf and fruit. 
 
 "How well you know the secrets of the forest!" she ex- 
 claimed gratefully. 
 
88 A DAUGHTER Of CUBA. 
 
 Zuiiega gave no answer. The silence of the woods through 
 which they passed was in his soul. When again would his feet 
 fall thus softly into the ashes of the dead years? The question 
 was in his mind continually. It grew louder and louder in its 
 voicing as they neared the edge of the forest. It was with a 
 pang of regret that he first caught the sight of the purpling 
 hills to the east, rising in gentle billows up from the stretches 
 of ochre-hued cane fields. He was sorry to have this journey 
 done, this unpremeditated journey which was launching him 
 on a chartless sea of endeavor to merit the praise of the girl 
 whofee horse he guided. 
 
 He had tried to formulate plans as he had cut the path 
 through with his machete. If there were an uprising, the solu- 
 tion would be easy; he would join and fight with the valiant 
 blood that was in his veins; but, for a wonder, there was not 
 even the breath of insurrection in the air. Nothing remained 
 but to hide his identity from Alarcon as well as he could by 
 becoming a laborer in a distant part of the island. That 
 decision was what made the knot in his throat when they 
 passed at last from the shadow of the mantled mountain and 
 came out upon the valley lands. They had yet a considerable 
 distance to go ; he had chosen a circuitous route since leaving 
 the gorge, to prevent the slightest possibility of encountering 
 the chief. He glanced back at the forest. The melancholy 
 in his beautiful eyes deepened. 
 
 " Adios! Adios r he whispered. 
 
 Was it only his fancy, he wondered, which made it seem 
 that the spirits of the woods reached out after him ; that all 
 through the vast vaulted arches, hung with the delicate fret- 
 work of laced foliage, crept a murmur of regret? Were his 
 ears keen with that soul-sense which enables one to hear the 
 utterances of the sphinx-like progeny of Nature? 
 
 He felt that invisible hands grasped him. He thought that 
 he heard whispers which, with the subtleness of fragrance, 
 cried: 
 
 " Goest thou out to avenge the wrongs of men? Thy heart 
 will ache with bitterness ; thy eyes grow weary. Many have 
 gone before thee. Many will come after. Who shall say they 
 pass in vain? 
 
 " Thou art built of the sinew of the flesh ; through thy veins 
 runs the red fire built by the fingers of that mysterious Life 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. «9 
 
 whom none hath seen. Thou of the red fire <go out across tlie 
 earth, seeking ever the reason of thy creation. We of the 
 green fire stand immovable. 
 
 "■ Silently, we watch them of the red fire rear their struc- 
 tures. We perceive their blindness of vision. We learn that 
 they hear no voices but their own. We listen to their arro- 
 gance of speech, tlieir jest of life, their fear of death. And 
 we push our roots deeper; we reach out with the hush of 
 sovereignty; we spread our green mantle over the works of 
 man. Our green fire burns through the centuries, and he of 
 the red fire is consumed by us; his body becomes tissue of our 
 tissue. Into the crucible of the years drop his ashes. 
 
 "It is written! He of the red fire is migratory. He Hits 
 from land to land, from sea to sea. Like the butterfly, he 
 knows his hours are few. He craves immortality ; and he 
 builds and builds. He wars for supremacy ; and builds again. 
 He knows not the calm of the rocks and the forests. The fear 
 of Death is with him from the hour of birth. It dogs his steps. 
 He knows not the visage of Death nor the Light it wears! 
 He gropes blindly and dreams not that Death and Life are one, 
 
 "Thou of the red fire. Adios ! There are battles for thee 
 to fight. There is work to be done for thy short-lived race. 
 We would stay thee, but we may not. Adios !" 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 After the abrupt departure of Gonzalo Alarcon, the three 
 astonished men in the sala of La Sacra Sonrisa discussed the 
 matter excitedly, striving vainly to decide what course should 
 be pursued. Beyond petitioning the government for the ser- 
 vices of the guardia civile, there really was nothing to do; and 
 they knew only too well what the dilatory rejjly of the govern- 
 ment would be. Even if the guardia civile did come, tlie sol- 
 diers were no match for a forest-ambushed foe. Both Gilbert 
 Palgrave and M. Theuriet knew that Raquel's fate was sealed 
 so far as their efforts to extricate her from her position were 
 concerned. 
 
 The father had aged seemingly ten years, twenty years. 
 All of the buoyancy of manner which the Cuban climate gives 
 to its dwellers had been swallowed up in this terrible fear which 
 
90 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 had fallen like a blight upon him. The atmosphere of the en- 
 tire plantation was depressed. The fires still remained gray 
 in the furnaces. The blacks talked in hushed tones. 
 
 This strange stillness was not so apparent to Lithgow, who 
 did not know the ingenio in its tumultuous activity. He and 
 M. Theuriet sat in the sleep-inducing chairs of the estrada; 
 the master of the house walked the floor with the wild im- 
 patience of powerlessness. M. Theuriet was very quiet. He 
 realized that it had been tke announcement of his intention to 
 claim Raquel which had wrenched from them their opportunity 
 of securing her. He was filled with unavailing regret. He 
 wondered that Palgrave did not hurl anathemas at him. They 
 were in the father's eyes, but they were not spoken. 
 
 On Lithgow's arrival with M. Theuriet, the sugar planter 
 had offered to the Northerner the house, the plantation, and all 
 of his worldly goods after the courteous fashion of Cuba. En- 
 couraged by such hospitality, Lithgow now ventured to look 
 about him. He had some curiosity as to what had been the 
 surroundings of this lost sefiorita. Everywhere were evi- 
 dences of refinement. The high cool-looking walls were 
 graced here and there with reproductions of English cathe- 
 drals, and there also was a picture of " The Madonna of the 
 Chair." He moved over to the bookshelves. They held a 
 varied and rich collection for a Cuban household. 
 
 " Bless my soul !" he exclaimed to himself, as he glanced 
 over the titles. "Carlj'le; a Latin Lexicon; Shakespeare; 
 'The Iliad;' Voltaire; Hugo; Schopenhauer's 'Wisdom of 
 Life ;' Pascal's 'Thoughts' !" 
 
 He took down each volume he had enumerated and several 
 others, whirling over the leaves interestedly. Everywhere 
 he observed marks that indicated that the books had received 
 much usage. 
 
 " Probably he is an Oxford man," he told himself explana- 
 torily, as he inspected the bethumbed " Thoughts." Here and 
 there he paused to read underlined passages, and this one : 
 " Our whole dignity consists in thought. Our elevation must 
 be derived from this, not from space and duration which we 
 cannot fill," arrested his notice peremptoril)^ ; for at its mar- 
 gin was traced in a feminine hand the admonition : 
 
 " Take this for thy correction, Raquel, when thy soul burns 
 • — in vain — to achieve great deeds." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 9» 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave, perceiving his interest came and stood 
 beside him, saying sadly : 
 
 "These were the poor child's treasures. They are the 
 only society she has had except mine. Only the day that she 
 was seized she was rebelling against the dulhiess of her life 
 here. She has great longings to accomplish something; I sup- 
 pose that it is the longing of youth. Perhaps her English 
 blood is accountable for some of her restlessness." 
 
 " Does she take a dose of Pascal to quiet her riotous spirit?" 
 queried the American, exhibiting what he had been reading. 
 Palgrave viewed the sentence with moist eyes. 
 
 " Perhaps so. That is her writing," he admitted. " I pre- 
 sume that I have done ill to permit her to grow to womanhood 
 here with only myself for a companion. It is natural that she 
 should long for society; and I hoped to furnish it to her in a 
 year or two. But now — my God! — the thought will drive me 
 insane !" 
 
 Later, Lithgow wandered out into the court. It was sug- 
 gestive of Moorish life. The slender, graceful columns up- 
 held a wide upper gallery which jutted out over the colon- 
 nade that enclosed the patio with its fountain and riot of 
 bloom. He espied the listless folds of the hammock and di- 
 vined who had been its usual occupant. Through the shade 
 of flowering shrubs he peered upward, past the bright strips 
 of gay awning, to the brilliant whiteness of the zenith. It 
 was past the hour of noon. The air quivered with heat. It 
 seemed to him that all the world had swooned beneath the 
 narcotic atmosphere that filled this little spot with such 
 a hush. He stood still, mesmerized by the beauty of the 
 place. 
 
 " It is ideal !"' he said, with a deep breath. " One could live 
 and die here and never drink nor dream of the poison that the 
 world knows and with which it intoxicates itself." 
 
 He never knew how long he had stood there, but suddenly 
 he was startled by an unearthly commotion from without. 
 Shrieks and deep cries from the black population of the plan- 
 tation arose in a chorus that brought Gilbert Palgrave and M. 
 Theuriet from the sala to the entrance of the court in a rush 
 of dismay. 
 
 " Man Dicu ! What ees ze mattair?" cried the Frenchman 
 in alarm. 
 
92 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Perhaps the plantation has been set on fire !" said Palgrave. 
 with white lips. 
 
 What he saw, drove the blood from his heart up into his 
 face, with a sweep of red that ebbed and left him of deathly 
 pallor. He caught hold of Lithgow's shoulder. 
 
 " Am I mad?" he asked in a hoarse whisper, pointing with 
 a trembling finger to a figure in white that seemed to be car- 
 ried above the heads of the excited, gesticulating blacks. 
 " Isn't that Raquel? O God!" 
 
 Lithgow's eyes already were fastened on that white object. 
 So intent was his questioning gaze that he never noticed that 
 the man by his side reeled, overcome by this sudden joy after 
 the hours of torture and despair. 
 
 With a sob, Gilbert Palgrave fell forward on his face un- 
 conscious. 
 
 Incredulous that the comer possibly could be the seiiorita, 
 M. Theuriet had stood petrified with astonishment. Now, he 
 bent over the prostrate form of his neighbor with fear and 
 trouble in his face. 
 
 High above the glad exclamations of the blacks rose a shrill 
 cry of terror. In another instant Raquel had thrown herself 
 down by her father, beseeching him to speak to her, to look at 
 her. 
 
 " Ah, if he is dead!" she wailed, laying her face beside his 
 in the frenzy of fear. 
 
 " He is not dead," volunteered Lithgow, seeing that no one 
 else offered the consolation. " He has lost consciousness for 
 a moment, that is all. The sight of you — " 
 
 "Ah, ze sight ov you was too mooch, seiiorita iiiia," broke 
 in Theuriet, his excitement getting the better of his polite- 
 ness. " He was almost eensane wiz ze loss of you." 
 
 Raquel gave not a glance to either of them. She had her 
 father's face in her hands and was caressing it hungrily. Sud- 
 denly, she looked up with remembrance and called: 
 • "Faquita! Faquita!" 
 
 From out the encircling group of awed and frightened 
 blacks, the gypsy-like countenance of Faquita peered forth. 
 
 " Que, senorita mia ?" she asked doubtfully. 
 
 " Help me!" pleaded Raquel. " Tell me what to do." 
 
 For answer, Faquita dropped down on her knees, took his 
 head from Raquel's hands, and laid it back on the tiles. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 93 
 
 "Water!" she ordered briefl}'. 
 
 A dozen of the women rushed to obej', but Lithgow had 
 been ahead of them ; from the fountain he brousht his hand- 
 kerchief dripping with moisture. This Faquita passed gently 
 over the features of the planter and was rewarded by seeing 
 signs of returning life. Then she stood up and ordered the 
 throng of gaping servants away with peremptory gesture. As 
 though they had been accustomed to obey her all their lives, 
 they scurried out of sight, leaving their master to perceive 
 only the sweet visage of Raquel when he opened his eyes again. 
 
 That that was sufficient to revive him was proven in a short 
 time. With the haziness of returning memory, he gazed on 
 her tenderly; then, with sudden recollection, lifted himself 
 and caught her in his eager embrace. 
 
 There were no words at first. None were needed. 
 
 If Zuncga had wished any other reward than that which 
 he already held to be his, he would have found it in that scene 
 which he observed from under his lowered lids. Ilis heart 
 was beating strongly with the sweetness of this home-coming. 
 He knew that, no matter where he went or what fate became 
 his, the memory of this hour would ever nestle in his mind. 
 He turned and looked at Faquita. Was she too moved? He 
 read in her dark, passionate face the sign of keen emotion, 
 but he could not peer deep enough to see that her thoughts 
 were back in the home that mourned her as one dead, dead to 
 the pure and quiet life which had been hers as a child. 
 
 Lithgow watched the entire group: Raqucl's warm color- 
 ing, Faquita's half-Spanish apparel, Zunega's unrivalled mus- 
 cular development. All of a sudden he saw that which made 
 him take a quick step forward. He took the hand of Zunega 
 in his own with undisguised excitement. 
 
 " Perdone me, se/lor," he begged eagerly, "but tliis ring! — 
 Where did you get it?" 
 
 Zunega drew his hand away slowly, with all tlie haughti- 
 ness of a prince in his sombre eyes. 
 
 " Forgu/, senor?" he demanded. 
 
 For reply, Lithgow thrust out his own hand and displayed on 
 it the exact counterpart of the ornament that the Cuban wore. 
 
 " Caramba !" murmured Zuiiega wonderingly. "Von, se- 
 nor, where got you yours? This was my father's." 
 
 It had all come so cpickly, with such simpleness, that Lith- 
 
94 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 gow only stared at Zuiiega for reply. He could not believe 
 that thus had dropped into his hands the very individual for 
 whom English and American lawyers had sought so fruitlessly 
 for years. Finally he questioned cautiously: , 
 
 " Your father was a Cuban?" 
 
 "No, se/lor, ingles." 
 
 Lithgow had an exuberant inclination to indulge in some 
 extravagant demonstration of satisfaction, but he restrained 
 himself sufficiently to say significantly : 
 
 " Then I have some strange news for you, if you can bring 
 me proof of your assertion. Can you?" 
 
 The attention of all was riveted on them now. Faquita 
 came nearer. 
 
 " Yo?io se," answered Zuiiega, a line of perplexitx' showing 
 between his black brows. " I have but this ring and the words 
 of Annizae." 
 
 Lithgow almost gave a leap in the air at the sound of the 
 name that he had heard in Bertram's office in New York. 
 
 " Annizae!" he shouted. " Where is she?" 
 
 M. Theuriet and Gilbert Palgrave regarded him as if they 
 thought he had lost his senses. Raquel, her attention held by 
 him for the first time, turned a questioning gaze upon her 
 father. 
 
 " He is Monsieur's American guest," he explained to her, 
 and both gave their eyes to the participants in the strange 
 drama before them. If Lithgow was new to Raquel, Zuiiega 
 and Faquita were not less new to the two planters, who, in 
 their absorbed contemplation of the returned girl, had given 
 as yet no thought to the method of her coming. 
 
 " Why, seiior?" queried Zuiiega again, puzzled at the vehe- 
 mence of this Spanish-speaking foreigner. 
 
 "What is this woman called 'Annizae' to you?" asked Lith- 
 gow, answering with another question. 
 
 " My mother," replied Zuiiega. 
 
 " Are you certain?" 
 
 Zuiiega turned toward Faquita with a gesture. " Ask this 
 sefiora, seiior," he advised. 
 
 Faquita, all curiosity, was nothing loath to be ques- 
 tioned. Raquel urged her father and M. Theuriet nearer, 
 explaining the part that the two had played in her escape 
 from the camp of x'Vlarcon. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 05 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave, not to be deterred by the strange queries 
 of the American, went at once with not yet steady step to 
 Zfinegat He held out his hand with the grateful grasp of an 
 Englishman. 
 
 " My daughter tells me that it is to you and your compan- 
 ion that I owe this joy which has come to me," he said simply. 
 " What I have is yours." 
 
 Zuiiega bowed so low that his long, wavy hair almost 
 seemed to touch the tiles. 
 
 " I am repaid, senor," he replied softly, lifting his eye for 
 a moment to those of Raquel. " There is nothing I would 
 take of yours but the pleasure it has given me to give you 
 joy." 
 
 It was no more than the common, courteous Spanish way of 
 disclaiming gratitude, but his eyes gave the words a weight 
 they would not otherwise have had. Palgrave extended his 
 hand also to Faquita. As she placed hers within it, he bent 
 his lips to her fingers. 
 
 " What is there I can do to repay you, seiiora?" he questioned 
 anxiously, supposing her to be the wife of Zufiega. 
 
 Faquita's oriental-like face altered. She glanced at 
 Raquel with half-amused glance, as if questioning if she 
 should tell that she already had her reward also. Finally she 
 said: 
 
 " You may answer a question, senor." 
 
 " With pleasure," bowed the sugar planter wonderingly. 
 
 " Has Gonzalo Alarcon been here to demand ransom for the 
 seiiorita?" 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave looked around at M. Theuriet with com- 
 pressed lips, then turned back to his interrogator. 
 
 " Was that Alarcon who came here?" he demanded unbe- 
 lievingly. 
 
 " None other," returned Faquita. 
 
 The soul of the planter stirred with the bitterness of view- 
 ing a lost opportunity. To know that the most feared brigand 
 of Cuba has slipped through your unretaining fingers is enough 
 to arouse rage in any heart. 
 
 " If I only could have known !" he groaned. " He went from 
 here only a few hours ago." 
 
 " Went he back for the seiiorita?" asked Faquita anxiously. 
 " Was he to secure ransom?" 
 
96 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " He refused ransom," returned Palgrave, not deeming it 
 necessary to explain why. 
 
 B^aquita brought her hands together with triumphant ges< 
 ture. 
 
 " Ah, what did I tell you, seiiorita?" she cried. " It is well 
 that the miles of forest stretch between you and Gonzalo Alar- 
 con now." 
 
 Faint with the realization of Avhat she had escaped, Raquel 
 leaned hard on the arm of her father. * 
 
 " I owe it all to you," she said gratefully, " to you and Zuiie- 
 ga. He can return no more to the forest. He must become 
 one of us, and you, Faquita, if you only will." 
 
 Faquita shook her head smilingly. Her fancy was pictur- 
 ing the rage of Alarcon. She would not miss her triumph over 
 him for a dozen plantations like this quiet one of La Sacra 
 Sonrisa. 
 
 " The seiiorita is kind," said Zunega with a glad light in 
 his face. " But the revenge of Alarcon will be far-reaching. 
 I must go where my face is not known ; perhaps among the 
 tobacco fields in the most distant part of the island. Perhaps, 
 some day, I can win my way over to the free country north. 
 Who knows?" 
 
 Lithgow, whose queries as to Zuiiega's past were trem- 
 bling unuttered on his lips, now sought to make himself heard. 
 
 " I think that there is another country that waits for you, 
 sefior," he said distinctly, " the land of your father." 
 
 Each countenance was turned toward the speaker. His 
 tone commanded attention with which even the expressions 
 of gratitude could no longer interfere. He directed his ques- 
 tions first to Faquita. 
 
 " Will you tell me who you are, seiiora?" he begged. 
 
 " The wife of Gonzalo Alarcon," was her answer, as she 
 glanced amusedly toward the surprised planters, exchanging 
 mystified looks. 
 
 " And this Annizae, who is she?" 
 
 " Who knows?" shrugged Faquita. " She speaks no word 
 ever save that which is required." 
 
 " She calls herself the mother of this man beside you?" 
 
 " It is true, setior." 
 
 " But why does he not call her by the term of mother 
 then?" 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 97 
 
 Faquita shrugged her shoulders again and glanced at 
 Zunega. 
 
 "Tell him, Zuiiega,"' she urged. "Thou shouldst know 
 more than I." 
 
 " I know nothing," replied Zunega reluctantly. " Ahvaj^s 
 have I called her "Annizae.* I never have thought about it. 
 Every one calls her so, seiior." 
 
 Lithgow was growing more and more certain that he had 
 found his man. 
 
 " How came you with the ring?" he questioned. " Do not 
 fear to answer. Great good will come to you if you are the 
 man I think you are. If you prove not to be, you may go your 
 way." 
 
 Zuiiega looked him in the eyes for fully a minute. He ap- 
 peared satisfied with what his searching glance had revealed, 
 for he responded at length : 
 
 " I secured it from her when I had grown to manhood. She 
 said it had belonged to my father." 
 
 " Has she told you nothing of him?" 
 
 " Nothing, senor." 
 
 " Then I will tell you," announced Lithgow. " Unless I 
 mistake, this woman is not your mother. .She exchanged her 
 own child for you when your father and mother sailed for Eng- 
 land years ago. All traces of her and the child she had stolen 
 were lost. Tireless has been the search. As far as I can see, 
 the possession of this ring proves conclusively that you are the 
 personage for whom others beside myself are seeking. liut 
 first I must see this woman. You and she must accompany 
 me to the States, possibly to England. Your father and 
 mother are dead. All that they died possessed of becomes 
 yours by right, if you can prove to the satisfaction of all con- 
 cerned that you are the child who was stolen. I am willing to 
 help you to do this. We must secure the confession of the 
 woman. How shall it be done?" 
 
 Aghast, scarcely able to grasp the rapid words which meant 
 so much to him, Zuiiega was silent. 
 
 He was not the only one silent through astonishment. 
 
 Raquel was the first to recover. 
 
 " Gracias aDios!" she exclaimed. "There are invisible 
 fingers that guide! You, Zuiiega, gave up your all in order 
 to restore me to this safety that I craved. You asked no 
 7 
 
98 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 recompense, but — has not one come? See what it promises: 
 neither labor in tobacco fields nor danger from the vengeance 
 of the chief ! Life in a free land ! Ah, it is a grand fortune !" 
 
 Zuriega did not take his eyes from her while she spoke. 
 There was a peculiar sinking of his heart with the words: 
 " Life in a free land!" That meant a country far away from 
 Cuba; and Zuiiega knew then, with an overwhelming sweep of 
 realization, that he would count nothing good which took him 
 from the skies that looked down on this maiden who had so 
 unexpectedly crossed his path and changed its direction. 
 
 " It is not true what the seilor thinks," he said slowly. " I 
 am the son of Annizae. All believe it." 
 
 " Who knows?" queried Lithgow, employing the national 
 question. " We must ascertain if what you think is true. It 
 means more to you than you can imagine. It means that, if 
 Annizae is not your mother, you can live where you will. You 
 will be possessed of fortune, honor, place in the world of 
 prominent men. Annizae has kept you out of your rights for 
 years, if I mistake not. Are you willing to be defrauded 
 longer? You will be not an unknown forest dweller, subsist- 
 ing on the spoils of a doubtful occupation ; you will be owner 
 of wide lands, master of great houses. This woman Annizae 
 must make restitution to you. She is the only one who can 
 place you in the position that was your father's. Will she do 
 this withottt being compelled to do it?" 
 
 Faquita smiled broadly. 
 
 " Compel Annizae.-*" she murmured. " The senor knows her 
 not." 
 
 Zuiiega's brows were drawn. He was confused. He was 
 beginning to understand dimly what this might mean. 
 Through the chaos of bewildered thoughts which thronged 
 his mind, one suggestion shot, leaving behind it a track of 
 light that dazzled him. "Fortune, honor." Those magic 
 words. Would they not place him on a par with this girl 
 before him whose eyes rested upon him with such unfathom- 
 able potency in their depths? With the fortune might he not 
 be able to accomplish something that would win her praise, 
 perhaps her love? With a fortune to back him, might he not 
 accomplish for Cuba that which was so near the heart of the 
 senorita? Knowing the secrets of the island so well, could he 
 not plan and lead men against the Spanish rule in a well-sus- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 99 
 
 tained revolt that would wear the soldiers out? There was 
 nothing definite in the whirl of thoughts that made his head 
 fairly spin as his great midnight eyes travelled from face to 
 face of the group before him. 
 
 " I cannot believe, seiior !" he said finally to Lithgow. " You 
 are kind ! I am indebted to you, but I cannot believe. Why 
 should I be what )n:)U say? I am only Zunega. Gonzalo Alar- 
 con has taught me what I know." 
 
 " Will you believe if this woman Annizae confesses the 
 wrong she has done you?" asked the American. " Will you 
 go to England with me in that case?" 
 
 Zuiiega bowed low. His sombrero with its decorations 
 swept the tiles as he moved his hand gracefully. 
 
 " Ciertainente, sefior" he agreed. 
 
 " How are we to get this woman?" demanded Lithgow anx- 
 ioiisly. 
 
 Zunega shook his head. He had no solution of the problem 
 to offer. He could not return to the camp. Annizae would 
 not come to the plantation. Was that not an end of the entire 
 matter? 
 
 Faquita's ingenuity was at work. Her eyes shone with ex- 
 citement. The tale that the American had told had aroused 
 all of her interest. Annizae's secret, for it was known that 
 Annizae had a secret, had defied them all. Many had been the 
 bantering questions which had been thrust at the uncommuni- 
 cative creature, and her taciturnity had won for her finally the 
 sobriquet, "Silent Annizae." To pierce this veil which had 
 so long shut the woman in would be an act that the whole camp 
 would relish. It would be a fair revenge for various indignities 
 which the elder woman had occasionally heaped upon the head 
 of Faquita for usurping the place which had been her own. It 
 was true that they had dwelt together with apparent amity, 
 but alwaj's there had been a smouldering hatred, and Faquita 
 would not be "orry to gain the upper hand over the black crea- 
 ture whose will still was law in the camp cuisine. 
 
 " Perdouame, scnor" she ventured to address Lithgow, 
 " there is but one way. No word you could send would bring 
 her here. I think of one chance; it might bring her as far as 
 the shrine of Nuestra Madre de Dolores that stands on the 
 highway that runs through the edge of the woods at the base 
 of the mountains to tlic south. She knew nut of Zuiicga's de- 
 
lOO A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 parture. To see him, to beg him to return, she might come 
 that far; but she must come without Alarcon's knowledge. 
 If he mistrusted, he would follow her. He will owe death to 
 Zuiiega for robbing him of the seiiorita. Not even the length 
 of the island, not even the obscurity of distant tobacco fields 
 will shut Zuiiega from the revenge of Alarcon. It is well that 
 the seiior takes him from Cuba. Zuiiega' s life is worth noth- 
 ing here now." 
 
 Zuiiega made her an imperative gesture of silence. Faquita 
 saw it, but she heeded it not. She meant that these seiiors 
 should know the full value of this deed that Zuiiega had done. 
 If great good came to him by reason of it, well and good. 
 Zuiiega had known of no reward when he had agreed to help 
 her and the seiiorita ; he had known only the fate that awaited 
 him somewhere in the future in the day when Alarcon's sure, 
 mean vengeance should overtake him. 
 
 " God in heaven !" cried Gilbert Palgrave, understanding 
 for the first time the rich measure of Zunega's right to his 
 limitless gratitude. " You are of the metal that heroes are 
 made of ! Practicall3^ you have given your life to bring my 
 child to me, and I have nothing to offer 5'ou, nothing but the 
 unbounded admiration of a father and a man who is an Eng- 
 lishman. Aside from the service you have rendered me and 
 mine, I am proud to know you, sir. Consider me your debtor 
 and your servant." 
 
 Zuiiega' s face flushed. Save from the lips of the seiiorita 
 herself, never could words be uttered that would give him 
 such a thrill as these which came from the master of La Sacra 
 Sonrisa, the man whose consent must be gained before ever he 
 might look upon the seiiorita with covetous eyes of love. 
 
 " Gracias, scFior" he murmured faintly, bowing low again. 
 
 M. Theuriet had been standing silent. Though alert to 
 everything which was transpiring, he was engrossed with the 
 fact that he had, in the guise of her father's neighbor and 
 friend, taken Raquel's fingers within his own and was now 
 patting them tenderly and reassuringly, as if to remind her 
 that home walls were again around her. She had glanced at 
 him once wonderingly, but his expression of delight at her un- 
 expected return induced her to permit her hand to rest in his 
 clasp without exhibiting any of the repugnance which she felt 
 without knowing why. Now, the Frenchman within him could 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. tor 
 
 not but gi"e praise to the spirit of the handsome youth t.i 
 whom they were so much indebted. He even felt an inclina- 
 tion to bestow upon the fellow a tiny portion of what would 
 have slipped from his grasp altogether if Alarcon had taken the 
 ransom. By means of this young bandit — who might turn out 
 to be quite an important personage — they had secured Raquel 
 and it had cost them nothing. He could alTord to be generous ; 
 besides, it would make him appear well in the eyes of Raquel 
 and Gilbert Palgrave. He spoke in Spanish to Zuiiega. 
 
 " I echo the words of Don Gilberto ; and, in his name. I will 
 ask you to accept two hundred pesos for a slight reminder of 
 what we owe you." 
 
 " No i's posiblc, scnor," refused Zuiicga gravely. " I can ac- 
 cept nothing for what has been done. On the seiiora you may 
 bestow it; all is due to her." He bent his head toward Fa- 
 quita. 
 
 " Then she shall have it," declared Theuriet. " I will send 
 for the amount at once." 
 
 " Nada, fiada, seiior." Faquita shook her head with a little 
 coquettish droop of her lids that M. Theuriet would have found 
 fascinating had not Raquel been near. 
 
 " Pardon, I shall insist," swore he, feeling that the fingers 
 of Raquel pressed his approvingly. "I will go for it now; 
 you shall take it back to — your husband, if you care not for it 
 yourself. He may wish now that he had waited for the ran- 
 som. God be praised that he got it not!" 
 
 Faquita's shoulders moved with the shrug which was 
 habitual. 
 
 "As you will, senor," she smiled, "but, if you will listen, 
 you will be careful how you travel without many outriders. 
 It was you whom Alarcon intended should be taken, not the 
 senorita. He anticipated a large ransom from you." 
 
 RI. Theuriet turned toward Raquel as quick as a flash. 
 
 "Ah, Mil chore, you hav' suffaired for me!" he cried with 
 grief. " Eet ees I who should hav' been enduring zat which 
 has fallen to you. Ze devotion ov a life could not re- 
 compense, yet I will attempt to repay you — eef you will 
 pairmit." 
 
 Raquel regarded him puzzlcdly, l)ut replied with a smile 
 that she meant should be grateful. 
 
 " What has been, has been best — no.^' she inciuircd. " Yuii 
 
102 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 have paid no ransom to secure your own liberty, as you would 
 have had to do. These noble people have released me from 
 what would have been a life of torture ; in so doing, one of 
 them has made a strange discovery. What God orders is 
 well." 
 
 " Zink you zat He instigated your unhappy abduction, 
 seiiorita?" smiled the Frenchman. 
 
 " Ah, who knows?" she replied seriously. " Is not He able 
 to turn all things into a way that will bless us?" 
 
 Over four of the listening faces passed a wave of amused 
 skepticism as to the probability of there having been any di- 
 vine influence in this matter, but in Zuiiega's richly colored 
 countenance shone reverence and the knowledge that her mis- 
 fortune had been the means of blessing him, even though no 
 fortune became his, and only the fear of Alarcon was his por- 
 tion in life. Raquel, with her words, thought of the oppor- 
 tunity which had become the bandit's to carry out the hope of 
 Cuba. M. Theuriet thought of the chance which yet remained 
 of making Raquel his own. 
 
 " Who is to induce Annizae to come to this shrine?" asked 
 Lithgow of Faquita. 
 
 " I will try, seiior," volunteered she readil3\ 
 
 " But no word must be spoken to give her an idea that he 
 knows of the wrong she has done him," warned the American. 
 " If she has kept silence this long, she means to keep it for- 
 ever." 
 
 " How will you break that silence, seiior?" questioned Fa- 
 quita curiously. 
 
 " That remains to be decided when I see her," he answered. 
 " Do you agree to urge her to meet this man she calls her son 
 at the spot designated?" 
 
 "6"/, seiior." 
 
 " When?" 
 
 Faquita counted her fingers thoughtfully. 
 
 " Not before a week from last night, senor," she returned. 
 " By that time Alarcon may be away for a time. It is only a 
 chance ; no one could promise for Annizae ; she may come ; she 
 may not. I will do my best." 
 
 " Bueno!" decided Lithgow, with a breath of relief. " We 
 will be there. At what hour?" 
 
 " Ten," she said. " There will then be time for us to reach 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 103 
 
 the camp before sleep is away from their eyelids. They sleep 
 late when the chief is far." 
 
 "Ten," agreed Lithgow, "and, if Annizae is wise, she will 
 bring her possessions with her. She will return no more to 
 the camp of Gonzalo Alarcon." 
 
 "Then she will come no step, seiior." 
 
 " She must not know it," returned Lithgow. "I rely on 
 you, Seiiora Alarcon." 
 
 Faquita laughed at the title. Never had it been bestowed 
 upon her before ; it was pleasant to her ears. Exultation was 
 in her heart. Her revenge for the slight which Alarcon had 
 been ready to put upon her was becoming richer. Not only 
 had she deprived him of the seiiorita, but she could also re- 
 move Annizae, who wielded a subtle but unmistakable power 
 over the chief, a power that all recognized but of which none 
 knew the secret. 
 
 " I will not disappoint you, seiior," she promised mean- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Annizae will not find me at the shrine," reminded Zuiiega. 
 " I mvist be far from here by this hour on the nianana. To re- 
 main here would be death. I must make my way to some hid- 
 den place. It must be so." 
 
 " Us verdad," admitted Faquita, troubledly. " What is it to 
 be, senor?" 
 
 Lithgow thought a moment. 
 
 " How do you propose to go?" he asked. 
 
 Zunega hesitated, then looked straight at Gilbert Palgrave. 
 
 " If I might have a horse," he ventured. " I would not rob 
 the chief. He needs all that he has." 
 
 " All I have you may command, "answered the sugar planter. 
 " When will you wish it?" 
 
 " At once, senor." 
 
 Zufiega noticed that Raquel's face changed. She stepped 
 forward impulsively. 
 
 " Can you not wait?" she pleaded. " You can hide here." 
 
 He shook his head. A wonderful softness was in his eyes. 
 
 " Some day, seiiorita, I will return," he replied in a low 
 voice. " I will be all that you would desire." 
 
 " God walk with you," she said enthusiastically. " I shall 
 watch for your coming." 
 
 And she did not know the full truth of her words. 
 
I04 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Where am I to meet you?" demanded Lithgow, seeing this 
 much desired individual taking his fortune into his own hands. 
 " We must have everything understood." 
 
 " Two weeks from to-day at noon I will be in the Campo 
 Santo at Habana," replied Zuiiega. " If you come there, you 
 will see me. You are an Americano?" 
 
 " My name is Lithgow Hamilton," explained the North- 
 erner, feeling that this was doing important business in as ex- 
 peditious a manner as even an American could wish. " I will 
 be in Havana at that time with Annizae." 
 
 Faquita lifted her brows and glanced at Zunega amusedly. 
 
 " The seiior has not yet met Annizae," she commented. 
 
 In less than an hour both Faquita and Zuiiega were on their 
 respective ways, provided with all that they could be prevailed 
 upon to accept. Faquita led the animal which Raquel had rid- 
 den. She was in high spirits and had no visible fears as to 
 her ability to find her way back to the camp. 
 
 " Adios, adios /" she cried over her shoulder to Zuiiega. 
 
 He kept his sombrero on the pommel of his saddle until 
 she was out of sight. He had an affection for Faquita that 
 even Annizae's fault-finding had been unable to destroy. Now, 
 he was conscious of a deep sense of respect for her. To her 
 was due the happiness which now illumined the senorita's 
 white face. He, left to himself, never would have done this 
 deed that they called "noble." He felt that he had deserved 
 none of the praise they had bestowed upon him. He was full 
 of a sense of shame in accepting their thanks. But, as he sat 
 there, his fine physique outlined against the bright light of the 
 afternoon slipping westward, he made a vow that he would re- 
 turn in a manner worthy of the speech they had given him 
 this day. If the words of the Americano were true, he could 
 return soon, her equal. But, even if they were not true, he 
 would return, though it might be years hence, and, when he 
 came, he meant it should be as her equal. 
 
 "Adios, senorita viia" he said to Raquel. Zunega never 
 forgets. Adios, sefwres ! To outwit Alarcon, I must ride well 
 and far. Adios !" 
 
 He replaced his sombrero. He rode through the orange 
 grove and out upon the highway. He did not look back. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 05 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The greater portion of the week which must elapse before 
 the hour to meet Annizae was spent by both M. Theuriet and 
 Lithgow at the sugar pkmtation. 
 
 The Frenchman did not appear wholly satisfied unless he 
 was looking at Raquel. That she was surprised by the un- 
 usual interest he manifested in her was evident, but it also 
 was clear that she attributed it to the neighbor's natural de- 
 sire to rejoice with her father and the entire mass of blacks, 
 who had not yet ceased nightly celebrations. 
 
 Again and again, to different groups of listeners, Raquel 
 patiently related her adventures, until finally they felt almost 
 as familiar with them as she did herself. That these accounts 
 were related again with blood-curdling embellishments in the 
 safety of the negro quarters, none of them heard. 
 
 This frequent presence of the American changed the tenor 
 of the days for Raquel. Instead of slipping back into the even 
 melody of uneventful hours, she experienced the delight of 
 having a companion who not only liked her books but under- 
 stood them better than she did. So great was this pleasure 
 that she did not even feel bored by the proximity of M. Theuriet 
 and actually went to the extent of showing the Frenchman 
 trifling attentions. Lithgow, cognizant of the plans in the 
 mind of his host, for M. Theuriet made no effort to conceal his 
 hopes from the guest who had become aware of them during 
 the audience with Alarcon, wondered much as to what would 
 be the girl's verdict could she know on what terms her freedom 
 was to have been purchased. 
 
 Seeing her love for her father, witnessing how she caressed 
 each vine and flower in the court, he could not doubt that she 
 would have accepted anything that offered her the safety of 
 home walls. 
 
 The curiosity he had felt concerning her deepened as he 
 knew her. He discovered that she had thoughts as radical as 
 Beatrice's, though in a different way. He called her a child, as 
 he watched her lithe figure dancing gayly through the corridors 
 on her way to and from the cocina, where she was welcomed 
 with the joyousness of the exuberant southern natures. He 
 
Io6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 called her a woman of j^ears, as she swung idly in the hammoclj 
 and argued with him over the volumes that her library boasted. 
 She was not the usual quiet convent-bred maiden which he had 
 fancied common to Cuba. She sometimes made him think of 
 a volcano, smouldering, emitting occasional flame, suggestive 
 of the fires within. She fascinated him with her quick changes, 
 her little skips from one subject to another widely foreign. 
 He often had the uncomfortable feeling that she had not been 
 listening to what he had been saying, her mind seeming to 
 have flown far after she had uttered her own words ; but he 
 invariably learned that she had missed nothing and only was 
 laying up his thoughts against that day when the plantations 
 would know him no more. 
 
 Those gold and sapphire days were magic ones. He knew 
 it at the time. He knew it better long afterward. Insensibly, 
 the soft, fragrant hours droned themselves away while he 
 smoked and chatted with the two planters or exchanged ideas 
 with Raquel in the cool court amid the subtle witchery of 
 tropical bloom. 
 
 The estate was a bustling scene of activity again. With 
 the American fondness for acquiring information, he studied 
 the process of sugar-making, rising at three o'clock in the 
 morning and going over the estate with Gilbert Palgrave while 
 yet it was the violet hue of waning night through which the 
 phosphorescent cocullo darted about, its firefly lantern not yet 
 extinguished. 
 
 During the madrugada, those hushed hours between mid- 
 night and dawn, these little cocullos made the perfumed West 
 Indian darkness seem as if peopled with falling stars, thousands 
 of lost Pleiads, more brilliant than those which gemmed the 
 purple vault overhead. 
 
 Side by side with the sugar planter, Lithgow made the tour 
 of the plantation, up and down the wide paths that intersected 
 the fields and formed roads through which the carts could travel 
 to gather the cane. Returning for the light breakfast, they 
 afterward made their way to the vast, low buildings from the 
 high chimney of which poured the black smoke that made such 
 a blot on the fair landscape now wakening to life. 
 
 The red-tiled roof of the mill was full to the top of the cut 
 and bundled cane, and the sugar master nearly beside himself 
 with the fear that the mayoral had given him more juice than 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 107 
 
 he could work up in the time allotted to him. Wild appear- 
 ing, half-naked negroes tramped up and down the platform of 
 the mill, thrusting armfuls of the canes between the ponderous 
 rollers of the crushing-machine, from which streamed contin- 
 ually a flow of milky cane-juice that took its way swiftly 
 through canals of split palm trees to the vats of the purging- 
 house. There was the scene resembling Hades. Huge fur- 
 naces glowed with the fiercely burning fuel called bagazzo, the 
 dried cane-stalks. From boiler to boiler the juice passed, 
 changing ever: simmering; foaming; sluggishly inactive; a 
 brown mass; a tossing sea of liquid gold. Long paddles of 
 aloes wood beat it into a creamier tint and ladled it into a 
 trench of immense depth, where it was stirred and flung aloft 
 in marvellously tinted showers that crystallized slowly in the 
 falling. 
 
 Lithgow did not marvel at the Englishman's financial con- 
 dition when he learned that the previous year the running ex- 
 penses of the estate had been one hundred thousand dollars, 
 while there had been realized from the output of sugar less 
 than seventy-five thousand dollars; and that the year before 
 matters had been even worse. 
 
 " You will be glad if Cuba ever breaks away from Spain, 
 won't you?" he remarked while the mayoral stood near. 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave laid his hand warningly on the Amer- 
 ican's arm. 
 
 " No such words are uttered here," he replied, and the ac- 
 companying glance silenced the exclamation that was on Lith- 
 gow ':s lips. As soon as they were alone, however, Palgrave 
 brought up the subject again. " When you have lived long in 
 any land under Spanish rule, you will make sure to whose ears 
 you are speaking before you speak," he said. " I am not cer- 
 tain of that fellow. He may be wholly Spanish in sympathies, 
 lie came from Havana. It is well to be cautious. Spain is 
 not above employing spies to ascertain if she is securing her 
 share of the output from the plantations." 
 
 " Good Lord!" ejaculated the American. " What a land!" 
 
 " What a government, you mean," corrected Palgrave, with 
 a smile. 
 
 Lithgow accepted the amendment. 
 
 " How can you stand such an order of things?" he questioned 
 
 " I'm afraid I can't much longer," sighed the sugpi" planter, 
 
lo8 A DAUGHTER Of CUBA. 
 
 " but what is a man to do? My all is invested here. I see it 
 shrinking daily. Each year I am deeper in debt, but we keep 
 hoping for better things." 
 
 " Do you see any prospect of a betterment until Cuba is 
 free?" 
 
 The Englishman hesitated. He made sure that none was 
 near, then he answered briefly : 
 
 "No." 
 
 " What would you do if there should be a revolution?" que- 
 ried Lithgow. 
 
 " Sometimes, in my hours of despair, I think I would rush 
 in with all my men at my heels, but I dare not whisper such 
 a thing to Raquel. The seeds of revolt seem to be in her 
 blood. If she were a man, I really believe that she would be 
 rash enough to throw herself into the jaws of the monster, 
 Spain, in a vain effort to help the country. Her frail body 
 shelters a giant soul. It's a pity that some strong man could 
 not have her spirit." 
 
 " She seems to feel no fear of voicing her opinions," smiled 
 Lithgow. " I have heard her utter some bitter things against 
 Spain. I supposed that she took her cue from you." 
 
 Palgrave shook his head. 
 
 " I don't know where she gets it," he said thoughtfully ; " it 
 always has been in her. I don't think I have allowed myself 
 to criticise Spain very much before her, though it may have 
 been that I have done so without noticing the effect upon her. 
 At any rate, she is a rank revolutionist at heart. It is lucky 
 for her that she is a woman." 
 
 " Do you care if I disagree with you?" said Lithgow. " Who 
 knows what she might accomplish if she were a man? As it is, 
 she must submit to the uneventful, possibly unhappy, life of 
 femininity while she has the capacity for a wider work." 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave looked at the American with some sur- 
 prise. 
 
 " Have you noticed it too?" he asked. 
 
 " Noticed what?" 
 
 " I scarcely know what term to call it," answered the father, 
 " but sometimes she seems to possess a force that, unknown 
 to herself, makes me feel quite small and insignificant. She 
 longs to do such things as Napoleon did. Now, I confess that 
 no such an-bitions ever entered my youthful mind. I was 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 109 
 
 content to live as boys did, play their games, and not trouble 
 myself about impossible aspirations. When I was forced to 
 start out for myself, I came here. Raquel's mother was a 
 Cuban. Possibly through her crept this restless streak that 
 torments the child, and, I may confess, me as well." 
 
 " Possibly if she could have played games with companions 
 of her own age as you did, her spirits might have passed olT in 
 such healthful excitement," suggested Lithgow. " But she 
 has lived within herself a great deal, has she not? She wor- 
 ships the heroes of history, I can see that. She craves ro- 
 mances, 5'et it seems to me that she lives in a veritable land 
 of romance." 
 
 He looked to where the hills were putting on their noon- 
 day purple in the north; southward lay the bright yellow 
 green of the cane-fields. An African woman of stately bear- 
 ing came toward them, bearing a water-jar on her head. The 
 gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the far-above palms but 
 touched not the dark, shining, irregular foliage of the parasitic 
 jaguey-macho that had a giant ceiba in its deadly grasp. De- 
 spite the rush and flurry at the mills, an air of indolence lay 
 over everything. Black judios flew chattering over the broad 
 fields, but all else appeared to sleep in the hot sunlight. 
 
 He had not been there long enough as yet to sense the iso- 
 lation which encompassed the girl of whom they had been 
 speaking; though he felt a shadow of the sadness which seems 
 to be a part of tropical life, the half-divine pain which haunts 
 the heart and may be bom of the constant war which the 
 luxuriantly flourishing material life wages against the seem- 
 ingly quiescent spiritual aspirations. While he revelled in 
 the soft balmincss of the air redolent with the sweetness of 
 thousands of blossoms that rioted imsecn, he knew that he was 
 not condemned to the narcotic influence of a southern climate 
 for the remainder of his existence, and that comforting fact 
 made him enjoy it the more, though he might not have been 
 conscious that this was so. 
 
 His business with the coffee planter had been consummated 
 with ease after the anxiety concerning Raquel had susbidcd, 
 and now nothing remained to keep him save the meeting with 
 Annizae. He congratulated himself that he had been so for- 
 tunate as to complete his negotiations with other planters 
 before coming to La Buena Esperanza; otherwise, he would 
 
I TO A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 have been at a loss to know what to do with Annizae aftet 
 securing her. As it was, he contemplated sailing at once for 
 New York, taking her with him whether she wished or not. 
 He discussed this possibility with Raquel during the hours 
 which they spent in the deep rocking-chairs of the estrada. 
 She confessed herself doubtful as to his ability to accomplish 
 this. He, as decidedly, swore that nothing should defeat him. 
 
 " Our friend, Zunega, will not be the only one to be bene- 
 fited," he announced frankly. " It will net the lawyers a nice 
 sum if he turns out to be the proper heir, and I shall not be 
 neglected, though to me belongs little credit. Had it not 
 been for your capture, the fellow might have lived and died a 
 bandit, 'unhonored and unsung.' He really owes his fortune 
 to you, seiiorita." 
 
 " I am glad," she answered simply. After a pause she 
 added : " He will use it well." 
 
 Lithgow lifted his brows. 
 
 *' Think you so?" he questioned. " One seldom does in a 
 like case. Titles, lands, mansions, descending in such an 
 abrupt manner, are likely to crush out what little brain the 
 lucky individual may possess. I don't believe I could survive 
 such a surprise." 
 
 " Titles?" she echoed. " You never spoke of titles before. 
 What will he be called?" 
 
 " A lord," smiled Lithgow. " That will be fatal! He will 
 be courted, feted, worshipped, by the scheming matrons. Poor 
 Zuiiega, there may be times when he will crave the stagnation 
 of this indolent Cuban existence. But. in all probability, he 
 will forget it. The fascinations of London and Paris will force 
 these days of brigandage out of his mind." 
 
 A shadow crossed Raquel's face. She remained silent. 
 Lithgow dwelt on the charms of continental cities in a dreamy 
 fashion. Heretofore, she had exhibited the most eager inter- 
 est in all that he could tell her of the world she longed to see. 
 Her quietness caused him to regard her curiously. He won- 
 dered where her thoughts had flown. Her eyes were sombre. 
 
 " Un centavo por sus petisamientos, se/iorita," he said gently. 
 
 " Ah, my thoughts are not worth a centavo," she returned. 
 " I was thinking that I belong to the company of which Socrates 
 spoke to Glaucon. Do you not remember? No? I have seen 
 only shadows passing and repassing before me like those which 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. Ill 
 
 Socrates described passing before the men in the cave. I 
 have lived and loved with the ghosts of dead men's thoughts." 
 f " And have had better companionship than you are likely 
 to meet when you are out in the rush of the world," he re- 
 marked. 
 
 "I never shall sec the world nor its glorious stir." she 
 sighed. 
 
 The American sighed too ; but for a different reason. 
 
 " You have dreamed of it as youth always dreams," said he, 
 with a touch of pity in his voice. " I have not forgotten that 
 I dreamed also, lying on my back under the old apple trees. 
 What you will find, solorita mia, will be disillusionment. 
 Humanity is less lofty and noble than 3'ou deem. Your heart 
 aches here ; it might break there." 
 
 He read in her face that his words had gone deep. She 
 had not yet learned the art of wearing a mask over her feel- 
 ings. She turned her eyes upon him with a surprised question 
 in their luminous depths. 
 
 " How do I know that your heart aches?" he echoed 
 her silent query. " You have told me in a thousand voice- 
 less ways." 
 
 " The seiior mistakes," she declared swiftly. " My heart 
 aches not save with joy to be near my father once more. I am 
 not content to be idle, however; I confess that. There is no 
 work for my sex here in Cuba. In your country it is different, 
 It is different in the land that was my father's. Know you 
 women who work, senor?" 
 
 " Scores," he rejoined. " Many of them would fancy that 
 such an existence as this you lead would be heaven. Where 
 hard fate forces them to make their own living, one's pity 
 bleeds for them, for their lot is not enviable. Where they work 
 from choice, it is another thing. Such women are happy. 
 Their natures demand wide fields. I have one friend whom 
 you would be glad to know. She is obliged to work for her 
 livelihood, but she loves her work. She supports her mother." 
 
 Raquel clasped her hands together with an exclamation of 
 delight. 
 
 " Ah, how I envy her !" she breathed. " What does she do?" 
 
 " She is a sculptor," explained Lithgow, nothing loth to 
 talk about Beatrice to this Cuban maiden. " She is not much 
 older than you." 
 
112 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Raquel's fingers unclasped with a little gesture of despair. 
 
 " Tell me about her," she begged. " To know that others 
 can do these things is something to comfort one." 
 
 Lithgow recounted the history of Beatrice's varying for- 
 tunes, described her failures and her successes, and uncon- 
 sciously put into the tale a warm bit of feeling. 
 
 Raquel listened attentively. Once or twice her face flushed 
 with pleasure. 
 
 " It is grand to be able to accomplish such!" she whispered 
 half to herself. Then she looked into the eyes of the Ameri- 
 can penetratingly. " You have love for her," she said softly. 
 
 Lithgow hesitated. He was surprised. 
 
 " Why?" he demanded. 
 
 She shook her head slowly. 
 
 " I know not," she returned with a smile ; but the smile was 
 sad. " I feel it in your voice, your eyes. I would love such a 
 woman were I a man. There are many things that I would 
 do were I a man." 
 
 " And the first would be ?" 
 
 " Ah, you will laugh, seiior," she declared. " Papa laughs." 
 
 " I promise you," he said solemnly, " but you need not con- 
 fide in me. I can guess. You would fight for Cuba. Ah, I 
 thought so! You have betrayed that intention before. That 
 is why I ventured to affirm that your heart aches with longing 
 to achieve. Have you never heard that 'real action is in 
 silent moments '.? Possibly, in after years, you will look back 
 on this period of your life with eyes that can perceive that it 
 has been most replete with mental growth. I have a little 
 volume of Emerson which this girl sculptor gave me when I 
 came away. Emerson is her gospel. Will you accept it when 
 I go? I think that she would be glad to know it has fallen 
 into the grasp of one who hungers as she has. I will bring it 
 over from La Buena Esperanza." 
 
 " You are kind," Raquel acknowledged ; " but I do not think 
 that those words are true. In a silent moment one may gather 
 up force and make ready to act ; but if no opportunity for 
 action comes, would not all the energy and ambition fall into 
 disuse? A green mould would creep over weapons which 
 might have been powerful." 
 
 " Inaction does not await you, seiiorita, believe me," he 
 argued. " That which your nature demands will come to it. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. I13 
 
 'Every sound that is spoken over the round world which thou 
 oughtest to hear will vibrate on thine ear. Every proverb, 
 every book, every by-word that belongs to thee for aid or com- 
 fort, shall surely come home through open or winding pas- 
 sages.' I am quoting from the book which I will leave with 
 you. Consider me as one of the avenues through which a 
 volume that every life needs has come to you. It will help 
 you. It will strengthen you for that day on which you will be 
 forced to act." 
 
 " What day?" she questioned. 
 
 " I don't know what day," he returned ; " but it is certain to 
 come." 
 
 " You puzzle me, seiior," she frowned. 
 
 " Yes: life is a puzzle," rejoined he, pushing back his hair 
 from his forehead. " None of us solve it. Sometimes I wonder 
 that we try so hard. Would it not be better if you could stop 
 beating your wings, seiiorita? ' Sweet is the lower air and safe 
 the homely levels.'" 
 
 " You mean to insist that I have the ache in the heart," she 
 commented. 
 
 " Because you betray yourself," he answered. " I under- 
 stand you. I appreciate how you long for an absorbing oc- 
 cupation; but, knowing the world, I feel constrained to impress 
 upon you that you have much for which you may feel grate- 
 ful. Love will come to you. You will marry." 
 
 " You think that is the best thing that can come to us?" 
 she demanded hotly. 
 
 " I do," replied Lithgow honestly. 
 
 " What does this girl sculptor think.'" she questioned with 
 eagerness. 
 
 Lithgow laughed. 
 
 "I am afraid that you and she would agree," he told 
 her. 
 
 " She will not marry?" 
 
 " She will not marry i/ie." 
 
 " Yet you will not interfere with her work?" 
 
 "Certainly not; but I would take from her shoulders the 
 burden." 
 
 " It must be a dear burden to care for those wliom one 
 loves!" murmured Raquel, wistfully thinking of Beatrice and 
 her mother. 
 8 
 
114 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Men often find it dear," commented Lithgow, with a cov- 
 ert smile. 
 
 " I would rejoice to be able to help papa," she continued. 
 " All my life I have been cared for. I have been selfish. I 
 even have rebelled against the quiet of the surroundings with 
 which love has provided me. Now he needs aid. If I were 
 a son I could be of use. I might take the place of the mayoral. 
 As it is, I idle. I even came near costing an immense ransom. 
 I am of no use in the world !" 
 
 " Coming days will teach you the falsity of that asser- 
 tion." The American stretched out his long legs more com- 
 fortably. He knew it was near the hour for the three o'clock 
 dinner. M. Theuriet was to drive over with a goodly escort. 
 This drowsy little tcte-a-tctc soon would be interrupted. He 
 had taken more pleasure in observing the varying expressions 
 of her changeful face than his devotion to Beatrice would war- 
 rant. " Already you have accomplished more than many 
 women do in an entire life," he added. 
 
 " ComoV She was very serious. She had none of the little 
 arts common to femininity, but her half-lifted lids exercised 
 a power that she little imagined. Lithgow drew his glance 
 away with difficulty. 
 
 " What a danger to men's hearts she will be when she 
 understands how to employ her fascinations!" he ejaculated 
 silently. Aloud he said: 
 
 " If I should tell you, I should be trespassing on the right 
 of the years." 
 
 " They will unfold nothing," she replied impatiently. 
 
 He heard the cracking of the whip of M. Theuriet's pos- 
 tilion. He saw an expression that was not gladness cross her 
 face. 
 
 " Daily is being unfolded before your vision a little drama," 
 he ventured to warn her. " Your gaze is fixed on a horizon so 
 distant that you cannot see what lies near at hand." 
 
 Startled, she sought to read his meaning in his face. 
 
 " I do not understand," she finally said, with a troubled look. 
 
 "No: you do not understand," he shook his head. "But 
 you will." 
 
 He wondered that she did not grasp his meaning when, a 
 second later, the Frenchman entered the sala. He perceived 
 the wave of displeasure which shot over M. Theuriet's visage 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 115 
 
 with the discovery that her father was not present and that 
 they were enjoying the chat in the estrada. He endeavored 
 to restore his host's good humor by offering to go in search of 
 the sugar planter, but was held by Theuriet's query given with 
 uplifted brows: 
 
 " Ees cet more necessaire now zan before, inoii ami! Eef 
 you will pairmit, I will join een ze conversation." 
 
 Raquel lifted her eyes for one swift moment to those of the 
 American, with the realization in them that the conversation 
 had been such that it was not easy to share with a third party. 
 
 " You can give us your opinion as to the chances of my 
 finding the bandit woman at the spot designated," Lithgow 
 said quickly. " The senorita is skei:)tical." 
 
 " Still do you discuss zat question?" demanded the French- 
 man, with a show of i^olite surprise, glancing sharply at Raquel, 
 in whose face he read something new. 
 
 " Why not, monsieur?" demanded Lithgow, comprehending 
 the suspicion delicately expressed. 
 
 " Why, monsieur?" smiled Theuriet. " Gains one mooch by 
 speculation? Ees eet not as well to wait wizout questioning?" 
 
 " Perhaps, monsieur," admitted Lithgow graciously. " I 
 fear that I have been so stupid as to weary the seiiorita with 
 my aflfairs. I trust she will pardon." 
 
 He strolled out into the court with an apology. Something 
 was coming over him which made it diflicult for him to sil and 
 observe the eyes with which Theuriet dwelt on Racjucl's 
 beauty. It offended him. He resented it. From the court 
 he passed out at the entrance and went among the trees snr- 
 rounding the house. 
 
 " He is no fit mate for that girl !" he said disgustedly. " lie 
 can make her mistress of La lUiena Esperanza, and she slill 
 can be near her father. • He will alTord her occasional jaunts 
 to Havana. But this is all her life is to be ! Heavens ! What 
 will she say when she learns? I was fearfully tempted to tell 
 her, just to see the look which would come into her eyes. I 
 fancy it would be horror." 
 
 And at that moment M. Theuriet was saying persuasively 
 to Raquel who. though her inclination was to run away, was 
 compelled to remain and entertain him : 
 
 " Your papa ees een vera sad plight, via c/it'rc mademoiselle. 
 We must see what eet ees posseebl' for us to do, must we not? 
 
Ii6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 We are ze only ones zat can help him ; ees eet not so? Ah, 
 vraiment ! You lov' him?" 
 
 " Better than my life. Monsieur Theuriet," she cried ear- 
 nestly. " I know that he is in trouble. There is nothing I 
 would not do to help him ; but what can I do, monsieur? He 
 tells me there is nothing." 
 
 M. Theuriet's eyes wore an unholy look. 
 
 " Listen," he whispered, drawing near to her. " I will tell 
 you zat which I am willing to do ; wiz ze aid ov you much 
 more can be accomplished. You know zat he owes me money? 
 Bien! I am willing not only to cancel zat loan but I also will 
 pay ze debts which he has made wiz ze Catalans." 
 
 " You will, monsieur?" exclaimed Raquel, grasping both of 
 his old hands in her soft ones. " What nobility ! Who will 
 reward you?" 
 
 It was coming swifter than Theuriet had anticipated. He 
 had intended to lead up to it in a wonderfully clever manner. 
 
 " You, Raquel, you," he whispered, his thin lips almost 
 bloodless. 
 
 Raquel rose to her feet. She dropped his hands. A hor- 
 rible premonition of his meaning froze her heart. 
 
 " How?" she asked simply, but her voice and eyes were ter- 
 rible. Theuriet almost cowed beneath them. 
 
 "As my wife." 
 
 She understood the meaning of Lithgow's words now. She 
 marvelled that she did not shriek, that she did not faint, that 
 she did none of those things which she would have deemed 
 natural. As it was, she never moved. She only pressed her 
 fingers tighter on the back of the chair as she stood there, fac- 
 ing this suitor. She studied his graying hair, his sharp eyes 
 peering out at her from under his heavy brows; she contem- 
 plated his curled mustache and the curve of his nose. She 
 knew that the sight of these awakened a repugnance within 
 her the violence of which she had not conceived. She heard 
 him ramble on excitedly, telling how long he had worshipped 
 her; what he would do for her; that every luxury should be 
 showered upon her; and, crowning temptation, she should 
 spend the season in Havana. His words entered into her ears, 
 but made no impression upon her brain. All that she had com- 
 prehended was that this man would lift from her father's 
 shoulders the heavy burden of debt which yearly grew more 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. II7 
 
 unbearable. In exchange, she would have to give her life — 
 it would be the same as her life, would it not? rebclliously de- 
 manded her heart. But had she not just declared that she 
 would oflfer up everything to help her father? Had she not 
 told the American that she would rejoice to be able to aid him? 
 By this sacrifice would she not be caring for him in the only 
 way that offered? 
 
 " Does my father know of this?" she asked at last, in a tense 
 voice. 
 
 " Non, non" Theuriet shook his head. He knew well that 
 her father never dreamed of the mean advantage which his 
 neighbor was taking. Palgrave had supposed that the matter 
 had ended when the ransom was not required. " He must not 
 be told, not xmteel your mind ees made. He deems me aged. 
 He would think you could not lov' me. He would fear zat 
 your lov' for him would mak' you say zat which your heart 
 had no part een." 
 
 Raquel did not smile at his presumption. She only 
 asked : 
 
 " Would you expect that I could love you, monsieur?" 
 
 " I would make you," declared Theuriet with a smile of 
 fancied power. 
 
 " It would be impossible," returned the girl. " I would hate 
 you." 
 
 Theuriet shrugged his shoulders with an undefinable ex- 
 pression on his wrinkled features. 
 
 " Tant viieux," he returned, " then I would hav' ze plaisair 
 of winning your lov'. Even eef your lov' came not, I would 
 be happee to know zat you were happee." 
 
 "I, happy?" she echoed. "Do you for one moment fancy 
 that I could be happy as your wife, monsieur?" 
 
 " Why not?" he questioned lightly. " Hav' you not believed 
 zat you would stop at nothing which would help him? Would 
 you not be happee eef he were happee?" 
 
 " But he never could be happy if I were not !" cried Raquel. 
 
 " No," admitted the Frenchman, " but how is he to know zat 
 you are not happy? You are romantic. You look for ze com- 
 ing of a lovair who will be young and beautiful; but such an 
 one will not hav' ze monnaie. Your father would be no bet- 
 tair off. You do not know what lov' ees, yet. I will teach 
 you. Will you not so pairmit, Raquel?" 
 
Il8 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Raquel shuddered from head to foot. She turned to leave 
 the sala. 
 
 " Perhaps you mean to be kind, monsieur," she said in a low 
 voice. " I can't tell." 
 
 Theuriet stepped in front of her, caught her hand and 
 touched his lips to it. 
 
 " Speak nozing to your papa unteel you hav' decided. He 
 would not let you mak' what he would fear was a sacrifice. He 
 rather would suffair heemselv alone ; oh, oui! Eet ees true zat 
 I hav' years more zan you; but, my heart ees young. You 
 must zink; you will be een a position to do mooch zat you 
 desire. You will be riche. You can travel. P'orget none of 
 ze advantages, Raquel. Zey are not to be deespised even eef 
 lov' does not come." 
 
 He relinquished her fingers and watched her pass from the 
 sala. She never had appeared more beautiful. Scarlet spots 
 burned on each cheek. Her eyes were like molten flame. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Raquel went out into the court and up the broad staircase 
 to the upper corridor with a feeling that she had been trans- 
 formed into stone. Her limbs moved with difficulty. She was 
 forced to place her cold fingers on the balustrade in order to 
 assist herself to ascend. All elasticity appeared to have de- 
 parted from both body and spirit. 
 
 Within her chamber, she paused and pulled the gauzy por- 
 tieres across the doorway. There was no other method of 
 shutting herself in. She then walked to the centre of the room 
 and looked about her with a dazed expression. Everything 
 remained the same. She alone was changed. The little white 
 net-draped bed was the same she had occupied from childhood. 
 There were the worn places on the rug where she had knelt 
 before the little crucifix on which the soft radiance of the 
 faintly burning candle shone dimly. On the simple dressing- 
 table still rested her open book. Cheerless though the tropical 
 bedroom with its bare floor and walls would have looked to 
 eyes accustomed to the more luxurious furnishings of the 
 North, to Raquel it was the dearest spot she knew. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. II9 
 
 She put her hands up over her head and clasped her fingers 
 desperately. Her burning eyes seemed to peer hopelessly 
 down through the years. She wondered vaguely at her 
 strange quietude. She could utter no sound. Nothing that 
 could have been uttered would have voiced the tumult within 
 her. She was making the discovery that, under the keenest 
 sufferings, the human is dumb. Light woes bring ready ex- 
 postulations, rebellion, tears. Crushing sorrows seal the lips. 
 
 It seemed to her that she stood there years, so much did 
 she live in those moments. 
 
 "This is what the Americano meant," she whispered to 
 herself. " He must have known." 
 
 She turned wistfully toward the little crucifix. The woman 
 within her yearned to pour out this anguish somewhere. 
 
 " What good will it do me to kneel there?"' she said with 
 bitterness. " No answer has ever come ! Who knows if there 
 be an ear that listens? If there were, would not Cuba have 
 been free years ago? Then there would be no taxes that eat 
 the profits, no debts, no — a/i, AlaJre Je Jcsii ! — no need of this 
 which has come for me to do !" 
 
 But, she went and crouched before the white pitiful Christ. 
 
 Gradually the fire gave way to a heart- weariness; but it 
 had burnt deep circles under her eyes. 
 
 She rested her hands before the altar. She bent her dark 
 head upon them. 
 
 " If my mother were living!" she moaned. 
 
 The summons for the three o'clock dinner X'ang out. 
 
 She arose. She knew that her absence would cause her 
 father such wonderment that he would not rest until he learned 
 the reason of it. 
 
 She bathed her face, and was horrified to find that her dimin- 
 utive mirror gave back a countenance so altered that there 
 was no hope that it would not be perceived. She paused ir- 
 resolutely. She knew of no remedy. She must descend. 
 She shivered at the prospect of sitting through the dinner with 
 the old Frenchman's eyes upon her. 
 
 " Querida mia, we are waiting." she heard her father's voice 
 in the court. 
 
 She gathered up all her strength of will and stepped out 
 into the corridor. Then she prayed as she had not prayed on 
 her knees. 
 
I20 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Help me ! Help me, Jesu !" she cried silently as she went 
 down the stairs. 
 
 The three men stood waiting for her in the court. 
 
 She essayed to smile as she saw her father's loving face, 
 but her lips refused to obey the mandate of her will. 
 
 She did not look at Lithgow ; but he, after one glance at 
 her, divined what had transpired in the sala. A great wave 
 of pity rushed through his soul. He turned upon M. Theuriet 
 with indignation, feeling that the girl had been taken advan- 
 tage of. But the coffee planter was watching Raquel with 
 eyes that did not perceive the American's fierce glance. 
 
 " What is the matter, dearest?" questioned Palgrave anx- 
 iously. " Are you ill?" 
 
 " Not enough to be frightened about," she said, with the 
 heroic smile that women can sometimes conjure up for the 
 sake of those whom they love. " J'aivial a la tete, as monsieur 
 would say." She purposely half addressed the Frenchman in 
 order to get the worse of the ordeal over at first. 
 
 " Possibly you are beginning to feel the effects of the strain 
 you were under during those horrible hours," suggested Lith- 
 gow quickly. " It has been surprising how well you have 
 borne up." 
 
 " Eet has, vraiment" agreed M. Theuriet. 
 
 At dinner, Palgrave still regarded his daughter in a manner 
 that threatened to be distressing. Lithgow exerted himself 
 to turn the attention from her as much as possible, and suc- 
 ceeded to such an extent that when she finally allowed her 
 gaze to encounter his there v/as gratitude to be seen in the 
 depths of her grave eyes. 
 
 Never before in his life had Lithgow striven harder to make 
 himself entertaining. His companionship was a boon to these 
 two men so far removed from the bustle of northern life. They 
 enjoyed his tales and laughed over his stories, lamenting that 
 his stay was so soon to be brought to an end. Occasionally, M. 
 Theuriet threw Raquel a searching look, but he failed to meet 
 her eyes. He knew, however, that they no longer wore the ex- 
 pression which had been theirs when she left the sala. That 
 was some comfort. He knew also that she had not told her 
 father. He did not believe that she would. He felt certain 
 that he had handled her with consummate skill. 
 
 Once she spoke. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. I2l 
 
 " Do you know what the liantasse is, senor?" she asked 
 Lithgow, without lifting her lids. 
 
 " I must confess my ignorance," he returned, aware that she 
 was trying to supplement his efforts. " What a brave heart 
 she has!" he told himself admiringly. " No one dreams what 
 she is suffering, not even he who is the cause of it." He was 
 conscious of a growing aversion for M. Theuriet. What busi- 
 ness had a man of his years to crave a child for a wife! He 
 was asking this question in his mind over and over during that 
 dinner. His sympathies were awake. 
 
 "What /j- the liantasse, qiierida mia?" queried her father 
 curiously. 
 
 " One of the forest's treasures," she exclaimed. " It is to 
 the foresters what the cups of the wild pines are to the bird 
 tribe. It contains that which quenches thirst. Mr. Hamilton 
 is a liantasse to us. We have taken a little section out of his 
 life and have replenished our own minds from his store. When 
 he goes, we shall thirst again." 
 
 Lithgow's ready tongue failed him. He was silent. 
 
 The two planters applauded Raquel's metaphor. 
 
 Lithgow compelled Raquel's straight gaze to meet his. 
 He sent down into the depths of her consciousness a look that 
 stirred her vaguely. He had hoped to convey to her that he 
 understood and desired to" be of service to her. She did not 
 know what she read, but she was aware of a subtle sense of 
 comfort which had been absent before. 
 
 In the evening, there was to be the final celebration among 
 the blacks. Raquel's return had afforded them a legitimate 
 cause for rejoicing which they had not been slow to improve. 
 
 Already a score of little black imps of the negro quarters 
 were armed with nets attached to poles by means of which 
 they contemplated snaring the fireflies for decorative pur- 
 poses. 
 
 The afternoon had melted away imperceptibly to all save 
 Raquel. To her the long, luxuriously served dinner had 
 seemed interminable. It was with a sigh of relief that she 
 passed into the court again while Lithgow held back the cur- 
 tain for her. He ventured to follow her. 
 
 " Do you know," he began, thinking it best to make con- 
 versation, "people believe what is not true about southern- 
 countries. Really, tropical lands are the most temperate in all 
 
J 22 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 things". Seldom are committed any of the excesses with which 
 the frozen blood of the North warms itself. The southern 
 nature is volatile, not brutish; graceful and happy; never 
 clumsy and morose. I have heard it declared that this climate 
 was conducive to physical perfection, but fatal to the spiritual. 
 Compare the tropical man, however, with — say, the Esquimau. 
 Northern latitudes fail to produce the spiritual yearning that 
 this marvellous clime awakens. There is something in this air 
 that seems a perpetual promise or warning, I have not been 
 able to decide which. These are the words which have sung 
 themselves in my ears ever since I came : 
 
 "'O world ! so few the years we live, 
 
 Would that the life which thou dost give 
 Were life indeed. ' " 
 
 " Don't you think we should be glad that it is not?" said 
 Raquel quickly. 
 
 "But we don't know what the other life may be," he 
 smiled. 
 
 " At any rate, it could not be worse than this threatens to 
 be," she flashed, before she was aware how much her words 
 betrayed. 
 
 " Is it as bad as that?" he asked gently, stopping and lean- 
 ing against one of the pillars of the corridor. " Won't you tell 
 me what has brought that look of dread into your eyes? Per- 
 haps I can help you." 
 
 She shook her head. There was that in his voice which 
 was almost as tender as she fancied a mother's tone would be. 
 She felt tears creep under her lids. 
 
 " I am a stranger ; you never will see me again, what differ- 
 ence will it make if you unburden your heart to me?" he ques- 
 tioned, throwing all possible entreaty into his words. " You 
 must tell some one. You will not confide in your father." 
 
 She looked at him half defiantly. 
 
 " How do you know that I will not?" 
 
 " Because you concealed as much as you could at the dinner- 
 table." 
 
 "You tried to help me, seiior," she returned gratefully, 
 plucking and pulling into fragments a gorgeous purple blossom. 
 
 " I saw that you suffered," he replied. " Mere headache 
 does not bring to one's eyes the expression that you so nobly 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 23 
 
 endeavored to banish with a forced smile. This look was not 
 in your face when we were chatting in the sala. Did anything 
 that I said bring it?" 
 
 " No, seiior," answered she truthfully. 
 
 He waited an instant. Then he asked in a still lower tone : 
 
 " What did M. Theuriet agree to do if — you would marry 
 him ?" 
 
 She drew herself up proudly. Her eyes blazed as they had 
 in the sala at the Frenchman. 
 
 "He has told you!" she cried in a whisper replete with 
 scorn. She would have been past him and up the staircase if 
 he had not dared to restrain her. 
 
 " Let me speak of this to you," he begged. " How can you, 
 a mere girl, judge what is best to do? I fancy that already I 
 see in your face the determination to submit. Your father 
 will not permit it if he reads in your countenance what I do." 
 
 " He shall read nothing but what I mean that he shall," she 
 averred. 
 
 " But a broken life has a language of its own," he told 
 her. " It can be read like an open book. You will fail to dis- 
 guise it." 
 
 " I can try," was her answer. 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave and M. Theuriet came out into the court 
 at that moment, each smoking a cigar. Theuriet glanced at 
 the nearness of his guest and Raquel. His already lined brow 
 took on another line. 
 
 " We may as well sit here until the contradanza is given," 
 suggested the sugar planter, selecting a seat near Raquel's 
 hammock. " Come here, tni cara inia; take your hammock as 
 usual. It will rest your head. Is it better? Yes? The gen- 
 tlemen will pardon your freedom. I will sit beside you. I 
 almost am afraid to let you out of my sight." 
 
 Raquel complied, glad to shield her face from too direct 
 gaze. She thrust her fingers within those of her father. 
 Through the strips of bright-colored awning she caught 
 glimpses of the darkening heavens. 
 
 " Your Cuban skies are a combination of our brilliant ones 
 and the luminous ones of Europe," observed Litligow, settling 
 himself comfortably in a manner that obscured M. Thcurict's 
 view of Raquel. " The way in which you sweep from sunlight 
 into starlight reminds me of that wonderful moment when one 
 
124 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 shoots from the glow of the Bay of Naples into the cool, blue 
 restfulness of the cave of Capri." 
 
 " How much you have seen, senor," sighed Raquel, all her 
 old longing for a glimpse beyond Cuba rushing over her. 
 
 " You hav' ze years een which to see zem also, senorita,"' 
 reminded M. Theuriet with a meaning which only Gilbert Pal- 
 grave missed. 
 
 Lithgow lighted a cigar and smoked a few moments before 
 he remarked : 
 
 " In the little book of which I spoke, seiiorita, you will find 
 something like this: 'Not in Nature, but in man is all the 
 worth and beauty he sees. The world is very empty and is 
 indebted to this gilding, exalting soul for all its pride.' Go 
 where you will, if the soul is sick within, there is little beauty 
 even through it throbs around you." 
 
 " You believ' een ancient philosophie, Jiion ami," observed 
 M. Theuriet. 
 
 " I am inclined to believe anything that my own experience 
 proves true," replied Lithgow. " Has not some one said, 'the 
 universe is represented in an atom, in a moment of time' ?" 
 
 " Mr. Hamilton has discovered my fondness for books," Ra- 
 quel said to her father. " He promises to leave me the one he 
 spoke of." 
 
 "I dislike to be reminded that he is going to depart," 
 Palgrave confessed. " We shall miss our liantasse, shall we 
 not?" 
 
 " I little dreamed that I should be welcomed so hospitably 
 into your home," returned Lithgow gratefully. "You will 
 not be half so sorry as I when the hour comes for me to make 
 my farewells ; and I suppose that that time will be soon. Is 
 it not to-morrow that I am to meet my forest lady?" 
 
 " She is more likely to be an African Amazon," laughed the 
 sugar planter. " You will go well armed, of course ; and I 
 shall do myself the pleasure of supplying you with a mounted 
 force of my men." 
 
 " You are too kind," expostulated Lithgow. " I could not 
 think of permitting such a thing. You need the services of 
 every man Jack of them now in order to make up for lost time. 
 I shall get on famously, believe me." 
 
 " Eet will be possebl' for mc to send men wiz you wizout 
 inconveniencing myselv one partcecl'," announced M. Theu- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 25 
 
 riet. " I even am desirous ov accompanying you to see how 
 ze madame accepts your words." 
 
 " 1 shall feel relieved to be thus guarded," admitted Lith- 
 gow, " and I trust that you will not witness my defeat. I hope 
 to make the woman confess the deception she played, and 
 acknowledge that Zuiiega is the child for whom she heartless- 
 ly exchanged her own." 
 
 " What was her object in so doing, do you imagine?" in- 
 quired the owner of La Sacra Sonrisa. 
 
 " She might have thought her action would place her own 
 child where she evidently felt that he belonged ; or her ma- 
 ternal sentiments may have been swallowed up by her over- 
 whelming desire to rob of joy both her master and mistress. 
 Did any man yet ever succeed in fathoming a woman's 
 reason?" 
 
 " Hola ! The dances are beginning!" exclaimed Palgrave, 
 rising to his feet. " We must go out and watch them. They 
 will be new to you." 
 
 In the open space between the mansion of the master and 
 the plantain grove behind which stretched the negro quarters, 
 all of the unoccupied members of the plantation were gathered 
 to the lugubrious music of a drum. Already a circle had been 
 formed within which two dusky figures of superb development 
 were moving slowly in the prelude to that rhythmic, sensuous 
 utterance of the life that beats with tropical languidness. Lith- 
 gow had witnessed the wildness of the Tarantella danced on 
 the white sands of Italy, but never had he beheld anything of 
 the nature of this movement of which only Cuba knows the 
 secret. 
 
 The scene reminded Raquel of Faquita's passionate dance 
 in the heart of the forest, and she drew closer to her father. 
 Her soul had been filled with apprehension then; now, it beat 
 with the sluggishness of despair, a despair which he must 
 never discern. He folded his arm around her tenderly. 
 
 " Their rejoicing takes an audible form," he whispered soft- 
 ly, " but it is as a wisp of vapor compared to mine, which is 
 silent because of its magnitude." 
 
 There was no visible instrument from which the plaintive 
 cadences of the music for the contradanza could come, yet 
 there crept up through the purple night air, lieavy with sweet- 
 ness, the most thrilling melody the American ever had heard. 
 
126 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 It chilled him even while its passion was stealing like a seduc- 
 tive poison through every nerve. Fascinatedly, he watched 
 the two shadowy forms, one of which was sparkling with the 
 phosphorescent flash of the insect jewels that, still alive and 
 unharmed, hung by natural hooks in her drapery and hair. 
 
 There was something entrancing in the grace and precision 
 of the step of the bronze fauns thus disporting in the marvel- 
 lous moonlight known to the Caribbean and its islands. There 
 was that in the weird music which enthralled. The soft night 
 winds seemed filled with a mystery which the music strangely 
 voiced. It wailed, it swelled into voluptuous tones, it rioted 
 in passionate tumult, it sank to tenderest whispers; and all 
 the time the dancing forms silently wove their spell about 
 their watchers, mesmerizing them into experiencing all of the 
 emotions with which the music throbbed. 
 
 Afterward, Lithgow never could explain satisfactorily to 
 himself how it happened. He only remembered that, moved 
 by that mysterious, luxurious melody, he had in some way 
 caught hold of Raquel's fingers; that they quivered within 
 his retaining clasp but were not immediately withdrawn. 
 
 No thought of Beatrice's calm face crossed his memory. 
 He was conscious of nothing but the girlish figure beside him 
 whose draperies touched him, whose hand palpitated within 
 his like a frightened bird. All past, all future, vanished in 
 those moments while the music bent them with its magic and 
 swayed them from their moorings with its subtle witchery. 
 And she, did she know the force of this unfamiliar tide that 
 rocked them with its surging? He sought to read her face, but 
 it was turned from him. 
 
 The movements of the dancers had become wilder; the 
 melody crept upward with a cry of hungry longing, the sus- 
 pense grew almost too tense. 
 
 Suddenly Raquel snatched her fingers away from him. 
 
 " Not another moment! I can't endure another moment of 
 it !" he heard her say to her father pleadingly. " Let us return 
 to the court." 
 
 M. Theuriet turned backward with them. 
 
 " Eet ees not necessaire for you to come," he said to the 
 American. " Remain eef eet please you. We hav' seen eet 
 before. To you, eet ees new." 
 
 And Lithgow remained out in the moonlight. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 127 
 
 He no longer watched the dancers. He strolled among the 
 orange trees. He threw himself down on the ground and 
 stared up through the foliage at the wide, indigo heavens. 
 
 " I had no more right to touch her hand than I would have 
 had to kiss her lips," he swore at himself savagely. " It was 
 sacrilege. She is a child." 
 
 He lifted his hand until the bright moonlight fell full upon 
 it. A tender look went over his face. He brought the hand 
 to his lips. A faint fragrance seemed to cling to his fingers. 
 He sighed. The stir of the music was still in his blood. He 
 could hear it rising and falling in that circle beyond the trees. 
 He knew that it was responsible for his lapse from fealty ; 
 but the lapse had been so full of sweetness ! An iinreasonable 
 exultant joy possessed him. He endeavored to crush it out of 
 recognition. 
 
 " She is the personification of the mystical being who figured 
 in my dreams under the old apple trees," he told himself with 
 a smile that was sad, " She will be one of those women who 
 move men unwittingly. She may go through life ignorant of 
 her fatal power. I don't know but that I hope she will. Yet, 
 
 — the thought of her as the wife of Theuriet is " He 
 
 sprang to his feet. He turned toward the white walls of the 
 
 house that held her. " 1 must not let it be anything to 
 
 me.'" he said resolutely. 
 
 He found the two planters lounging in the deep easy-chairs 
 in the court. 
 
 " Ah. wearied at last, eh !" saluted Palgrave. " Raquel has 
 begged to be excused. I believe that she has retired. Her 
 head was aching. She requested me to give you her buenas 
 noches." 
 
 " It will be some time before your escort can tear itself 
 away from the fascinations of the celebration, M. Theuriet." 
 the planter continued. " There have been extensive prepar- 
 ations going on all day. No doubt a feast is in store. Would 
 it not be better for you to remain the night." 
 
 The Frenchman would not be persuaded. 
 
 " You forget that Mr. Hamilton starts for zc forest een /,e 
 early hours," he reminded. " I will wait untcel midnight has 
 come. Ze men must be ready to accompany us to La Buena 
 Esperanza by zat time. Ze numbair ov zcm will rcmov' all 
 danger ov a posseebl' attack from ze dread Alarcon. I am 
 
128 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 verra cautious since ze warning ov ze bizarre creature called 
 'Faquita. ' " 
 
 " If only we had suspected the identity of that daring fellow, 
 we should have done the Spanish government a good service 
 and enriched our coffers," sighed the sugar planter. 
 
 " Ah, wiz him een ze safetee of ze Moro walls I certainlee 
 should feel more comforta-a-bl'," agreed M. Theuriet. 
 
 Listening to their conversation but taking small part in it, 
 Lithgow sat till midnight in the odorous hush of the quadran- 
 gle. The moonlight illumined the square and dimmed the 
 brightness of the ends of their cigars. The waters splashed 
 lazily in the fountain ; the thin curtains in the upper doorways 
 fluttered with the cool, night winds ; the palm shook its crest 
 with a shuddering breath as if it scented danger in the air. 
 
 Without, the plaintive melody gradually died away. The 
 dancers had been succeeded by other dancers who also had 
 given way in their turn, until, finally, the entire circle had 
 taken part in the entertainment and were ready to seek spots 
 of repose. 
 
 M. Theuriet's blacks presented themselves for service, 
 rather worn but still jubilant. 
 
 The drive to La Buena Esperanza was unusually silent. 
 
 M. Theuriet dozed a portion of the distance despite the 
 noise made by his accompanying guard galloping alongside. 
 Occasionally he aroused himself sufficiently to address his 
 companion in a polite attempt to disprove any possible accu- 
 sation of somnolency. 
 
 Lithgow lent himself to the sinuous motion of the volante, 
 but no sleep came. He was more keenly awake than he ever 
 had been in his life. 
 
 ' This moonlight would have driven Shelley mad !" he com- 
 mented reflectively. " Perhaps there is some excuse for me !" 
 
 CHAPTER XH. 
 
 The cavalcade which was to show the American the route 
 to the shrine chosen by Faquita started from the coffee plan- 
 tation before the fragrance-steeped darkness had been lifted 
 from the crowns of the hills. The melligenous dew dropped 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 129 
 
 noiselessly from the leaves to the earth. Here and there a be- 
 lated cocullo flashed with the indecision of firefly nature. 
 
 Though Faquita had said that the meeting would be at 
 night, Lithgow was anxious to reach the rendezvous early 
 enough in the afternoon to be certain of his plans. 
 
 The dissipation of the evening previous had left the blacks 
 very quite. So silent was the company that the hook-billed 
 judios scarcely were disturbed by this matutinal procession, 
 and only fluttered occasionally to a lower bough. 
 
 The foliage by the highway assumed fastastic and some- 
 times threatening shapes, but nothing stole out upon them 
 save the narcotic perfumes of a southern night. 
 
 " How the artistic soul of Beatrice would revel in the novelty 
 of these scenes, as widely dissimilar from prosaic New York 
 as would be the life of far-away India!" he exclaimed to him- 
 self as he observed the muscular forms of the blacks becoming 
 gradually more distinct with the approach of day. There was 
 not the long, lingering grayness of the north ere the first, faint 
 tinge of color appeared. With a suddenness that was bewilder- 
 ing, they found themselves in the midst of a marvelous glory 
 which seemed to have been created solely for them. The 
 mists still hung about them, reluctant to lift their white wings 
 and leave the vegetation to be again scorched by the heat of 
 the sun-god's passion. Every leaf dripped and crystal beads 
 clung to the manes of the horses. The hills were transfig- 
 ured. 
 
 Lithgow had witnessed sunrise from the Mongibello of the 
 Sicilians. He had stood awed while the huge monolith cast 
 its purpling shadow far across the world; but he had not ex- 
 perienced the emotions which swayed him now in a valley 
 shut in by mountains of Cuba. 
 
 " It is a dream !" he said softly. " If I could choose the hour 
 of my death, I would wish it might be when the sun rises over 
 Cuba !" 
 
 " Ah, you are beginning to feel ze lov' zat all ov Cuba's in- 
 habitants grow to experience for zc beautiful island," re- 
 marked M. Theuriet, suppressing a yawn. "Despite ze extor- 
 tions ov ze Spanish and ze drawbacks ov a life here, zose who 
 once know Cuba hav' for eet ze most maddening devotion." 
 
 They talked on desultorily while their horses steadily pur- 
 sued the easy gait known as the Cuban "march." Lithgow 
 9 
 
tjO A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 thought that possibly the Frenchman would mention the re- 
 sult of the conversation he had had with Raquel in the sala, 
 but M. Theuriet now was silent on that subject, though pre- 
 viously he had shown no hesitancy in discussing his hopes 
 with his whilom guest. 
 
 " It is none of my business," the American told himself with 
 prudent recollection. " If I had not chanced this way the 
 thing would have happened, and I been none the wiser or 
 sadder. Certainly I am not called upon to interfere. It is 
 past the days of knight errantry. What possible good would 
 it do if I should venture to overstep the bounds of etiquette 
 and expostulate with the old rascal? Already I have shown 
 him quite pointedly that his views are not in conformance 
 with mine. He means to secure — Raquel — " he hesitated 
 over the name. The fever of the music and the moonlight 
 was still in his veins. " Perhaps the union will be no worse 
 than those which are consummated yearly between impecu- 
 nious noblemen and wealthy American beauties, yet the heir- 
 esses are willing to assume the marriage bond, while she— the 
 child shrinks from it. She will sacrifice herself wantonly for 
 the sake of her father! Dare I warn him.? What is permissi- 
 ble in such a case? I am a stranger, but would he not condone 
 my interference?" 
 
 These thoughts came and went through his mind repeatedly 
 in various disguises while he conversed with his host and the 
 morning hours crept by. The penetrating sunlight revealed 
 flashes of brilliant red and green plumage among the branches 
 that spread above their path. Discordant shrieks of fright 
 and displeasure convinced them that the feathered tribe re- 
 sented this invasion of their realm. 
 
 They passed one dilapidated shrine where the entire group 
 of horsemen made obeisance to the grotesque little image 
 meant to represent the beautiful Mother of the Immaculate. 
 Lithgow removed his sombrero as the others did, but he 
 looked instead up at the towering mass of vegetation toward 
 which they were wending their way. 
 
 " Obediently they worship the symbol," he murmured, " but 
 can they entertain no conception of the magnificent Force 
 which builds and builds tirelessly while the Ages creep away? 
 This glorious burst of ever-renewing green life voices a ser- 
 mon that tongue of man never uttered and never can !" 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 131 
 
 " Zees ees not ze shrine, but we might eat our almuerzo here 
 by eets side," suggested M. Theuriet, ordering his men to dis- 
 mount and spread out the slight breakfast which had been 
 brought by them. 
 
 The hunger of the American made him appreciative of his 
 host's thoughtfuhiess. He threw himself down by the shrine 
 and sought to make himself more companionable than he had 
 been. For the hospitality which the coffee planter had ac- 
 corded him, he knew that he had been contemplating making 
 a poor return by attempting to thwart the plans that M. 
 Theuriet had entertained for so long. He felt guilty one 
 moment and justified the next. 
 
 " The sooner that I secure the woman Annizae and leave 
 the island, the better it will be for all concerned," he decided 
 as he drank a bottle of Catalonian wine with the Frenchman, 
 who, ignorant of the designs which he could not avoid nurs- 
 ing, wished him all possible success. " If Beatrice possessed 
 the power of projecting' her astral self through space and 
 could read my present dilemma, she would declare that she 
 had won her wager. But that I have wavered for one instant 
 in my allegiance to her she never shall know. She could 
 never understand the power of Cuban moonlight, the contra- 
 danza music — and Raquel! The child does not understand 
 her own power, that is what makes it so irresistible. Heigh- 
 ho! This is a queer world!" With which reflection he en- 
 deavored to banish from his consciousness the realization that 
 this girl of an isolated sugar plantation had moved him as 
 never woman had done before. But when they were again 
 mounted and skirting the edge of the forest, he learned the 
 troubling truth that the memory of those fatal moments would 
 not be consigned to oblivion. Back -into his thoughts it crept 
 with insidious sweetness, and he dwelt upon it with that weak- 
 ness which cries: 
 
 " It is only for this moment, this one moment out of life. 
 I will feed upon it while it lasts. None shall know of the 
 poison which it leaves in my blood. None shall dream of the 
 barrenness it seems to cast over all the years in which it must 
 be forgotten." 
 
 He remembered those lines of Jean Jaques Weiss : " The hu- 
 man mind is twice limited. It may love several times and it 
 may fully enjoy love but once." 
 
132 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 "I will enjoy it while I may," he resolved, "but Raqtiel 
 shall be none the wiser. Beatrice will be conscious of no loss. 
 I alone will be the one to suffer." 
 
 Wild pigeons flew among the foliage. M. Theuriet called 
 his attention to their lovely tinged necks and breasts. The 
 red throat of the bright green pedorreva attracted notice to 
 its fly-catching abilities by its sharp click. To the south rose 
 the mountain which Faquita had designated. Veiled in the 
 softest of greens, one never would have imagined how precipi- 
 tous the range was to which it belonged. By the side of the 
 highway foamed an angry little stream that finally would 
 spread into a river and gnaw its way through the hills to the sea. 
 
 The sun had grown hot. The road was dusty. 
 
 " We shall hav' long to wait, but ze rest will be refresh- 
 ing," said M. Theuriet. " Eet will not tak' us more zan two 
 hours to reach ze spot now." 
 
 " I am consumed with regret that I permitted you to under- 
 take this tedious trip, Monsieur Theuriet," declared Lithgow. 
 " Nothing but your unexcelled courtesy is responsible for this 
 self-abnegation, I am sure." 
 
 " Ah, pardon, you mistak'," protested M, Theuriet. " I am 
 anxious to perceiv' how you conquer ze madame. I am in- 
 terested in ze fortunes ov ze magnifique caballero who so 
 proudly refused to be rewarded. His story, eef eet be true, 
 ees most wonderful. I should be stupeed indeed did I not 
 mak' your efforts as easy as posseebl'." 
 
 The afternoon whiled itself away with languorous content. 
 With their horses concealed from view, the men arranged 
 themselves comfortably in the ambush that the underbrush 
 and vines afforded. Here they were comparatively safe from 
 attack in that they would have the advantage in case that 
 Faquita played them false by allowing Alarcon to learn of 
 the rendezvous. 
 
 It was the first time that the American had stepped within 
 the brooding gloom of a Cuban forest. Though just on the 
 edge of its mysteries, he was held speechless by what he be- 
 held. 
 
 He waved his hand upward to where he caught glimpses of 
 brilliant florescence high amid the canopy of emerald, through 
 which fell dim rays of sunlight that possessed the shadowy 
 refulgence known to groined cathedrals. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 133 
 
 " Perhaps it cost that boy nothing to go out from the slum- 
 berous beauty of this strange world, peopled with stalwart 
 sentinels of the years," he commented to M. Theuriet. " but I 
 count it an act of heroism. He did not know that he. was 
 walking into a fortune. He supposed that all that remained 
 for him was voluntary exile." 
 
 In the mean time Faquita and Annizae were threading the 
 labyrinthine forest paths with the speed which familiarity 
 gave. Alarcon and his men were absent from the camp. 
 They had been gone for three days. And those days had 
 been full of trouble to the woman who followed the steps of 
 Faquita. Her taciturn visage was heavy with anxiety, which 
 she endeavored to conceal beneath an atTectation of her usual 
 indifference. 
 
 Faquita moved with light tread. Most of the time her face 
 wore a smile that was excessively irritating to the older wo- 
 man, who shot angry glances at her as an occasional snatch of 
 song burst from her lips. 
 
 " Cuidado ! " she warned once. " How knowest thou that 
 Alarcon will not hear and follow? Thou art aware that he is 
 a chameleon; can he not even change himself into a tree.''' 
 
 Faquita shrugged her shoulders. 
 
 " Gonzalo is far from here," she declared. 
 
 " Quicit sabe ? " retorted Annizae. " Thou wouldst like noth- 
 ing better than that he should discover that I go in search of 
 Zunega." 
 
 "Ungrateful! Why then should I accompany you?" de- 
 manded Faquita. " Gonzalo is on the wrong track. Did I 
 not tell him that Zuiiega had gone south?" 
 
 " Ah, but he had not, you say. Who knows? Alarcon may 
 have found him here in these caves. What may not happen 
 in three days? Even now Zunega may be hanging between 
 two trees. When Gonzalo Alarcon's face wears the look it 
 does, it speaks of ill to him he hates." 
 
 Faquita said nothing. She had been too late to witness 
 Alarcon's anger when he discovered Zuiicga's treachery. She 
 had ridden into camp with the two horses when the wildness 
 of his rage was past; but there had been that in his eyes 
 which warned her it were not wise to vaunt her triumph. On 
 the spur of the moment .she had resorted to an expedient 
 which seemed preferable to sudden death. She had pre- 
 
134 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 tended that, discovering the absence of Zunega and his charge, 
 she had taken a second horse and had followed them in the 
 hope of persuading Zunega to return. This he had refused to 
 do ; and she had gone on and on with the expectation of dis- 
 covering his plans. He had outwitted her, however. He 
 had proceeded south over the mountains. Alarcon could go 
 himself and see if he could do better than she had. All this 
 she said with the appearance of truth in her face ; and Alarcon, 
 relinquishing the madness which had made him swear to 
 shoot her through the heart when he succeeded in tracking 
 her and her companions, credited her words and started over 
 the range in pursuit. He knew every hiding-place in the 
 range. Zuiiega could not escape. The dog should meet the 
 death of a traitor, and the seiiorita should be his again. So 
 he swore as he rode. And Annizae, knowing what the anger 
 of Gonzalo Alarcon meant, trembled for the safety of Zufiega. 
 
 The falsehood had not lain heavily on Faquita's conscience. 
 She knew that Zufiega was far toward safety before Alarcon 
 started in the opposite direction ; but she dared not tell An- 
 nizae. While she regretted the loss of her triumph she rea- 
 soned that it was better to be alive and able to win future 
 conquest than it would be to be dead and powerless to enjoy 
 the victory she had. 
 
 Her apparent heartlessness made Annizae raging. Nothing 
 but Annizae 's fear for Zuiiega, and her desire to see him and 
 urge him to fly far from the mountains, allowed her to endure 
 the presence of the girl. For some reason which she could 
 not explain to herself, she doubted the tale which Faquita 
 had related. It looked honest enough; Zuiiega was gone; 
 Faquita had returned. In spite of effort she failed to fathom 
 the reason of Zuiiega's action. She was wrathful at him even 
 while her mind was filled with fear for his safety. What had 
 there been about that little muchacha to make him faithless 
 to his chief? She had bitter words ready for him when Fa- 
 quita should at last lead her to the spot where he was in hid- 
 ing. It was a long journey; long even for her who was 
 accustomed to the wearisome struggles with forest tangles. 
 
 It was past ten when they emerged from the blackness of 
 the trees and approached the shrine. Faquita's heart sank 
 within her. There was not a sign of life. She bent before 
 the Virgin and said a prayer. But Annizae stood upright, 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 35 
 
 looking into the night with piercing vision. The glorious 
 moonlight flooded the scene. Suddenly she caught Faquita's 
 arm and half dragged her to her feet. 
 
 " One comes," she whispered. " Hast thou no signal?" 
 
 " No," answered Faquita. " I will go and see if it be 
 Zunega." 
 
 Annizae remained motionless. Her lips were tightly 
 pressed. She heard the crackling of bushes. She could not 
 yet distinguish the cause. Then Faquita's voice said cau- 
 tiously : 
 
 "Advance, seiior! It is Annizae." 
 
 Annizae shrunk back against the shrine. She gave a low 
 cry of anger. 
 
 " Faquita betrays me ! It is not Zunega !" she cried fiercely. 
 
 She could have darted into the shadow of the woods and 
 escaped, but her desire to be certain held her. Lithgow ap- 
 proached. She trembled, though she knew by his costume 
 that he was not one of the guardia civile; consequently what 
 should there be to fear? 
 
 " It is one who brings news of Zuiiega," Faquita told her 
 breathlessly. " He is safe." 
 
 Annizae was full of suspicion. 
 
 " Donde ? " she interrogated cautiously. 
 
 " In Havana," replied Lithgow. " He is going to the United 
 States." 
 
 She was silent through astonishment for a moment, then 
 she demanded: 
 
 " How know you, seiior?" 
 
 He flashed into the moonlight the ring which he wore. 
 Wondering what would be the result, he answered: 
 
 " This ring tells me, Brojvn Annizae. Shall I mention 
 what else it reveals?" 
 
 Her eyes travelled from his face to the ring and back again. 
 Her limbs seemed to give way beneath her. Her voice was 
 hoarse when she accused : 
 
 " He has been killed! These are lies that you speak!" 
 
 " Listen, Brown Annizae" advised Lithgow impressively. 
 " You shall hear what this ring makes known." He was posi- 
 tive that she crouched backward with the repetition of her 
 name as it had been spoken in the years past. He wished 
 that it were daylight that he might better study her face. He 
 
136 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 changed his position so that the moonlight fell full upon her. 
 " Zunega goes to the States and he goes to England. He 
 crosses the deep waters that his father did. He must claim 
 the fortune which his father went to claim at the time when 
 you stole Zufiega from the ship and put your own child in 
 his place." 
 
 He did not have to watch closely the effect of his announce- 
 ment. Annizae was huddled together, her face in her hands. 
 To her superstitious mind this man was possessed of the Evil 
 One or was that personage himself. How could he know so 
 much if he were not? No one but herself knew this which he 
 was uttering. No priest had won it from her breast. She 
 had whispered it before no cross. She shook with a fright in 
 which was mingled her old-time hatred. If he knew so much 
 he must know more, she argued to herself vaguely. She 
 lifted her great eyes with a question burning in them. 
 
 " She? Where is she? Does the ring tell that too, seiior?" 
 she demanded, never for a moment dreaming of denying it 
 all. What was the use of declaring it false when he knew? 
 He possessed the " evil eye," or he could not look that far 
 back in the years. No doubt his glance would poison her ; 
 she would die as the victim of the fer-dc-lance dies, the rotten 
 flesh dropping from her bones! But— she would ask one 
 question. Out of the silence of the years which had elapsed 
 she would wring one satisfaction. She would know the fruits 
 of her revenge. 
 
 " She is dead !" answered Lithgow solemnly. 
 
 " Gracias d Dios f she shrieked ecstatically. " La Madre de 
 Jesii has heard my prayers. I have burned candles on every 
 shrine, praying that death would take her from him. But it 
 has been so long— I grew tired; sometimes I almost forgot. 
 Now, I remember again! Where is hel Are you of his 
 blood?" She leaned nearer him. The sudden savagery in 
 her face made the American experience a chill in spite of 
 himself. " Is that how you can tell things which even the 
 priests themselves cannot bring to light, or, are you el diablo?" 
 
 " I am neither," returned Lithgow. " I have come to tell 
 Zuiiega that you are not his mother ; that you have robbed 
 him of all his rights. I have come to take both of you to 
 England, where you are to make reparation for the wrong you 
 have done him." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 137 
 
 "I go never, seiior," she said defiantly. 
 
 "Those whose hearts you broke are dead," Lithgow told 
 her solemnly. " You need have no fear. No punishment 
 awaits you." 
 
 " Is /ie dead?" she repeated. She leaned heavily against 
 the shrine. 
 
 " He is dead. Zufiega goes to take his place as Lord Har- 
 berton." 
 
 She remained silent. 
 
 Faquita had stood spellbound. She had expected anything 
 but this strange, submissive manner, so unlike Annizae. 
 
 " There was another child," reminded Lithgow. " Have 
 you forgotten?" 
 
 An unexpected fury flamed into life. Her entire manner 
 altered. There in the moonlight, in her unkempt attire, with 
 her hair loose and wild, she looked like a Medusa. 
 
 " What did she do with him?" she cried wildly. " She took 
 my place; it was right that my child should take the position 
 of hers. Was it not all that I could do? Sorry? i\uniu.' 
 Aht7ica ! I know that it cost her tears; I meant that it should. 
 It was her time to weep, as I had done. Did she kill him? 
 That would not give her back her own. No ! I thought of all 
 that. I put her own beyond her reach. She can never have 
 him. She is dead? It is just!" 
 
 " She educated him," replied Lithgow, excited with this 
 certain proof of Zufiega's identity. " You made a bandit out 
 of her child. She tried to make a gentleman out of yours." 
 
 He watched every change of her dark features. He read 
 that to win her to accompany him, he must play upon the de- 
 lights of the triumph which the years had brought her. 
 
 " No power now can keep you from walking through the 
 rooms where she was known as mistress," he suggested. " The 
 time was when he would not permit you to be taken to his 
 country; now, there is nothing to prevent your going as she 
 went. Once in England you can learn for yourself if my 
 words be true. You will taste the sweetness of the ven- 
 geance you wrought. You no longer will be one who hides 
 from pursuit. You believe that Heaven has placed your tri- 
 umph in your hands — no? Will you let it slip through your 
 fingers? Will you not see for yourself what was done with 
 the son you relinquished? I have come far to tell you thi.;. 
 
13S A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 but had it not been for Zunega's nobleness in restoring the 
 senorita it would have remained untold. You never would 
 have known the satisfaction which now shines in your eyes. 
 You would have lived and died an outlaw. As it is, the ease 
 and luxury which were hers will be yours." 
 
 She shook her head. But the long-smothered instincts of 
 femininity had received an electric touch. They sprung into 
 energetic life with a suddenness that surprised her. " The 
 things that were hers will be yours." That was a temptation 
 which stirred her to her very depths. All the wild hunger 
 and ambition that had been her misery in the days gone by 
 now swept over her resistlessly with the strength of pent-up 
 force. The poison of the malice which had burned in her 
 blood ate into her heart once more. Memory was alive again. 
 The narcotic influence of the forest had lulled it into a repose 
 which had been deceptive. The fury of the passion which 
 had caused her to forfeit her own flesh and blood in order to 
 rob her rival of happiness stormed within her in all its old 
 mastery after this long stretch of years. Go? Was there a 
 spot on earth to which she would not go if she might drain 
 this triumph of all its joy? 
 
 She did not know what time sped by while she relived the 
 past and dared to peer with victorious gaze on into the won- 
 derful future which her uneducated fancy opened before her. 
 With drawn brows, a cruel smile, and demoniacal-looking 
 hair, she half knelt in front of the shrine, but there was no 
 supplication in her breast that the unholy pleasure which was 
 affording her unbounded satisfaction might be removed from 
 her for the good of her soul. Neither was there thought of 
 possible good to Zunega in her mind. Everything was con- 
 sumed in the selfish fire of jealousy and hatred, on which fresh 
 faggots had been piled. 
 
 M. Theuriet had crept carefully from his place of conceal- 
 ment and stood behind her. 
 
 She appeared oblivious to them all. 
 
 Lithgow observed her anxiously. He realized that she was 
 undergoing a struggle, but of its fierceness he had no concep- 
 tion. He had resolved that if she refused to go peaceably he 
 would have her taken by force. He knew that the men were 
 in readiness. He glanced up at the heavens. The cross was 
 not visible, but he felt the hour was late. 
 
A DAUGHTEK OF CUBA. 139 
 
 " Midnight is near. We must be gone. Go you with us, 
 Annizae?" 
 
 She lifted herself as from a dream. She arose to her full 
 height. There was something magnificent about the crea- 
 ture. Her life in the midst of cultured people had given her 
 a grace of bearing and a refinement which had not been wholly 
 lost in the nomadic existence she since had led. The Ameri- 
 can was conscious of a wave of surprised admiration. That 
 she had possessed in her youth the matchless beauty which a 
 mixture of blood sometimes bestows was not to be doubted. 
 
 "If your words be true, senior," she said with a decisive 
 tone he had not expected. 
 
 " How can I prove their truth save by this ring?" he ques- 
 tioned, going close to her and holding his hand so that she 
 might inspect the ornament as well as was possible by moon- 
 light. " You recognize it?" 
 
 " It is Zuiiega's, senor," she declared. 
 
 " No ; Zuiiega wears his still. This is what was sent to con- 
 vince you of what I have said. When we reach Havana you 
 will see that Zuiiega's is where he placed it when you gave 
 it to him." 
 
 " How know I that I will not be imprisoned, senor?" She 
 looked out at him sharply. 
 
 " You do not know unless you can believe my word," he 
 admitted. " I promise you that no harm shall be yours. 
 When Zunega is proven to be the rightful heir to Harberton 
 Towers, you may return to these forests if you will. You 
 will have gold of your own. You may do what you please." 
 
 Though no idea had been suggested by the lawyer as to 
 what disposition would be made of Annizae, he thtmght he 
 was safe in making the assertion. Those last words of his 
 were happy ones. They appeared to decide her. She threw 
 out her hands and permitted them to drop at her sides with 
 an air of capitulation. 
 
 " I go, senor," she agreed. 
 
 Lithgow gave a quick signal, and immediately they were 
 surrounded by M. Theuriet's men. 
 
 Annizae did not suppress a start of surprise at their appear- 
 ance. She understood now that had she not gone willingly, 
 she would have been taken. Fear seized her, but she reflected 
 that if she did not see the ring on Zuiiega's finger in Havana 
 
MO A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 she would know that deceit was in the stranger's mouth and 
 she then could effect her escape. She comforted herself with 
 the thought that her wits were liable to be as sharp as those 
 of an ingles, and she resolved to trust to luck. 
 
 The horses were brought forth and Annizae mounted with 
 the ease of accustomedness. 
 
 Faquita leaned against the shrine. A depression was 
 creeping over her. She meant to retrace her steps through 
 the forest with haste. It would not do for her to be absent 
 from the camp if Alarcon should return. She wished to seem 
 to have had no part in this disappearance of Annizae. 
 
 Lithgow held out his hand to her in farewell. 
 
 " Why not go with us?" he said gently. " This forest life 
 is not for such as you. You have known other things." 
 
 " And if I have, what then, seiior?" she queried in the same 
 tone. 
 
 " Does your heart never turn back toward them?" 
 
 " My heart is here, seiior," she said with a sort of sad joy. 
 " I have followed it, that is all." 
 
 He looked up to where Annizae sat motionless, waiting. 
 
 " It is to Faquita that you owe your triumph, Bnm'n Anni- 
 zae" he said. " But for her Zunega never would have brought 
 the seiiorita to the walls of La Sacra Sonrisa." 
 
 Annizae expressed no gratitude. She only looked down at 
 Faquita with a knowing smile and said : 
 
 " That was better than the manchineel apple, Faquita — no?" 
 
 Faquita's eyes flashed. She dimly understood Annizae's 
 accusation, though it was unfounded. 
 
 " The manchineel apple would have been preferable to the 
 fate that thou wert willing the seiiorita should have," she 
 cried bitterly. 
 
 Annizae's broad shoulders shrugged with irresponsibility. 
 
 "Thou wast thinking of thyself as ever, Faquita," she re- 
 turned. " I know well that thou wouldst have brought no 
 good to me if thou hadst known what thou wert doing." 
 
 "Who knows that it is good that will come?" queried 
 Faquita. 
 
 " Hush !" begged Lithgow. " The service you have done 
 has been too great to spoil in this manner. If Annizae has 
 no thankfulness, I have. But for you my success in restoring 
 Zunega to his rights would be out of the question. There are 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 141 
 
 Other ways than words by which to show appreciation. Is 
 there no manner in which I can communicate with you to tell 
 you if Zuiiega comes into his own?" 
 
 Faquita hesitated. 
 
 " You have kindness, sefior," she said finally. " Perhaps a 
 word to Benito Sanchez at San Juan might reach me." 
 
 " The word shall be there," he promised. " AJios !" 
 
 " Vaya J', con Dios, scnor," she said as he took his seat in 
 the saddle. 
 
 The line of horsemen filed away. 
 
 Annizae glanced back over her shoulder. Faquita still 
 leaned against the shrine. Annizae pulled up her horse. 
 She scarcely could believe that this woman riding away with 
 strangers was herself. She felt an almost irresistible inclina- 
 tion to wheel, ride back for Faquita, and then fly into the re- 
 treats of the forest away from this temptation. But the hand 
 of the American was on her horse's bridle. On his features 
 was a smile of comprehension. 
 
 " The forest may know you again, Annizae," he said, " but 
 not now." 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Anniz.\e was established at the coffee plantation and, though 
 she was ignorant of the fact, was well guarded. This entree 
 once again into a home was not without its charm to the wo- 
 man, though she was reminded of earlier days in a manner 
 that was distressing. She was moody and ill content, and 
 Lithgow perceived that he must lose no time in getting to 
 Havana. 
 
 But the elation which he would have expected to experi- 
 ence in connection with his success was wholly lacking. lie 
 was conscious of an absolute pain with the thought that he 
 could count the hours that remained for him of this Jolce-far- 
 nientc life. 
 
 He had one more day only. He shook his head at his own 
 reflection that morning as he shaved himself. 
 
 " I suspect that it is a lucky thing that you've got to go, my 
 boy," he remarked. " It would be scarcely permissible to 
 snatch the girl from her elderly suitor and take her to America 
 
142 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 to present to Beatrice ; yet I believe that is the suggestion 
 which has come to you in the disguise of a noble action." 
 
 He rode over to La Sacra Sonrisa with M. Theuriet in the 
 afternoon. They were to dine with the sugar planter and 
 return home early, as the start was to be made before day- 
 break. 
 
 That subtle sadness of the south was in the air. It weighed 
 upon his heart. With a pang of genuine reproach Lithgow 
 realized that in leaving Beatrice behind him unwed, he had 
 not suffered the heaviness of soul which encompassed him 
 now. 
 
 " It is because I know what lies in store for Raquel," he told 
 himself excusingly. " None could fail to be moved by the 
 contemplation of such a sacrifice." 
 
 He was hoping for an opportunity to have a word alone 
 with her, but there appeared to be little prospect. He had not 
 seen her since the night of the contradanza. Covertly he 
 watched to see if any remembrance of it lay in her manner. 
 When he failed to detect any he caught himself wondering if 
 he had dreamed that thrilling clasp of the hand. 
 
 " She is not the child that I thought," he commented si- 
 lently. " She has the power of concealment." And, manlike, 
 he became more anxious to peer beneath the surface which 
 Raquel had succeeded in making appear so unruffled. 
 
 Both she and her father were exceedingly interested in 
 hearing the full account of the meeting with Annizae. When 
 Lithgow declared that in his own mind he was convinced that 
 Zuiiega was the long-sought heir to Harberton Towers, Ra- 
 quel voiced the most exuberant gladness and inspired the 
 others with her enthusiasm. 
 
 " Will he have much money, senor?" she queried. 
 
 "Money to burn, I fancy," he replied, "though I am not 
 certain as to the extent of the estate." 
 
 " Why, Raquel?" asked her father. " What is it to you?" 
 
 " Nothing, of course," she returned. " I simply felt some 
 wonderment as to what use he would make of it. He never 
 has had money; it will seem strange to him." 
 
 Her father laughed. 
 
 " You speak as with the familiarity of long acquaintance," 
 he told her teasingly. 
 
 " Sometimes with the acquaintance of a day friendships are 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 143 
 
 formed more strong and enduring than those wliich have been 
 years in growth," Lithgow observed, speaking to Palgrave 
 but looking at Raquel. 
 
 He was rewarded by a glance from her, one that led him 
 to add : 
 
 " I hope ours will prove such." 
 
 " Thank you," smiled the Englishman. " Why should it not? 
 You are our liantasse, remember! I trust that you will come 
 down to see our friend Thcuriet here every season." 
 
 " I am afraid that luck like this will not fall my way 
 again," Lithgow replied regretfully. "In all probability I 
 shall not see Cuba's shores for many years." He was watch- 
 ing Raquel's face. - He saw it change. A warm glow crept 
 through his heart. Faithful or unfaithful, the man does not 
 live who does not feel gratified to learn that his comings or 
 goings are no longer a matter of utter indifference to a beau- 
 tiful woman. 
 
 "Who knows what may have befallen us before then?" 
 mused the sugar planter. " These walls may encircle other 
 faces than ours by that time, Raquel ! La Sacra Sonrisa may 
 have another master." 
 
 " It never shall have other master than you, papa into" 
 Raquel said, with a significance that he did not perceive. 
 
 " That is woman's hopefulness," smiled her father, reaching 
 out his hand to touch her dark, insubordinate hair with ten- 
 der fingers. " After all, I shall care little what fortune comes 
 so long as I have you. My late hoiirs of torture have taught 
 me that, querida mia." 
 
 " And they taught me the identical lesson," she replied, 
 turning her face upward with a resolve written upon it that 
 it turned Lithgow's heart cold to see. " Nothing is of any 
 value to me except you and your happiness." 
 
 " Ah, saw you ever such devotion?" cried the man to his 
 friends. And they observed that tears were in his eyes. " We 
 owe that scoundrel, Alarcon, something after all. He re- 
 vealed to each the worth of the other, eh? I will be worthy 
 of your affection, sweetheart; the plantation shall be held if 
 wits and energy can do it. If not, we will shoulder our traps 
 and move on. 'While there is life, there is hope' !" 
 
 " But it would kill you to relinquish this place," sighed 
 Raquel, with her eyes on his face. 
 
144 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Almost, not quite," he admitted. " I love it for many rea- 
 sons. It was here that I brought your mother. The few 
 years that were ours together were spent here, and they were 
 the happiest of my life. I pray that as happy ones will come 
 to you." 
 
 Raquel's eyelids quivered and fell. A great wave of blood 
 swept up over her face, then ebbed, leaving her a deathly 
 white. She leaned back in the deep rocking-chair. Only 
 Lithgow noticed that her fingers were clasped convulsively 
 in her lap. 
 
 " I shall be happy," she said slowly and distinctly, but the 
 voice did not sound like her own. All of the caressing music 
 and soft cadences seemed to have died out of its tones. " I 
 am going to marry monsieur, paj>a mio. You and I never will 
 be separated." 
 
 Lithgow could not have moved if his life had depended 
 upon it. He felt as if every portion of his physical mechan- 
 ism gave way with a sickening sensation that made his eyes 
 blur and his brain reel. He saw the master of La Sacra 
 Sonrisa lean toward his daughter with unmitigated astonish- 
 ment on his features. 
 
 " Marry — M. Theuriet?" he repeated dazedly. " Has he 
 dared to — to ask — you?" He now was on his feet and advanc- 
 ing threateningly toward his neighbor of years. Rage, 
 wounded honor, all the passion of a father's love was in his 
 manner. M. Theuriet shrank perceptibly before him, though 
 he had risen also and stood with his arms folded. 
 
 " You have betrayed the fact of that despicable contract," 
 accused Gilbert Palgrave in the voice that only an aroused 
 Englishman can assume. " I relied on your honor as a man 
 never to reveal it. Nothing but the horrible circumstances 
 forced me into it, and you know it." 
 
 " Pardon, mon ami, ze contract has not been mentioned," dc' 
 clared the Frenchman. " I believ' zat ze seiiorita knows not 
 of eets exeestence. I hav' asked her to be my wife. What 
 more or what less can a man do when he loves a woman? 
 Eef she consents not, eet ees my loss. Eef you pairmit her to 
 accept me, my love, and my fortune, neither you nor she ever 
 shall regret eet, as le ban Dicii loves us all !" 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave paused irresolutely. He looked from M. 
 Theuriet back at Raquel. He could not doubt the French- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 145 
 
 man's words, yet he felt that he also must hear from Raquers 
 lips that no mention of the unfortunate contract had been 
 made to urge her into this inexplicable acceptance of the 
 aged neighbor's suit. 
 
 "What has led you to make this decision, Raquel?" he de- 
 manded. 
 
 There was a little fright in her eyes as she looked up for 
 the first time. She glanced appealingly at M. Theuriet. 
 Would he not help her to keep from divulging the real reason? 
 
 She knew that to reveal it would be to forfeit this oppor- 
 tunity of placing her father on his feet financially; for if he 
 divined that she was making a sacrifice he would lose both 
 estate and life before he would allow it. 
 
 " I hav' offaired her ze delights ov Havanese society, ze fas- 
 cinations ov travel, ze gratification ov all her desires," inter- 
 posed the Frenchman quietly. " Pairhaps zose hav' influ- 
 enced her. She loves me not now, I am ^ware ov zat. But I 
 hop' to mak' her feel affection for irie, mon ami, wiz your 
 pairmission." 
 
 " Is it true, Raquel?" questioned Palgrave anxiously. "Do 
 these promised things make you content to marry this man 
 who is old enough to be your father?" 
 
 Raquel dared not lift her lids. She was afraid that he 
 would read the truth. She went toward him swiftly and hid 
 her face against his breast, 
 
 " I wish to marry monsieur," she said faintly, " if you have 
 no objections." 
 
 Palgrave lifted her face and looked into it searchingly, but 
 the horror which the closed lids shielded did not reacii his 
 troubled heart. 
 
 "I should have mountainous objections if I thought that 
 my fears were true," he answered, " but if you really desire to 
 become the wife of our life-time friend, it is not for me to 
 interfere. I don't know as a better man could be found any- 
 where, or one who would make a kinder husband. He can- 
 not take it amiss if I confess that I had desired a younger 
 mate for you, one more in keeping with your own youth ful- 
 ness. You have seen nothing of the world yet, cara mia ; it 
 might be better to wait." 
 
 " You speak of a contract," she reminded. " What was it?" 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave hesitated. He was much averse to telling 
 10 
 
146 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 her its conditions, but he reasoned quickly that it might be 
 wiser for him to explain the matter himself than to permit M. 
 Theuriet some time to do so. 
 
 " Simply this, dearest," he began with a long breath, " in 
 my trouble, M. Theuriet suggested a way out of the dilemma. 
 He offered to fiirnish the amount of the ransom — you under- 
 stand that I was utterly unable to furnish even a centavo my- 
 self — on the condition that I gave my consent that you should 
 become his wife. This I would not do; but finally I was 
 forced, when Alarcon came demanding the gold, to send for 
 our friend and tell him that I agreed on the condition that you 
 should be allowed to choose. I felt certain that you would 
 refuse to comply with his request, and, in that case I would 
 be only glad to forfeit everything and start out fresh in life 
 on some other basis than that of sugar production. We could 
 go away somewhere and live in a meagre way. All I was 
 anxious about was you ; you are so — so dissatisfied, I feared 
 you might weary of poverty." He felt his daughter cling 
 tighter to him and he went on : " Then the opportunity to se- 
 cure you by even that means failed. We were frantic. Pos- 
 sibly you have not been told, but Gonzalo Alarcon refused the 
 ransom because he said that he would not relinquish you to 
 the arms of a rival like M. Theuriet. I hope you compre- 
 hend, Raquel, that it was only the terrible position in which 
 I was placed that made me contemplate such a contract with 
 quietude. As it was, I sought to make it one that would be 
 binding only to me ; you were to be free to follow the dictates 
 of your heart. Finally, through the brave action of that one 
 whom you call Zufiega, you were returned without any ran- 
 som, so that relieves both of us from its terms. Were you 
 unaware of all this?" 
 
 " Yes, papa," she nodded, her resolution only the more 
 firmly fixed in her mind. Ignorant of life save as she knew it 
 from books, she really had small comprehension of all that 
 this decision actually meant to her future. Moved by a noble 
 spirit of filial love, she imagined that the strong uplifting that 
 she experienced at this moment of self-renunciation would 
 enable her to bear herself through all the suceeding days. 
 
 " Then nothing influenced you in this decision which you 
 have given M. Theuriet?" he questioned. 
 
 Raquel not once had permitted her glance to wander in the 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. M7 
 
 •American's direction. Now, however, it was almost as if his 
 powerful, keen gaze had compelled hers. Beneath her lan- 
 guorous lids her eyes wavered. She read in his that he had 
 not forgotten the night when their hands had met as their 
 eyes met now. And she knew that he now discovered that 
 she also remembered. Nothing had influenced her? She 
 was ashamed to feel how the careless words of this northerner 
 uttered a few moments previous had made her present deci- 
 sion possible and in her mind half necessary. He was going 
 away. Neither she nor Cuba might see him again. What 
 more was left to life save this sacrifice, which would benefit 
 her father more than any other thing on earth — except Cuba's 
 freedom — could? And the American should know that he 
 was nothing to her. This declaration of her acceptance of 
 M. Theuriet would prove to him that the startling revelation 
 which had borne itself in upon her with such force, that rare 
 moment in the moonlight when the subtle frenzy of the music 
 pulsed through her veins, had been unwelcome. 
 
 She managed to tear her eyes away from the magnetic ones 
 of Lithgow before she answered her father gently, in a way 
 with which he was forced to feign content : 
 
 " Nothing has influenced me — except love — for you," and 
 the fact that the last two words were inaudible to any but her 
 own soul made her reply something surprising to M. Theuriet 
 as well as to the father. 
 
 The accepted suitor moved toward her in a reverential 
 manner that did him credit. He bowed his gray head over 
 Raquel's cold fingers with a murmur of joy to which she gave 
 no heed. She was aware only of the American's set mouth 
 and stern eyes, and she was woman enough to take a certain 
 pride in her sad triumph. 
 
 " Seiior, you do not congratulate me," observed M. Theuriet. 
 smiling, rejoicing because of the unexpected tact with which 
 Raquel had engineered the announcement. Despite his 
 anxiety to secure Raquel. he had experienced some trepida- 
 tion concerning the manner with which Gilbert Palgrave 
 would receive the news. The girl's care to keep the true rea- 
 son for her decision from her father did not ofi"end the French- 
 man. It simply made him commend himself for his astute- 
 ness in reading her character aright. 
 
 Lithgow arose to his feet and bowed gravely. Fiercely he 
 
148 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 \Vas cDhdelnning the conventionalities of life. lii the knightly 
 days it would have been quite jjefmissible to seize this niaiden 
 and ride away with her to safety and to love ; but in this end 
 of the century nothing remained but to shake her aged lover 
 by the hand and wish him the good that the gods provide. 
 
 " I have the watmest desires for the happiness of both of 
 you," he contrived to say; " the celebration of your betrothal 
 brings my visit to a more joyflil close than I had anticipated. 
 Seiiorita Raquel honors me by announcing it in iny presehce." 
 
 He made his exit into the court gracefully, as if he deemed 
 it the most natural thing that they should be left alone. 
 There he stood very still. He inwardly felt like uprooting 
 every growing thing in the place, but he remained as calm a& 
 one ihUst in this age of self-repression. Gilbert Palgrave 
 came out to hirti there, after having taken Raquel in his arms 
 to wish her all of the joy that possibly can come to mortal. 
 The sugar planter offered him a cigar and lighted himself one. 
 Lithgow debated within himself whether silence was the hon- 
 orable course to pursue. 
 
 " I wonder if a man ever learns to iindetstand women," Pal- 
 grave said half to himself. " How that child can rharry 
 Theuriet, though I must confess that I like him well enough 
 myself, is beyond my comprehensioii!" 
 
 Before Lithgow could answer, Raquel's voice was at his 
 elbow. She seemed to be afraid that he might betray her. 
 He understood her When she said : 
 
 " Your hours with us are to be so few that I do not mean 
 to be deprived of any of them, setior." 
 
 " That is right," cried her father. " We have dubious days 
 in store, but let u5 banish them while we may." 
 
 Lithgow felt that he never should forget the awkwatdness 
 of thit otherwise delightful dinner which consumed the re- 
 mainder of the afternoon. He was fconscioUS that his own 
 manner had taken on an air of restraint, and he could see that 
 Raquel's had also. They talked at each other as if miles in- 
 tervened ; and all the while each counted the minutes which 
 were drifting dreamily away. Under the spur of his happi- 
 tiess Theuriet became very talkative, and even went so far as 
 to plan the little journeys into the outer world with which he 
 hoped to buy Raquel's love. Lithgow was very quiet. Once 
 he said : 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 49 
 
 "And you will coine as far north as New York, of course." 
 
 " Cictiamcnte," agreed the Frenchman, feeling that nothing 
 was too much to promise on this occasion. " In zat way we 
 may hav' ze plaisir ov seeing you again, eef you come not 
 more to Cuba." 
 
 To Lithgow there was something gruesome in this familiar 
 manner in which the prospective bridegroom spoke of himself 
 and Raquel as " we." He found himself objecting to it silently 
 again and again during the course of the afternoon. And he 
 smiled at himself with mingled amusement and reproach as 
 he realized how completely he was making this girl's troubles 
 and sorrows his own. He fashioned to himself the coniments 
 ■which Beatrice would give, providing that he ever m<^de her 
 his father confessor in this affair as he had in others. But in 
 his heart he knew that the thoughts which he entertained to- 
 ward this unsophisticated maiden of a sugar plantation were 
 such a,s would be locked up securely forever. 
 
 When, just a short time before the hour for departure, he 
 suddenly discovered that both of the planters had withdrawn 
 for a moment and he was alone with her, he became afraid of 
 himself. 
 
 " Be careful, my boy," he cautioned. "It is better to say 
 nothing than to say that which were better unsaid." 
 
 The silence between them grew full of meaning. To break 
 it he ventured finally: 
 
 " You soon will become of the larger life of the world, sen- 
 orita. Your dreaming will be past. It will be as if you had 
 drifted from some shady, quiet river-cove out into the tem- 
 pestuous waters of the sea. Your course will be crossed by 
 crafts from other ports. You will speak them and go on your 
 way wiser, possibly happier." 
 
 Raquel sat dipping her finger-tips tlionghtfully into the 
 water of the old fountain. She was thinking what the days 
 would be like, when this man with his comjianionablc ways 
 was gone. She had had a foretaste of them during the short 
 time he had been away in his search for Annizae. And the 
 American was telling himself that the curves of the girl's 
 lovely lips had grown firmer, the eyelids heavier, the oval 
 face paler. 
 
 " You are a craft from another port," she remarked in a low 
 tone. 
 
15° A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Yes, the first, but not the last," he assented, loosening the 
 curb a little. " There will be many. I only pray that one 
 will not come whose course you will wish to make your own — 
 but cannot because of the one you have chosen to-day." 
 
 " You are unkind, seiior," she said coldly. 
 
 " I do not mean to be," he returned gently. " I think you 
 are unkind to yourself. I am torn by conflicting desires; to 
 tell your father of the mistake you are making; to do as you 
 appear to wish me to do — keep silent." 
 
 " It would be cruel to both of us to tell him," she declared. 
 " Here is my opportunity to make my life worth something." 
 
 "I fail to see it in that way." Lithgow shook his head. 
 " You are throwing it away, from my point of view." 
 
 " If throwing it away benefits another, will that not be 
 well?" she asked. "Lives are wasted yearly in famine, pes- 
 tilence, war. I should count myself happy if I might lose life 
 in fighting for Cuba. Is it less noble to — die daily through 
 long years?" 
 
 " But, child, it is unnecessary," he cried despairingly. " You 
 feel capable of it now, but you don't begin to know what you 
 are talking about. And the years are so long when one lives 
 them." 
 
 " What is life, after all?" she murmured wearily. 
 
 " Something that most of us willingly would relinquish if 
 we knew just what lay beyond," he answered. " When all is 
 said, it is true that there does not seem to be much use in liv- 
 ing. The individual appears to count for little save in iso- 
 lated cases, where a rare soul makes itself felt in work for its 
 race. My life, for instance, has never been worth anything, 
 even to myself. I struggle, achieve a trifle, suffer, enjoy — 
 and for what? I benefit no one in particular. My only bat- 
 tlefield is myself, and even on that arena I fear that I do not 
 fight very valiantly." 
 
 "You have benefited )ne, seiior," she affirmed quietly, 
 " this moment." 
 
 " How?" he queried with surprise. 
 
 " You say that even you, a man with a man's splendid 
 chances — benefit no one, that all your efforts are for naught. 
 Should I not then more joyfully embrace this which will make 
 my battling not wholly worthless and without fruit? No doubt 
 I always will war, if not for Cuba, then against existing con- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 151 
 
 ditions; it seems to be my nature. As it now is, the battle 
 simply will be the silent one between my two selves: the new, 
 subdued one, burdened with the sense of debt and duty, which 
 has betrothed itself ; and the old one, restless, ambitious, de- 
 termined to do, not simply to be." 
 
 " Which self do you fancy will win?" Lithgow was very 
 earnest. 
 
 " Ah, who knows?" she breathed. " Might not the contend- 
 ing forces wear the battlefield out? — make a wreck of it?" 
 
 " They would be likely to leave irremediable evidences of 
 the merciless ravages of war," warned he. " Many faces bear 
 witness to such concealed struggles. It grieves me that 
 yours is to be of the number." 
 
 He arose and began moving about the court restlessly, 
 hands behind him. Words rushed to his tongue. He shut 
 them back resolutely. Something— some other calmer self — 
 seemed to be comparing this moment with that one in Bea- 
 trice's studio, when he had asked her to be his wife. He had 
 felt timid then, a little doubtful, but no such wild emotions 
 had warred within him as these, which threatened to leap up 
 volcano-like and rush with dangerous force outward in a glow 
 of burning speech. At last he brought himself to a pause in 
 front of Raquel. 
 
 " Shall you care to hear if Zuiiega gets his rights?" he 
 asked. 
 
 Eagerness once more shot up into her face. 
 
 " If I may," she answered. " None could be more interested 
 than I. Will you tell him so?" 
 
 " With pleasure," he replied. " May I write you — through 
 your father?" 
 
 " A letter from the outside world ! You cannot dream wliat 
 that would be to me," was her answer, given without looking 
 at him. 
 
 Lithgow knew that the volcanic fire was breaking its 
 bounds. It burned in his eyes, on his lips. He bent his head 
 nearer hers. Only the palm would have heard the next 
 words, but 
 
 " Ze caballos are at ze entrance. Monsieur Hamilton." 
 
 The voice of M. Theuriet came between them witli the 
 force of a dynamite bomb, that seemed to hurl them leagues 
 apart. 
 
152 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA, 
 
 " Eet ees ze saddest part ov life zat adieus must be spoken," 
 the voice went on, " but you will veseet Cuba again, let us 
 hop'. And you will find ze seiiorita a happy wife, eef lov' 
 and devotion can make her so* while ze happiest man in ze 
 island will be su segiiro servidvr, as ze Spaniards say." 
 
 " You have hot neglected to bring me the book you prom- 
 ised, I hope, sefior," Raquel said quietly, ignoring the speech 
 of the coffee plantef. In the knowledge that Lithgow was 
 going to leave something which had been his, there was a con- 
 solation that nerved her to witness his departure with a face 
 on Which was mirrored none of the dread that her soul felt. 
 He was only too well aware that she did not love the French- 
 man, but she was determined that he should not read to what 
 depths he had stirred her nature in these brief days during 
 which their lives had touched. 
 
 " I had not forgotten." Lithgow took it from his pocket and 
 placed it in her hahd; " I prefer not to say 'good-by.' Life 
 is long and the world is small. We may meet again ; until 
 then, permit me to speak as you Cubans do : God walk with 
 you! ' 
 
 He shook hands with Gilbert Palgrave, then mounted, and 
 by the side of M. Theuriet rode in the direction of La Buena 
 Esperanza. Before out of sight of the white walls he halted, 
 turned, and lifted his hat. 
 
 Raquel still stood in the entrance. 
 
 The purpling shadows crept stealthily up over the moun- 
 tains, weaving with mystic touch the web of darkness. The 
 sword-thrusts of the morrow's sun would make a nothing 
 of this heavy Veil of night, but she knew tha,t no morrow 
 would lift the shadow which now lay upon all her days to 
 come. 
 
 The great golden moon rose grandly over the forest. 
 
 She went slowly back into the empty court. She held the 
 book tightly against her. She put one arm around the 
 staunch old palm tree and laid her face against it, as she had 
 done on one other occasion. Then her heart had been rebel- 
 liously eager to live; now it shuddered at the thought of what 
 life held. Then queries had been on her lips; iiow there was 
 only the silence of the anguish which knows that it will con- 
 tinue to live and wonders how it can. 
 
 Tears were on her cheeks. They fell on the gray coat of 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 53 
 
 the palm. Far above the green plumes quivered, and the 
 night winds heard them murmur: 
 
 " We of the green fire have storms that bend our heads and 
 drive our roots deeper for nourishment and larger growth, 
 you of the red fire have sorrows. Only thus attain you the full 
 stature of that soul called Man." 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 When day broke over Cuba, Lithgow and Annizae, in the 
 depths of M. Theurlet's volante, Were well ort their way to 
 Taguayabon, from which point the coffee planter's conveyance 
 was to be returned to La Buena Esperanza. 
 
 Lithgow contemplated taking from Taguayabon a train to 
 S. Juan de los Remedios and from there to the port of Cai- 
 barien, providing that he was so fortunate as to find that the 
 railroad officials had the intention of running a train that day 
 or the next. He had no doubt that he could secure transpor- 
 tation through the interior, but he Was not certain enough of 
 Annizae to feel that it was wise to adopt such a method. On 
 the railroad and on the Steamer to Havana she would be in 
 his hands; she would have no opportunity of escape should 
 she alter her rtiind. In the interior* who knew what might 
 befall? It w^as well to be Dut of the reach of Guhzalo Alarcon 
 as quickly as possible. 
 
 Annizae asked no questions, though her mind was filled to 
 overflowing with queries concerning the future. She aj)- 
 peared to be not Wholly without suspicion, for she was very 
 much alert and watched studiously the couhtry through which 
 they passed. She was not without appreciation of the indu- 
 bitable comforts of this ride in the volante, however; perhaps 
 it seemed to her a sort of surety of the greater luxuries which 
 awaited her in the land where her rival had died. 
 
 Little by little the mountainous district slipped back of 
 them. They advanced into a section given up entirely to the 
 cultivation of cane. Acres upon acres of gleaming yellow 
 stretched along their route. 
 
 The postilion allowed the horses to assume a walk. At the 
 side of the animal harnessed to the vehicle paced the free 
 
154 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 horse, who evidently enjoyed his supervision of his mate and 
 keenly appreciated the honor of bearing on his back the gayly 
 attired individual whose duty it was to guide him. 
 
 Lithgow endeavored to engage Annizae in conversation, but 
 she was extremely wary. Her accustomed reticence had set- 
 tled back upon her. Not until she saw Zunega with her own 
 eyes in Havana did she mean to believe implicitly in the 
 promises held out by this stranger. 
 
 She derived considerable amusement from picturing to 
 herself Alarcon's unbounded amazement when he should dis- 
 cover that she returned no more to the camp of which she had 
 been a member these many years. He would think that she 
 had followed Zuiiega. Some day he should know wh)'. He 
 would be more astonished then ; for she would return to Cuba 
 with evidences of her rightful position. She would wear the 
 gowns, the jewels, and she would spend the gold which had 
 belonged to the woman who had taken her place. Those who 
 had deemed her a half-menial should learn what a secret it 
 was which she had kept with unsmiling lips. A laugh was 
 in her heart; it almost crept into utterance. Surely, she 
 could laugh again when she had achieved her full triumph! 
 Even in her wildest moments of hatred she never had dared 
 to think of such a victory as this. It seemed to grow in im- 
 mensity as she viewed it. To have had it snatched from her 
 now would have been the most bitter of all punishments. 
 Now and then she stole a glance at Lithgow out of the corners 
 of her black eyes. She had no thought of escaping unless she 
 should see signs of deception on his part. She realized what 
 a risk she was running. She might be going to life-long im- 
 prisonment. But the glamour of this late triumph was before 
 her mental vision, and she was willing to venture much in the 
 hope of obtaining it. 
 
 Lithgow interrogated the postilion on various subjects and 
 had quick replies flashed back at him over Diego's embroid- 
 ered shoulder. But for the most part of the journey he occu- 
 pied himself with thoughts of the white figure which he had 
 left standing alone in the entrance. He had noticed that her 
 father had turned off toward the plantain grove after their 
 departure, and he knew that Raquel had gone back to the 
 court alone. He wondered what her thoughts had been. He 
 scarcely dared face his. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 155 
 
 Dreamih' he fancied Raquel in Annizae's place. Instinc- 
 tively he knew how this entire scene of golden monotony 
 would have been changed to a fairyland, through which he 
 would have moved in a delirium of joy. 
 
 " She liked me," he said reflectively. " I was new, a breath 
 from the great palpitating world-life which she longs to know ; 
 but — was she conscious of keener feeling? God forgive me if 
 I awakened a suspicion of that intense passion of which a 
 nature like hers is capable !" 
 
 The day deepened into noon and mellowed again into those 
 entrancing hues which are so speedily blent into the star- 
 gemmed robe of night. It was dark when Diego drew up the 
 horses before a tienda and prepared to give the animals food 
 and shelter. 
 
 Lithgow assisted Annizae to alight and went to make pro- 
 visions for their own comfort. As he had expected, there was 
 no likelihood of being able to proceed to the coast under one 
 or two days. 
 
 On the following morning, Diego and the volante wended 
 their course back to the coffee plantation, bearing with them 
 a letter to M. Theuriet, in which the American had sought to 
 render appreciation of the Frenchman's hospitality. At the 
 close of the communication he had dared — after considerable 
 deliberation — to add, as if urged by sudden recollection: 
 
 " I neglected to call the attention of the Senorita Raquel to 
 some favorite passages which she will find marked in the 
 'Over-Soul.' Will you have the great kindness to ask her to 
 glance at them? Possibly you may enjoy reading them your- 
 self, Monsieur Theuriet." 
 
 That last suggestion, he anticipated, would be successful 
 in allaying any fears which his late host might entertain in 
 regard to the mentioned volume. 
 
 Two mornings later, the boat on which he and Annizae had 
 embarked began winding its way through the cayos (shoal- 
 rocks) which dotted the waters in every direction. Emeralds 
 sewn into the intricate embroidery of earth's robe of beauty 
 they seemed, strewn with a lavish hand. 
 
 Cranes and curlews could be detected on the large islands 
 wading about among the mangrove roots. A long pink line 
 swept across the sea at a di.'^tance. It was a flock of flamin- 
 goes, in search of a tempting reef on which they could station 
 
156 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 themselves to interfere with the government's fishing inter 
 ests, as is their wont. 
 
 It was easy to see why smugglers arid pirates reigned for 
 so long- in these regions. 
 
 Annizae hung over the rail in a maze. The marvellous 
 marine vegetation was new to her. Never had she been out 
 on the water, save on the memorable occasion when she had 
 takers the first move toward the vengeance which had brought 
 her the satisfaction she now was hugging joyously, From 
 under the hull of the vessel fiuuy creatures of astonishing 
 colors shot and darted a,bout in alarm, diving down to the 
 coral sand as though to startle the conchs and star-fish lying 
 motionless and untroubled by what was passing on the sur- 
 face. She peered down through the clear, green waters with 
 a qhildish curiosity. Never once did her interest appear to 
 abate until they reached Matanzas and were en route for 
 Havana, Then she lapsed once again into the morose wo- 
 man that her confederates had known. 
 
 Secretly she was exceedingly anxious. 
 
 If this seiior failed to produce Zuuega, what was best to do? 
 She contemplated several methods of escape. She did not 
 intend to be caught napping. 
 
 Lithgow's entrance into the Hotel Inglaterra accompanied 
 by Annizae excited a ripple of comment. Her bizarre attire, 
 her defiant dark face, her Juno-like proportions, would have 
 attracted notice anywhere, even on the streets of cosmopoli- 
 tan Havana. The American saw that she was established as 
 luxuriously as was possible before he gave a thought to other 
 matters. He was relying in no small measure on the long 
 smothered feminine inclinations of her heart, and he catered 
 to these as best he knew how, in the hope of having them add 
 their silent importunities to his when the moment came for 
 departure from Cuba, He took the precaution to place her 
 uuder surveillance; but. of this fact Annizae was not aware. 
 There yet remained three days before he was to meet Zufiega 
 in the Campo Santo. He anticipated that it would take all 
 of that time for him to make the arrangements for sailing. 
 He went to confer with the consuls, meaning to lose no mo- 
 rnent after securing Zuiiega, for a ship would leave the harbor 
 the day following. 
 
 Now that he was back amid the whirl of Havanese life, 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 157 
 
 wliich he had left only a month previous, his strange discov- 
 ery of the heir for whom Mr. Bertram Avas so anxious seemed 
 even more wonderful than it had on the plantation. He 
 found himself surprised ^t his own success. The elation 
 which had been absent before now began to make itself ap- 
 parent. He concluded iiot to telegraph the information, but 
 to wait and take the lawyer by surprise. In that way he 
 would miss none of the excitement which would pervade Ber- 
 tram's office when the announcement was received, an excite, 
 ment which he felt that he deserved to witness. 
 
 At the hotel he found ah immense amount of correspon- 
 dence awaiting him. He had not fully realized how far away 
 from Beatrice his thoughts had drifted until he saw, with 
 something of a start, her chirography boldly traced across two 
 envelopes. He reserved them until the last. They were 
 her usual bright, chatty letters, relating all that was being 
 done and said in their world. He perused them ■»\rith a feeling 
 as if he had been long separated from this life of which she 
 spoke. He was conscious of a wave of regiet that he must 
 return to it. That soft, narcotic perfume 01 the south seemed 
 to have crept into his veins, quieting the wearisome energy 
 with which his blood had pounded resisllessly through year 
 after yeat of business life. At the close of the second letter 
 he saw written : 
 
 "You once said, Lithgow, 'It is well to have a master, but 
 it is far better to have slaves.' To that I append this recent 
 discovery— it is better to have a friend. Your prophecy has 
 proven true — I do miss you." 
 
 Lithgow looked down at the cool tiles of the office floor 
 many minutes after teading that. 
 
 " When Bee says a thing like that it means much," he told 
 himself slowly. "It means everything almost— after those 
 words in the studio." 
 
 He straightened the paper out and read the lines again. 
 He marvelled vaguely as to the unstableness of the hiiman 
 blind. He recollected that the mere anticipation of such an 
 intimation from Beatrice would have moved him to gladness 
 a short time previous. Now he accepted it in a dull, leaden 
 way that angered him, though, to have saved his life, he ruuld 
 feel no other emotion. 
 
 " What am I?" he demanded fiercely. " Am I no better than 
 
158 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 the great mass of men — carried away by a pair of wonderful 
 eyes? Have I no strength of character? My love for Beatrice 
 was the growth of years. It was the outcome of a study of 
 her nobility, her fitness to make a man noble himself. Suiely 
 it can't have been swept away by — by — this which — by the 
 sight of Raquel's trouble! I have allowed my sympathies to 
 run away with me !" But those reflections did not bring back 
 his old joy in Beatrice nor banish the constant thought of the 
 girl at La Sacra Sonrisa. He arose with the most bitter dis- 
 gust for himself. He went out into the streets to escape from 
 the accusations of his mind. He joined the procession of feet 
 that made a continual whispering in the streets. But his 
 thoughts went with him. They said : 
 
 " What if you had given utterance to that which was in 
 your heart and on your very lips that last night in the court?"' 
 
 "I a:n a scoundrel!" he declared with conviction, "and 
 nothing but M. Theuriet's entrance at that moment kept me 
 from making it public ! In another instant I would have told 
 Raquel that I loved her. I would have begged her to fly with 
 me. I would have forgotten Annizae, Zuiiega, everything 
 but that which burned in my veins — and burns there yet! — a 
 fire which has two powers : to burn away the old and leave 
 the world like new, untried, full of delightful promise ; or, 
 never satisfied, unquenchable, to eat into the heart while the 
 years pass by and death delays !" 
 
 A mounted montero, galloping past with a jingle of coins 
 on his broad sombrero, would have swept him down had not 
 a muscular arm pulled him out of the wa5^ while a voice oddly 
 familiar in its caressing cadences said amusedly : 
 
 " El Americano thinks much, but sees little." 
 
 Lithgow caught his rescuer with a grasp that was more re- 
 tentive than was necessary. 
 
 "Zuiiega!" he exclaimed. 
 
 " Bieii, am I he whom you call 'Zuiiega'?" demanded the 
 rescuer, smiling. 
 
 Lithgow hesitated. He could have sworn that the voice was 
 that of the forest lad, but as he studied the face of the man be- 
 fore him he was obliged to admit that he might be mistaken. 
 
 " For supuesto" nodded the rescuer. " I am called Manuel. 
 Want you one named 'Zuiiega,' seiior?" 
 
 " Si, si, know you such an one?" questioned Lithgow. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CTBA. 159 
 
 " Es posible," admitted the man. " What then, senor?" 
 
 " Tell him that the Americano is here in Havana." 
 
 " Alone, seiior?" 
 
 Lithgow regarded the interrogator keenly, but the meagre 
 garb of a dock laborer and the heavy beard which he wore 
 convinced the American that his suspicions were inaccurate. 
 
 " Not alone," he replied. " Tell him I bring the one I said 
 I would bring." 
 
 " Muy Incn," bowed the fellow, with that indubitable grace 
 characterizing all Cubans. " If I know such, I will tell him." 
 
 Lithgow went on his way. The Cuban watched him with 
 a peculiar smile, then took his own path with a shrug of the 
 shoulders, but it was a satisfied shrug. 
 
 Havana is not the best spot in the world in which to seek a 
 season of introspection, but Lithgow succeeded fairly well in 
 his endeavor to understand some of the secret working of the 
 masculine nature as revealed in his own experience. It was 
 an edifying task, but not a particularly enjoyable one. Right 
 in the middle of a most complete summing up of the whole 
 matter he would discover that his mind had wandered tru- 
 antly to the fragrant court. He relived the few days in 
 which he had known Raquel and then relived them again, 
 until, finally, in sheer desperation, he said as he had said once 
 before : " It is only for this moment, this one moment out of 
 life. I will feed upon it while it lasts. None shall know of 
 the poison which it leaves in my blood." 
 
 Annizae was not left wholly to her own reflections during 
 those days. She was given a taste of gay life which had 
 never been hers before, and she evidenced plainly that it was 
 not disagreeable. The festivities at night were what de- 
 lighted her most, though her immobile countenance never re- 
 vealed the fact to Lithgow. In her own mind she determined 
 to return to Havana as soon as the possessions of her rival be- 
 came hers. Here, with such finery, .she felt that she could 
 enjoy herself as she had dreamed of doing before the hope of 
 revenge and the subsequent forest existence were hers. 
 
 On the day that he was to meet Zuiicga, Lithgow took An- 
 nizae with him to the Campo Santo. 
 
 Zuiiega was not at the rendezvous, and the American walked 
 about among the graves with a sort of morbid restlessness. 
 The little stones with the cross at the head looked sphinx- 
 
t6o a daughter of CUBA. 
 
 like. What mysteries might they not have absorbed from the 
 forms that they covered? They appeared more fitting for the 
 dead than the more impressive tombs and monuments. What 
 more emblematic shaft was needed than the palm, type of 
 the immortality of the soul which, for a brief time, had vital- 
 ized the crumbling material once more returning to nature! 
 
 Lithgow watched the lizards sleeping in the sun. They 
 reminded him of the lizards that hid in the fountain in the 
 court. Everything seemed to carry his memory back there 
 as if by magic. 
 
 Here and there the creeping, thread-like tendrils of the 
 roots had thrust themselves upward and had pushed aside even 
 the stoned, or — had some ghostly fingers tried to raise them? 
 
 The mystery of existence, the reason for being, the ulti- 
 mate ending, rose in one mighty question before him there, 
 where nature absorbed the tissues which once had drawn their 
 sustenance from her voluptuous breast but now returned to 
 be re-created into other forms of life. 
 
 " Does one great Mind absorb all individualities into its 
 perfect Self, as nature absorbs all personalities?" he wondered. 
 " Or, is there an unfailing love which provides other lives in 
 which can be worked out the problems over which we labor 
 and falter in this? 
 
 ■' Some day, though far apart, both Raquel and I will lie in 
 this same way, hushed, buried, forgotten ; and all of the pres- 
 ent occupants of the world will be sharing the same fate! 
 How simple it all seems ! I suppose that we will look back 
 on this stage of our upward journey and see how trivial are 
 the sorrows, how ephemeral the delights, of these senses, 
 which in an incredibly short time sink to their native noth- 
 ingness. What was I in previous lives — if such there be? 
 Did I possess Raquel? Like Yasodhara and Gautama, we 
 might have been tigers in some unremembered cycle. Now, 
 
 "'Our past is clean forgot, 
 Our present is and is not, 
 Our future's a sealed seed-plot, 
 And what betwixt them are we? 
 We who say as we go — 
 "Strange to think by the way. 
 Whatever there is to know 
 That shall we know some day."'"' 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. i6r 
 
 " Buenos diijs, sc/lor." 
 
 The salutation caused him to turn quickly. He found that 
 he was face to face with the individual who had called him- 
 self " Manuel." 
 
 " Ah, then I was not mistaken !" exclaimed Lithgow with a 
 self-congratulatory tone. " You and Zunega are one." 
 
 " How knew you me so quickly, senor?" queried Zuiiega, 
 glancing cautiously about them and espying Annizae in the 
 shade of a tomb. 
 
 " By your voice," replied Lithgow. " Why did you not 
 then acknowledge that I was right.'" 
 
 " I had a wish, seiior, to learn if my disguise was sufficient. 
 If you, a stranger, knew me and could not be persuaded 
 otherwise, I feared that those of Alarcon"s friends who might 
 have been notified of my disappearance would recognize me 
 also." 
 
 " Alarcon? Has he friends in this city?" questioned the 
 American. 
 
 " Ah, seiior, has he not?" smiled Zunega. " There are times 
 when he spends weeks right here in Havana; but the guardia 
 civile know him not as the bandit. To them he is Senor 
 Figueras. One word from Senor Figueras to them would put 
 them on the lookout for me. One word from Gonzalo Alarcon 
 to his friends would also place pursuers on my track. I have 
 had two dangers to fear." 
 
 " You are well disguised," complimented Lithgow. " Had 
 it not been for your speech I never should have thought of 
 recognizing you as you are. Possibly I have a good memory 
 for the peculiarities of a voice. Every voice here is so musi- 
 cal that each leaves a strong mental impression. You per- 
 ceive that I have succeeded in bringing Annizae." 
 
 " You must be a magician, seiior," acknowledged Zuiiega. 
 " Not yet has she seen me. Wait, seiior; let me discover if 
 her eyes are wise." 
 
 He approached her stealthily, appearing suddenly before 
 her. She gave a start of surprise but remained silent, evi- 
 dently seeing in him only a stranger, from whose presence she 
 shrank without wishing it to appear tliat she did so. When 
 he was well convinced tliat even her visual sense was de- 
 ceived, he said softly: 
 
 " Annizae?" 
 II 
 
1 62 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 With a cry of delight that astonished both men she slipped 
 down at his feet and clasped her arms around his body. 
 
 " Gracias d Dios ! Gracias d Dios .'" she murmured, with 
 her dark face upturned to study his features better. " It is 
 thou — no?" 
 
 It was the first time in his life that Zufiega recalled the 
 faintest show of affection on her part, and he was amazed and 
 touched by it. He had known her only as a seemingly cal- 
 lous woman. Motherly tenderness he had not missed, because 
 he never had been acquainted with it, so far as he remem- 
 bered. That Annizae had been derelict in maternal emotions 
 and cares never had been brought to his notice. Resentment 
 had arisen in his heart against her since he had learned of the 
 injury she had done him, but it melted beneath this unex- 
 pected exhibition of remorse on her part. It was not remorse, 
 however. It was gladness to find that he was safe and that 
 the words of the American thus far, at least, had proven true. 
 The possibility of Zuiiega's wrath had not yet occurred to 
 her. It was not for his sake that she was willing to undertake 
 this journey across the waters; it was for the joy of her final 
 victory. 
 
 Zufiega drew himself away from her grasp. 
 
 Lithgow approached. 
 
 " Annizae acknowledges taking you from the ship," he said 
 meaningly. " She is ready to go to England to restore you to 
 your rights." 
 
 Annizae lifted herself to her feet. She cast a suspicious 
 look at Lithgow. 
 
 " Wait, seiior," she said with a cunning smile. " Told you 
 not that there were two rings? Zufiega's is gone !" 
 
 Lithgow took a step forward. His heart sank. That ring 
 was the most important evidence. The only incontrovertible 
 one. 
 
 "You have not lost it, Zufiega!" he exclaimed, dis- 
 mayed. 
 
 For reply Zufiega drew forth the little reliquary which hung 
 at his neck. By whom it had been placed there he knew not. 
 The possession of it had been one of his earliest remem- 
 brances. From its secret contents, blessed by some padre at 
 his birth, no doubt, he extracted the ring unsmilingly. He 
 held it up before Annizae's eyes. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 163 
 
 " Dost thou remember the day when thou didst reveal that 
 my father was ingle's ? " 
 
 Annizae bowed her head. There was that in the eyes of 
 Zunega which she never had faced before. That his condem- 
 nation could have power to shake her was a revelation to her- 
 self. 
 
 " On that day did I not swear to avenge thee?" he demanded. 
 " Did I not swear it over this ring which thou hadst said was 
 his own? Were not my words these: 'I will have no mercy 
 for an i»g/es since thou, my mother, hast suffered because of 
 one ?' " 
 
 Annizae could not meet his eyes. She endeavored to. but 
 her own fell. They were no longer fearless. 
 
 " Why didst thou not speak the truth, then," he questioned 
 sternly. " Thou wert willing that I should vent fury on those 
 of my father's nation, when thou alone wert the one on whom 
 revenge should fall." 
 
 With his magnificent figure drawn up to its fullest height, 
 his long black orbs blazing with righteous indignation, his 
 blue-black hair quivering with the motion of his perfectly 
 poised head, Zunega looked a prince of blood royal. 
 
 Lithgow stared at him fascinated. Beauty in a man lie 
 never had admired, but this creature before him was more 
 than beautiful; he was grand, impressive, a young god. 
 Every muscle stood out saliently. He appeared like a living 
 piece of golden bronze. 
 
 Annizae threw out her hands with the palms upward. 
 
 " Suffered I nothing? Did not thy mother win that which 
 was mine? Had I no wrongs?" 
 
 Zuiiega threw his head backward and looked up into the 
 blue-white of the zenith. He did not answer at once. When 
 he did his voice had changed. It again held its caressing 
 cadences. 
 
 " It is possible," admitted he softly. " I knew not my father. 
 If he wronged thee, I, his son, will make amends. Why 
 should I bear thee malice? Hast thou not made me a Culian? 
 I have much for which to be grateful. Cuba shall have reason 
 to rejoice that I have been reared a son of the forests." 
 
 His thoughts had flown back to that day when he had built 
 the palm hut. Raquel's ringing words were yet in his mind. 
 
 Lithgow's admiration for Zunega's pliysical perfection 
 
1 64 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 passed into a like feeling for the mental development which 
 had made such a reply possible. 
 
 " Neither English nor Cuban blood are wholly responsible 
 for such fine nobility," he told himself, " He has sapped it 
 from the vaulted arches and silent naves of a cathedral 
 grander than brain or fingers of man can build." Aloud he 
 said: 
 
 ■■ Both of you shall have your wrongs righted. I have made 
 every preparation for sailing on the morrow. You, Zuiiega, 
 have nothing to fear more from Gonzalo Alarcon. You leave 
 Cuba now, as you came near leaving it in your babyhood, 
 under your rightful name, Robert Deene Percival, heir to 
 Harberton Towers and the title its owner bears." 
 
 " Gracias, senor," smiled Zuiiega. " I am obedient to you, 
 but always remain I a Cuban. He who once is Cuban is 
 Cuban ever." 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 When their ship cut through the sapphire waters of the har- 
 bor on its way to the open sea, Zuiiega stood on deck shading 
 his eyes with his hand. The sunshine on the quivering ex- 
 panse of liquid sky through which they swept, the glare of 
 the brilliant facades of the dwellings in the city, was more 
 than human vision could endure without blinking. He was 
 very grave. His gaze was riveted on the moimtains, which 
 from the distance looked softly undulating, bathed in an 
 emerald refulgence that slowly faded to blue before the most 
 perfect jewel of the Caribbean slipped below the horizon. 
 
 No word of farewell was on his lip, but his heart seemed to 
 him to be pent up in so small a compass that the blood stood 
 still in his veins, being unable to force itself through. 
 
 " When my eyes behold thee again, it will be when I come 
 to fight for thee," he said, ignorant that he spoke aloud. 
 
 Lithgow, standing by his side, also watching the disappear- 
 ance of the island with yearning look, gave him a glance of 
 inquiry. 
 
 "You never will return to Cuba," he prophesied, know- 
 ing some of the temptations which would be likely to keep 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 165 
 
 Zunega on English soil and drive all thought of this spot 
 from his mind. 
 
 " When the hour to struggle for the island's freedom comes, 
 I will be here, seiior," Zunega declared firmly. " I so have 
 vowed to the senorita." 
 
 " Do you mean the Seiiorita Raquel?" questioned Lithgow 
 with some astonishment. 
 
 " Si, senor mio, the Senorita Raquel," nodded Zunega. 
 
 " What difference does it make to her if you come to fight 
 for Cuba?" Lithgow's voice had a tone in it that attracted the 
 Cuban youth's attention. He turned his eyes upon Lithgow. 
 
 " She longs to do what a man might for Cuba," he explained 
 naively. " She is a woman ; she can do nothing — only with 
 her fiery words breathe that into the heart of man whicli was 
 not there before. I will fight for her. I will fight for my- 
 self. If what you speak is true, if gold is mine, I can do more 
 than fight. I can provide other men with arms and ammu- 
 nition. All Cuba would fight if it had weapons. Unarmed, 
 it can do nothing but submit." 
 
 As by a flash Lithgow understood several questions which 
 Raquel had asked concerning Zunega's fortune and what use 
 he would be likely to put it to. His explanation that the 
 property was entailed had appeared to depress her. He had 
 wondered at the fact at the time. 
 
 " Her sojourn in the forest was not an idle one, then," he 
 commented, aware of a foolish feeling of pique as he regarded 
 the fine stalwart figure before him. " She inspired you with 
 patriotic motives — when? On the journey toward the plan- 
 tation?" 
 
 " Before I knew that she intended to escape, senor. She 
 had bitter words for him who lived without thought of Cuba's 
 future. They were words that stung. I shall not forget 
 them. I shall not forget her." 
 
 Lithgow leaned hard back against the taflrail. 
 
 " Why not?" he demanded sharply. 
 
 Zunega shook his head. 
 
 " I can tell you not why, seiior," he replied, looking far out 
 across the sea. " But I think of her always, always, asleep or 
 awake. I see only her eyes, even now while I .seem to watch 
 the sea." 
 
 Lithgow waited a long moment. Tlicrc was a glow on the 
 
l66 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 beautiful southern face that a man may see once in a life- 
 time. He knew what bad come to the lad if the lad him- 
 self did not. His voir.^ was tender when he finally said 
 slowly : 
 
 " You do not know that she is to marry — the old M. 
 Theuriet?" 
 
 Zunega stepped backward. His fingers, which had been 
 lying lightly on the taffrail, tightened spasmodically. His 
 lips lost their cr^.mson. The sweet melancholy of his eyes 
 deepened into surprise, a growing realization of what it 
 meant to his hopes, then — dismay. He caught the American 
 by the arm. 
 
 " It is not true?" he pleaded. 
 
 " It is true," Lithgow returned sadly, going on to explain 
 the conditions which had urged her into the agreement. 
 
 Zuiiega turned once half around and looked at Annizae as 
 she reclined contentedly in a sea-chair. His brows were 
 drawn together. 
 
 " But for her," he said under his breath, " I should have that 
 which would make me the equal of the seiiorita! I could free 
 <aer father from debt. I could do all that M. Theuriet will 
 4o! Annizae shall suffer," 
 
 " But for Annizae you never would have known the Seno- 
 rita Raquel," reminded Lithgow. " Instead, you might have 
 been married to some English maiden whose mamma had an 
 eye on your title." 
 
 " Es verdad" admitted Zunega reluctantly. 
 
 " You owe Annizae more than she has deprived you of," 
 Lithgow sg.id quietly. " Ignorantly, she has benefited you. 
 Though a bandit, you have breathed an atmosphere clearer, 
 cleaner, than that of most cities. The moral poison of Paris 
 never has entered your brain. And you have seen a white 
 soul. White souls are so scarce in life. Be guided by its en- 
 thusiasm. Go back and fight for Cuba if you will. You will 
 win Raquel's gratitude, her praise. The fact that you must 
 fight for two will make you wise and strong. Live to carry 
 out your promise to her, Zuiiega. You are going to be placed 
 where you will be besieged by temptations, the subtle power 
 of which you cannot even imagine. Keep her face before 
 you. The thought of it will save you from much the mere 
 memory of which would cause you to hate yourself." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 67 
 
 Zunega held out his hand. He grasped Lithgow's fingers 
 almost fiercely. 
 
 " Heard you not my words to her when I turned my face 
 away from the sugar plantation?" he asked. "'Zunega never 
 forgets. ' I repeat them to you, senor. Some day you shall 
 learn how true they are." 
 
 Through the days which followed, they spoke often on the 
 same subject. Lithgow was not averse to discussing her 
 with this clean-hearted boy, and he sought to impress upon 
 Zuiiega the full worth of her rich nature, as he divined it. 
 Once Zunega murmured astutely, as he glanced up with his 
 soft, powerful eyes: 
 
 " The senor, he will not forget her either!" 
 
 Lithgow was conscious that the color swept over his mature 
 features as it had been wont to do in his boyhood days. Zu- 
 iiega's observation had surprised him. 
 
 " I must forget her," he replied meaningly. " There is 
 another." 
 
 " A wife?" queried Zunega with a touch of indignation. 
 
 " One I have asked to be." 
 
 " Oh!" Zunega's tone was apologetic. 
 
 " You will see her," promised Lithgow. 
 
 " Is she as beautiful as the seiiorita?" 
 
 " Wait. You shall answer that question to me after you 
 have seen her." 
 
 The days of inaction on shipboard seemed well-nigh inter- 
 minable to both Annizae and Zuiiega. The muscles of the 
 latter appeared to be striving to break through the skin in 
 their imperative desire for exercise. Lithgow exerted him- 
 self to provide entertainment for both of them. And as the 
 ship advanced into the colder atmosphere of the north, the 
 lassitude gradually dropped away from him. He found him- 
 self sniffing the sharp, invigorating air with the same pleasure 
 with which he had swooned beneath the balminess of the 
 south on his downward trip. 
 
 They passed the heights of Neversink as the night closed 
 in, cold, snowy, dreary. They would be riding at anchor in 
 the morning. Annizae was in a state of perpetual chill. Her 
 face was gloomy. Her triumpli appeared afar off. Zunega 
 was full of alertness. He had made friends for himself 
 everywhere. The fascinations of his venture out into the 
 
1 68 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 world were taking hold of him. Lithgow watched him and 
 smiled. 
 
 " Zuiiega will forget," he said, " when he is master of Har- 
 berton Towers." 
 
 Not until they had driven from the docks to a quiet hotel 
 and Annizae had made the discovery that, though the breath 
 of winter may be in the land, the Americans know how to 
 have the warmth of summer in their houses, did her morose- 
 ness abate. She then looked out on the marvellous sight of a 
 white shrouded city with some show of interest. She was 
 thinking of what an awful punishment it would be if she 
 should be held a prisoner in this frozen land. The dazzling 
 snow was not beautiful in her eyes. She hungered for the 
 greenness of Cuba. 
 
 Zunega was enthusiastic. From the windows of the car- 
 riage he had peered out at the rushing, busy world into which 
 his fortune was leading him. It bewildered him. The 
 throbbing of its mighty heart beat in upon his ears dis'tress- 
 ingly, but his muscles twitched and his nerves tingled with a 
 desire to join the mad throng. 
 
 Lithgow had breakfast served in the little parlor adjoining 
 Annizae's room. Her strange attire would have made her an 
 object of curiosity to the hotel guests, and he was desirous of 
 not calling her attention to the fact that she appeared any 
 different from others of her own sex. Her unshod feet, her 
 short dress characteristic of her class, her head wound with a 
 turban that had one end brought up artistically through the 
 top in the form of a " castle," combined to give her an unusual 
 style that Lithgow did not wish should be interfered with 
 until Mr. Bertram had had the pleasure of viewing her. 
 Zufiega was not as conspicuous in the way of garb, but his 
 eyes, wonderful tinting, and superb physique caused glances 
 to be turned toward him admiringly, wonderingly. 
 
 When they were thoroughly refreshed, Lithgow summoned 
 a carriage and, accompanied by them, was driven at once to 
 Mr. Bertram's office. Their entrance into the ante-room 
 caused the ofiftce boy and the typewriter girl to exhibit undis- 
 guised signs of curiosity. 
 
 Lithgow prevented the announcement being made of his 
 arrival, and gratified himself by walking in upon the lawyer, 
 after ascertaining that he was unoccupied. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 169 
 
 "Good-morning, Bertram," he remarked coolly, seating 
 himself. " It is rather cold up here." 
 
 Bertram removed his eyeglasses in astonishment. 
 
 " Lithgow Hamilton ! Why, it can't be you !" he exclaimed, 
 springing up with his glasses in his left hand. " Why in the 
 world didn't you write? Haven't heard a word from you. 
 You might have wired that you were on the way home ! It 
 would have saved me considerable speculation, I can assure 
 you." 
 
 "Well, I've been busy, too busy to write," answered Lith- 
 gow, with an assumed air of having little to say. " And, I 
 didn't think there was much use in wiring you." 
 
 A look of disappointment passed over the lawyer's face. 
 It was plain that he had hoped. He settled himself comfort- 
 ably in his chair again, got out some cigars, offered Lithgow 
 one and helped himself. 
 
 " We've been afraid thaf our business had gotten you into 
 some trouble," he said, lighting his. " We sent over to your 
 firm, and even they said that they had not heard from you." 
 
 " I was down in the interior," explained Lithgow. " I wired 
 them on reaching Havana." 
 
 " Well, what luck did you have?" Bertram ventured to ask 
 finally. "I mean in regard to your own business; I know 
 by your face that you were not successful in regard to the 
 other." 
 
 Lithgow laughed. 
 
 " Do I wear my heart in my face?" he asked, 
 
 " No, of course not, but if you had learned anything impor- 
 tant you would rush to tell me." 
 
 " I am sorry to show you what a miserable mind reader you 
 are." Lithgow returned. " I am congratulating myself that I 
 have not been an utter failure. I will exhibit what I have in 
 the way of a clew." 
 
 He arose, opened the door, and motioned for Annizae and 
 Zuiiega to enter. 
 
 Bertram stood erect, with an eager expectancy that he con- 
 cealed beneath a dignified and half-skeptical exterior. 
 
 As the two entered, he fell back a step involuntarily. 
 
 " Permit me to present to you Brinci/i Annizae and the 
 child that she exchanged for her own," said Lithgow, wholly 
 satisfied with the effect produced on the lawyer. 
 
170 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Annizae herself was trembling in every limb, ignorant of 
 what awaited her; the judicial bearing and keen blue eyes of 
 the lawyer were not calculated to inspire other than a certain 
 feeling of fear and awe, but the expression of mingled in- 
 credulity and delight which overshot his visage visibly les- 
 sened Annizae's afifright. He appeared rooted to the Boor 
 for a moment, then he advanced toward them with a sum- 
 moning back of his usual non-betraying manner. 
 
 " I hope this is no joke that you are playing on me, Hamil- 
 ton," he remarked, as he welcomed the new-comers and placed 
 chairs for them. 
 
 "It is no joke unless I am very much mistaken," replied 
 Lithgow. " Zuiiega, hold out your hand." 
 
 Zuiiega complied. Lithgow extended his own at the same 
 time. The two I'ings stared the lawyer in the face. Bertram 
 leaned forward excitedly and inspected Zunega's through his 
 glasses. 
 
 " Zunega was in possession of this ornament when I first 
 saw him." Lithgow stated. "I then learned on reputable 
 authority that his father was an Englishman, whom the lad 
 never had seen, and that his supposed mother went by the 
 name of Annizae and was a member of a mountain band of 
 bandits, in whose society she had reared him. That and the 
 possession of the ring seemed conclusive proof that they 
 were the individuals you desire." 
 
 Bertram seemed half incapable of crediting such good 
 fortune. 
 
 " If I did not know you thoroughly, Hamilton, I should be 
 inclined to believe this thing a 'fake;' it is too good to be 
 true," he exclaimed. "But your word and— this other ring 
 are sufficient to convince me that you have made a brilliant 
 success of what others have failed on j^ear after year. All 
 that we get out of it we will share with you, but even that 
 will not repay you in proportion to the value of the discovery. 
 Let me hear how you managed it?" 
 
 " It really seemed to manage itself," said Lithgow. " I am 
 less wonderful than you think. Nothing but a chain of cir- 
 cumstances, seemingly disastrous but really fortuitous, so far 
 as Zuiiega was concerned, brought him into my presence. 
 The ring attracted my eyes. The remainder of the discovery 
 followed as a matter of course, with the result that both of 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA 171 
 
 them are here in your office. To give you all the details I 
 shall be obliged to relate all that occurred before and after I 
 reached the estate of La Buena Esperanza, the last one on my 
 list, and one with which the firm had expressed a particular 
 desire to open trade." 
 
 " Go on," requested the lawyer. " Leave out nothing." 
 
 Lithgow recounted the abduction of Raquel and the events 
 which strangely had sprung from it. 
 
 " It sounds like a fairy story," commented Bertram when all 
 had been told. " But the ring — I fancy that the London solici- 
 tors will deem that pretty conclusive. I shall wire them at 
 once. Greene, my partner, is out of town. I cannot leave 
 until he returns, but we can make preparations for going on 
 to England. I shall want you to accompany me, Hamilton." 
 
 "I'm willing enough," responded Lithgow with a laugh, 
 " but the firm may not be. I have not been around to the 
 office yet; telephoned them of my arrival and thought that I 
 would apprise you of this affair's progress first. I shall have 
 to leave our friends here in your care while I attend to my 
 own business." 
 
 " How am I to get on without an interpreter?" queried the 
 lawyer. " I know only two words of Spanish.?" 
 
 " I think there is a little cigarmaker in the basement around 
 the corner," suggested Lithgow. " He might be willing to 
 serve — for a consideration. I couldn't possibly remain with 
 them all the time between this and the hour of sailing, if I am 
 so fortunate as to be permitted absence and an ocean voyage." 
 
 "No, of course not," returned Bertram. "You certainly 
 have done your part. I'll manage all right if they are willing 
 to place themselves under my care." 
 
 "I'll remain at the hotel with them and be with them as 
 much as my duties and social obligations will allow," volun- 
 teered Lithgow. " I'm really very fond of Zuiiega." 
 
 Bertram glanced at the physique of the former bandit. 
 
 " I don't think that I ever should employ the term 'fond,'" 
 he remarked; " the word 'afraid' strikes mc as being more ap- 
 plicable." 
 
 Lithgow laughed and repeated the speech to Zuficga. who 
 looked somewhat bewildered. It was evident that he did not 
 realize his own attractions. 
 
 " He is magnificent, isn't he?" said Lithgow proudly, as if 
 
172 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 in some indefinite way on him the credit reflected for the 
 youth's perfect build. "lam sure that the Harberton title 
 never had a more lordly bearer." 
 
 "Should we not begin to call him by his proper name?" 
 asked the lawyer. 
 
 "As you please," replied Lithgow, "if he will answer to 
 it. To me I fear he always will be 'Zuiiega. ' It seems to fit 
 him in some way better than the English cognomen." 
 
 He explained to the two Cubans that he now must leave 
 them in the hands of the lawyer and promised them the most 
 perfect courtesy and hospitality. Annizae's features ex- 
 pressed the utmost consternation when she perceived that she 
 was to remain with the stranger. Lithgow's assertions of 
 complete freedom from punishment scarcely quieted her. 
 
 " I will send you one from your own country," he told her 
 finally. " He may take you among those who speak your own 
 language. Mr. Bertram will make arrangements with him 
 regarding that." 
 
 " Caution her against speaking of this matter," suggested 
 the lawyer. " Too much reticence cannot be preserved in 
 affairs of this kind." 
 
 " You would deem no caution necessary if you knew her 
 better," observed Lithgow. " Those she had lived among for 
 years were ignorant of her story." 
 
 Bertram regarded her with a show of compelled admira- 
 tion. 
 
 " I wish more of her sex possessed her faculty of silence." 
 he commented. " Wouldn't it be advisable to buy her — some 
 shoes or something?" 
 
 " I would make no change in her appearance until you had 
 seen her," said Lithgow. " She is your charge now. Lll 
 send Felipe up to you, and he can bring some of his female 
 relatives. Under their tuition she may make what changes 
 the difference in atmosphere warrants. She's fairly frozen in 
 this ice-locked land." 
 
 " Wait ; let me reimburse you for all the expense to which 
 you have been put," urged the lawyer, going to his safe. 
 
 " Another time," pleaded Lithgow. " I really should be off 
 now. Shall I stop and see if Felipe is at his old stand? He's 
 a nice fellow. Has provided my cigars for two years." 
 
 " I wish you would, Hamilton," Bertram said gratefully. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. I73 
 
 "With liim to act as interpreter I'll search her past as thor- 
 oughly as my wits will suggest. I almost am afraid to let 
 myself accept them as the persons for whom such fruitless 
 searches have been made." 
 
 "I don't see how you can hesitate," Lithgow answered. 
 " It's as clear as daylight to me." 
 
 " Do not fear, Annizae," he said reassuringly. " Remember 
 that you have come to prove that you are not without your 
 own wrongs. We will dine together to-night, and you will 
 find that this lawyer is your best friend. He it is who will 
 win for you your triumph. If you are to have all that you 
 claim should have been yours in the first place, he is the one 
 who will help you to secure it." 
 
 Then he took Bertram apart and explained the inducements 
 which he had held out in order to hold the woman. 
 
 ■■ She must meet with no punishment," he insisted. " I have 
 promised her things that please a woman's heart and gold 
 enough to enable her to return to Cuba and live as she will. 
 She shall have my share of the 'profits,' if there is no other 
 \vay of keeping my word good." 
 
 Bertram looked doubtful. He pursed up his lips. 
 " I don't know what disposition they will make of her," he 
 said slowly. " I suppose that is not for us to say. I should 
 think the— the heir— himself would bear her some malice. I 
 think I should desire some punishment to be inflicted on one 
 who had deprived me as she has him." 
 
 " I believe that Zuiiega has decided that he owes her some- 
 thing for having made him a Cuban," returned Lithgow, smil- 
 ing at Bertram's surprise, "Well! I'll see you at the hotel 
 to-night? All right! I'm glad you are satisfied." 
 
 He took his way to the offices of his firm and was closeted 
 therein for the greater portion of the day. 
 
 It was near four o'clock before he felt at liberty to turn his 
 steps in the direction of Beatrice's studio. He had not writ- 
 ten or notified her of his arrival in town. 
 
 " If the words at the close of her letter were significant, I 
 can detect the truth when I walk in upon her unexpectedly." 
 he said to himself, as he strode along the familiar pave- 
 ments. 
 
174 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 As he went up in the elevator and stepped out at the top 
 floor, Lithgow found it difficult to believe that he had been 
 away from New York. It seemed only the yesterday that he 
 had come up to Beatrice's atelier in this same way. He was 
 conscious of a foreign timidity as he knocked gently. He 
 knew that his heart beat a trifle faster than was its wont, but 
 not with the tumultuous eagerness which it would have expe- 
 rienced two months previous. It was wonderment which was 
 stirring him now, uncertainty as to what Beatrice might re- 
 veal in her surprise. 
 
 Beatrice opened the door. 
 
 For an instant she stood amazed by what seemed like his 
 apparition, then she cried : 
 
 " Why, Mr. Hamilton ! How you delight in astonishing 
 people ! I thought that you were in Cuba !" 
 
 She held out her hand cordially and drew him into the room, 
 where he discovered that her little tea-kettle was steaming 
 hospitably on a Turkish tabouret, around which were clustered 
 a few of the artists who had studios in the building. These, 
 with their teacups in one hand, rose to be presented to him ; 
 and he seated himself in their midst, feeling that their pres- 
 ence was responsible for the perfectly conventional greeting 
 that had been accorded him. 
 
 " When did your boat get in?" questioned Beatrice. " I saw 
 no account of arrivals in this morning's paper." 
 
 " Too late to be inserted, perhaps," he replied. 
 
 " Do you know, at first I thought that your ghost had ap- 
 peared to notify me of some dreadful accident happening to 
 you," she declared. 
 
 "You did not appear exceedingly alarmed," commented 
 Lithgow, slightly laughing. " If the news of my discontinua- 
 tion arouses no more grief than you then displayed, I fear that 
 I am held but lightly in your esteem." 
 
 " I would perpetuate you in marble," apologized Beatrice. 
 " What more could the vain heart of man desire?" 
 
 "I have brought you two fine subjects," Lithgow went on 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 175 
 
 to say. " You will have time for only a snap shot at them, 
 however. The}' are birds of passage." 
 
 Beatrice looked at him inquiringly. 
 
 " You don't mean to say — " she began. 
 
 " Yes," he nodded, without waiting for her to complete her 
 supposed conjecture. " I was successful in my ventures, and 
 you may profit to the extent of having for a model one of the 
 most superb specimens of the genus man." 
 
 " Your honored self?" queried one of the artists, making a 
 pretense of getting out a sketching-block. 
 
 " That's quite clever. Miss Durame, but sarcastic," frowned 
 Lithgow. " As punishment, you shall not be permitted to 
 look upon the charms of the model mentioned. In fact, I will 
 not let him be made cheap by water-color sketches and such. 
 Clay and bronze for him. The woman would do excellently 
 for you, however." 
 
 " Oh, then there is a woman in it!" 
 
 " Isn't there always? ' demanded the impressionist Brandt 
 from his corner of the old Dutch settle, which Beatrice had 
 picked up at an auction from a neighboring studio. 
 
 "That is too stupendous a question, Brandt." Lithgow 
 shook his head as he took a cup of tea and a biscuit from Bea- 
 trice. " I wonder at you for introducing it." 
 
 "Yes, time is too limited," agreed Brandt, looking at his 
 watch. " How many dozen more cups of tea are you intend- 
 ing to drink. Miss Durame? You know that you promised to 
 walk about with me to take a peep at that exhibition of Von- 
 noh's pictures. I want to convince you " 
 
 " Oh, I know," she interrupted, putting down her cup reluc- 
 tantly. Mr. Hamilton was a much more attractive personage 
 than Mr. Brandt, and she would have preferred to stay. " You 
 may insist on your splashes of purple and your dazzling 
 greens, but Nature is soft and harmonious, not glaring and 
 offensive to one's visual organs." 
 
 " You don't know how to look at Nature," the impressionist 
 declared. " Your sight must be trained as one's ear and voice 
 are trained in the study of music. Won't you come wiili us, 
 Miss Faber and Miss Lacroit?" 
 
 Lithgow felt like shooting him a grateful glance, as the ar- 
 tists mentioned placed their cups on a convenient chair and 
 proceeded to accept the invitation, arguing within themselves 
 
176 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 that, though Mr. Hamilton was nicer, it was an honor seldom 
 conferred on them to visit a collection in company with one 
 of the foremost artists of the city. 
 
 " They would have staid until the cock crew," breathed 
 Lithgow when the door had closed upon them, " if it had not 
 been for Brandt." 
 
 "Have another cup of tea," urged Beatrice, "and tell me 
 all about everything." 
 
 " I have not drank this yet," answered Lithgow. " I don't 
 see how women manage to talk and drink tea at the same 
 time." 
 
 " Your English education has been neglected," Beatrice in- 
 formed him, " It is quite an art to take tea and chat, I assure 
 you. I believe that Englishmen are obliged to take a regular 
 course of it at their colleges," 
 
 "I must come up every afternoon and practise, then," he 
 said, " for I sail for Liverpool within a week." 
 
 " You do not mean it!" Her voice was full of genuine dis-- 
 may. 
 
 " Yes," he nodded, sipping away assiduously. 
 
 " Why?" 
 
 " I am going over to help establish the claim of Robert 
 Deene Percival to the title of Lord Harberton," 
 
 " Do you really mean that the commission that Mr. Bertram 
 gave you was actually successful?" 
 
 " Perfectly," he declared. 
 
 " Don't be aggravating! Do tell me how you came to find 
 the baby !" she begged. 
 
 Lithgow bit through a biscuit with decorous gravity. 
 
 ' I'll bring it up to-morrow," he promised. " It's about six 
 feet tall !" 
 
 Beatrice gave a little shriek, — then, as she realized that 
 the child had grown with the years, burst into laughter. 
 
 " Is he the superb specimen?" 
 
 " Of course. What did you suppose?" 
 
 " Why, I did not understand you at all. I thought — you 
 know you seldom are in earnest, Lithgow." 
 
 " I can't imagine where or how I won that reputation of 
 being a jester," groaned he. " I always am in earnest, only 
 people don't believe it." 
 
 " Your tone is generally bantering," Beatrice sought to ex- 
 
A DACGIITEK OF CUBA. 177 
 
 plain. " I have seen people look at you questioningly, uncer- 
 tain whether to laugh or be solemn ; then they see the quiz- 
 zical light in your eyes and they laugh, thinking they are 
 safe." 
 
 " Then my eyes deceive them instead of my tone," corrected 
 Lithgow. 
 
 " I am afraid that neither are to be trusted," remarked 
 Beatrice with a sidewise glance. 
 
 " When my oldest friends turn against me, then am I forlorn 
 indeed !" Lithgow emptied his cup dolorously and asked for 
 more. 
 
 " Not until you retract your words," she refused. " Any one 
 would think that I boasted seventy summers ! I do not choose 
 to be numbered among those ancient individuals called your 
 ' oldest friends.' " 
 
 " I'll retract anything if you will tell me if you were in 
 earnest when you wrote that you missed me." 
 
 " Of course I was in earnest," she declared calmly. " I 
 really did not dream that you were so much a part of — New 
 York. When you are away, the entire city might as well be 
 gone." 
 
 " I wish you would put more feeling into your words," 
 he complained, " they sound like papier-mache images — • 
 hollow." 
 
 It was true that her tone forbade any demonstration, 
 though her words seemed to invite. 
 
 The tea-kettle crackled. Beatrice lifted it and shook it. 
 
 " It is empty," she said. " It is too bad that you can't have 
 another cup. Won't you come and dine with mamma and me.' 
 I wish to hear of your adventures." 
 
 " I have not been so lucky as to have any," he said with an 
 air of confession. " I would be glad enough to accept your 
 invitation, but I can't to-night; I'm to meet Mr. Bertram at 
 the hotel with — the claimant. May I come to-morrow night?" 
 
 "Yes; and bring the 'superb specimen.'" 
 
 " Shall I?" he queried. " I am afraid you will fall in love 
 with him ; or do you consider yourself proof against even — " ' 
 
 " Because 1 don't fall in love with you, you think possibly I 
 am proof against all masculine charms?" she demanded laugh- 
 ingly. " I really am very susceptible." 
 
 " When I relate what a delightful trip I've had, you will be 
 \i 
 
178 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 consumed with regret that you refused to accompany me," he 
 prophesied. 
 
 " I actually did mourn that I was not there to see the girl 
 whom the bandits stole," she admitted. " Was she a disap- 
 pointment? You remember that you wrote after you had 
 reached the coffee plantation of M. Theuriet, and you said 
 that as soon as your host returned and you learned more of 
 the matter you would write again. Not another line arri%^ed. 
 Did you write?" 
 
 " No," answered Lithgow honestly. " I expected to be here 
 almost as soon as a letter would." 
 
 " Well, did her father find the brigands and kill them all?" 
 
 " No; he returned from the search utterly discouraged, the 
 morning following my letter to you which the guide mailed. 
 What did happen was romantic, almost too romantic, for this 
 end of the century." 
 
 " Which means that you were the one to rescue her and, 
 subsequently, you fell in love," decided Beatrice. 
 
 " You are no Yankee, Bee," he declared; " you never could 
 win a prize at guessing! This was the way of it: the future 
 Lord Harberton was the noble individual. He saved her 
 from becoming the wife — the second wife — of the chief, and 
 in so doing he discovered himself, so to speak. Not until 
 then did I advance upon the scene, and then only to make in- 
 quiries and such trifling things, with the result that he and the 
 woman who interfered with his fortune are here in New York 
 e?i route to England." 
 
 " It is fairly incredible, isn't it?" exclaimed Beatrice. " And 
 what about the abducted girl?" 
 
 " She? Oh, she is to marrj'' a neighbor who was willing to 
 ransom her if need be. I'll tell you the whole story some 
 time. It is too long for hasty rehearsal. Zunega fell in love 
 with her, I fancy." 
 
 " Zuiiega?" 
 
 "The future Lord Harberton." 
 
 " Oh ! And she is going to marry another?" 
 
 "Yes; M. Theuriet, my host." 
 
 " A young man?" 
 
 "No-0-0; a man about seventy, possibly." 
 
 Beatrice rose to her feet. She began putting the tea 
 things away. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 79 
 
 " She couldn't love him !" 
 "No." 
 
 Beatrice looked at him sharply. There was a note in his 
 voice that was suggestive of pain. 
 
 " Why does she marry him then?" 
 
 "I believe that M. Theuriet is going to pay all of her 
 father's debts." 
 
 " And — her father permits it?" 
 
 " He does not know that is what influenced her. The debts 
 are to be paid without his knowledge; something of that 
 sort." 
 
 " And she loves this brigand lord ! Isn't it awful what mis- 
 takes we women make, or think it is our duty to make !" 
 
 " She does not know that Zunega loves her ; at least, I imag- 
 ine that she does not." 
 
 Beatrice tried an experiment. 
 
 " Why didn't you promise to pay her father's debts and 
 take her yourself, Lithgow?" she asked. 
 
 She saw the start that he gave, but she could not be certain 
 as to what had caused it; for he sprang to his feet and came 
 close to her, taking her hands in his. 
 
 " I am going to marry you some day, Beatrice, am I not?" 
 he asked. 
 
 " I thought we had settled that in the negative," she replied. 
 
 " Do you still prefer to have it so settled.'" There was un- 
 mistakable anxiety in his question. 
 
 Beatrice hesitated. She knew what had come to her during 
 the hours and weeks of his absence. She was not yet willing 
 that he should know. She drew a halting breath that was 
 half a confession, only Lithgow did not recognize it as such. 
 
 " While I may not be ready to marry you myself, I think I 
 should object vigorously if I saw another about to become 
 your wife," she told him with an attempt at lightness. 
 
 " You care enough for that?" he asked. 
 
 " Yes," she said. 
 
 Lithgow knew then that she had meant all that the little 
 line in her letter had betrayed. He would have drawn her to 
 him, but she released herself gently. 
 
 "It is not enough to satisfy me." She shook her blonde 
 head. " I am determined to love fiercely, completely, ab- 
 sorbingly. Until then, I shall not marry." 
 
l8o A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Do you know what it is that teaches most people that 
 they love?" he queried smilingly, 
 
 " Absence?" 
 
 " Possibly, but that which I meant was jealousy." 
 
 " Then I must ever remain in ignorance that I love," re- 
 torted she. " I have not a spark of it in my make-up." 
 
 " I will show you that I have if you allow yourself to be- 
 come enamored of Zunega," he warned. " Shall I bring him 
 up here to-morrow? He and Annizae are certain to be lonely 
 and I shall be busy. I know that you will be glad to model a 
 face like Zuiiega's." 
 
 " Bring them," she urged. " Miss Durame can make a study 
 of the one you call — Annizae? yes, Annizae. She can send it 
 to the coming exhibit. She has not been very successful of 
 late." 
 
 "I'll ride out on the cars with you," said Lithgow, as 
 she made preparations for home-going. " I wish to see the 
 mother. Then I'll come back to the hotel. Oh, yes, there 
 is time." 
 
 He was very tender in his manner. He realized how far he 
 had deviated from his allegiance, and sought to make amends 
 for it in a way that would satisfy himself without exciting her 
 suspicions. His swerving had not been of the nature that 
 some men would call swerving, but in his heart he knew that 
 it really had been more fatal than a palpable faithlessness. 
 The latter he could have forgotten. 
 
 When Lithgow went up to the parlor which separated Zu- 
 iiega's room from Annizae's, he found Felipe and his pretty 
 wife ensconced there, having been invited to dine by no less 
 a personage than the lawyer himself. Annizae had been some- 
 what metamorphosed by the addition of a longer skirt and a 
 visit to a neighboring establishment for footwear. Zunega's 
 soft, black beard had disappeared, leaving his features re- 
 markable for their purity of outline. Otherwise he was un- 
 changed, Lithgow viewed him with renewed admiration, 
 Zuiiega drew Lithgow aside. 
 
 " Felipe tells me of a band of men, senor, who are united 
 by the hope of freeing Cuba," he whispered. " Felipe himself 
 belongs to it. All who can prove themselves true-hearted 
 Cubans may join. It is there that I wish to go. To-night 
 they meet. The seiaor has no objections?" 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. iSi 
 
 " Certainly not," replied Lithgow. " But what do they do?" 
 
 " That is what I wish to learn, seiior. I would be one of 
 their number. The day may come when I could help as Fe- 
 lipe helps. He gives all that he can to push the work on." 
 
 " I will ask Felipe if I may go with him," decided Lithgow. 
 " I can tell better than he, perhaps, whether it is a legiti- 
 mate affair or one for the sole purpose of drawing just enthu- 
 siatic fellows as he." 
 
 So it came about that the whole party, with the exception 
 of the lawyer, went to attend a meeting of those dauntless, 
 heroic souls whose hearts never will rest until Cuba is free or 
 until they have died in attempting to free her. 
 
 Fresh from the island, Lithgow understood fully the great 
 depths of the wrong which constantly was being wrought 
 against Cuba by the power that called itself the " mother 
 country," but might more truthfully have termed itself the 
 " monster country." He listened to the grave, earnest speeches 
 that were made. He watched the strong, passionate visages 
 lighted by the pure fire of patriotism. Exiles, whose all had 
 been swallowed by the confiscating government; soldiers, 
 who had fought valiantly in the ten-year war; youths, in 
 whose veins beat the elixir of liberty — a striking assemblage, 
 and one which was destined to write its hoj^es in a language 
 that Spain could not feign to misunderstand. 
 
 Lithgow felt that he was in the solemn presence of that 
 mighty Spirit which " was in the Beginning," and broods 
 yearningly over every nation — deathless, starry-eyed Liberty. 
 His pulses throbbed in sympathy with the heroic utterances 
 that found voice about him. He was charmed by the calm- 
 ness and deliberation which characterized the speeches of 
 one lofty-browed man, to whom all appeared to look as to a 
 leader. 
 
 "Who is he?" he inquired of an enthusiastic Cuban, who 
 applauded vociferously. 
 
 " Marti — Jose Marti. Dios guard him ! He and the council 
 of direction alone stand between the government and imme- 
 diate insurrection." 
 
 "You can't mean it!" exclaimed Lithgow in a low tone. 
 " I have but just come from Havana. Everything is as qtiiet 
 as a — Campo Santo. There is no suspicion of an ui^risini^. " 
 " And there must be no suspicion, senor," smiled the Cuban. 
 
1 82 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " When the leaders are convinced that their plans are perfect 
 and there can be no chance of failure, the word will be given, 
 and before Spain has time to send over fresh troops the Cu- 
 bans will begin their fight for independence under the same 
 generals who led them twenty years ago." 
 
 " These are the souls with whom Raquel, on a far-away 
 sugar plantation, ignorantly is en rapport," he thought, feeling 
 that he had in some measure discovered the reason for her 
 wakeful patriotism, kindled by unseen fires. " The subtle 
 power of the freedom-hungering minds convened here is 
 flashed straight through space to whatever heart beats in 
 unison with the movement for liberty. The mental ear of 
 the poet, the prophet, the hero catches the bugle-call long be- 
 fore those in the valleys are awakened. A mind can receive 
 only that for which it is ripe. She shall hear more specifi- 
 cally of these voices that proclaim that Cuba shall be free. 
 I will show her the truth of those words which I quoted to 
 her half idly: 'Every sound that is spoken over the round 
 world, which thou oughtest to hear, will vibrate on thy ear. 
 
 He was won from his thoughts by a movement from Zu- 
 fiega. He turned to see what occasioned it. He was startled 
 almost by the expression on the youth's face. It seemed 
 transfigured by an inspiring passion that flamed in his 
 wonderful eyes and fairly blazed through his marvellous gold 
 tinting. 
 
 " Cuba libre ! Cuba libre ! " 
 
 Every voice took up the musical, impassioned cry. 
 
 Zunega's was more musical, more impassioned than any. 
 It attracted the gaze of the leader. The ej^es of the two men 
 appeared to meet in a recognition that each felt perceptibly. 
 Jose Marti spoke to the man nearest him. That man made his 
 way in Zuiiega's direction. He approached to the side of the 
 youth. 
 
 " You are a stranger — no?" he inquired in a low tone. 
 " Seiior Marti wishes to speak with you." 
 
 When the meeting broke up and a babel of speech ensued, 
 as each exchanged greetings with his neighbors, Lithgow fol- 
 lowed Zuiiega and his guide to where the dreamy but forceful 
 countenance of the leader was visible. 
 
 " You are a stranger. Tell me of yourself," he said simply. 
 
 Lithgow, looking from one face to the other, was astonished 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1S3 
 
 to see that the two possessed a resemblance that, while intan- 
 gible, was noticeable. He could not locate it. unless it lay in 
 the eyes, which were liquid with a melancholy that the fever 
 of patriotism did not burn away. To this natural melancholy 
 was added, in Marti's orbs, the sadness which had come from 
 watching over the woes of his crushed land. His glance had 
 a peculiar far-reaching quality, as if he peered through the 
 mists of the future. Did he perceive the death that waited 
 for him on a Cuban battlefield? 
 
 " To-day I set foot on free soil for the first time," Zuiiega 
 said. " When I return to Cuba, it will be to make her free 
 also?" 
 
 Marti smiled. The smile had the virtue of a caress, so 
 sweet was it. 
 
 " You will return?" 
 
 " When you bid, master." Zuiiega bowed low. 
 
 Marti watched him with visible interest ; then he turned 
 his glance upon Lithgow inquiringly. Lithgow held out his 
 business card with a word of explanation. 
 
 Marti extended his hand cordially. 
 
 " Then you are one I wish to see," he said. " If you have 
 been going through Cuba on business, you have done so with 
 observing eyes. I have some questions that you, unpreju- 
 diced, may be better able to answer than a Cuban. Will you 
 come to see me to-morrow?" 
 
 " With unbounded pleasure," agreed Lithgow. " May I 
 petition that this youth who has won your attention may ac- 
 company me? He has come from the island with me. I can 
 satisfy you in regard to him; and he is of a mind to be of 
 great service to the cause." 
 
 " He is needed," answered Marti. " He has the face of a 
 hero. There will be work for him to do. Bring him. All 
 Cubans are brothers." 
 
 Thus was forged the link that united Zuiiega with the chain 
 of dauntless hearts that hoped to draw around Cuba the magic 
 circle of freedom, within which the iron heel of the tyrant 
 could nevermore enter. 
 
 They made their way back to where they had left Annizae 
 with Felipe and his wife. Felipe regarded Zunega with rev- 
 erential glance. His manner was full of respect. He did not 
 understand why the one so lately from the island and so igno- 
 
1 84 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 rant of this Cuban movement had been summoned to the side 
 of the beloved Marti ; but there was no envy in his breast. 
 He pressed his wife's hand close to his side, and told her that 
 they were honored in that they had brought him here. 
 
 On the way back to the hotel, Zuiiega's finely poised head 
 turned neither to the right nor to the left. There was an ela- 
 tion in his soul that had not been there when he had been told 
 that he was heir to an estate and title. He felt that a more 
 important legacy had fallen to him, that of striking blows 
 which should rend Cuba's gyves asunder. 
 
 CHAPTER XVn. 
 
 With his slippered feet stretched out in front of a cosy fire, 
 that night after the Cuban assembly of patriots, Lithgow sat 
 long. He smoked many cigars, and their delicate fragrance 
 made him half fancy that he was back in the sunny court with 
 Raquel. He was trying to convince himself that he owed it 
 to her and her father to write and report concerning the voy- 
 age and the lawyer's reception of Annizae and Zuiiega. He 
 wanted to tell her about this club of liberty-loving men with 
 whom Zunega was to become identified. The pleasure with 
 which he dwelt on the thought of writing to her showed him 
 clearly that he was unfaithful to Beatrice in heart. He argued 
 first one way and then the other, as he smoked. But all the 
 time he knew that he intended to write. Finally he drew 
 the table up to him and began. 
 
 With his swift, business hand he covered sheet after sheet, 
 while the fire grew low and the gas-lights dim. He wrote as 
 he never had written before, as he never would again. When 
 he had finished, he read the words over, arose, thrust back 
 with the toe of his slipper the graying ashes, and held the 
 closely penned pages over the dying coals. The blue tongues 
 of flame reached up feebly and touched the edges of the 
 sheets, blackening them. He watched while the paper curled 
 and the ink faded. Finally he loosened his fingers and let 
 the letter fall. It blazed up fiercely ; but in another moment 
 only black shadows lay where the written passion of a life had 
 been. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 185 
 
 " The story it told is better there than in her heart," he said 
 with a sigh. " If she loved, it could but make her unhappy. 
 If she loved not, it would be of small value to her. I did not 
 dream that I was going to reveal that." 
 
 Resuming his seat, he wrote a description of the things 
 which he knew both she and her father would be anxious to 
 hear relative to his erstwhile brigand charges, and terminated 
 with an account of the manner in which they had spent the 
 evening. At the close, he added: 
 
 " Your revolutionary spirit will be gratified to learn that 
 Zuiiega is determined to devote his fortune to the liberation 
 of Cuba. He has taken the first step in his career as a Cuban 
 patriot this night. He requested me to say to you, 'Zuiiega 
 will not forget!' I know its significance. You are respon- 
 sible for the noble resolution which burns within him ; he has 
 told me so. Cuba may owe a portion of her freedom to the 
 efforts of an isolated maiden who mourns her powerlessness. 
 Who can tell?" 
 
 According to arrangements, Lithgow took Annizae and Zu- 
 iiega up to Beatrice's studio the following morning, with Fe- 
 lipe's little wife, Anita, to act in the capacity of interpreter. 
 
 Beatrice made no attempt to hide her delight when she be- 
 held Zunega. 
 
 "Superb!" she cried. " Why, he might have come down 
 from Olympus!" And she lost no time in getting to work. 
 Annizae and Anita watched her curiously. Zuiiega feigned 
 indifference, to hide the timidity which beset him with this 
 open admiration bestowed upon him, as if he had been an ani- 
 mal at the Zoo, or an object of art. But he watched the 
 sculptor from his lustrous eyes with a critical examination. 
 He noted her blonde head, the straight, fearless look from the 
 blue orbs, the supple figure. He divined that this was " the 
 other one" of whom Lithgow had spoken ; and he compared 
 her with Raquel. It was a difficult thing to accomplish satis- 
 factorily, because they were so dissimilar. This northern 
 girl chilled him with her pale beauty; her business-like 
 method bewildered him. She seemed to look at him without 
 seeing him at all. He felt half afraid of her. Yet, when she 
 smiled into his questioning eyes, and appeared to recollect 
 that he was alive, and not like the plaster casts which peered 
 down upon him from the wall, he liked her. 
 
1 86 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 She occasionally plied both him and Annizae with queries 
 concerning themselves, and he answered through the lips of 
 Anita. 
 
 " Tell me, please, how you saved the stolen senorita from 
 becoming the wife of the chief?" she requested at last, wish- 
 ing to awaken in his face something which seemed to slumber 
 there, defying her efforts to arouse it. 
 
 He obeyed reluctantly, fearing that it would not be cour- 
 teous to refuse, but he made his part of the undertaking very 
 small indeed. 
 
 " You are humble, as befits a knight who loves a lady," 
 smiled Beatrice, working very rapidly to snatch the expres- 
 sion in his eyes. Translated by Anita, the sentence reached 
 Zuiiega differently, and he answered quickly : 
 
 " Who once has seen her, loves her; even the Americano." 
 
 Not until Beatrice lifted her head with the startled motion 
 of a bird did he realize what he had said. He would have 
 rectified it if he had known how, but Beatrice had gone on 
 with her work again, and he tried to make himself believe that 
 she had not heard it. To satisfy himself, he asked Anita to 
 repeat to him what she had said in the way of translation. 
 
 " Tell the sefiorita that you did not understand it properly," 
 he told her anxiously. 
 
 Anita looked a trifle rebellious, but complied. 
 
 Beatrice smiled at him reassiiringly over her heap of 
 clay. 
 
 " I am certain what Anita repeated was the truth, whether 
 or not it was what you told her to speak," she said with a con- 
 viction that was disconcerting. " Had I been either of you 
 men, I would have robbed the old Frenchman of her by run- 
 ning away with her myself. I can't imagine where was Lith- 
 gow's American spirit. You talk of giving freedom to your 
 island, yet you took her from the chief only to let her become 
 the purchase of another I" 
 
 Zuiiega looked troubled. He did not understand that she 
 spoke half lightly. Her words brought up before him the 
 very thing which he sought most strenuously to keep from 
 sight, the picture of Raquel as a wife — another's wife. 
 
 He got up from his chair abruptly and began moving about 
 the room. When he saw that they all observed him, he re- 
 membered where he was and came back and sat down. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 87 
 
 " I was wishing I was in Cuba," he explained simply. " I 
 shall go there again, please Dios, soon !" 
 
 His face had settled again into its gentle sadness. 
 
 Beatrice worked away nervously. Her eyes were very 
 bright and very difficult to read. She was in that mood when 
 every touch of her fingers was decisive and told on her model- 
 ling. She knew it and made the most of it. She asked no 
 more questions concerning Raquel. She simply bestowed a 
 quizzical glance upon Lithgow, when he came up to see how 
 the work was progressing. 
 
 Miss Durame had taken possession of Annizae and was en- 
 thusiastic over the effective sketch which was emanating from 
 beneath her brush. Other artists came in to look enviously at 
 the models, and, altogether, the studio wore an air of bustling 
 activity. 
 
 Lithgow came again late in the day, and remained to pass 
 his criticisms upon the productions until darkness compelled 
 cessation of work; then he escorted Beatrice and the two 
 models out to the delightful home where the gentle, gray- 
 haired Mrs. Warrington presided, as dignifiedly as she had in 
 more prosperous days over the luxurious mansion which had 
 been hers before misfortune had overtaken the family. 
 
 Some little awkwardness was noticeable on Annizae'spart, 
 at first, but the apparently unseeing manner in v.'hich they 
 glossed over her gaucheries did much to re-establish her self- 
 esteem and prepare her for the more trying ordeals which 
 were likely to await her on the other side of the ocean. With 
 some trepidation, she dimly discerned a fe.w of the difficulties 
 which might beset her in the way of etiquette as mistress of 
 Harberton Towers, and she covertly essayed to make her own 
 some of the ease which distinguished her hostess. She stole 
 stealthy glances at Mrs. Warrington's well-arranged coiffure, 
 her beautiful white skin, her manicured nails. A medley of 
 troublesome suggestions went rioting through her brain. She 
 was not wholly without adaptability. Life in the family of 
 an English gentleman had not been without its salutary effect 
 upon her, but the free-and-easy existence which she had led 
 since that time had not contributed to perfection of table 
 manners. 
 
 Zuiiega's opportunity for observation in Havana and on the 
 voyage to New York had not been unimproved. His dreamy 
 
iS8 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 eyes made a note of everything, no matter how trivial. Lith- 
 gow even felt some alarm lest his assertion that the youth had 
 been forest-bred would be discredited. 
 
 Mrs. Warrington gladly would have entered into conversa- 
 tion with Annizae, but that being a difficult matter, owing 
 to the difference in their languages, contented herself with 
 plying the woman with northern comforts. She was intensely 
 interested in this little romance which had come to their 
 knowledge through Lithgow, and she was infatuated with 
 Zunega's beauty. The fact that he really was motherless 
 appealed to her wonderfully, and she allowed herself to fancy 
 that her own dead son would have looked like this young 
 Apollo had he lived. She was very tender in her glance and 
 speech toward the young fellow, and he appreciated and re- 
 sponded to it with the open-heartedness of a boy. 
 
 Lithgow noted, smiled, and commented to himself. 
 " Zuiiega is safe here, but when he becomes Lord Harberton 
 he will have to be careful how he succumbs to the gentle arts 
 of womankind. All of the British matrons will not be as in- 
 nocent of intention as dear Mrs. Warrington." 
 
 This was but one of the occasions on which Zuiiega and 
 Annizae partook of the Warrington hospitality during the days 
 that intervened before Mr. Bertram had made all arrangements 
 for departure. 
 
 And, in all that week, Beatrice, unlike her sex, resolutely 
 refrained from making any inquiries regarding Raquel. " He 
 must tell me voluntarily," she decided to herself during 
 night hours, hours which heretofore had been given over 
 to sleep, " Certainly something has altered him. He can- 
 not pretend it was my decision in regard to our marriage. 
 He is preoccupied half of his time, and his eyes — they seem 
 to have absorbed some of Zuiiega's melancholy. There is but 
 one explanation, seemingly; but why under the sun does he 
 let her marry that old Frenchman?" 
 
 All of which seemed to point to the suspicion that Beatrice 
 Warrington was on the eve of making a few additional discov- 
 eries in regard to herself and her emotions. 
 
 Saturday's sunrise saw the great ocean liner at its dock, 
 waiting for the signal to depart. Its taffrail was lined with 
 the faces of voyagers, eager and indifferent ; happy and sad ; 
 hopeful and blase. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 1 89 
 
 The Cubans, with Lithgow and the lawyer, stood looking 
 down at the iipturned faces on the pier. To Annizae's eyes, 
 the unfamiliar, gesticulating multitude seemed half crazed. 
 Lithgow was watching to see if he could find the countenances 
 of Beatrice and her mother, for Beatrice had wagered that she 
 would be down to see them oil. But the ship moved slowly 
 out of the slip and the visages on shore began to fade. He 
 waved his hat gayly at some of his friends who had chartered 
 a tug, which was whistling and puffing strenuously in an effort 
 to see the steamer safely out of the harbor. 
 
 When fairly en route, he busied himself in ensconcing An- 
 nizae comfortably. This wintry Atlantic voyage was likely 
 to test her much more severely than the calm, balmy passage 
 up from the Gulf had done, and he was anxious that she .should 
 suffer as little as was possible. 
 
 The days which followed were such as belong to the life of 
 one of the floating hotels that cross the deeps so blithely 
 through all seasons. Annizae never emerged from her state- 
 room until the morning before they reached Queenstown; 
 consequently the men were left free to occupy themselves as 
 they would. 
 
 Zunega, with a spirit of inquiry of which Lithgow had not 
 supposed him possessed, made himself thoroughly familiar 
 with the ship and its workings, and seemed to derive informa- 
 tion by absorption, for he asked few questions, but appeared 
 to have found out everything that was worth knowing. 
 
 " You put me to shame, my lord" the American said one day 
 facetiously. 
 
 " Forqu(', scTiorV c^uestioncd Zuiiega wonderingly. 
 
 " You have learned so much in the short time which has 
 been at your disposal. I might have been a walking diction- 
 ary if I had half of your enterprise. To shame an American 
 in the matter of energy is quite an achievement, I assure 
 you." 
 
 "I am but making up for lost time, scuor," returned Zu- 
 nega. " What is there not for me to learn if I am to succeed 
 my father? What must I not accumulate in the way of infor- 
 mation if I am to be of service to Cuba? It is well to know 
 about the workings of an immense vessel like this. Cuba 
 may need such some day, only they will be manned for war." 
 
 " Ah!" murmured Lithgow comprehendingly. " If you will 
 
IQO A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 allow me to play any part in the struggle, I believe that I will 
 choose to follow in the steps of those famous buccaneers who 
 made the Isle of Pines their rendezvous. You will need am- 
 munition, all of the paraphernalia of carnage. What could 
 be more to my taste than to carry contraband goods? You do 
 the fighting and I can do the necessary supplying of munitions 
 of war. Life is not exhausted yet! We will deserve the ap- 
 probation of the little seiiorita." 
 
 Zuiiega threw himself down on a coil of rope sombrely. 
 
 " She then will be the Seiiora Theuriet," he reminded. 
 " She whom you call Miss Warrington said that if she had 
 been either of us she would have taken the senorita from the 
 Frenchman and have run away with her." 
 
 Lithgow straightened himself up from his lounging atti- 
 tude. 
 
 " Oh, did she talk to you of Raquel?" 
 
 " Once only, then she said that which I have repeated." 
 
 Lithgow lapsed into ruminating silence. Zunega, with his 
 hands clasped back of his head, stared up into the pale blue 
 of the sky. Already he was hungry for the deep, rich tints of 
 his birthplace. England could never hold him, he said de- 
 cisively. There was but one land in the world for him — 
 Cuba. 
 
 Sitting abaft, night after night, chilled by the sharpness of 
 this atmosphere, which was so different from any he had 
 known, he had formulated plans that appeared magical, but 
 which he dreamed that he would be able to carry into effect. 
 From a youth he had expanded into a thinking, reasoning 
 man, during this period which had elapsed since his passing 
 out from the forest. It seemed to him that he had lived years 
 upon years in the days following his decision to forsake the 
 brigand camp. All the life previous was now like a dream. 
 He had ripened under the stress of action as fruit ripens under 
 the torrid heat of noonday. 
 
 Annizae, convalescent but irritable, and craving the warmth 
 of the tropics, claimed their attention the next day. At sun- 
 down they caught sight of Fastnet, and at midnight the mails 
 were taken off at Queenstown. The next morning they rode 
 at anchor off Liverpool. 
 
 Even Annizae betrayed a trifle of excitement at the prospect 
 of soon setting foot on the soil which was denied her in years 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 19' 
 
 past. Both she and Zuiiega, accustomed to tropical dilatori- 
 ness in all matters, awaited with enviable patience the coming 
 of the second tender, while the two Americans were irked per- 
 ceptibly. There was the usual scurry to get through the cus- 
 toms and book for London by the first train. 
 
 The two Cubans exhibited intense curiosity in the garden- 
 like country through which the train swept, and Zunega 
 looked with interest upon the various parks, turretcd towers, 
 and magnificent fagades, which Lithgow pointed out to him 
 in the distance as homes no finer than his own was said to be. 
 
 With American extravagance and faith in the power of ap- 
 pearances, Mr. Bertram insisted on registering at the Metro- 
 pole and established Zuiiega in the finest suite procurable. 
 Confident that Zunega was the long-sought heir, he meant to 
 spare no expense in proving the validity of the claimant's 
 rights, even if the solicitors should decide that the proofs were 
 not conclusive. Taken before an English court, he thought 
 that the decree would be that the heir to the ITarberton title 
 had really arisen ; and he intended that Zuiiega should attract 
 all of the attention which his appearance was sure to com- 
 mand. Mr. Bertram was full of excitement ; but he success- 
 fully concealed it beneath a most business-like exterior. He 
 had notified the London lawyers that he thought he had se- 
 cured the right man, but he had not apprised them that he 
 would sail on that steamer. For reasons of his own, he wished 
 to take them by surprise. And he did so. 
 
 After becoming established to his entire satisfaction, and 
 thoroughly recuperated after the voyage, he called a four- 
 wheeler and, with his three companions, was driven directly 
 to the office of Lambert and Milman, Q. C, Holborn. 
 
 Zuiiega, Annizae, and Lithgow seated -themselves in the 
 anteroom while Mr. Bertram sent in his card. Zunega glanced 
 about him curiously. His retentive memory took in 'every 
 detail of the dingy, vault-like apartment. Compared with 
 the luxurious appointments of the American office buildings, 
 through which he had been escorted by Lithgow, this little 
 room, presided over by a gloomy looking young man. ap- 
 peared like a dungeon. He could scarcely realize that he was 
 on the point of meeting the men who had managed his father's 
 business, as well as that of the previous incumbent of the title. 
 At a signal from the imperious " Buttons," Mr. Bertram 
 
192 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 went forward through a heavy nail-studded door into the 
 inner sanctum of Mr. Lambert, who, with surprise on his fea- 
 tures, stood to receive him. 
 
 " If you had notified us of your coming, one of us would 
 have met you at Liverpool, Mr. Bertram," said the English- 
 man, welcoming his American colleague warmly. " Mr. Mil- 
 man has stepped out. He will return in a short time, no 
 doubt. You have brought the claimant with you?" 
 
 " He is in the outer chamber," replied Mr. Bertram. " Shall 
 I call him in?" 
 
 Visible curiosity shone in the solicitor's blue eyes, but he 
 pulled his nether lip reflectively. 
 
 " Perhaps we would better wait until Mr. Milman comes 
 in," he hesitated. " I will confess that we are anticipating 
 more than we ought, possibly, from this discovery of yours. 
 I should not wish to deprive him of the first — oh, here he is ! 
 Milman, this is Mr. Bertram." 
 
 The younger lawyer greeted Mr. Bertram with trenchant 
 glance. He had come through another entrance into his own 
 office, and had not observed the occupants of the anteroom. 
 
 " Why, you have taken us by surprise, Mr. Bertram," he 
 exclaimed. " I hope that your success of which you wired us 
 has not proven to be a hoax !" 
 
 "I think not," Bertram answered modestly. "I believe 
 that I am prepared to furnish you with the lost heir to Har- 
 berton Towers." 
 
 " Will you tell us by what process you found him?" re- 
 quested Mr. Lambert, settling himself comfortably in his 
 leathern chair, and placing his hands before him in an attitude 
 suggestive of prayer. Mr. Milman took a seat and leaned 
 toward the American interestedly. 
 
 " Really, I did very little," confessed Bertram. " A friend 
 of mine was going down to Cuba on business. I told him the 
 story and asked him to keep his ej'es and ears open during his 
 journeyings through the interior of the island. The detective 
 whom I had engaged there was discovering nothing, and I 
 thought this chance was too good not to be employed. What 
 the result was, I think that I would better allow my friend to 
 relate himself. He has accompanied me over in order to do 
 this. He is in the anteroom." 
 
 Mr. Lambert looked over his shoulder at Mr. Milman. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. I93 
 
 " The claimant is there also," he informed his partner. 
 
 >Ir. Milman thrust his fingers with a degrtie of excitement 
 through his rough, bristling hair. 
 
 " We appear to be getting down to business," he remarked. 
 " Shall we have him in?" 
 
 " I think that you would understand how simply it all has 
 come about, if you were to hear Mr. Hamilton tell of the sin- 
 gular circumstances which led to the accidental discovery of 
 the heir," sv:ggested Mr. Bertram. 
 
 " !Mr. Hamilton is your friend?" 
 
 "Yes; he visited the island in the interests of his firm, a 
 coffee company." 
 
 " Pray ask him to enter." 
 
 Lithgow obeyed the signal from Bertram, and was intro- 
 duced to the judicial-appearing English solicitors. In a rapid, 
 concise manner, he rehearsed all the events which had culmi- 
 nated in such an unexpected way for Zuiiega. The lav/ycrs 
 were very passive at first, but, as the story unrolled, their in- 
 terest and belief in its verity increased, until, when Lithgow 
 finished, they were enthusiastic over what appeared to be 
 success to all of their hopes. 
 
 "It seems incredible," commented Mr. Milman; " its very 
 simplicity and lack of complication is all the more remark- 
 able in that we have struggled through so many tanglcd-up 
 affairs during the years in which we have prosecuted this 
 search. There have been other claimants, you imderstand; 
 they have been disposed of satisfactorily, however. If any 
 difficulty arises now it will be because of those who believe 
 themselves to be the next of kin, and they will resent this 
 Cuban heir being brought forward. There is sure to be some 
 fighting on that score, but, if we are convinced that this man 
 is what you believe him to be, we shall be able to place him 
 in possession of his rights. Am I not correct, Mr. Lambert?" 
 
 " You are correct," bowed the elder man. " Let us have 
 him in now." 
 
 And Zutiega was summoned. 
 
 Lithgow's eyes were on him as he entered. His magnifi- 
 cent physique had never appeared to better advantage than it 
 did at that moment in the doorway. His well-set head was 
 thrown back with that alert, proud air which was a part of his 
 forest heritage. Framed in its jet waves, his gold- tinted face, 
 >3 
 
194 A DAUGHTER OF CCBA. 
 
 with its dreamy eyes and firm, scarlet mouth, was startling in 
 its impressiveness. 
 
 Bertram's gaze was fixed on the countenances of the Eng- 
 lishmen. This was the surprise which he had not meant to 
 lose. He noted the changes which passed over their visages 
 in quick succession. The expression which remained, in spite 
 of their facial control, was one of astonishment with which 
 was mingled satisfaction. The room was perfectly silent for 
 a full minute, while the two men leaned forward eagerly, 
 unaware that they did so. Then they turned their eyes upon 
 each other, as if to ascertain if the effect had been the same. 
 
 Mr. Lambert was the first to recover himself sufficiently to 
 rise and extend his fingers to Zuiiega. 
 
 " We are glad to welcome you," he said, with his eyes still 
 on the youth's face. " This is Mr. Milman. Will you be 
 seated?" 
 
 Milman shook hands somewhat as one might with an ap- 
 parition, and placed a chair for him. 
 
 Zuiiega looked at Lithgow for encouragement. The man- 
 ner of these men bewildered him. 
 
 " You may desire to procure an interpreter," suggested Mr. 
 Bertram. " He has picked up a little English, but not enough 
 to carry on a conversation of this nature, while the woman, 
 Annizae, speaks nothing but Spanish. Of course Mr. Hamil- 
 ton will act in the capacity, but you would be better satisfied 
 to obtain one who knows nothing of the story." 
 
 " The suggestion is a good one," nodded Mr. Lambert, " but 
 in that case we will have to postpone investigation. I confess 
 that I am anxious to waste no time in satisfying myself as to 
 the reality of all this. We can secure an interpreter for to- 
 morrow; in the mean time, may I inspect the ring which this 
 individual is said to possess?" 
 
 Lithgow repeated the request to Zunega, who drew the or- 
 nament from his hand. Together with the one which Lith- 
 gow had been given by Bertram on his departure for Cuba, it 
 was placed in the outstretched palm of the old lawyer. He 
 reached over his desk for a strong magnifier, then passed to 
 the window and stood with his back toward them. Presentl}' 
 he called his partner to him. They conversed in cautious 
 tones that did not convey any information to the three other 
 occupants of the room. Finally Mr. Lambert moved to a 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 195 
 
 private safe, and, after some peering, brought forth something 
 which they studied together, glancing now and then at Zu- 
 iiega with half-closed, calculating eyes. 
 
 Under this trying ordeal, Zuiiega sat imperturbably. He 
 had no idea what they were doing. Lithgow was wondering; 
 Mr. Bertram divined, and found his conjectures were right 
 when, some time after, he was summoned to their side. 
 
 Mr. Lambert held a daguerreotype of a strong English 
 face, on which a dogged self-will was emphatically written. 
 
 " This is a good likeness of the late Lord Harberton after 
 he returned from the Indies," explained the solicitors. 
 
 Bertram looked from it to them meaningly. 
 
 " Other evidence would scarcely be necessary," he com- 
 mented, " though the eyes are quite different. This daguerre- 
 otype possesses the round English eye. Zunega has the long, 
 sad orb that is said to belong to those of Carib extraction. I 
 understand that his mother had a suspicion of Carib blood." 
 
 " His eyes are exactly like those of Lady Harberton." pro- 
 nounced Mr. Milman with decision. 
 
 "His face has the intensity that is a characteristic of trop- 
 ical natures," Bertram continued thoughtfully, " yet it re- 
 tains the dominant features that this picture of Lord Harberton 
 exhibits — chin of great determination, immense width of 
 forehead." 
 
 " His nose is like his fa— like Lord Harberton's, also," said 
 Mr. Lambert. 
 
 Mr. Milman laughed. 
 
 " I believe that both of us are inclined to agree with Mr. 
 Bertram and Mr. Hamilton that the Cuban claimant's chances 
 are phenomenally good," he remarked, no longer attempting 
 to conceal his pleasure. 
 
 " Things as certain have been known to disappoint," warned 
 the older lawyer, returning to his chair and passing three 
 rings to Zuiiega for inspection. 
 
 " Ask him to select his own from among them," he said to 
 Lithgow. 
 
 Zuiiega studied them well, then handed them to Lithgow 
 with a shake of his black head. 
 
 " They are alike," he said. 
 
 Neither Lithgow nor Mr. Bertram were able to detect dif- 
 ference between the three. 
 
196 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Yet there is a decided difference," Mr. Lambert informed 
 them. " All of them are copies of the original ring, which 
 never becomes the property of any one but the reigning lord. 
 It has a strange history. No one ever thinks of wearing it as 
 you wear this," he told Zunega, as he returned to the youth 
 his own ornament. " It is called a dangerous possession and 
 is employed only as a seal. If you are proven to be the heir 
 to the Harberton title, you will become the owner of it and 
 its unique history. The ring which I have given back to you 
 will belong to your second son. You see the first son always 
 stands the chance of getting the original; it descends to him 
 as surely as the lands. Your possession of that ring would 
 seem to prove that your father was he whom you claim. He 
 was a fourth son and he possessed such a ring. These others 
 are merely perfect copies, made to assist us in our search." 
 
 " Does not the possession of the ring prove his identity 
 conclusively?" questioned Lithgow. 
 
 Mr. Lambert shook his head. 
 
 " We must learn beyond all manner of doubt how this ring 
 was obtained," he explained. 
 
 " That Annizae can tell," Lithgow declared. 
 
 " But I fear that we must have other susbtantiation than 
 merely her word." 
 
 " I don't know how we are to procure it," Bertram said. 
 
 " There is her own child," reminded Lithgow. " Could not 
 that personage be employed in such a way that she might be 
 betrayed into some show of maternal feelings?" 
 
 " That would prove little." 
 
 " But she desires that he shall share with Zutiega in this 
 matter of the Harberton fortune." 
 
 Mr. Lambert lifted his brows and Mr. Milman smiled in- 
 scrutably, while Lithgow went on to explain that the chief 
 lever used in getting her to England had been the sugges- 
 tion that the place waited for her which would have been 
 hers had Lord Harberton married her instead of Zuiiega's 
 mother. 
 
 " And she wishes to see the child whom she had no scruples 
 about abandoning in his infancy," commented Mr. Lambert. 
 
 '■ She does not consider that she abandoned him," corrected 
 the American lawyer. " As I understand, she thought only, 
 in her heat of revenge, of placing her own child in what she 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. I97 
 
 deemed his rightful position, and— of breaking the heart of 
 the woman whom she felt had usurped her." 
 
 " She secured her desire so far as Lady Harberton was con- 
 cerned," returned the old Englishman slowly. " The most 
 beautiful woman that I ever saw, she cared nothing for the 
 admiration which was lavished upon her. She never was 
 happy in England, and mourned unceasingly for her lost 
 child. The sight of the one which had been foisted upon her 
 never failed to irritate. It was a source of considerable trou- 
 ble between her and her husband. She would have cast the 
 little one off, but the justness of Lord Harberton's nature 
 would not permit him to do that. He had the lad well-reared 
 and gave him a fine education, providing him with a fair 
 allowance, which still continues. Certain conditions were 
 mentioned in the will, however, which remain to be fulfilled. 
 I am sorry to say that the young fellow does not conform to 
 those conditions, in which event the allowance stops. It 
 would be much better for Carlos Vaschez if he were forced to 
 work, and work hard. He squanders everything. An invet- 
 erate gambler, the passion seems to have been in him from 
 earliest boyhood. He knows nothing about himself. The 
 reason for Lord Harberton's interest in him has never reached 
 his ears; in fact, he does not know that Lord Harberton ever 
 was interested. All was intrusted to us. He is certain of his 
 allowance; but, at the pace he moves, he will not be certain 
 of that long." 
 
 " Annizae is very suspicious," remarked Lithgow. " She is 
 fearful that she is brought over here for punishment, but I 
 have promised her that, instead of retribution, she shall meet 
 with gain. On those grounds alone would she come." 
 
 Mr. Lambert closed his lips very tightly and worked them 
 cogitatively. 
 
 "What do you think about it, Milman?" he questioned at 
 last. " Would Lady Harberton rest in her tomb if we did not 
 see meted out to the woman the punishment that she de- 
 vised?" 
 
 Lithgow had been translating to Zunega all that trans- 
 pired; now Zunega spoke rapidly and earnestly to Lithgow. 
 
 " The claimant says that he will see no harm come to An- 
 nizae," Lithgow repeated to the lawyers. " He considers that 
 the one whom you call Carlos Vaschcz is his brother, in that 
 
IqS J DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 they had the same father. He is willing to share with him, 
 but he insists that nothing whatever shall be done to Annizae. 
 Rather than that he will give up all idea of claiming his 
 rights." 
 
 The lawyers regarded Zuiiega with mingled feelings, prin- 
 cipal among which was surprise. 
 
 " Will he tell us why he entertains such warm affection for 
 the person who not only deprived him of all his heritage but 
 broke his mother's heart.'" inquired Mr. Lambert, a trifle sar- 
 castically. 
 
 Zuniiga turned his face gravely upon the questioner. Lith- 
 gow gave his answer: 
 
 " She wronged me, but she made me a Cuban. I had rather 
 be a Cuban than an Englishman." 
 
 Both Englishmen smiled. 
 
 " Ah, you do not know us yet," replied Mr. Milman, " and — 
 you have not seen Harberton Towers." 
 
 A sudden thought seemed to strike the older solicitor. 
 
 " What do you say to a trip down to the Towers to-morrow, 
 Milman?" he said suggestively. 
 
 " I don't understand," confessed Mr. Milman. " Why?" 
 
 " I would like to see the effect the place would have on the 
 woman." 
 
 " Oh, you mean to — take these — friends down?" 
 
 " Certainly. What could be better? There is a full length 
 portrait there of Lord Harberton, which I imagine this young 
 man will resemble even more than he does the daguerreotype ; 
 and there are other reasons." 
 
 " It is a good idea," acquiesced Mr. Milman. " I will wire 
 down to Wickham to meet the eleven-forty. Will that be right?" 
 
 " Yes, Suppose that we take a look at this Annizae." 
 
 Mr. Bertram ushered her in. She shook with unconquer- 
 able anxiety that was evidenced in her bearing. Left alone 
 in that outer office, she had sat in a shiver of apprehension, 
 which rapidly was culminating in terror when Mr. Bertram's 
 kindly visage appeared. What awaited her, her imagination 
 pictured in colors that drove the blood from her heart. 
 What she really encountered when she faced the five men 
 were simply looks of keen curiosity on the part of the two 
 Englishmen and glances of reassurance on the part of the 
 remainder. 
 
A DA UGH TEH OF CUBA. 199 
 
 No questions were asked her. She was allowed to main- 
 tain silence, while arrangements were made for the following 
 day. Her spirits began to rise insensibly. 
 
 Surreptitiously she took two or three long breaths, of which 
 her fear had deprived her during the last hour. 
 
 When Lithgow explained to her that they were to go on 
 the morrow to the place over which Zuiiega's mother had 
 reigned as mistress, all anxiety on her features gave way to 
 an exultation. She supposed that the entire matter had been 
 settled, and she was grateful to the Americano for keeping his 
 promise so well that not a query had been put to her. 
 
 " Gracias d Dios ! " she murmured fervently. " Who would 
 have thought that my prayers would be answered?" 
 
 CHAPTER XVni. 
 
 The members of Mr. Bertram's party were not the only 
 ones who accompanied the solicitors to Harberton Towers the 
 next morning. An imposing lawyer of title and a dapper 
 gentleman who boasted that he could, speak seven languages 
 completed the group. 
 
 Lord Lestonbridge inquired occasionally of Mr. Bertram 
 regarding his country much as people interrogate African ex- 
 plorers concerning the savages. The dapper interpreter oc- 
 cupied himself in conversing with Zuiiega relative to his im- 
 pressions of England. 
 
 Annizae was busy peering through the car windows at the 
 rapidly passing panorama of exquisite country. Suppressed 
 excitement was visible in her manner. Again and again she 
 whispered to herself that over this ground had travelled the 
 woman whom she had hated. These fair English scenes had 
 been familiar to the eyes of Zunega's mother. Had they be- 
 come hateful to her because of her hopeless grief .-' Annizae 
 was tasting the sweets of revenge. 
 
 "Dios cs ^7/<f//^.'" she said joyously. Had God indeed not 
 brought her to this enjoyment of what had been another's 
 pain? Her belief that He had was a source of much satisfac- 
 tion. On their arrival at the little station they found two con- 
 veyances in waiting. Lithgow, Mr. Milman, Zuiiega.and Anni- 
 
200 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 zskQ took places in the first. As it rattled over the stones of 
 the village street, the two from Cuba looked out curiously and 
 encountered the questioning gaze of villagers at windows and 
 doors. 
 
 The red-tiled roofs of the cottages gave back the brightness 
 of the morning sun ; the tiny front gardens gloried in a riot of 
 bloom. 
 
 At the extreme end of the long street they came to the ivy- 
 covered church, with its great tower on which yet remained 
 the beacon that had carried intelligence to twelve counties in 
 earlier times. Out from the mass of green gleamed the face 
 of the clock. 
 
 Zuiiega observed these things with a peculiar sensation 
 creeping over him. How many times had the father whom 
 he never had known looked up at this clock-face as he now 
 was doing? 
 
 "The Harbertons have been buried here for centuries," 
 spoke Mr. Milman. " Would you like to see the interior of 
 the church?" 
 
 " Of course," answered Lithgow for Zuiiega, " if we may." 
 
 The cool, damp air, which seems inseparable from old Eng- 
 lish edifices of worship, rushed out and chilled them as they 
 entered. Passing through the base of the tower, they stepped 
 into the nave. High, cushioned seats shut in the aisle which 
 led to the reading-desk, back of which rose the organ, domed 
 by a ceiling frescoed in semblance of starry heavens. 
 
 At the right, closed in by iron gates, were the tombs of 
 the Harbertons : — great marble sarcophagi upon which the re- 
 cumbent effigies of the dead were stretched in silent majesty. 
 
 It was the first time that Zuiiega had seen such pomp and 
 splendor for the dead. In the gloom of the old church the 
 tombs were more impressive than those in the Campo Santo 
 at Havana. A certain pride became his. These were his 
 kin! Their lengthy title was his! He gazed at the white 
 marble image of her who had been his mother, and a thrill of 
 tenderness went through his heart. It seemed to him that she 
 looked like Raquel. And, with that thought, a great joy 
 filled him. Did not these things prove that he indeed was 
 Raquel's equal? He bent and touched his lips to the white 
 marble feet. 
 
 In the mean time, those who had been in the rear had seen 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 201 
 
 Annizae fly out of the church as if pursued by the evil one. 
 In her mad rush she had tripped over a lo\v gravestone, and 
 now lay prostrate, groaning. 
 
 When once more placed in the carriage, she sat with her 
 face buried in her hands, as if to shut out the sight of those 
 white images, which had carried such unreasoning terror to 
 her heart. Mr. Lambert regarded her with much interest. 
 Zunega was unable to elicit any information in response to 
 his inquiries. She would not lift her eyes, and did not ob- 
 serve when the lodge was reached. 
 
 The old keeper, who came at the signal to swing the iron 
 gates, stood bareheaded, staring with wide gaze at the face of 
 Zimega. 
 
 Mr. Lambert placed his hand on the arm of the lawyer of 
 
 title. 
 
 " What do you think of that, Sir Lestonbridge?" he asked 
 smilingly. " Even old Jepson perceives the resemblance." 
 
 " Did he know whom you intended to bring down?" in- 
 quired Sir Lestonbridge cautiously. 
 
 "No." 
 
 " Well, if this young fellow really is the heir, he will prove 
 a valuable addition to the county. The Harbertons have al- 
 ways been in the House." 
 
 " He will be a very eligible parti," smiled the interpreter. 
 
 The carriages moved rapidly through the park. 
 
 " This is the place you have come so far to see, Annizae," 
 said Lithgow remindfully. 
 
 Annizae lifted her face. It wore an expression he never 
 had seen on it before. He could not decipher it. 
 
 A broadening expanse of acres, darkened occasionally by 
 small forests of valuable trees, came into view. When the 
 horses swung into the avenue of copper beeches, Lithgow 
 could not repress an exclamation. An impressive gray pile 
 of masonry had become visible. The magnificent colonnade of 
 richly hued trees acted as a field-glass, at the far end of which 
 arose massive Harberton Towers. 
 
 Situated on an eminence from which the ground swept 
 away grandly to forest and river, two ivy-girdled towers 
 jutted out from the north and south extremities of the many- 
 windowed favade. Successive generations had added to it, 
 and the style of architecture diilered. Oriel windows peeped 
 
202 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 audaciously at mullioned windows. Two huge wings ex- 
 tended toward the rose garden on the east ; but these were 
 not to be seen from the state entrance, above which rose a 
 slender clock-tower, which bore the Harberton arms. 
 
 Annizae's eyes opened wide. She seemed to hold her 
 breath. Zuiiega was motionless. Spell-bound, he watched 
 his heritage draw near. It was unlike what his wildest imag- 
 ination had pictured. These walls appeared to have stood 
 there for ages. He would enter them as his ancestors had 
 entered them — for a brief space; then, rest in the cold quiet 
 of the ivy-grown church. Dimly he comprehended the re- 
 sponsibilities which would be his with these lands. No more 
 would he be free as the winds. It almost seemed a bondage 
 that he was coming into, a compact with the past and its 
 actors; he was to step into their shoes, fill their places, eat 
 on their plate. He shot a swift glance back down the beech 
 avenue. For the moment he would have given all, Harberton 
 Towers itself, could he have found himself in Cuban forests 
 and this a dream; but the next instant he had regained him- 
 self, with the thought that only thus could he secure that 
 which would enable him to return to help the land for which 
 his heart yearned. 
 
 The entrance was open. Wickham, the butler who had 
 served in the time of the former lord, stood readj' to receive 
 them. 
 
 Zuiiega was conscious of a tremor as he stepped from the 
 carriage, and, side by side with Mr. Milman, walked up the 
 grassy terrace to the stone steps. There, they paused for the 
 others to come up abreast. Mr. Lambert stepped ahead. 
 
 " Wickham," he said to the butler, " this is the latest claim- 
 ant." 
 
 " Ay, an' 'e be the true one, sir," Wickham said with con- 
 viction, bowing low in front of Zunega. " My old heyes saw 
 at a glance that 'e is the himage of the lamented Lord 'Aber- 
 ton ! " 
 
 Mr. Lambert glanced around triumphantly at the others. 
 He acted as if he were trying to convince the Americans, 
 when it was himself that he meant to convince. 
 
 "Were you here, Wickham, when the late lord returned 
 from the West Indies?" queried Lord Lestonbridge. 
 
 *' I 'ave bean in this 'ouse all my life, as I might say. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 203 
 
 sir," replied Wickham proudly, " though I was but a lad 
 then, sir." 
 
 " And this inan looks like Lord Harberton?" 
 
 " Like both Lord and Lady 'Arberton, sir." 
 
 Mr. Bertram and Lithgow exchanged satisfied glances. 
 
 " You appear to be willing to accept him as genuine, Wick- 
 ham, if no one else is," smiled Mr. Milman. 
 
 " Perhaps there be one who will see as I see, sir," Wick- 
 ham said, struck with a sudden thought, as, from in front of 
 the great hall fire-place where he had been lying, a hound 
 raised himself dignifiedly and moved inquiringly toward them. 
 "Beppo! Beppo, come 'ere!" 
 
 The beautiful creature advanced, contemplating the new- 
 comers critically. 
 
 " Who be this, Beppo?" Wickham demanded, touching Zu- 
 iiega deferentially on the arm to call the dog's attention to 
 the stalwart figure. 
 
 Beppo obeyed by appearing to study with intent intelli- 
 gence the face of the man thus indicated. Suddenly, unex- 
 pectedly, he raised himself and placed his paws on Zufiega's 
 breast, bringing his own nose in close proximity to Zuiiega's. 
 The Cuban had stepped backward with surprise. The ca- 
 nines he had seen roaming through the streets of Cuban cities 
 were more like the dogs of Constantinople than this wise- 
 faced creature, who seemed to know as much or more than 
 himself. There was something almost pathetic in the ani- 
 mal's examination of his features. Watching with some 
 amazement, the group remained silent. The human expres- 
 sion in the dog's eyes was touching; it held anxiety, curi- 
 osity, wonderment, all that any features possibly could voice 
 without words. As if not satisfied, he dropped to his feet, 
 walked twice around Zuiiega, then resumed his position of 
 inquisitor, as if he were striving to recall some almost for- 
 gotten remembrance. 
 
 Zufiega suddenly realized that this dog had known his 
 father, possibly had missed him. There was a strange com- 
 fort in the belief that the animal recognized something fa- 
 miliar in him, who never had set foot within these walls. 
 Scarcely aware that he did so, he smiled into the creature's 
 great, brown eyes. Instantly, Beppo dropped to his feet and 
 thrust his nose into Zufiega's half-closed hand. 
 
204 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " See that? 'E knows!" declared Wickham decidedly. " 'E 
 never was far from the side of my master. Since my lord 
 died, Beppo never 'as bean the same. 'E grieved like a 
 babby for months, 'e did, sir." 
 
 Zufiega caressed Beppo tenderly. When he smiled, the 
 dog pressed closer to him. 
 
 " 'E 'as my lady's smile," Wickham commented to Mr. 
 Lambert. "Beppo was fond of my lady." 
 
 " It is a pity that Wickhara's and the dog's recognition 
 would not be considered sufficient in law," said Mr. Milman to 
 the others. " This was a confirmation which we had not 
 thought of looking for. Will you permit me to take the keys, 
 Wickham? Other people besides yourself remain to be con- 
 vinced. We came down to go over the house. We wish him 
 to see what will be his if he is what he thinks he is." 
 
 Wickham yielded up the keys reluctantly. It was one of 
 his delights to lead a procession over the house, through room 
 after room, up staircase after staircase of this massive struc- 
 ture, in the care of which he had been foremost servant for so 
 many years. To be deprived of watching the effect produced 
 on this one, whom he already considered the prospective mas- 
 ter, was a hardship indeed. He stood and surve^-ed Zuiiega 
 as he followed after the lawyer with the dog closely pressing 
 his side. 
 
 ** If that do not tell them, what will ? " he queried to him- 
 self. "Beppo hain't done that way since the master died; not 
 even to me 'e hain't done so, me that 'e knows better than 'e 
 knows 'isself ! " 
 
 With pride that grew, Zunega took in with comprehensive 
 glances the details of the hall, dark with age-rich panelled 
 oak. Trophies of the chase adorned its walls; armor gave 
 back the flash of the sunlight; mailed knights, halberd in 
 hand, appeared to stand guard over this vast home which 
 awaited the coming of a master. Looking up, he could see 
 them on the landings of the grand staircase, up which four 
 horses could have been driven abreast. Through the oppo- 
 site windows the leafless rose-garden was visible and the 
 smooth lawn stretching to the river. To what a beautiful 
 home had his mother been brought! 
 
 "I think that I will show you the marble hall first," said 
 Mr. Milman, ushering the way. " More royal legs have been 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 205 
 
 stretched under this board than under any other in England 
 in times past, I will wager," he added, thumping the massive 
 banqueting table with his knuckles. " Some of these family 
 portraits are by Lely. Wickham has the whole thing by 
 heart. This wonderfully carved screen at the end over the 
 great fireplace is where the musicians have been concealed 
 while royalty disported itself gayly." 
 
 Zuiiega looked about at the tapestried walls, without real- 
 izing the historical value of what he viewed. To him it was 
 all very magnificent. There had been nothing in his experi- 
 ence with which he could compare it. Annizae stepped along 
 W'ith a sense of her own insignificance. She was overpowered 
 by the surrounding grandeur. She glanced at Zunega and 
 secretly marvelled that he appeared to be so at home in the 
 midst of it. Lithgow and Mr, Bertram gave free vent to their 
 unbounded admiration. 
 
 Mr. Milman unlocked a door near the fireplace. This re- 
 vealed a flight of steps which conducted them into a broad, 
 upper hall. From this they passed through the state drawing- 
 rooms. These apartments were filled with curios from all 
 quarters of the globe, and seemed replete with romances, in 
 which the actors had been the personages whose painted sem- 
 blances looked down upon them from the high walls. 
 
 " How delighted Mrs. Warrington would be with these 
 'ancestral halls'!" exclaimed Lithgow to Zunega. " I cannot 
 realize that they belong by right to you." 
 
 " It is a dream!" replied Zunega softly, but his eyes shone. 
 " What would I not give if the seiiorita could see ! She was 
 meant for such a place — no? When it all is mine, I would be 
 able to pay her father's debts, is it not so? But it is too 
 late! I only may fight for the country she loves!" 
 
 Mr. Milman was holding back a tapestry behind which the 
 others had disappeared as if by magic. He looked smilingly 
 at Zuiiega's face, lighted with a fire that was not pride of 
 possession, as the lawyer supposed. 
 
 " He will enjoy these things that seem to be claiming him," 
 Mr. Milman remarked to Lithgow. 
 
 " Perhaps," admitted Lithgow, "but, unless I am mistaken, 
 they will irk him. He is accustomed to freedom. He will 
 have to be trained to bend his back and brain to the cares that 
 weigh upon a master and a landlord." 
 
2o6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Most people would deem such cares agreeable ones," com- 
 mented the Englishman. 
 
 " But they have not known what it was to be a Cuban brig- 
 and," returned Lithgow laughingly, passing behind the tapes- 
 try and through a sliding panel, which disclosed another flight 
 of steps. " This savors of kingly escapes. I suppose these 
 walls could tell strange tales." 
 
 " Indeed they could," Mr. Milman answered enthusiasti- 
 cally. " This is the secret entrance to the chapel. Many an 
 ear has listened to prayers here while the worshippers have 
 gone through the service little dreaming of the secret audi- 
 tor. Many were the ones who were sheltered in the hidden 
 passages of this house until the hour of political danger was 
 past." 
 
 Mounting the steps they emerged into the gallery of the 
 chapel. Right in the centre of the building, it had as solemn 
 and impressive an atmosphere as if it stood alone. Softly 
 tinted windows cast refulgence over everything. 
 
 Annizae's countenance was a study. She was confused by 
 the magnitude of the dwelling. She began to understand 
 why she and her child had been left in Cuba. Robert Percival 
 had known that she would not be fitted to rule in such a place 
 as this. She found herself wondering what the other woman 
 from Cuba had felt when she had been led over the same 
 ground. There had been the poison of loss to embitter every- 
 thing for her, Annizae remembered. She rejoiced to feel that 
 life here had not been all happiness for her beautiful rival. 
 She was oppressed by the richness of the objects she looked 
 upon. She thought with tenderness of the utter freedom of 
 the forest life. Wickham's pale blue eye, with its trained 
 stare, had appalled her more than anything that she 5'et had 
 encountered. His friendliness for Zuiiega had not extended 
 to her. He had glanced her over from head to feet, and that 
 glance had reduced her more in her own estimation than even 
 the magnificence which followed. 
 
 On their way from the chapel to the library they passed 
 down a long corridor, on one side of which there were great 
 windows which overlooked the park. The opposite wall was 
 hung with genealogical charts and a few portraits. It was to 
 come into the corridor from that end that Mr. Milman and 
 Mr. Lambert had planned the circuitous route which had been 
 
A DA UGHTER OF CUBA. 207 
 
 taken. To prevent any information being given save that 
 which they desired to give themselves, they had chosen to 
 dispense with the services of Wickham, 
 
 Suddenly Annizae gave a sharp cry. 
 
 All turned simultaneously to see what had brought it forth. 
 Mr. Lambert and Mr. Milman looked at each other with signi- 
 ficant glances that were full of satisfaction. Annizae had 
 darted before the portrait of a most beautiful woman. 
 
 " Ah, I made you suffer— suffer !" she cried fiercely in Span- 
 ish. " I had my revenge ! Is it not so? Did I not wring blood 
 from your heart? You came here in my stead, but— had you 
 ever a moment's joy?" 
 
 All of the evil passions of the mortal seemed warring in 
 her face. She fairly was beside herself with the intoxication 
 of revenge. 
 
 The interpreter repeated her words to the group. They 
 observed her intently, while she appeared oblivious of any 
 presence save her own and that which seemed to be in the 
 unanswering picture. There was no gainsaying Annizae's 
 recognition. She stood before it in the attitude of a judge 
 administering sentence. Triumphantly she rehearsed the 
 entire story of taking Zuiiega from the ship and the subse- 
 quent flight into the mountains. She gave the details that 
 filled the weeks immediately following the sailing of the ves- 
 sel. She confessed frankly that, at first, she had little care 
 whether the child died or lived. But by degrees her heart 
 had grown tender toward him. After-thoughts brought her 
 fear that they might not do for her own child any better than 
 she did for theirs, so, with a vague idea of winning kindness 
 for her deserted infant, she had vouchsafed better treatment 
 to the one she had abducted. She related how they had 
 drifted from one part of the island to the other. She had 
 been in the tobacco fields of the Vuelta Abajo; she had 
 picked coffee for planters; finally she had become a member 
 of a nomadic band that plundered for subsistence ; and later 
 she had merged her fortunes with those of the notorious 
 Gonzalo Alarcon, the terror of the country. She had grown 
 proud of Zuiiega with the passage of years. The memory 
 of her hatred for his parents had faded somewhat. When 
 she remembered, she joyed in the thought that of their 
 heir she had succeeded in making a brigand, whose only re- 
 
2o8 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 treat was the fastnesses of the forests. The solicitors had not 
 dreamed of such an unrestricted outpouring. They had ex- 
 pected to drag the history from her by adroit questionings. 
 This impassioned confession kept them silent. They did not 
 even look at each other for fear that they might miss some of 
 the life drama which was being told to the wonderful eyes 
 which gazed forth from the frame on the wall. They were 
 eyes that looked at one from whatever point of view. To the 
 English lawyers they seemed to be appealing that punish- 
 ment should be made to fall upon this offender who gloried so 
 unrighteously in her crime. To Annizae they seemed to be 
 suffering. To Zunega they seemed to be peering deep into 
 his heart with yearning love, and for the first time he under- 
 stood what it was that he had been deprived of all these 5'ears 
 during which he had been growing slowly to manhood. With 
 his own face upturned to the tenderness which appeared to 
 radiate from the exquisite one above, he presented a picture 
 which quickly attracted the attention of the others. Annizae 
 herself suddenly turned toward him. 
 
 " Mira!" she cried imperiously, pointing from the face of 
 Lady Harberton to his features. " He has her eyes, her 
 smile! I thought he might look like his father, but — it was 
 my punishment never to be able to see anything but her ex- 
 pression." She shivered, then went on wildly: "Have I not 
 hated him because of that? Sometimes, even now, I hate 
 him. Think you I would have returned him had it not been 
 for the hopes of this very moment, when I could speak these 
 words that I speak which tear her soul even though she be in 
 bliss? Yet now, after all, she seems to triumph over me ! 
 Her eyes are crying : 'He is not yours! You have had to give 
 him back to me, Brown Annizae! You could no longer keep 
 him in ignorance of what was his. * Ah, I was a fool ! Had I 
 not given him that ring, none ever would have learned my 
 secret. He would have been ever what he was — an outlaw. 
 But it was the judgment of God. It was meant that I should 
 come to these walls to which he would not bring me. It is 
 something to be here in spite of him and know that he cannot 
 keep me away, for death is stronger than his hate !" 
 
 She moved on with a rapidity that had an object. She 
 scanned the portraits as she passed. The others followed. 
 She halted before the full-length picture of a man to whom 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 209 
 
 Zunega was seen to bear a striking resemblance. Mr. Lam- 
 bert pointed to it silently. It was the portrait which he had 
 seen fit to mention in the office. 
 
 She laughed up into the English countenance tauntingly. 
 
 " Thou wouldst not have believed that Brown Annizae could 
 have followed thee after all these years!" she exclaimed fa- 
 miliarly. " Thou didst little think that she would come to 
 live in the home to which thou didst bring Zuiiega's mother! 
 Didst thou forget that Dios is just? Annizae was a fool when 
 she believed that thou didst love her. She was no fool when 
 she took thy child, thy ring, thy face !" 
 
 With a smile on her countenance, she extricated something 
 hidden beneath her handkerchief. They watched her with 
 absorbing interest. Her garb made her appear fantastic, but 
 the expression of her eyes was tragic and gave her a dignity 
 which all respected. She drew a reliquary from where it had 
 been concealed. That it contained more than a bit of a 
 padre's blessing her eager fingers suggested. Each pressed 
 forward to ascertain what the object was. 
 
 Zuiiega appeared the most surprised of any when she held 
 up a small gold ornament, evidently a locket, heavy of de- 
 sign. On one side of it the Harberton crest was poorly en- 
 graved and was worn nearly smooth. So clumsy was the 
 workmanship that it was easy to perceive at a glance that it 
 was capable of being opened. Zuiiega took it from her grasp 
 and pried it apart with his thumbnail. Annizae made no ob- 
 jection. She simply looked down at what was revealed with 
 an imreadable expression on her visage. I'he miniature 
 which the locket contained was of the identical personage 
 whose portrait hung above them. Exclamations that were 
 not to be suppressed were the result of this discovery. This 
 reticence of years thus brought to light provoked reluctant 
 admiration. Zunega studied earnestly the face that the orna- 
 ment held. There was that in the candid, bine eyes that 
 seemed to call for defence from the bitter words of this 
 woman; yet Zunega knew of no defence. His mind went 
 with liglitning rapidity over his own life. He saw two pictures 
 compared: what he might have been — a landed proprietor to 
 v/hom life held no great interest beyond the task of keeping 
 all that he had accumulated ; and what he was — a nomad at 
 heart, throbbing with the thoughts of the massive undcrtak- 
 14 
 
210 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 ing with which he had become identified and which was des. 
 lined to achieve a nation's freedom. He turned his gaze upon 
 Annizae. 
 
 " Was this my — mother's?" he demanded sternly. 
 
 Annizae nodded. She felt herself tremble. There was 
 that in his face now which made it difficult to acknowledge 
 her obliquity to him. 
 
 " Thou didst steal it?" 
 
 " I had nothing else," she answered doggedly. " Was it not 
 little enough that I should try to keep his face, that I might 
 not forget my wrong?" 
 
 " Thou hast kept this a secret for long, long years — for love 
 or hatred, perhaps thou didst not know which," he said, look- 
 ing into her eyes fixedly. " Thou still shalt keep it." He 
 laid the locket back in her brown hand. 
 
 Annizae's visage altered. She had expected other than this. 
 
 " It is thine," she faltered. " It was hers." 
 
 Zufiega was sorely tempted to take it again, but he re- 
 frained. 
 
 " Unwittingly thou gavest me much that compensates for 
 what thou didst rob me of; because of thee, I am a Cuban, 
 linked heart and soul to the island's hope." 
 
 " But you are as much an Englishman as a Cuban," expos- 
 tulated Mr. Lambert, when he was told what Zunega had 
 spoken. 
 
 " One thing I know," returned Zuiiega, with his hand on the 
 head of the dog, which still lingered by his side ; " I will make 
 a good Cuban revolutionist ; I do not know if I shall make as 
 satisfactory an Englishman." 
 
 " We will strive to train you into one," declared the lawyer. 
 " Never has there been a Harberton who was not an enthu- 
 siastic lover of the land of his ancestors. We will have to 
 find some pretty English lassie to teach you fealty to Eng- 
 ^nd. Mr. Milman, do you not think that we may announce 
 that we consider him the rightful heir? He should be in- 
 vested with the name of Robert Deene Percival and respond 
 to it until that day when publicly he is proclaimed to be 
 Lord Harberton and master of these wide lands and gray 
 walls." 
 
 Mr. Milman stepped at once in front of Zuiiega and bowed 
 gravely. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 211 
 
 " Robert Percival, permit us to say that we are glad to 
 serve you as we served your father. To those who are here 
 now I present you as the one whom we believe to be the lost 
 son of the late Lord Harberton. May this house soon see you 
 established within." 
 
 Zutiega glanced over his shoulder for Lithgow. 
 
 " I owe it all to you, my friend," he said softly. 
 
 Lithgow disclaimed all gratitude. 
 
 " Whatever you owe is to the Seiiorita Raquel," he said in a 
 low tone. " She awakened you to a sense of true manhood 
 and its possibilities. It was the obeying of your noble im- 
 pulse that brought you to your own." 
 
 " The impulse was purely selfish," replied Zuiiega honestly. 
 " I returned her to the plantation because I could not see her 
 the victim of Alarcon. I deserve no reward like this which 
 has come." 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Things had transpired so much more quickly and satisfac- 
 torily than the most sanguine of lawyers could have antici- 
 pated that it almost seemed that the work of restoring Zu- 
 iiega to his rights had been completed. Mr. Milman saw fit 
 to treat Zuiiega as if no delays or intricacies of law courts lay 
 before them, and even addressed him occasionally by his title 
 in order to accustom him to it, as he explained to his more 
 conservative partner. Moreover, he insisted on showing the 
 youth the entire inhiage. 
 
 In obedience to orders received the day previous, Wickham 
 had prepared a ceremonious luncheon, of which all partook in 
 the breakfast room, which Mr. Lambert said had been the 
 most cheery apartment of the whole house during the occu- 
 pancy of Zuiiega's father. It opened with great windows out 
 on the rose garden, which, though bare and rather desolate at 
 this time of year, revealed what a famous gardener the Towers 
 possessed. This individual, a grumpy Scotchman, Zunega 
 encountered on a visit to the mews. The argumentative eyes 
 peered out from under their bushy gray brows at the mus- 
 cular form which kept pace with Mr. Milman on a tour of the 
 premises. He had received no intimation of the coming of 
 
21 a A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 this troupe of sightseers; he had heard nothing of Wickham's 
 convictions regarding Zuiaega's identity. In fact, few people 
 ever had the temerity to inform old Grahame of anything, 
 for he never had been known to admit ignorance or lack of 
 perception on any subject. This peculiarity was well known 
 to Mr. Milman, and he sought to exhibit it for the benefit of 
 the Americans who were accompanying him. 
 
 " Well, Grahame," he saluted, as they approached the gar- 
 dener, who was partially concealed behind a group of leafless 
 rhododendrons, from which point of vantage he studied the 
 new comers. " I've brought some strangers to see if they can 
 discover your secret of making the roses of the Towers the 
 finest in England." 
 
 " I sepad they are han' an' glove wi' the Almighty 'f they 
 expect t' divine His works," responded Grahame calmly, going 
 on with his labors. 
 
 " Perhaps you are better than" they at the divining busi- 
 ness," smiled the lawyer. " I am going to ask you if you can 
 tell who is this gentleman who comes to make your acquaint- 
 ance." 
 
 Grahame lifted his head. He looked at Zuiaega squarely. 
 
 " There's sma' need o' me t' telt ye, Mr. Milman, 'at what I 
 ken. Spier the mon himsel'. By his wy o' carryin' his heid, 
 ye micht ken 'at the bluid o' the Harbertons runs in his veins." 
 
 " Bravo ! Bravo !" cried the lawyer. " I'll never doubt your 
 powers again, Grahame. I am converted forever. Unless all 
 signs fail, this man is the new master, son of Lord Harberton." 
 
 " I ken 'at too, or I ha' nae een," replied the gardener, 
 humbling himself enough to ptill his forelock of grizzled hair 
 to the coming lord. His sharp eyes summed Zuiiega up with 
 a satisfied conclusion which he uttered to himself after they 
 had gone on : 
 
 " It's nae 'at richt seempl body as wull interfere wi' ma 
 roses. I can win' him 'roound ma feenger or ma name's no 
 Sandy Grahame. Be he lord or be he no, I wull grow ma 
 roses as I like." 
 
 Out past the walls where were trained the pear and peach 
 trees flat against the bricks like nmning vines; through the 
 deserted walks that led down to the river where stood the old 
 manor house, ivy-grown; around by the edge of the forest 
 from which the soft eyes of deer shone forth timidly ; back 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 213 
 
 through the rustling, dead bracken into the park and the long 
 avenue of limes, not yet shrouded with their spring-time 
 fragrance, the solicitor led Zunega and the two Americans. 
 
 Zunega was silent. After the wanton luxuriance of tropical 
 growth, this bare, bleak English country just escaping from 
 the grasp of a severe winter seemed chceiiess. The grandeur 
 of the rambling house filled him with admiration and pride, 
 but, he had no words of praise to bestow upon stark, ghostly 
 trees that possessed no beauty for him. 
 
 The Americans, who knew what the scene would be when 
 clothed with the verdure of summer, were loud in their ex- 
 pressions of pleasure. 
 
 Mr. Milman glanced often at Zuiiega in vv^onderment. He 
 was disappointed. He thought the Cuban very unapprecia- 
 tive. 
 
 Lithgow read the thought of both of them and endeavored 
 to explain matters. 
 
 When Zuiiega spoke, he asked : 
 
 " My mother, — was she happy here?" 
 
 "I fear not," responded Mr. Milman. "But you must re- 
 member that she mourned your loss." 
 
 Zunega shivered. He looked down the row of great tree- 
 trunks to where the dull sun was sinking, sending up a pyro- 
 technical display that was brilliant without appearing in any 
 degree warm. 
 
 " She must have hungered for the greenness and the soft 
 warmth of Cuba !" he sighed. " I wonder that your hearts do 
 not freeze here. Annizac will die if she can not return to the 
 island." 
 
 " She appears to be intending to take up her residence here," 
 remarked Mr. Milman. " I am afraid that the county ladies 
 would not care to accept the hospitality of Harbcrton Towers 
 from her hands." He spoke half-jcstingly. He knew that 
 some other home than Harberton Towers must be hers. 
 Where that homq would be, time would determine. " If she 
 desires to go back to Cuba, it might be the best thing, after 
 everything is settled. Such affairs are generally slow in 
 being arranged, though neither Mr. Lambert nor myself sec 
 why this should drag." 
 
 Zunega was cnrions to learn how mucli ready money would 
 become his, and what restrictions were placed upon his cm 
 
214 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 ploying it, but, he restrained himself from questioning even 
 Mr. Bertram. As they went back to the house, he fell behind 
 and walked with Lithgow. 
 
 " I feel as if t^is were a prison, setior mio" he whispered. 
 " The fingers of these trees seem to shake themselves at me 
 when the chill wind blows through them, and I hear them 
 say: 'You are doomed to a life spent here among us. Never 
 again shall you know the wonderful sweetness of southern 
 breezes. You will be tied here to look after people who do 
 not need you.' You must stay with me, my friend. I never 
 will consent to be left alone in this land." 
 
 " Oh, you have become accustomed to nothing, as yet," re- 
 assured the American. " When you can speak more English 
 and have become acquainted at the clubs, life will wear a dif- 
 ferent aspect. You will not have to live here. You can make 
 your home in London. After a week of initiation you will be 
 surprised to discover how fascinating London can be. You 
 will suffer no lack of attention, I can promise. Your pleasures 
 will be provided for you, if you choose to accept them. You 
 are homesick just as this moment. English landscape under 
 a wintry sky is not cheerful, but you have no idea what the 
 same scene is when spring has breathed upon it. You will 
 see bud and blossom bursting forth, and you will feel a stirring 
 within your own veins that will convince you that all of your 
 Cuban fire has not been extinguished. All I fear is that you 
 will become so intoxicated with the charms of the land of your 
 father that you will forget Cuba and — " He did not complete 
 the sentence. 
 
 Zuiiega's sombre orbs blazed into sudden life. 
 
 He placed his fingers on Lithgow's arm and waited until 
 the American looked at him. 
 
 " When I forget, seiwr, I shall be dead," he said solemnly. 
 
 On re-entering the hall, they found that Wickham had 
 thrown open the apartments which had been occupied by Lord 
 and Lady Harberton. There, in what was called the red 
 drawing-room, Annizae sat, a picture of doleful triumph. 
 Around her stood writing-tables bearing the stationery of 
 the house; overflowing bookcases; luxurious chairs that 
 tempted. Everywhere were signs of home-life. Wickham 
 explained that the rooms had been left as they were at the 
 time of the death of Lord Harberton. In looking about, 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 215 
 
 Lithgow discovered a work-basket from the recesses of which 
 he extracted a bit of feminine fancy embroidery. He held it 
 up before Mr. Lambert inquiringly. 
 
 " Lady Harberton had that in her hands when I last saw 
 her," the solicitor said reverentially. "The late lord never 
 would permit it to be touched. He kept it ever by his side. 
 He was passionately devoted to his wife. I scarcely was sur- 
 prised that he did not long survive her, yet he was a healthy 
 man, judging from appearances. It grates upon me to see 
 this woman, who brought them such pain, sitting here calmly 
 amid their surroundings." 
 
 " Perhaps her son would like to take her and provide for 
 her," suggested Lithgow, humorously seeking a solution of 
 the problem as to what should be done with Annizae. " She 
 is anxious to see him. I believe that she almost expected to 
 find him here." 
 
 Mr. Lambert laughed heartily. 
 
 " I doubt if any argument could persuade Carlos Vaschez 
 into assuming the care of any creature but himself," he re- 
 turned, ■' but we will contrive to give her a sight of him. It 
 must be done adroitly, for I have no idea of letting the fellow 
 find out what claim he had on his benefactor. His demands 
 then would be impossible to meet. I can summon him to the 
 office and warn him against the fatal result of the life he in- 
 sists on leading. Annizae could be present. If she wishes to 
 know more of him, — but I hardly think that she will." He 
 ended the subject with that abrupt decision. 
 
 Zunega welcomed the hour of departure from Harberton. 
 
 He did not see how he ever could endure being an English- 
 man if it meant sojourning amid the placid atmosphere of 
 rural England. He viewed the thousands of lights with dis- 
 tinct gladness as the train darted into the metropolis. He 
 experienced a sense of pleasure in being a part of the stir of 
 the city. 
 
 Lithgow made every efl^ort to enter into the youth's frame 
 of mind. For his own pleasure as much as for Zufiega's, he 
 took him about from place to place during the week that fol- 
 lowed upon their trip out to the Towers. The news had 
 spread concerning Zufiega's expectations, and they were the 
 cynosure of all knowing eyes wherever they went. 
 
 Zufiega added much to his education in various ways. He 
 
2i6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 even began to find it pleasant to be deferred to. Sometimes 
 he caught himself wishing that Gonzalo Alarcon could see 
 him amid these changed conditions. More often, it was 
 Raquel of whom he thought. It was his desire to place him- 
 self on a par with her that made him so apt a pupil in all 
 branches in which Lithgow chose to instruct him. 
 
 One morning, Mr. Lambert sent word to the hotel that he 
 hoped that Annizae would be present in his office about two 
 o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
 " She must not fail to come if she hopes to meet her son," 
 read the message. " I have requested him to call on a matter 
 of business, during the discussion of which Annizae can view 
 him at her leisure, unknown herself." 
 
 It was with some trepidation, artfully concealed, that 
 Annizae entered the carriage with Lithgow. Zunega and Mr. 
 Bertram had been at the office all the morning. When she 
 passed through the antechamber, she recalled with shudder- 
 ing the horrors which had beset her mind the day she had been 
 obliged to remain there so long alone, under the curious eyes 
 of the gloomy young man. Things had turned out so much 
 better than her fears had suggested. Nothing but courtesy 
 and deference had been shown her. She had begun to feel 
 quite easy in her mind. She had not dreamed of dreading 
 this meeting with her abandoned son until this moment when 
 she was going to face him. A vague apprehension filled her 
 soul. 
 
 Upon being seated within the sanctum of Mr. Lambert, she 
 found that she was to be subjected to an examination that 
 peered deep into the whole of her life. Neither Zunega nor 
 Lithgow were allowed to be present. A strange man acted as 
 interpreter. 
 
 Page by page, her past was turned as persistently as though 
 she had not revealed the greater part of it without pressure 
 at the Towers. Word by word the story was taken down by a 
 stenographer. When all this had been done satisfactorily, 
 Zuiiega and Lithgow were called in from where they sat in 
 Mr. Milman's room with Lord Lestonbridge and another man 
 of judicial appearance. 
 
 " I desire to show you. Lord Lestonbridge and Sir Cramp- 
 ton, the ring which led to the finding of Robert Percival,"said 
 Mr. Lambert when all were seated. " No doubt you have 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 817 
 
 neard of the famous Harberton ring, and perhaps yuu also have 
 heard something of its dangerous qualities — qualities which 
 history claims that it possesses. The younger sons of the liar- 
 barton house are given rings like that which this young man 
 wore when Mr. Lithgow met him. I mean now to compare it 
 with the original, as a matter of curiosity, and relate the story 
 which states that the ornament was found in Egypt, being 
 picked up by a dead-and-gone Harberton during some excava- 
 tions which brought to light an ancient tomb in which rested 
 the mummified remains of an Egyptian princess, under whose 
 head the ring was discovered, wrapped in many inscriptions. 
 Since that time, it has descended to the one who is heir to the 
 title." 
 
 He held both rings in his fingers and looked down at them 
 as he spoke. 
 
 " The object is supposed to have been of Phoenician origin. 
 That people were distinguished by the name of merchants; 
 their colonies were found in all civilized countries; their 
 ships plied all known seas. It is estimated that thus the ring 
 found its way into the Nile country, which is believed never 
 to have produced this style of workmanship. The stone of 
 the copy is slightly dissimilar. When I look at the stone of 
 the original, I always am reminded of that wonderful purple 
 dye of the Phoenicians; and I marvel if they imprisoned the 
 secret of the color in this jewel ; no lapidary of to-day can find 
 a companion to it. The world may almost be said to have 
 been searched in vain. 
 
 " The history of the princess was traced in hieroglyphics on 
 the wrapping of the ring. Like mortals of the present, she 
 had loved, but beneath her station. Her passion was returned, 
 but it also brought her hatred, — hatred of one of her own se.\. 
 What her quota of joys or sorrows ma^' have been, fancy must 
 supply. Her penalty alone remained to be engraved on the 
 memory of those to whom her sad story became known ; a 
 bitter penalty it was for the bliss of loving, yet who could 
 wish a sweeter death than hers? Her enemy was kind in her 
 revenge. Jealous of the lover whose afTcctions evidently had 
 been taken from her; doubtless believing that, if the princess 
 were dead, he the fickle-hearted would return to his first love; 
 the neglected woman contrived to send to the daughter of the 
 king this ornament and a message purporting to be from the 
 
2i8 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 lover, explaining that the ring had magic properties, for it had 
 been touched by the lips of the god of slumber and into the 
 deep purple heart of the stone had been breathed some of 
 Morpheus' own strange gift. Not sleep alone was it said to 
 bestow, but dreams as well. 
 
 " 'Press thus upon the stone,' the message ran. 'Out from 
 its hidden heart will steal a perfume soft and sweet as that 
 which hangs above Karpasia. All of the spices and the scents 
 known to the gods mingle in this : Breathe of it, sleep, and 
 dream of him whom you love. ' 
 
 " That she was a Pandora-like creature the sequel proved. 
 She pressed upon the magic spring. Out from the purple 
 well a glorious tide of sweetness flowed, lapping her in ex- 
 quisite repose, stealing with its poison every sense until life 
 itself swooned and vanished." 
 
 His voice had been subdued, impressive. Never had a 
 narrator more intent audience. Lithgow translated it to 
 Zunega. Annizae alone was none the wiser for the tale. 
 
 " I am going to pass the two rings around now for 3'ou to 
 inspect them," said Mr. Lambert, extending them to Lord 
 Lestonbridge. 
 
 " I hope that it exhausted its soporific qualities on that day !" 
 Lord Lestonbridge exclaimed, as he received them a trifle gin- 
 gerly. " I have heard of this possession of the Harbertons. 
 I am glad of an opportunity to look at it." 
 
 " You don't mean to say that you imagine that it ever did 
 possess any such qualities as are credited to it, Lord Leston- 
 bridge !" Sir Crampton relaxed his countenance sufficiently to 
 say, as he leaned to peer a little over his neighbor's shoulder. 
 
 " Why not?" demanded Lord Lestonbridge sharply, dislik- 
 ing to have his judgment questioned in any way. " I presume 
 that you are not ignorant of the perfection to which such in- 
 struments were brought in the time of the Medici. During 
 the reign of Caesar Borgia, rings were worn with a slide that 
 could be slipped back by the wearer and poison be dropped 
 undetected into the wine of a hated individual. Hollow points 
 in the bezel, worked by an infinitesimal spring, communicated 
 with the receptacle for the poison in such a way that, in giving 
 a hearty grasp of the hand, one could isflict a mortal scratch 
 that did its fatal work without getting its perpetrator into dis- 
 repute. There were no end of devices employed in those 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 219- 
 
 days, and so deadly and enduring was the poison that curio 
 fanciers have been known to meet with sudden death by un- 
 wise handling of ancient jewelry and weapons." 
 
 Sir Crampton's curiosity was now thoroughly aroused. 
 When the ring reached his hands, he attempted to make the 
 stone move as it was claimed to have done. He desired to 
 show Lord Lestonbridge that he had been right in ridiculing 
 its power. He even tried to pry it with his nail. 
 
 " I advise you not to tamper with it." cautioned Lord 
 Lestonbridge, thereby adding to the determination of the 
 other to prove his fears at fault. 
 
 " Perhaps it was so hung that, on the emission of the poison, 
 the jewel sunk deeper and never will move again," suggested 
 Lithgow, who received it next. 
 
 " I will wager that it retains all of its old power," declared 
 the old aristocrat with conviction. " Those objects were 
 made to do duty more than once, believe me. The Harber- 
 tons have been wise to hold it in awe." 
 
 It went slowly around the group. Even Zuiiega made an 
 effort to manipulate the concealed spring. Mr. Milmafti 
 passed it on to Annizae, noticing her eager eyes. He forgot 
 that she had understood nothing of what they were discussing. 
 
 " I fancy that it had a poisoned needle which was thrust into 
 the finger with the pressure upon the stone," he commented. 
 
 " Well, it certainly has lost its power of movement." said 
 Sir Crampton. 
 
 " Possibly disuse has made it rusty," smiled Mr. Bertram. 
 
 Unnoticed, Annizae had slipped it upon her hand and was 
 contemplating it with satisfaction. She supposed that it was 
 the one which had been hers at first. She was determining 
 not to give it up again. It had brought Zunega good fortune; 
 surely, he could not refuse to let her keep it, since he had per- 
 mitted her to retain the locket. 
 
 " Buttons" swung open the door at that moment. 
 
 " Carlos Vaschez, sir," he announced. 
 
 According to previous arrangement, all but Annizae and 
 the two lawyers disappeared into the adjoining office. Then 
 Mr. Lambert ordered : 
 
 " Ask him to step in." 
 
 Annizae looked earnestly, apprehensively at the man who 
 entered with an air of donned assurance. 
 
2 20 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 His skin was as dark as her own, but the contour of his 
 face was heavier, and he was thoroughly English in dress and 
 manner. He glanced at her questioningly and seemed about 
 to withdraw, believing that he had misunderstood the sum- 
 mons. 
 
 " I intrude," he murmured, with his eyes on Annizae's Cuban 
 garb. 
 
 " Not at all, Mr. Vaschez," declared Mr. Lambert. " Please 
 be seated. We have a communication to make to you." 
 
 Carlos Vaschez seated himself. He was aware that the 
 eyes of the two lawyers were fixed on him in a way that was 
 unusual. Their gaze went from him to the woman. 
 
 " We are dissatisfied with the style in which you dispose of 
 the money which has been placed in our hands for you, 
 Vaschez,"' Mr. Lambert went on gravely. " From reliable 
 sources we learn that it immediately leaves your pocket ; in 
 fact, that it is squandered before you receive it. A year ago 
 you were warned. We trouble to warn you again. If this 
 sort of thing goes on, you will find some day that you can no 
 longer look to us for a continuance of the allowance. It was 
 ordered to be paid to you if you emploj^ed it in the manner 
 first directed. You decline to comply with the condition; 
 but one course is left open to us." 
 
 Carlos Vaschez' black eyes flashed ominously. He arose 
 half-threateningly, then sat down again, as if he reflected that 
 he could win nothing here by violence. 
 
 " Your benefactor desired that you should be made a worthy 
 member of society," continued the solicitor, pushing his gray 
 hair back from his forehead and deepening in impressiveness. 
 " To that end, you were furnished with a college education. 
 Every advantage has been afforded you. There is little— I 
 think that I may safely say there is nothing that you could 
 not do and be— if you would. But. instead of showing your 
 appreciation, you exhibit the basest ingratitude. You con- 
 sort entirely with fast men and women of low grade. The 
 pounds which you have spent on cards, racing, and like pur- 
 suits would have been more than sufficient to build an im- 
 mense home for London's poor. Your wild extravagance is 
 beyond all patience. Your next allowance is the last unless 
 you show signs of improvement. You soon will have an op- 
 portunity to see if you can turn an honest penny." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. »it 
 
 Carlos Vaschez rose to his feet again. He bowed acqui- 
 escence. Only his hot eyes and his hanging under-lip be- 
 trayed him. 
 
 " Tell my father — " he said with a sneer, " of course I 
 understand that my benefactor is my father — tell him that 
 had he thought it worth while to claim me, to give me a 
 name — his name, I might have found it easier to conform to 
 his wishes. But instead of aiding me, he has injured me. 
 It has not taken me all these years to discover that I am 
 educated above my station." 
 
 "Bosh and fiddlesticks!" exclaimed Mr. Lambert. "A 
 man's station is what he makes it." 
 
 " Not in England, and especially not when the man is a — 
 negro, and unnamed!" 
 
 He showed his white, even teeth in a smile devoid of merri- 
 ment. 
 
 " Has any one ever called you a — negro?" inquired Mr. Mil- 
 man, turning his glance away from Annizae, who was looking 
 up at Vaschez with fascinated, anxious eyes, though she com- 
 prehended nothing of what they spoke. 
 
 "No person would dare call me that," Vaschez answered, 
 drawing his figure lip proudly. " But here, — to you who 
 know who my father is and yet never tell me, to you I say 
 that I know that I have negro, blood and I do not marvel that 
 my father is afraid to let me learn his identity." 
 
 " Your father is dead," Mr. Lambert told him. " Vour life 
 has shown that you did not deserve so generous a parent." 
 
 The fellow's features softened a trifle. He hesitated. 
 
 " My mother," he asked finally, in an altered tone. " Where 
 is s/w?" 
 
 On the impulse of the moment, Mr. Lambert arose, took 
 Annizae by the arm, and drew her in front of Vaschez. 
 
 " This woman is your mother," he answered briefly. 
 
 There was intense silence for tlie moment. 
 
 The face of Vaschez worked convulsively. 
 
 Annizae had turned the gray hue which keen emotion gives 
 to colored skin. In all her imaginings of her meeting with 
 him, she never had dreamed of this— eyes like coals burning 
 down into her own, until they seemed to scorch her very brain. 
 She had fancied that he would thank her for the part she had 
 played. She had hoped gratitude for the advantages which 
 
222 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 thus she had secured for him. It seemed to her that she 
 reeled. She knew that her head spun like a top. To those 
 observing her she appeared as bitter, as defiant, as emotion- 
 less as was her custom. And the man towering over her had 
 the same bitterness and defiance in his face, added to which 
 was a rage that, before they knew what he was about to do, 
 caused him to seize her fiercely by the hands and push her 
 back against the wall. Then he flung the back of his right 
 hand against her face brutally. 
 
 " That is my gratitude for your giving me birth," he said 
 savagely. " I would rather never have been born than be 
 what I am." 
 
 Not a sound came from Annizae's lips, but her eyes glared 
 like a wild beast's. 
 
 Carlos Vaschez walked out quietly and awa^^ before any one 
 realized that he should be restrained from escaping. 
 
 Mr. Milman gave a cry of shocked surprise and leaped to 
 his feet to wipe the blood from Annizae's face. Before he 
 could reach her, she had slipped down beside the wall, but 
 she was not unconscious. 
 
 "Dear me! dear me! I never thought of such a possible 
 ending," Mr. Lambert lamented, calling the occupants of the 
 other room. " He is a positive brute !" 
 
 " Perhaps he is not so much to be blamed, after all," sug- 
 gested Mr. Milman, endeavoring to wipe away the blood from 
 her stunned visage. " See the savagery in her own eyes ! 
 Blood will tell! A leopard can't change its spots. She is 
 reaping what she sowed." 
 
 Lithgow and Zuiiega rushed out with alarm. They had 
 heard the words of Vaschez, but they had not known what 
 accompanied them. Zuiiega knelt down by the side of the 
 woman and attempted to lift her up. 
 
 " Where can I get some water?" demanded Lithgow, step- 
 ping into the anteroom. " I think she is going to faint !" 
 
 The surprised " Buttons" flew to bring some, but Annizae 
 had raised herself to a sitting posture with Zuiiega's aid. 
 She looked around upon their faces bewilderedly, then she 
 struggled to get to her feet. Mr. Lambert took one of her 
 hands awkwardly to assist her and, in so doing, perceived the 
 ring on her hand. 
 
 " Bless me !" he cried v;ith consternation. " I had com- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 223 
 
 pletely forgotten it!" He sought to remove it and, to his 
 amazement, found that he was unable to do so. " Look here, 
 Milman!" he summoned. " What can this mean?" 
 
 At that instant, Annizae recovered herself sufficiently to 
 comprehend what he was attempting. With a frenzy for 
 which they were not prepared, she fought to retain it. 
 
 " She thinks it is the ring that was hers, sefior," Zunega ex- 
 plained, divining that she did not intend to let it slip from her 
 grasp again. " I will take it from her." 
 
 He tried to elucidate matters, but Annizae only looked at 
 him stupidly. It finally became clear that she understood 
 nothing of his meaning. She leaned back in the .leathern 
 chair in which they had placed her. Her black eyes were 
 fixed on Zuiiega's features, but a strange film seemed to 
 gather over her vision. 
 
 Take off the ring!" said Lord Lestonbridge suddenly. 
 " Something serious is the matter with the woman ! She has 
 the appearance of one who is dying!" 
 
 Zuiiega endeavored to drag the ornament off her finger. 
 He could not move it. He called to Lithgow with fear in his 
 voice : 
 
 " I can stir it not, seTwr ! It is fast !" 
 
 Lithgow dropped to his knees beside Zuiiega and attempted 
 to wrench the circlet off. It was of no use. Lord Leston- 
 bridge pushed his way through the wondering men that 
 crowded around. 
 
 " Open a window!" he ordered, with the professional air of 
 a physician. " Give the woman some air. It is that fatal 
 ring! I knew it was dangerous! Sir Crampton should not 
 have meddled with it!" 
 
 Sir Crampton made no reply. He was startled at this 
 seeming proof that he instead of Lord Lestonbridge had been 
 wrong. He hung over the chair anxiously as the lawyers did. 
 waiting to see what Lord Lestonbridge intended to do. 
 
 A change, subtle but traceable, was passing over Annizac's 
 face. The rage and hatred died out of the eyes. The bitter 
 lines seemed swept away by soft finger.s. A peace and a ten- 
 derness which miglit have been hers in youth shone forth 
 through the countenance from which had been lifted the mask 
 that years of nourished wrong had moulded. Her entire being 
 had relaxed, as the physical does under the influence of an 
 
224 ^ DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 opiate. All the tension which had kept her nerves like iron 
 gave way suddenly. Whether the shock of finding herself re- 
 pudiated as a mother, or whether the secret power of the ring 
 was accountable for this, they did not know. They watched 
 her with curiosity that held fear. Mr. Milman had despatched 
 " Buttons" for a doctor. Until that functionary should arrive. 
 Lord Lestonbridge insisted on doing what he could. 
 
 With all the strength of his fat fingers, he tried to tear the 
 ring from its position. 
 
 " It acts as if something pressed down into the finger," 
 Lithgow said troubledly. " I think that the stone has sunk 
 down." 
 
 There was no doubt of it as they inspected it closely. 
 
 Lord Lestonbridge took his pocket-knife and slipped a 
 small blade between the ring and the finger. He found that 
 he could not make the blade pass beneath the stone. Then, 
 both he and Lithgow, with the points of their knives, at- 
 tempted to push the stone upward. 
 
 Carefully but hurriedly they worked, glancing up once in 
 a while at Annizae's face. She made no outcry. She ap- 
 peared to be oblivious now of their efforts, yet her lids had 
 not closed. 
 
 " It seems to be lifting a trifle," whispered Lithgow ex- 
 citedly. 
 
 " I believe that it does move," murmured Lord Leston- 
 bridge. " Push a little more to that side. There! Ah — at last!" 
 
 The stone had slipped back into position. 
 
 They drew the ring off. Beneath where the stone had lain 
 was a tiny red point of blood. 
 
 Zuhega leant forward, but Mr. Bertram, suspecting his in- 
 tention, pulled him backward. 
 
 " I can suck the poison out, sciior" cried Zuiiega, anx- 
 iously. 
 
 " Good heavens! Are you mad?" demanded Lord Leston- 
 bridge. " Even should there be no question of danger to you, 
 it is too late now. Look at her! That must have been a 
 most powerful narcotic poison ! She is swooning beneath its 
 spell. Perhaps if we dragged her about the room- — made her 
 walk for hours as they do sometimes to keep people from the 
 fatal sleep — we might save her from the effects of it, what- 
 ever the mysterious thing is!" 
 
4 DAUGHTER OP CCfiA. 225 
 
 Acting on his suggestion, they endeavored to lift her to 
 her feet. Her limbs bent beneath her. In no way could the 
 members be made to support her. They resorted to extreme 
 measures. They slapped her vigorously. They even pounded 
 her. Annizae seemed unaware of the severe treatment. Her 
 breath came less regularly. Her eyes took on the terrible, 
 vacant stare that comes with the loss of intelligence. 
 
 When the physician appeared, the case was explained to 
 him briefly. 
 
 He shook his head discouragingly. He pressed down her 
 lids with his fingers. 
 
 " She does not see, even if they are open," he said. " They 
 may as well be closed. I will do what I can by inserting a 
 counterpoison into her veins. It may arrest the paralyzing 
 power of the other; but, if the poisonous stuff reaches the ac- 
 tion of the heart before what I employ has had time to ac- 
 complish its purpose, there is little or no hope. I know some- 
 what of the strange working of these old poisons, but whether 
 I know anything of this particular one time alone will deter- 
 mine — not a very long time either." 
 
 Even while they Avatched him introduce a hypodermic in- 
 jection at a point calculated to meet the on-creeping enemy, 
 they could not but notice with apprehension that her breath- 
 ing became shorter and shorter. Each respiration seemed 
 fainter than the last. 
 
 Zuiiega called her repeatedly by name in anguished tones. 
 She was the only parent he had known. He could not endure 
 to see her gliding out of life in this mystical manner. He 
 chafed her hands. He stroked her hair, from which the turban 
 had been torn. No response rewarded him, not even the 
 flickering of an eyelash. 
 
 Before the physician had completed his experiment. An- 
 nizae's breath had ceased entirely. The beating of the heart 
 became stilled. He looked around upon the different faces of 
 the startled group with grave countenance. 
 
 " It was as I feared,' he said. " The poison was of too in- 
 sMlous a nature to be baffled. The woman is dead!" 
 
2 26 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 During this time the grinding had been going on as 
 usual on the sugar plantation. 
 
 , With the departure of the American, life had lapsed into 
 the customary routine of uneventfulness for Gilbert Palgrave. 
 
 To Raquel, however, everything was changed. She loi- 
 tered in the dreamy court as of yore, but she uttered no more 
 speech to the palm. 
 
 Life was no longer rife with speculation. She knew what 
 it held ; and that made her silent. There were no questions 
 to ask now. There was no wonderland ahead. 
 
 Her eyes grew quiet with that hopelessness which comes 
 from pressing the entire future into one day and living it in 
 fearful anticipation. She did not wait until misery actually 
 became hers. She went out to meet it shudderingly. Thus 
 she robbed of their joy these last days of her girlhood. 
 
 M. Thetiriet lost no time in bringing over the letter which 
 Lithgow had sent back to him by Diego. 
 
 " Zare ees a leetle word een eet for you," he told her as he 
 placed it in her hands. He watched her while she read it. 
 The flash of color which swept through her cheeks surprised 
 him. He had observed nothing in the communication to 
 arouse any suspicion in his mind, but her evident pleasure in 
 the message gave him a slight pang of apprehension. Even 
 though he knew that she was to be his, he did not relish hav- 
 ing her thoughts occupied with the suggestions of another, 
 however beneficial those suggestions might be. As she 
 turned the pages of the book eagerly with a desire to find the 
 m.arked sentences, he concluded that he would determine the 
 nature of this volume which the American had left behina 
 him. 
 
 "Will you not giv' me ze plaisir ov hearing you read ze 
 passage he mentions, mackerel" he requested. " Ze Ameii- 
 cain was right. He knew well zat I hav' eenterest een all zat 
 has eenterest for you." 
 
 Raquel looked up from the book in a startled way. It was 
 the first hint she had received that she was accountable in 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 227 
 
 any way to anybody. Her great eyes filled with rebellion. 
 She arose and put the volume in his hands. 
 
 " You may read for yourself, Monsieur," she said, passing 
 to the library shelves and picking up some poems. 
 
 M. Theuriet turned over the pages slowly, pausing here 
 and there to read a line aloud. This he did not too compre- 
 hendingly. Metaphysical ideas evidently were not to his 
 taste, judging from the critical expressions which moved 
 across his features. Finally, he discovered the indicated sen- 
 tence, read it to himself first, then read it aloud : 
 
 " 'Ze action ov ze soul ees oftenair een zat which ees felt an' 
 lef unsaid zan een zat which ees said een any convairsation.' 
 Um! Ce n'cstpasvrai! Zink you, Raquel, zat we mortals are 
 content wiz ze zings zat are lef unsaid? Non, tion ! Par ex- 
 ampl', I nevair shall be satisfait to hear no word from you ov 
 plaisir een ze years to come. My heart will show himself een 
 ma actions, and ma devotion to you will crave some small re- 
 turn. Suppose zat I feel zese emotions for you but mak' no 
 veeseebl' expression! Ah, zat would not be poseebl'! Lov- 
 in' you, I must shower proofs ov zat affection upon you. Ze 
 action ov my soul so compels. Even now am I yearning so to 
 do ; but you repel me." 
 
 " I ask no gift, — I will accept none," Raquel answered, 
 shutting her slender fingers closely into her palms. " I count 
 it no gift, Monsieur, that you relieve my father from debt. 
 That is the value you have placed upon me. It is no gift. I 
 could not take it as such; but you must know once for all. 
 Monsieur, that I do not love you. You must not ask it of me, 
 I know that you will be kind, and I mean to be kind in return ; 
 but I cannot promise to make you a good wife. I am not 
 submissive. I am insubordinate, that you well know. If you 
 take me, you take mc as I am, full of faults, — promising noth- 
 ing." 
 
 " You will protect ma name?" he said with a shade of anx- 
 iety. 
 
 She regarded him with some wonderment. 
 
 " Will there ever be cause to have it assailed?" she ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 The Frenchman smiled. It gratified him to discover that 
 she did not comprehend his transitory fear. How innocent 
 she was! He felt that he would have to keep guard over her 
 
2 28 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 all the more vigilantly because of thai, innocence when they 
 took up their residence in Havana. She would believe all 
 that was said to her. She would have unlimited faith in the 
 noble qualities of man. He caressed his upper lip with his 
 under one in happy contemplation of initiating Raquel into 
 the mysteries of the world. After some thought, he said 
 gently : 
 
 " You will be much courted in Havana. Lov' will be made 
 to you." 
 
 " Monsieur forgets that I shall be married," she corrected. 
 
 " Ah, I wish zat would mak' a difference," he sighed plain- 
 tively, " but eet will mak' you sought ze more." 
 
 Raquel regarded him with some mystification. 
 
 " But what good will it do?" she demanded. 
 
 " Leetle, save to please you," he answered, "and eet may 
 bring unhappiness tome; but zat should not be, for ma joy 
 must be found in makin' you happee, ma chere. I will zink 
 only ov your plaisir. Your life has been gray and dull here. 
 I mean to mak' it ov rose-color. I mean to place you where 
 you will be appreciated. Here, zare ees none but your father 
 and myselv to recognize your wonderful qualities." 
 
 Raquel looked out of the iron-barred windows, but she did 
 not notice what she looked upon. Finally she asked slowlj': 
 
 " How long will you permit me to remain here as I am, 
 Monsieur?" 
 
 " Your desires are mine," he replied quicklj*. " My hopes 
 — you need not considair." 
 
 He was not disappointed in the result of this speech. He 
 could not have touched her in a more adroit way to turn her 
 to his purpose. 
 
 She had not expected this unselfishness on his part. She 
 had looked for urging and arguments, and had prepared her- 
 self to battle with them. This humble attitude of his, leav- 
 ing it all subject unto her will, caused her to view the old 
 man from another standpoint. He was more considerate than 
 she had supposed he would be. She realized that the sooner 
 she married him, the sooner would her father find himself 
 strangely freed from the embarrassments which had troiibled 
 him for so long. She had intended to insist on a year of free- 
 dom, but this reflection concerning the benefit which would 
 accrue to her father made her hesitate. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 229 
 
 " What diflEerence does six months, more or less, make in a 
 lifetime?" she asked herself. " Six months may mean every- 
 thing to papa's affairs. To me — ? Well, shall I not be here, 
 anyway? It is not as if I were to be taken to a far country. 
 I do not lose him, nor does he lose me. He simply gains 
 much by it without being aware that he does." She turned 
 her face toward Theuriet with signs of determination written 
 on it. 
 
 " Give me six months, Monsieur," she said. " I shall be a 
 better wife for the waiting." 
 
 " As you will," he agreed, his French astuteness convinc- 
 ing him that to make a move in her direction would be to lose 
 all the ground he had won. He did not stir from where he 
 comfortably was stationed in the estrada. " Zat will be dur- 
 ing ze coffee season, almost at ze beginning ov eet. You may 
 defair ze marriage for nine months eef you prefair." 
 
 He could not fail to see the wave of relief that passed ovef 
 the girl's countenance. This proof of her reluctance to as- 
 sume the bond of matrimony did not seriously depress him. 
 He reasoned that she was but a young romantic creature, who 
 posssessed ideals which would never be realized. All women 
 had them at first, he knew, and he had never observed that 
 they were less happy when these impossible ideals were shat- 
 tered, as they never fail to be upon contact with real life; but 
 M. Theuriet's observations were not often more than skin- 
 deep. He judged women by the visage they turned to the 
 critical world. He dreamed nothing of the agony with which 
 they bend over shattered shrines in the secret stillness of the 
 heart. 
 
 " At ze close ov ze coffee-picking we can go directlee to 
 Havana," he continued. " Zarc will be operas, balls, dinners, 
 a zousand and one dissipations which will entrance you. You 
 shall spend what time you will zare. You shall decspense 
 hospitalite. I mean zat ma beautiful young wife shall take ze 
 city by storm." 
 
 There was no doubt that these words, picturing that even 
 though she wore chains life would have a festive look Which 
 was new to her experience, lent a vague atmosphere of ex- 
 pectation to the future and rendered the conteniphition of it 
 less disagreeable. She had no premonition of the opportu- 
 nities which would become hers for aiding the cause of Cuban 
 
230 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 liberty. Lithgow's letter from New York had not yet reached 
 her father. She was ignorant that the volcano upon which 
 the Spanish government is perched was smouldering and pre- 
 paring for a terrific outburst, which was destined to topple 
 an outrageous tyranny into the sea. 
 
 When that letter did arrive, it worked a transformation in 
 her which astonished her father, even while it gratified him. 
 It was not so much because she seemed to regain her old 
 fever for action as it was that she sought methods of spending 
 that imperative force. She emerged from the self-contempla- 
 tion which her years of dreaming had fostered. She began to 
 inquire into the particulars of his business. She was no 
 longer content to be told that everything was coming out 
 right and that she must not worry. She insisted on being al- 
 lowed to accompany him on his matutinal rounds of the es- 
 tate before the day was well on. She even attempted to 
 master the intricacies of sugar-making. 
 
 Palgrave accepted the change with indulgent smiles at 
 first. He was confident that her interest would wear off in 
 two mornings, but as time crept on and she still persisted in 
 familiarizing herself with matters that he always had thought 
 were outside the province of woman, he commenced to won- 
 der and his wonder grew. She no longer wasted temper and 
 energy in despising Spain. She seldom mentioned the sub- 
 ject which had so often been her favorite topic. She seemed 
 to have but one thought — to make her own every bit of in- 
 formation which she could find. 
 
 He questioned her curiously concerning this one morning 
 as they rode on horseback slowly through the cart-paths that 
 crossed the cane-fields. 
 
 " This constant companionship of ^'•ours is going to make 
 me feel more lonely, guerida mia, when you flit off to Ha- 
 vana," he mourned. " I never had so much — of your real self 
 as I have had lately. I don't see how I can let M. Theuriet 
 take you. What has given you this sudden interest in things 
 concerning which you never thought before?" 
 
 " Something within me demands work," she answered. 
 " Heretofore I have been content simply to yearn for it and 
 yet make no effort to secure occupation. Now that I know 
 other hearts as patriotic and more able than mine are linked 
 to the cause of liberty, I cannot remain idle. I suddenly un- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 231 
 
 derstand how ignorant I am. A son would have been your 
 companion all these years. He would have made the par- 
 ticulars of the management of this great plantation familiar 
 to his comprehenlion. He would not have swung in a ham- 
 mock and eaten his heart out while he read of the great things 
 which others have done. Because I must wear petticoats, must 
 I be an ignoramus? May I not master the intricate workings of 
 business? May I not be Jaught all that a boy would have been 
 taught? Is it not this wide knowledge that makes men stronger 
 and more able to cope with difficulties? I am not satisfied to 
 be simply a woman. You long have known that. Now, I find 
 that I can become posted on a subject which is of paramount 
 interest to Spain; I mean to make the most of the opportunity 
 too long neglected. I shall endeavor to learn what I can of M. 
 Theuriet relative to coft'ee culture." 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave laughed heartily ; then, for fear of pain- 
 ing her, desisted and queried: 
 
 " And what good — what particular thing do you expect to 
 gain by it, dulce i/iia ?" 
 
 " Spain derives her revenue almost entirely from planters 
 like you and M. Theuriet, does she not?" she asked. " All that 
 your life really amounts to is in procuring gold for Spain ^o 
 send back in the form of oppression. You and the whole island 
 of planters support tyranny. If it were not for what you raise, 
 Spain could not maintain her government. In one way you 
 tax-payers are responsible for Cuba's condition. As long as 
 you are here to be wrung dry of every centavo, Spain will strain 
 every nerve to retain possession. I wish to learn the exact re- 
 sources of the plantations, what they are capable of, and what 
 they now produce ; then, one can estimate what tribute should 
 be paid to the strong-hearted ones who have Cuba's liberation 
 in view." 
 
 " But, you don't mean that we planters can furnish support 
 to any revolutionists who may take it into their heads to come 
 down here and make matters worse !" exclaimed her father. 
 " That would mean confiscation by the government. Any at- 
 tempt at a revolt should be checked. It only results disastrous- 
 ly to the planters. We are the only ones who have property 
 to destroy; if we oppose the insurgents, they wreak vengeance 
 upon us by burning our crops; if we help them, Spain takes 
 not alone crops, but furnishes lifelong imprisonment. I would 
 
3 32 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 thank the men who are at the head of this intended uprising 
 to let well enough alone. The country has not yet recovered 
 from the ten-year war. Some plantations are lying waste yet." 
 
 " Because their owners are exiled or in- Spanish prisons," 
 returned Raquel. " What if the crops should be lost and we 
 impoverished? The individual should not be considered when 
 the welfare of the country is at stake !" 
 
 " Such opinions must not be voiced elsewhere. M. Theuriet 
 will put a stop to it if he takes you to Havana. Neither his 
 life nor mine would be worth a peso if you once were known to 
 hold such views. You would be supposed to have derived them 
 from one of us." 
 
 " But you surely feel as I do, papa," she cried. 
 
 " Men in Cuba dare not feel as you do ; at least they never 
 dare speak their feelings. I wish that letter of Mr. Hamilton's 
 had never been written, if you are going to endanger property 
 and lives by such lack of wisdom, urged on by the belief that 
 Cuba can be torn from the grasp of Spain by a handful of 
 patriots." 
 
 " It will be," she declared hopefully. " Even Zuiiega will 
 come back and fight for the island." 
 
 " Don't you believe it," said her father skeptically. " Cuba 
 never will see him again. You have no idea of the life into 
 which he will enter, providing that he is the heir. It is a pity 
 that you could not have married him instead of M. Theuriet," 
 he added jocularly. " He is nearer your age ; and, I think I 
 would like to see you at the head of an English home. 'Lady 
 Harberton' would not be half bad as a title, would it?" 
 
 Raquel turned her eyes upon him with a look in their depths 
 which he could not fathom. It was as if a thought had leaped 
 into life with a force that its sudden birth did not warrant. 
 
 " I would be glad to have you out of Cuba, if there is to be 
 any trouble with revolts. Promise me one thing, Raquel," 
 Palgrave continued. 
 
 " I will promise anything," she said gently. 
 
 " Promise me that, if you go to Havana, you will guard 
 your lips! Don't allow your sentiments to be even suspected. 
 Feign to be loyal to Spain rather than avow your real feelings." 
 
 " I never could feign anything," she returned, "but I will 
 do nothing to lead any one to doubt my loyalty. More than 
 that you could not ask." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 233 
 
 " When you have lived longer, you will see the wisdom of 
 my caution," he explained. 
 
 " I see it now," she replied. 
 
 " But you are impulsive. You do not measure your 
 speeches." 
 
 " I will," she said earnestly. " There is too much at stake 
 to be brave in words. My silence shall attest my heroism." 
 
 And Gilbert Palgrave did not understand all that she 
 meant. 
 
 That night she took from under her pillow the letter of 
 Lithgow's relating to the society of Cubans in America. She 
 re-read every word slowly, though she knew it by heart. Then 
 she placed it before the tiny white crucifix and bowed her head 
 upon it. 
 
 "Let him remember; dear, sweet mother of Jesu!" she 
 prayed. " Let not his ears become dulled to the cries of his 
 country !" 
 
 Three months after the death of Annizae, another letter 
 came from Lithgow, with a tardy but graphic description of the 
 occurrence. It told how she was, by the strangeness of fate, 
 buried at the church of Harberton ; and it gave the particulars 
 of Zuiiega's entrance into his rights, becoming invested with 
 his title and proclaimed master of the Harberton possessions. 
 
 " This has just been consummated," the letter ran. " AlTairs 
 of this sort are notoriously tedious. Zuiiega has become a 
 great lion and is sought after until the poor lad is near dead 
 with the wearisomeness of it all. He confesses that he craves 
 the free life that he once knew, but society demands that he 
 take possession of his properties and settle down into a right- 
 minded landlord, wary enough to protect himself from the 
 snares which already are being spread for his feet. It is easy 
 to see that his heart turns ever to Cuba. He intends to take 
 Annizae's retnains back to the island. He says that he knows 
 she never can sleep peacefully in this cold land. And when 
 he returns to Cuba he will be what he swore he would be — 
 one who will fight for two." 
 
 " What does that mean?" queried Gilbert Palgrave won- 
 deringly. 
 
 Raquel indulged in a little smile of pleasant triumph. 
 
 " You prophesied that Cuba never would see him again," 
 she reminded. 
 
234 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Neither will it — unless a woman remains here for whom 
 he will return." 
 
 " You malign your own sex," she cried indignantly. " Have 
 men no lofty promptings of their own? Must it always be 
 woman that urges them to noble deeds?" 
 
 " Nearly always," laughed he. '"As unto the bow the cord 
 is.' " 
 
 The weeks and months wore on. It seemed to Raquel that 
 they never had dragged so slowly, and yet she dreaded to see 
 them creeping by. 
 
 Her old favorite books gave her not a tithe of the pleasure 
 she once had derived from their pages. Their contents had 
 been mystical while she stood on the verge of living; now that 
 she had come some of woman's problems unto, a deeper mean- 
 ing lay beneath the utterances she had read, re-read, and fancied 
 that she understood. She began to comprehend with what sad, 
 wide knowledge those truths had been exhumed from life's 
 mines ; she shrank from the discovery that life, as the earth 
 understands it, is an unenviable possession in which joys are 
 transitory and sorrow alone seems to endure. Even the opti- 
 mistic teachings of the book that had been Beatrice's could not 
 take her back to the land of yesterday, the country of dreams. 
 It was true that she had fretted in that country, but it had been 
 with an intangible pain. Now she closed her hands over her 
 heart to still its aching lest her father should see her suffering 
 in her face. The fact that the book had belonged to an Amer- 
 ican girl to whom it had been a source of strength and encour- 
 agement was of much comfort and urged her on to try to reach 
 the full richness of its high teachings. Years were to reveal 
 to her that the secret beauty of what now to her were hidden 
 jewels of thought would be visible only as she reached a point 
 of spiritual growth which would render her perception trench- 
 ant and keen enough to probe deep into her own conscious- 
 ness. 
 
 One passage which Beatrice evidently had marked haunted 
 her depressingly, yet she saw its truth: "The things we now 
 esteem fixed shall, one by one, detach themselves like ripe fruit 
 from our experience, and fall. The wind shall blow them none 
 knows whither. The landscape, the figures, Boston, London, 
 are facts as fugitive as any institution past, or any whiff of mist 
 or smoke, and so is society, and so is the world. The soul 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 235 
 
 looketh steadily forward, creating a world always before her, 
 leaving worlds alv/ays behind her." 
 
 " It almost would seem that there is little use in trying to 
 accomplish," she would muse. " We are scarcely more than 
 butterflies, with the life of a day; and yet, ought not the very 
 fact of the briefness of that day make us more anxious to fill 
 it with a deed which may endure? I can give my whole life to 
 secure comfort and freedom from worry for my father, yet that 
 is not enough to satisfy me. I must do something for Cuba — 
 when the hour comes." 
 
 M. Theuriet made no further efforts to peruse the volume 
 which had excited his fears. He watched Raquel reading from 
 it day after day, but he had become convinced once for all of 
 its harmlessncss. As the time drew near for the marriage, he 
 spent much of his time at La Sacra Sonrisa. It was pleasant 
 to his sight to see Raquel bent over fragments of needlework. 
 He smiled when he saw how she detested it. She had not had 
 the training of convent routine. A needle was her l>cfe noire. 
 
 " Yoii shall hav' zese zings done for you, cheric, when you 
 are Madame Theuriet," he promised. " Worry not over zem. 
 Havana can supply all ov your wishes. Parisian styles will be 
 zare. You will not know yourselv when you are clad een French 
 confections. You will rival Pepita de Urquiza." 
 
 " And she ?" 
 
 " Ees richc, beautiful, and a widow. She has broken more 
 hearts zan any zree ozairs een Cuba. She has an immense 
 estate near Villa Claro. She spends her time een many 
 cities, abroad as well as at home. Eef she ees een Havana, 
 we must mak' her your friend; zen all ozer women will adore 
 you also, for ze Senora de Urquiza rules where she will." 
 
 And Pepita de Urquiza was the first woman with whom 
 Raquel made acquaintance after her installation in the city as 
 Madame Theuriet. 
 
 There was no doubt that the Seiiora de Urquiza came ac- 
 tuated somewhat by curiosity. All Havana was curious to see 
 the young wife of M. Theuriet, who was well known. Despite 
 his years, the Frenchman had been considered a good catch by 
 wise mammas with a number of marriageable daughters. No 
 one forgot the value of M. Theuriet's estimated fortune. He 
 had been petted and cajoled unsuccessfully through many 
 seasons ; perhaps that consciousness made him regard Raquel's 
 
236 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 sacrifice as no sacrifice at all. He knew that there were those 
 who would have been glad to marry him, and he expected that 
 Raquel herself would discover this fact before the season in 
 Havana was over. 
 
 At the first glance into the sad, girlish face, Pepita de 
 Urquiza's trained eyes read much that Raquel fancied was 
 concealed with skill. She knew also that Raquel had not mar- 
 ried him for his money, though that report was afloat. Her 
 heart went out to the young wife with an impetuosity that was 
 one of her charms. Without a trace of the formality which 
 Raquel had expected and dreaded, she took the wistful, fresh 
 visage in her perfectly gloved hands and kissed it. 
 
 "I have been waiting for your coming, dear," she said 
 smilingly. 
 
 Raquel was swayed by that friendly overture, though her 
 well-set head was held with that inborn pride which was to 
 serve her well during her initiation into Havanese circles. 
 Without being aware of it, she could make herself very formid- 
 able even though her heart within was timid and shrinking. 
 She was to discover that it is more disconcerting to meet the 
 unfriendly, critical stare of her own sex than to face an army 
 of disciplined soldiers, because the weapons of the former are 
 subtle, unseen, consequently infinitely more dangerous. 
 
 " You have known — of my coming?" she questioned in sur- 
 prise. 
 
 " Ah, indeed, have I not?" returned Pepita, lifting her beau- 
 tifully arched brows. She seated herself with a most delight- 
 ful rustling of silken skirts. Though gowned like a Parisian, 
 her grace was the inimitable grace of the Cuban. Her voice 
 was full of a caressing music; her smile won for her the ado- 
 ration of all upon whom it fell. She leaned forward and took 
 Raquel's soft fingers in her own gloved ones. " I must confess 
 that, personally, I have known nothing of you, but your face, 
 your eyes, — they are those for which I have been waiting for 
 years. I puzzle you? I will make you understand. I will ex- 
 plain. Your eyes are full of truth, they are perfectly fearless, 
 and in that they are uncommon. I have waited for the coming 
 of such a one. I almost had despaired. Ah, you smile ! But, 
 it is true. I am a female Diogenes. Have you ever heard of 
 Diogenes? St? Ah, that is well. You have read, then! 
 When I behold you, you perceive how quickly I recognize your 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 237 
 
 spirit! We are akin! We will be friends — no? It is not a 
 small thing to have Pepita de Urquiza for a friend, is it, mon- 
 sieur? Ah, you see I have conceit ! But it is true that I make 
 a good friend, and — it is possible that I make as good an 
 enemy." She directed a shaft of light from her dark, dreamy 
 eyes at M. Theuriet. 
 
 "You are eencapa-a-bV ov proving an enemee, senora!" 
 expostulated he. " Why should you be? Eees not ze whole 
 world at your feet?" 
 
 " The masculine world, possibly," she agreed laughingly, 
 " men are proverbially blind. They imagine charms and vir- 
 tues where none exist. But the other half of the world — is 
 made up of women! Win the love of the first half: lose the 
 love of the second half. It is the law of compensation!" 
 
 " But ze women — zey obey your rule !" M. Theuriet mur- 
 mured, mystified. " Do zey not copy " 
 
 " Mes robes?" completed she, shrugging her incomparable 
 shoulders. " And why? To please me, think you, monsieur? 
 Ah, that proves again the blindness of you men! Believe me, 
 I know well how unstable is my throne ! I should be dragged 
 from it by pitiless feminine hands were it not that masculine 
 fealty is too strong to be combated; and I can depend on that 
 fealty — why? Because I give no guerdons! She is wise who 
 withholds gifts and delays rewards! They are prized most 
 when not bestowed. I must teach all of these truths to your 
 wife, monsieur. She will have great battles to wage. Her 
 beautiful face will bring them to her. Do I terrify you, dear? 
 They are unseen conflicts, and one has no weapon with which 
 to protect one's self save the white mantle of purity and wis- 
 dom. I shall take you under my wing. The high position in 
 which monsieur can place you will make you a target. But we 
 will battle together. We will be successful, you and I. 
 C/iita f " 
 
 Thus was cemented the friendship which not only steered 
 Raquel through a brilliant social triumph but brought to her 
 the coveted opportunity to work secretly for tlie success of the 
 uprising, suspicions of which even now were whispered cau- 
 tiously about through the capital. 
 
238 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 One day, Raquel and the Senora de Urquiza were sitting 
 together in the sala of the Seilora Mendonez, chatting with 
 that lady concerning the ball given the night previous at the 
 Governor-General's palace, when the Senora Iriate was an- 
 nounced and came bringing the information, which she im- 
 parted excitedly, that an expedition had embarked from New 
 York with the supposed intention of landing on Cuban soil and 
 instigating another revolution. 
 
 Raquel's mobile face lighted with enthusiasm. 
 
 Pepita de Urquiza, seated opposite, caught the expression 
 and understood at once where the girl's sympathies lay. She 
 endeavored to give a warning glance, which Raquel did not 
 perceive. Then, she hastened to say, with an excellent as- 
 sumption of incredulity : 
 
 " And what then? What can a tiny handful of penniless 
 Cuban exiles do when confronted with such soldiers as Spain 
 gives us?" 
 
 " But those grasping Americans are said to be furnishing 
 them support, Seiiora de Urquiza!" replied the Seiiora Iriate, 
 unwilling to have her news discredited. She had received it, 
 under promise of secrecy, the night before from her husband, 
 and she had told it at every place at w^hich she called. 
 
 " But there is an international law which will prevent their 
 doing anything of the sort, you know," smiled Pepita de 
 Urquiza calmly. 
 
 " I did not know. Is there a law against it?" queried the 
 Senora Mendonez with a sigh of relief. " I am glad. I should 
 hate to have our tobacco plantation devastated as it was before, 
 during the ten-year war. How is it that you know all of 
 these things, Doiia Pepita?" 
 
 " I have travelled much, you know," reminded Pepita lightlj'. 
 " Travel is a great educator. Actually, I scarcely knew any- 
 thing when I first left Cuba to see other countries. Besides, 
 you forget that you ladies have husbands to do your thinking. 
 I am obliged to depend on myself, so I must not be ignorant 
 of matters that ordinarily do not interest women." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 239 
 
 "Ah. that is true," admitted the Seiiora Iriate. " but you 
 might have a husband if you would, Senora!" 
 
 " I fear to find one less kind than the Seiior de Urquiza," 
 sighed Pepita. 
 
 " But he was old! Oh, pardon me, I beg!" 
 
 "Yes; he was old; much older than I," Pepita nodded sadly, 
 " but he was kind, and he loved me. Young men love only 
 themselves. Older men love their wives." 
 
 " That is right ! That is right !" laughed the Seiiora Men- 
 donez. " I believe that. Let us obtain the opinion of Madame 
 Theuriet." 
 
 " It would be of small weight," replied Raquel. " Happy 
 wives necessarily are poor judges of the world of men." 
 
 " Ah, any one can see that you are happy, by your sweet 
 face," the Seiiora Iriate declared with conviction. " Not a 
 wish goes ungratified. Is it not so? But if this shipload of 
 wild exiles land and the blacks fly to their support, there is no 
 telling, — we all may lose our riches!" 
 
 " Why do you try to cross the bridge before you reach i-t, 
 Seiiora Iriate?" remonstrated Pepita. " When you stop to 
 think, are you not disloyal in fancying even for a moment that 
 Spain cannot cope with such a matter? It is so trivial and 
 unfounded a rumor that I would not take the trouble to repeat 
 it, were I you." 
 
 " But Sefior Iriate had it from no other than Ruiz Alderete, 
 and you know how near he is to the Governor-General!" 
 
 Pepita de Urquiza had achieved what she desired : she had 
 discovered from whom had emanated the report. In spite of 
 herself she felt that an expression of satisfaction stole over her 
 countenance. 
 
 " Then believe me, Spain has received intimation of such 
 proceedings," she urged. " We need not fear! Madame Theu- 
 riet, should we not be on our way to the home of Senora Gali- 
 ano? What apology can we make to her for having been held 
 thus fascinatedly by the Seiiora Mendonez? You must not 
 make yourself so charming, Seiiora Mendonez." 
 
 When they were seated in the victoria and were being driven 
 down the Prado at the customary pace, Pepita de Urquiza said 
 warningly to Raquel : 
 
 " You must guard your features more carefully, if you wish 
 to do no harm to yourself. Your eyes spoke more loudly 
 
24 o A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 than your tongue could have done when you heard the news 
 of the embarkation." 
 
 Raquel turned her startled glance upon her friend. 
 
 " I read your heart aright, do I not?" questioned the older 
 woman. " You would be glad to have the expedition land? 
 You would be glad to see Cuba free?" 
 
 " Why think you so?" evaded Raquel. 
 
 " Because your eyes tell no untruths," answered Pepita. 
 " They are the eyes of one who hates tyranny, who despises a 
 power that will rule as infamously as Spain does. I read your 
 nature, but I have not dared to ask you a question. I have 
 no need to ask it. You revealed all that I longed to know. I 
 may speak to you frankly now. You are a woman who knows 
 the value of silence. I may trust you." 
 
 " You may trust me," replied Raquel. " Would >'^a be glad 
 to see the island liberated, Senora?" 
 
 "Glad? Do I not work for that one end?" cried Pepita under 
 her breath. " Call me no more by formal names from this hour. 
 I am your sister in the great common love which we bear our 
 country. Call me ' Pepita. ' " 
 
 Raquel caught the lavender-gloved hand with her own 
 gloved fingers. 
 
 " What do you for Cuba?" she whispered eagerly. " Tell 
 me ! You must let me work too. There is nothing I would 
 not do!" 
 
 Pepita looked at the patriotic fire which flamed in the bright 
 eyes of M. Theuriet's young wife. She permitted a reflection 
 of it to creep into her own, though even here in the open air 
 of the Prado such a sign of the secret leaning of the heart was 
 not advisable. 
 
 " You are not cautious enough," she refused. " You wear 
 your heart on your sleeve. To work for Cuba, one must be 
 able to play two parts; no, to play one part and live the other. 
 Even though it grates upon your honesty of nature, even though 
 it seems dishonorable, you must feign loyalty to Spain un- 
 less you wish to be immured in a dungeon. Wiser than the 
 wise one must be! Only thus can jj'ou be of service to those 
 dauntless souls who come to strike such a blow at Spanish 
 rule as will shatter the hideous chains which eat into our 
 flesh." 
 
 " I will be cautious. I can be wise !" declared Raquel fer- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 241 
 
 vently. " You do not know me yet ! Listen ! I have known of 
 this expedition." 
 
 " You?" exclaimed Pepita with astonishment. " How 
 learned you of it? This is the first breath that has been ut- 
 tered of it. I have found now that the government has 
 secured warning of it. I must notify at once those who can 
 communicate with the ones at the head of the enterprise." 
 
 " I heard of the American Cuban organization and its hopes 
 months ago," told Raquel. " I have waited anxiously to learn 
 more." 
 
 " We are indeed akin !" cried Pepita. " But, how came you, 
 on your quiet plantation, to be filled with such ideas? I 
 thought little of them until I saw other lands and compared 
 their government with my own." 
 
 " I know not," returned Raquel. " All my life I have yearned 
 to do for Cuba that which a man should do. Were I a man, I 
 would lead an insurrection, I would indeed." 
 
 " But who secured you the information concerning this 
 intention of the Cubans in New York?" questioned Pepita 
 wonderingly. 
 
 Raquel related the account which Lithgow had sent her. 
 
 " And to think that we have known each other for months 
 now and, though holding the same hopes, never betrayed them 
 to the other!" smiled Pepita. "I think there is no doubt but 
 that matters of importance may be confided to you, if neces- 
 sary. Yet you must gain control of your features. You must 
 let indifference and incredulity take the place of joy until the 
 fact is thoroughly established that we are — see, I was incau- 
 tious then! — that the revolution has begun; then you must 
 scoff at all news of victories for the revolutionists. You must 
 be angered at them. You must feign fear for your estates. 
 In short, you must play a part, no matter how it offends your 
 sense of strict honor. Spain has violated every one of her 
 promises to us. She won her victory at the close of the last 
 war by promises which she never kept." 
 
 " But, may I do no more?" pleaded Raquel. " May I not do 
 what you are doing?" 
 
 " Wait ; we will sec," said Pepita. " I am not accomplishing 
 
 much now. Yet what wc have heard to-day from the Senora 
 
 Iriate is most valuable to those in that expedition. It will not 
 
 do for them to come ashore where they expected to. If the 
 
 16 
 
242 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA, 
 
 government has discovered one portion of the secret, it is safe 
 to conclude that it has discovered all." 
 
 " But how is word to be sent to them?" queried Raquel 
 anxiously. 
 
 " Little by little all these things will be revealed to you," 
 smiled Pepita. " Be patient. Plans for communication are 
 well laid. This uprising has been well planned. Some parts 
 of it may miscarry; but it must succeed. We who imperil 
 our liberty and lives for it will carry it on to a glorious termi- 
 nation. Spain's rule in the island is destined to end. With un- 
 dying patriotism, our heroes have been working quietly but 
 surely ever since the last war. Though seeming to slumber, 
 the fire has burned unceasingly in Cuban veins. Even those 
 whom you meet daily and believe to be identified wholly with 
 Spanish interests are secretly with us. There is scarcely a 
 soul in Cuba that dares to let its real sympathies become 
 known, yet each stands ready to strike for freedom when the 
 hour arrives. Munitions of war have been secreted for many 
 months in different portions of the island. Brave Jose Marti, 
 twice banished from Cuban soil because of his hatred of the 
 Spanish tyranny and theft, will lead the sons of Cuba on to 
 certain victory when he risks his life by stepping for the third 
 time on territory which he means to wrest from its oppressors! 
 He and General Gomez, who commanded the eastern wing in 
 the revolution of '68, have left Santo Domingo. Their arrival 
 is to be the signal for the uprising. Our watchwords will be 
 Viva Marti ! Viva Cuba Libre !'" 
 
 " And are they with this expedition?" 
 
 " Hush, not so loudly," cautioned Pepita, though Raquel 
 had spoken in the lowest tone possible. " It is difficult to tell. 
 Marti expects to land on the south coast, having gone first to 
 Vera Cruz to deceive the authorities. They may be here by 
 this time. It is near the date. To-morrow is Sunday — no?" 
 
 " To-morrow is Sunday," nodded Raquel. 
 
 " That is the date," whispered Pepita. " From this time on 
 you must be on your guard. Reports of battles will come in. 
 You must have nerves of iron. I may not remain here in Ha- 
 vana. I may go, ostensibly, down to my plantation. It is in 
 the vicinity of Villa Claro. One part of the revolution 
 is to start there ; another in Matanzas ; a third at Guantanamo. 
 Ah, Spain will think she has a hornet's nest about her ears! 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 243 
 
 She can buy peace with no more promises. She will send her 
 soldiers over here by the thousands, but they will die. They 
 cannot stand the climate. Those whom our heroes do not 
 kill will die of the fever. Poor boys! They are none too ready 
 to fight us. But, they must. Spain's will is a cruel one. But 
 Cuba will break it ! God help us !" 
 
 " And I, left here, can I do nothing?" demanded Raquel. 
 
 Pepita hesitated. She regarded Raquel's firm lips and 
 steady eyes critically. 
 
 ■' Dare you.^" she questioned. 
 
 " I dare anything," replied Raquel, with a strength in her 
 face that even Pepita had not looked for. 
 
 " But M. Theuriet, would he permit it?" 
 
 " Need he know?" 
 
 " Not unless you betray it." 
 
 " Trust me," begged Raquel, forgetful that she had said to 
 her father that she would maintain an infinite caution and im- 
 peril herself and the estates in no way. 
 
 " Well, if I leave Havana, it may be necessary to have one 
 here whom I can trust," responded Pepita. 
 
 Raquel's hands were clasped tightly together. She was 
 half wild with excitement. 
 
 " How strangely things move !" she thought. " Here, in the 
 most unexpected way, my ambition is to be gratified! I shall 
 be thankful to monsieur (she yet called him by no warmer title) 
 all my days. I have helped papa, now I can aid Cuba in a small 
 way. It is all that I have asked of life. If I should lose life 
 in carrying out the things which are trusted to me, — what mat- 
 ter? I shall be satisfied. I wonder if Zufiega knows ! He must, 
 if he keeps up communication with the Cuban organization." 
 
 Two days later Madrid was discussing the proclamation 
 which the Governor-General had issued to suppress armed 
 bands of supposed brigands, which had appeared in the prov- 
 inces of Matanzasand Puerto Principe. Havana was discus.s- 
 ing the matter also. In another two days, it was reported in 
 Madrid that the disturbances in Cuba were of a serious nature. 
 The Spanish government, however, denied that it had re- 
 ceived any report that twenty-four persons arrested in Cuba 
 had been sentenced to death. Cuban sympathizers all over the 
 w<;rld rejoiced at the news which was flashed over the wires 
 tlKii the revolution had commenced. 
 
244 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 The report in Havana was that the rebels had met with the 
 government troops at Santa Cecilia and that three were cap- 
 tured, while the rest had escaped to the woods. Only the 
 most meagre news could be obtained. Official dispatches de- 
 clared that the uprising, though simultaneous, had been sub- 
 dued. 
 
 " You seem not so enthusiastic now zat ze rebels actually 
 dare to take up arms against Spain," commented M. Theuriet 
 to Raquel when he was relating what he had heard at the 
 club. " I hav' plaisir een seeing zat you are wise, che'rie. 
 Eet ees only a few malcontents, at ze best." 
 
 " On the plantation I had nothing with which to occupy my 
 thoughts," she answered. " Here it is different." 
 
 " Ah, eet gives me gratification to hear such words from 
 you. Que! if a," he exclaimed. " You are happee here?" 
 
 " Yes; I am happy here," she replied honestly, not deeming 
 it necessary to tell him what made her so. 
 
 From that hour rumors of all sorts were repeated cautious- 
 ly from mouth to mouth. All official reports that went out to 
 the world proclaimed that the people of Cuba were unanimous- 
 ly against the insurrection. Yet the tide of righteous war 
 crept steadily on. Martial law was declared. Spain began 
 unloading on Cuba's shores all of the soldiers that she could 
 muster. She negotiated for new war-ships. She bought her 
 ammunition where she would. She patrolled the coast with 
 gvinboats. She had forty-two thousand troops in the island and 
 was despatching seven thousand more with the greatest haste. 
 
 Raquel looked at Pepita with anxious inquiry when they 
 met. There were days when they did not see each other, so 
 cautious was Pepita. As yet nothing had occurred for Raquel 
 to do. She only could listen with what indifference she could 
 feign to the gossip that was carried from sala to sala. Coming 
 from near headquarters as it did, this gossip was half truthful 
 at least, she supposed, and the lack of success which appeared 
 to attend the efforts of the rebels worried her. But sugges- 
 tions were dropped from time to time that seemed to point to 
 a suspicion that the utmost reliance could not be placed in the 
 bulletins which Calleja allowed to be issued. 
 
 Society pursued its frivolities, though keen eyes could read 
 that it was alert with suspense. Whenever fresh troops ar- 
 rived, a monster demonstration was gotten up to convince the 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 245 
 
 world that the inhabitants of Havana welcomed the speed with 
 which Spain arrayed herself to put down an uprising which 
 she declared already had been crushed. 
 
 As the days and weeks went on and it could not be kept 
 entirely secret that the revolution was gaining headway, it 
 was whispered about that many important arrests had been 
 made. Some faces which Raquel had grown accustomed to 
 see, she saw no more. It was stated that they had gone to 
 their estates, which were in danger. 
 
 Raquel dared, innocently, to ask concerning one of these 
 one day, and was silenced by the one she interrogated, who 
 whispered with terror: 
 
 " Mention not his name ! He has been suspected of being 
 interested in a conspiracy which has been unearthed. Whether 
 he is dead or within the dungeons of the Moro no one but 
 Spanish officials ever will know. Even to mention his name 
 now may place one also under suspicion. We must dine and 
 dance and live as if there were no such thing as war. Spain 
 declares there is none." 
 
 " Yet the harbor is full of war-ships!" said Raquel. 
 
 Seiiorita Zurita shrugged her shoulders and looked at 
 Raquel sharply. 
 
 " I hear Maximo Gomez is, with three thousand followers, 
 near Guantanamo," she said with an air of secrecy. " But the 
 Governor-General claims they are isolated, surrounded by 
 troops, and without arms. He claims, moreover, that not a 
 single rebel is at liberty in the province of Matanzas. Manuel 
 Garcia is said to have been killed." 
 
 Raquel divined that this mixed information was offered 
 with the hopes of securing from her some expressions of her 
 views. She had learned to be wary during even these brief 
 days. Whether the woman was an insurgent herself at heart 
 or one in favor of Spanish dominancy, Raquel could not deter- 
 mine. She looked her straight in the eyes. She could not 
 have told what subtle intelligence passed between them, but 
 the seiiorita arose and came close to her. 
 
 " My father was taken from his family during the other 
 long war," she whispered. " We never have seen or heard 
 from him since." 
 
 Raquel placed her hands over those of the girl and found 
 them cold, as if she were under grcit excitement. 
 
246 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Is he dead?" she questioned with quick sympathy. 
 
 " Ah, who knows?" sighed the other. " We have believed 
 him to be in a Spanish dungeon. If these brave men only can 
 burst open the hideous walls which have witnessed the suffer- 
 ings of Spain's prisoners, God help them on to victory!" 
 
 " Cuidado r cried Raquel. " You forget your own caution 
 to me. Then you are for liberty?" 
 
 " With my whole soul ! Since then, my mother has died of 
 sorrow. I and my brother are the only ones left of the family, 
 and he " 
 
 " He?" 
 
 " He is determined to join Gomez. 
 
 " You would keep him from it?" 
 
 " I scarcely know ! What shall / do if he goes? There are 
 others — all the Cuban youths are wild to go; but dare they? 
 If I only might go too! But, there is nothing we women can 
 do save sell our jewels!" 
 
 " For what?" questioned Raquel breathlessly. There was 
 no longer any reason for doubting this little Seiiorita Zurita. 
 Incautiously but fervently, she was pouring out her heart. 
 
 " To help the cause ! If they can secure gold, they can buy 
 arms and ammunition. Thousands of Cubans will flock to the 
 standard if there seems to be the least chance of success, but 
 without arms, what can they accomplish? The machetes are 
 powerful, but only in hand-to-hand conflicts. They must be 
 supplied with arms as well as the Spaniards, if they are to con- 
 quer." 
 
 " Are there others who feel as you do?" Raquel asked 
 anxiously. 
 
 " Every one who has true Cuban blood, yet few dare avow 
 it." 
 
 " Know you any upon whom you can depend?" 
 
 The Senorita Zurita sighed. 
 
 " There are six that I dare speak to as I speak to you," she 
 answered. 
 
 " And will they sacrifice their jewels?" 
 
 " Anything that they think they can give up without 
 awakening suspicion." 
 
 " How can we dispose of jewels?" Raquel's mind was work- 
 ing rapidly. She thought of many ways, but none of them 
 seemed practical. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 247 
 
 "Ah, is not that the question?" grieved Seiiorita Zurita. 
 "We must find some way! I will ask Ricardo. He is my 
 brother." 
 
 " I have not many jewels," Raquel said thoughtfully. " M. 
 Theuriet would miss them at once." 
 
 " And he would not approve?" 
 
 " I — am sure not." 
 
 " But he is not a Spaniard!" 
 
 " No; but, like many others, he thinks he has interests too 
 great to imperil. If success becomes certain for the revolu- 
 tionists, he might aid; but he has seen too much of Spain's 
 treachery and her punishments to run any chance." 
 
 " It is that very fearfulness on the part of the planters that 
 enabled Spain to win before !" the senorita said. " My father 
 was one of the noble ones who supported the Cause, He said 
 that it was cowardly to wait until the victory was won by the 
 blood of others and then step in and enjoy the benefits. His 
 blood is mine ! If he is living, I will work to help those who 
 will release him if they can. If he is dead, I will work to re- 
 venge him. You, Madame Theuriet, have no idea what a pas- 
 sion consumes those whose dear ones have lain in Spanish dun- 
 geons or been sentenced for life to African penal stations!" 
 
 With no premonition that these horrors of Spanish ven- 
 geance were to strike her as closely as they had Seiiorita Zu- 
 rita, Raquel bent and kissed the anxious countenance of the 
 distraught girl. 
 
 " Do not strive to hold Ricardo from joining Gomez," she 
 urged. " You shall come and stay here with us." 
 
 Seiiorita Zurita shook her head. 
 
 " That would never do," she refused gojitly. " That would 
 place you and M. Theuriet at once under suspicion. It will 
 be known at once where Ricardo has gone. They will steal 
 oflf in the night, he and those who are unable to hide their 
 sympathies longer. I shall be under surveillance. I will not 
 imperil you, no, no! But, we might intrust to him what we 
 can obtain in the way of money or gold ornaments. He could 
 turn them into ammunition, possibly." 
 
 "And if he should be taken prisoner with that jewelry 
 upon him, it will be recognized." Raquel's argumentative 
 mind saw all the difficulties and dangers of this undertaking. 
 
 "Yes," assented Seiiorita Zurita. "That is true; but if 
 
248 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 nothing is ventured, nothing is won. When I hesitate, I re- 
 member my father. Even if I can furnish only one gun, that 
 will mean a few Spaniards less; a few steps nearer ascer- 
 taining my parent's fate. Can I sit still and do nothing ? 
 Could you?" 
 
 " I do not mean to," returned Raquel. " Come to me in a 
 week. No one will comment on our growing friendship — 
 even after Ricardo is gone — if our visits are infrequent. In 
 the mean time, I may accomplish something." 
 
 " You have a way with you of inspiring people with great 
 opinion of your ability or your strength, or something — I do 
 not really know what it is," Seiiorita Zurita breathed grate- 
 fully. " I am so small, so infantile in manner that no one 
 imagines that I could brave danger. I can plan, but I could 
 not execute. I am not afraid of Spain herself. I have been 
 drawn to you, Madame Theuriet, from the first, but you have 
 awed me," 
 
 " I ?" Raquel smiled unbelievingly. 
 
 " You do not know the proud expression that your eyes 
 wear," went on the little woman. " You are one of those who 
 are born to rule. If you were a man— — " 
 
 " Ah, if I were a man," Raquel echoed wistfully, " I would 
 be by the side of Gomez ! No. I would lead my own men ; I 
 would supplement the great leader's efforts." 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 The government soon discovered that instead of burying 
 Manuel Garcia, as the authorities supposed had been done, 
 that individual was alive and fighting with unabated vigor, 
 while Peppel Isleno, the acolyte, had been interred in his 
 stead. 
 
 The following day the news could not be kept from the 
 people that a Cuban victory had been won in the Vuelta 
 Abajo district; the insurgents had captured the garrison of 
 Vinales. 
 
 It was declared that Gomez had met a defeat and was on 
 the point of surrender, but with the passage of daj's no con- 
 firmation came of this report. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 249 
 
 One morning, Pepita de Urquiza sent a message for Raquel 
 to come to her house. The envelope bore unmistakable signs 
 of having been opened. Raquel's heart beat with apprehen- 
 sion as she glanced at the bearer. Had he read it himself, or 
 had it been opened by one of the guaniia civile ? There was 
 no use to remonstrate. Since the missive was sealed again, 
 it would be claimed that it never had been opened and the 
 question would be asked what the communication held that its 
 contents should be guarded wdth such fear. But Pepita 
 de Urquiza, if suspected, was not to be caught by such 
 methods. She had written in apparent haste : 
 
 "Dear Madame Theuriet: 
 
 " I beg that you will pardon if I ask you to come and bid 
 me good-by. I am too busy to afford time to make the calls I 
 should. From information which the Governor-General has 
 been kind enough to furnish me, I see the necessity of going 
 at once to my estates. They are in danger. The country in 
 that district appears to be over-run with prowling, predatory 
 bands of brigands. The Governor-General assures me of pro- 
 tection. It is unfortunate for me that I must leave Havana 
 now, but, since I am without a husband, I must not shrink 
 from facing these perils that threaten my income. The insur- 
 gents have been surrounded and ^ptured, Seiior Calleja con- 
 vinces me, and these brigands will meet the same fate, of 
 course. Consequently it will not be long before I shall be 
 among my friends again. I sail from Batabano to-morrow for 
 Cienfuegos. Come and wish me ' God-speed ! ' 
 
 " Pei'ita de Urquiza." 
 
 Raquel drew a breath of relief. She dismissed the mes- 
 senger, wondering why Pepita had not sent one of her own 
 servants. She did not understand until later that Pepita had 
 chosen this very method of correspondence to convince who- 
 ever was interested in her movements that they were exactly 
 what she had represented they would be. She was familiar 
 with Spanish methods of maintaining surveillance over sus- 
 pects, and she was cautiousness itself. 
 
 "There is more in this than eyes can read!" Raquel 
 thought as she prepared to obey the summons. That her sur- 
 mise was correct, a very few moments with Pepita revealed. 
 
250 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Walls have ears here in Cuba!" Pepita murmured, mak- 
 ing sure that they were completely alone. " We must talk of 
 social matters in our ordinary tones. Now and then we can 
 slip in a whisper." 
 
 " Can you not trust your own servants?" queried Raquel. 
 
 " Who knows?" Pepita lifted her brows. " But we waste 
 precious moments. I have asked you to come that I might in- 
 struct you. You can be of material assistance. I will show 
 you how. First, let me tell you that Maceo is at Fortune Isl- 
 and waiting for the schooner Honor a, which will land him at 
 Baracoa with a large party of men and vast stores of arms and 
 ammunition. Strong leaders are scattered throughout the isl- 
 and. Centralization will follow. Few battles, such as the 
 armies of the world term battles, are to be fought. It will be 
 a waiting campaign, a harassing war that will keep the Span- 
 iards guessing. If you hear that our brave men always 'run 
 away, ' be not discouraged. That will have to be their policy. 
 The Spaniards will fancy that they are conquering when in 
 fact they will be losing time and men. The rainy season will 
 be in our favor. Spain will have to scatter her soldiers all 
 over the island. Ignorant of the country, unaccustomed to the 
 climate, they will stand small chance of success. The spirit of 
 our valiant ancestors who shed their blood vainly for their be- 
 loved land is with those who fight now. This seeming leth- 
 argy of the Cuban people on which the Spaniards build such 
 hopes is only feigned. Beneath that cloak of apparent indif- 
 ference smoulders a flame that Spain herself has kindled 
 through all the long years that she has piled wrong upon us." 
 
 " And you go — ?" questioned Raquel, her ej'es ablaze with 
 the flame of which Pepita had spoken. 
 
 " To carry important messages from patriots here in this 
 city." 
 
 "What if you should be seized and searched!" cried Ra- 
 quel in a frightened whisper. " Your letter to me was 
 opened !" 
 
 " Ah-h-h !" nodded Pepita with satisfaction. " As I thought ! 
 That was a scheme, child. I desired to ascertain if any sus- 
 picions were entertained against me." 
 
 " And now that you find that there are, what will you do?" 
 
 " Be more careful," smiled Pepita. " M}'' opportunities for 
 obtaining information of interest to our patriots have been al- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 251 
 
 most unlimited, but I can do more good in another quarter 
 now. I invariably spend some portion of the year in the little 
 city nearest my plantation. I shall go there now. I can trust 
 my home servants implicitly. I shall find no difficulty in 
 maintaining a system of communication with the forces of 
 the patriots." 
 
 " And I am to do what?" demanded Raquel. 
 
 " Dare you do what I have done? You are young and will 
 not be imagined to take any keen interest in state affairs. 
 Moreover, M. Theuriet's opinions, or those he professes to 
 hold, are well known to the government. I hear that he 
 speaks very bitterly of what he calls 'zese brigands' raids.' " 
 
 " It is true," assented Raquel. " He thinks that this is only 
 one of the many futile attempts to free the island. He be- 
 lieves now that the trouble is ended." 
 
 " And the Governor-General will appreciate such un- 
 bounded confidence in his untruthful reports," Pepita de- 
 clared. " You are the one to carry on this work here in the 
 capital if you have the courage. Mind, I do not urge you to 
 do this, Raquel. It is extremely dangerous. You have life 
 before you. You have joy in living. Think well before you 
 say that you accept the mission." 
 
 Raquel did not lift her lids now. She busied herself in ar- 
 ranging something about her gown as she answered : 
 
 " I should count the happiest life none too good to offer to 
 Cuba." 
 
 Pepita de Urquiza knelt before the girl and pressed her 
 face against the soft, creamy one with loving insistence. 
 
 "We will not talk about it, dear," she said, "but I under- 
 stand. I do not know why you did it, of course, and that makes 
 no difference. I am sure of one thing, you do not value the 
 things that it has brought you. Your eyes are full of weari- 
 ness — heart-weariness. Sometimes it has been all that I could 
 do to keep from taking you in my arms. I have longed to 
 comfort you as woman can comfort woman." 
 
 Raquel tried hard to keep the tears back, but Pcpita's 
 tenderness made a break in the wall of silent endurance with 
 which she had shut herself in. 
 
 " I value this opportunity which has come to help the 
 Cause," she protested. 
 
 " Oh, yes, but you wear your wealth, your gowns, your 
 
252 A DA UGH TEA' OF CUSA, 
 
 jewels without the healthy pride that belongs to a Cuban 
 nature," Pepita murmured. " Your soul is full of unsatisfied 
 hunger. You are beginning to see the irrevocableness of it 
 all. You faint at the sight of the years ahead. You would 
 court death — an actual death rather than the torture of the 
 daily death which is yours as the wife of a man whom you do 
 not and cannot love." 
 
 Raquel pressed her hands against Pepita's lips. 
 
 " You must not say such things !" she whispered. " How 
 did you know?" 
 
 " Because I went through it myself," sighed Pepita. 
 
 " But you said one day that the Senor de Urquiza was so 
 kind that you feared you never would find one like him." 
 
 " Is not M. Theuriet kind also?" queried Pepita meaftingly. 
 " Does not his very kindness cut into your heart? Do you not 
 shrink from it and then reproach yourself? Ah! You see 
 that I have suffered too ! I married to please my family. I 
 knew nothing of life. I was not the thinker or reader that 
 you have been; I am not yet. I was educated in a convent. 
 I went from that into wifehood. I did not know what love is." 
 
 "Did you learn to love him?" asked Raquel hopefully, as 
 if she thought that she might succeed if Pepita had done so. 
 
 "No: I learned to love another," confessed Pepita. " But 
 I was true. That other does not know to this day that I love 
 him. I do not think he ever will know." 
 
 Raquel placed her hands now at the sides of Pepita's face. 
 
 " Why do you not tell him?" she questioned. 
 
 Pepita shook her head. Tears were in her own eyes. 
 
 " What would his coming be worth to me if I had to ask 
 him to come?" she said. " As long as he can live without 
 me — I can wait!" 
 
 " Where is he? Here in the city?" Raquel ventured to ask 
 softly. 
 
 " No : in the little town to which I am going ; where I 
 spend some portions of the year. Do you suppose that I 
 would waste my time there if he were not near? Ah, we 
 women ! What fools we are !" 
 
 She rose to her feet and looked in a mirror. 
 
 " We show signs of emotion! Women must never indulge 
 in emotion!" she exclaimed with a little hysterical laugh, 
 pouring some rose-water on to a dainty handkerchief and bath- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 253 
 
 ing her eyelids, then performing the same operation on Ra- 
 quel. " It is quite 'bad form,' I discovered while 1 was abroad." 
 
 " You have not yet told me the course I am to pursue," re- 
 minded Raquel anxiously. 
 
 " Is M. Theuriet jealous?" inquired Pepita irrelevantly. 
 
 " Why ?" wondered Raquel. 
 
 " Because the young Senor Nicolas Valdes will attach him- 
 self to your train of admirers," 
 
 "Why, he is your most devoted follower!" exclaimed Ra- 
 quel. " He will be disconsolate if you leave Havana. His 
 adoration is the subject of many a jest." 
 
 " I know," nodded Pepita. " I must caution him not to let 
 his change of allegiance be too sudden. You can trust him." 
 
 " You mean — ?" frowned Raquel. 
 
 " He will salve his wounded heart by turning to you. Yes, 
 yes, it is all arranged. He will play his part well. You must 
 feign to endure him; you may laugh to your friends about his 
 instability, but whenever you see him alone for an instant, 
 you will receive some information from him or you must have 
 some to impart. Pie will communicate it to me by a method 
 known only to a few. He has performed this same office for 
 me. He is cleverness itself. All Havana has supposed that 
 the lad was consumed with love for me, when it is love for 
 Cuba that actuates him. Y^'ou must make a pretence of flirt- 
 ing with him — does that shock you? Staid senoras may 
 glower a little, but they will forgive. Remember that it is 
 for Cuba. Only thus can you keep track of what is going on, 
 for the bulletins are not to be depended on. Cuban successes 
 are never mentioned. Spanish losses are not told. Only thus 
 can you repeat to me the little items that drop in your way 
 and sometimes prove of the first importance. I think that you 
 need anticipate little trouble unless M. Theuriet should ob- 
 ject to Nicholas." 
 
 " I will run the risk," declared Raquel. " Of course he will 
 not pretend to be madly in love with me as he is with you. 
 He really must love you, Pepita." 
 
 " It is possible," shrugged Pepita. " It is a good thing if 
 one can turn one's lovers to account. I flatter myself that 
 love for me has made for Cuba some very fine soldiers out of 
 what was indifTerent metal. It is next best to fighting with 
 one's own arm." 
 
254 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Raquel smiled. She found that her thoughts had flown to 
 Zuiiega. She was glad to think that, though love had not en- 
 tered into the question, she had won at least one warrior for 
 liberty's cause. 
 
 Not until Pepita had sailed from Batabano did Raquel 
 recollect that, in the excitement of that last conference, she 
 had forgotten to ask Pepita's advice about the jewel project. 
 
 The Seiiorita Zurita came on the day appointed. Ker 
 aunt, the Dona Izabel, remained out in the victoria. 
 
 "It is all decided," whispered the seiiorita eagerly. 
 "There are fifteen who have poured their all into Cuba's lap. 
 Ricardo is to take the gems. He may go to Key West with 
 them and return with an expedition which will bring the am- 
 munition and guns." 
 
 " When does he start?" asked Raquel, wondering which of 
 her brooches she could part with without M. Theuriet discov- 
 ering the fact. 
 
 " The night of the morrow." 
 
 " Does your aunt know?" 
 
 " Not an idea. She can keep no secret." 
 
 Raquel went into her chamber and brought forth a pin that 
 held two diamonds and a ruby. She gave it to Seiiorita 
 Zurita. 
 
 " I have but two," she said. " It would not do to let M. 
 Theuriet dream of this action; so, I must retain one. Wil- 
 lingly I would offer both to the Cause. Tell your brother to 
 be wise. All of our prayers will go with him. If he is in 
 danger of capture, tell him to throw the jewels away. If they 
 are found on him, Spanish officials will divine his intentions." 
 
 " Cuba libre ! Cuba libre !" whispered the senorita into Ra- 
 quel's ear as she concealed the brooch about her person. 
 How little my stupid Tio Izabel thinks that she is riding be- 
 side a conspirator! She would shriek with terror. She has 
 none of our blood. She is only an aunt by marriage. She 
 would be willing to let the Spaniards rule always if her skin 
 could be safe and her mouth full of delicacies. Adios, Ma- 
 dame Theuriet, Adios T 
 
 " God go with Ricardo !" murmured Raquel. 
 Days passed. Raquel heard nothing from either Pepita 
 or the little daring seiiorita. She fulfilled her social obliga- 
 tions with a new realization of the folly of this gossipy exis- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 255 
 
 tence. It was not in harmony with her nature. She wearied 
 of the gayety. It wore on her to maintain a semblance of 
 careless pleasure when her heart was in a far different sphere 
 of action. 
 
 Despite the encouraging bulletins issued there were indu- 
 bitable signs that the government was not so easy as it feigned 
 to be. The month drew to a close. 
 
 One night, as she sat in a box at the opera, she saw Nico- 
 las Valdes across the house. Intuitively, she felt that he in- 
 tended to speak with her before the evening had passed. She 
 was not disappointed. He verged nearer by degrees. Fi- 
 nally he appeared behind M. Theuriet. 
 
 " M. Theuriet, may I come in and talk with your wife?" 
 the young Cuban asked, seating himself at the same time. 
 " I have no one to worship now that the Sefiora de Urquiza has 
 cast me off." 
 
 " You must not hav' ze audacity to worship my wife een 
 ze same way you do ze Senora de Urquiza," smiled M. Theu- 
 riet, welcoming him. " And what ees ze latest news from ze 
 seat of war?" 
 
 " Ah, M. Theuriet, you have admirable audacity in recog- 
 nizing that there is a seat of war," replied the handsome Cu- 
 ban. " The Governor-General recognizes nothing of the 
 sort." 
 
 The old Frenchman shrugged his shoulders. " I zought ten 
 days ago zat ze uprising was put down," he commented, " but 
 advices still come. I shall go back to my coffee plantation 
 soon eef zis continues! Zose robbers will devastate ze entire 
 country !" 
 
 " Oh, this is only a matter of a few days, Calleja says," 
 Nicolas Valdes returned easily. " Look at the number of 
 Spanish soldiers that we have in the island. The government 
 troops are said to be scouring through Manzanillo, and Colonel 
 Santocildes has telegraphed as to what action shall be taken 
 in case the rebels desire to surrender. You see he is quite 
 confident." 
 
 On the stage the prima donna was singing: " 0/t, gioja 
 che si scnti." Raquel's attention appeared to be riveted on 
 the music. M. Theuriet lifted his lorgnette again. Under 
 cover of the melody rendered by the orchestra, Nicolas Val- 
 des leaned toward Raquel and said quickly : 
 
256 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " A battle has been won at Jiguani. Antonio Maceo landed 
 three days ago at Baracoa. Eight hundred soldiers who 
 fought under him in the last rebellion have joined him." 
 
 Raquel could give no information in return, save that she 
 had heard from the never silent tongue of the Senora Iriate 
 that one hundred and fifty government soldiers had been sent 
 fi'om Guatanamo to prevent that very landing. 
 
 Nicolas Valdes laughed a little with satisfaction and caused 
 M. Theuriet to look in his direction inquiringly, since the 
 mad scene of " Lucia" scarcely seemed capable of affording 
 amusement. 
 
 Within the next twenty days the Governor-General, de- 
 posed, sailed for Spain, and General Campos was planning out 
 his campaign. There was no use denying that the insurgents 
 must have made some headway or Spain would not have 
 deemed it necessary to take such measures. What had been 
 discussed as an improbability now assumed the appearance, of 
 a fact which no amount of argument in the clubs made less 
 palpable. 
 
 The Havana hospitals were full of the wounded, who were 
 brought in at the rate of twenty-five a day. Three hundred 
 injured had been sent by steamer from Santiago de Cuba be- 
 cause the hospitals were crowded there. The dead were bur- 
 ied at night to hide as much as possible from the public. Gen- 
 eral Campos had cabled to Spain for more troops. Cuban 
 taxes were increased five million dollars to provide war ex- 
 penses. M. Theuriet was furious alike at insurgents and 
 Spaniards. 
 
 " Ees eet not as I hav' always spoken?" he said angrily to 
 Raquel. " Zese men who hav' no propairte to lose come here 
 and rais' zis disturbance, burn plantations, terrify ze people, 
 make Spain press us harder and harder. We are ze ones al- 
 ways who suffair! Ees eet not enough to bow now beneath 
 ze last war debt which Spain placed upon us — two hundred 
 million dollars? Zese brigands will lose! For all ze expense 
 which vSpain incurs, we planters will be held accountable, al- 
 zough we sympathize none wiz ze idiots !" 
 
 " Why do not you and your fellow-planters contribute 
 toward freeing the island from such a monster then?" de- 
 manded Raquel, unable to contain herself longer. She had 
 met these querulous speeches with silence for two months. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 257 
 
 It seemed cowardly not to say a word that might open his 
 eyes to what his duty really was. 
 
 M. Theuriet regarded her with a startled expression as she 
 went on passionately : 
 
 " It is only lack of funds and lack of arms that will pre- 
 vent the accomplishment of Gomez's designs! Cubans are 
 not allowed to buy munitions of war anywhere. Spain can 
 buy where and what she will. She can borrow money of Eng- 
 land and promise that we shall pay it when she has us con- 
 quered again. We can land arms and ammunition only se- 
 cretly. We can secure no field pieces, while Spain has scores. 
 We must fight from ambush. We must ask our heroes to use 
 cane knives in lieu of guns. All the nations watch the uneven 
 conflict and say: 'Demand nothing of us! We will not give 
 it. We know that you have been robbed for years. We know 
 that — unless you are more sharp than Spain believes you to 
 be — you will be murdered by Spanish weapons of war now. 
 We admire your courage; if you succeed, if you, with your 
 poorly equipped handful of valiant men, conquer the hundred 
 thousand trained soldiers which Spain will pour in upon you, 
 we will be willing to recognize you as a people able to govern 
 yourselves; but you must fight as never men fought before!' 
 How can you expect Cuba's dauntless souls to win unless you 
 give to them some support? You are the one who will profit. 
 Through cowardice, you will go on paying taxes — increased 
 taxes — to Spain so that her soldiers may be fed and paid while 
 they shoot our men down. I hope that Gomez will burn every 
 plantation that affords revenue to Spain. Only thus can he 
 cut off her supplies. It is right. It is just. Spain has held 
 you and my father in her merciless grasp for years; yet you 
 dare not rise up against her now that thousands of patriotic 
 Cubans arc willing to do your fighting for you !" 
 
 " Hush ! Raquel, dare not to speak anozair word, you wild, 
 fearless creature!" cried her husband in a terrified whisper, as 
 he rushed at her and endeavored to put his hand over her im- 
 prudent lips. " You wish to hav' mc een zc I\Ioro? Ah. pair- 
 haps you wish to get mc een troubl' zat you may talk more 
 wiz zat dissolute Nicolas Valdes who comes here !" 
 
 Raquel pushed him away. She was an athlete beside him. 
 She drew herself up proudly. Her eyes flashed angrily. 
 
 " You are ignoble to say such things to me!" she said in a 
 17 
 
258 A DAUGHTER Of CUBA. 
 
 tense voice. " You need have no fear of the Moro. Spain 
 knows your cowardice too well ever to accuse you of trying to 
 help the land that gives you your gold." 
 
 M. Theuriet shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 "Nan; I am too cautious," he smiled unpleasantly. "I 
 hav' lived longer zan you. You believe een ze good inten- 
 tions of zese men who are committing depredations? Ees eet 
 poseebl' zat you hav' forgotten your Gonzalo Alarcon? Eet 
 ees such unprincipled caballeros as he who are costing ze 
 island so much. Pairhaps you had not heard zat Gonzalo 
 Alarcon was among zose who were caught and hanged ze ozair 
 day. When zat ees done to all ov zem, we may expect some 
 peace. You are a child. Your enthusiasm runs away wiz 
 you; but zis ees a time when prudence ees bettair zan en- 
 thusiasm. Eef you can hold silence no bettair, we return to 
 La Buena Esperanza. I hav' received a lettair to-day from 
 your papa." 
 
 " And you had not offered it to me !" exclaimed Raquel. 
 " You know how I have been worrying because we have not 
 heard for so long! Has he been ill? Does he tell about the 
 fate of Alarcon?" 
 
 M. Theuriet sought for the communication and handed it 
 to her, observing her narrowly. This outburst revealed to 
 him that her indifference had been but feigned. He wondered 
 that he had not suspected it before. He resolved to return to 
 his plantation as soon as he could do so without exciting com- 
 ment. There were several reasons why this seemed a wise 
 course. Gilbert Palgrave's letter had contained the informa- 
 tion that the work of the insurgents was not confined to one 
 province. They appeared to be as great in number in the 
 Santa Clara district as in Puerto Principe, This was news 
 that surprised M. Theuriet. Moreover, he had discovered 
 young Valdes in earnest conversation with Raquel several 
 times during the last month, and she had worn every evidence 
 of being extremely interested, being not the adept at conceal- 
 ment that Pepita de Urquiza was. Added to these arguments 
 was the discovery he had just made. 
 
 " Ze soonair zat I get back to ze estate, ze bettair for all ov 
 my affairs," he told himself, remembering Raquel's natural 
 impetuosity. " She has no wisdom ; she would say zese words 
 to ze face ov General Campos. Eet ees ze courage ov igno- 
 
A DA UGH TEH OF CUBA. 259 
 
 ranee. Zere ees no telling what she might do!" And, while 
 he condemned, he admired her fearlessness, as age always, 
 half jealously, admires youth. He was wise and diplomatic. 
 He harassed her none with reproofs. He made no effort to 
 argue her into his way of looking at the matter. He simply 
 set about making arrangements for leaving the city. 
 
 Raquel read her father's letter with satisfaction. He had 
 written fully of all incidents which had occurred at the sugar 
 plantation, and he had related the reports which had reached 
 him of the progress made by the insurgents. No mention was 
 made of Gonzalo Alarcon. While she was thus engaged, the 
 Seiiorita Zurita was announced. Her face was anguished and 
 full of fear. She had been crying. Raquel went toward her 
 swiftly, her mind full of apprehension. 
 
 " What has happened?" she cried. 
 
 " Ricardo has been captured !" wailed the sister in despair, 
 " He is confined here in Havana. I have just heard it. He 
 has been imprisoned for twelve days They have kept him in 
 hopes that he would betray his confederates. I think — they 
 have — tortured him !" 
 
 Raquel's heart gave one great bound, then seemed to 
 stop. She put her strong arms about the girl and drew her 
 closely. 
 
 " No, no, they would not do that, not in this age !" she de- 
 clared reassuringly. " Campos would not permit that. He is 
 clemency itself, they say." 
 
 " Ah, but the men under him may not "be!" wept the girl 
 unconsolably. " Nothing but torture would make Ricardo 
 tell! Even torture will fail, I am sure." 
 
 Raquel's face was white. She understood what it meant if 
 Ricardo Zurita were compelled by unbearable agon}' to reveal 
 the names of those who had contributed to the rebel cause. 
 
 " Were the jewels found on him?" she asked. 
 
 " I know not," answered the seiiorita, swallowing the sobs 
 that shook her frame. " I am going to General Campos and 
 tell him I am the one who should be hung — for — oh, they will 
 hang him ! — I know it !" 
 
 Raquel tried to think. Her brain was awhirl. She still 
 held the girl tightly. 
 
 " Do — have you told the others?" she questioned. 
 
 " No. I came here first of all. I am going now to the Pal* 
 
2 6o A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 ace. / will die for it. None of you shall suffer for it. It was 
 my plan!" 
 
 " You shall not go one step to the Palace !" Raquel said 
 authoritatively. " All would be lost then. We must take 
 time to think. Perhaps something can be done." 
 
 " We shall be put in the Moro, or sent out of the country as 
 exiles" cried the seiiorita. " There is but one thing to do ! I 
 must go to plead with General Campos. Perhaps he will let 
 me be hung or shot in the stead of Ricardo. Ricardo could 
 fight if he were free. There is nothing I can do for Cuba but 
 this. I might just as well die this way as any," 
 
 The little woman's resolution was like iron. Raquel saw 
 that it was not a matter in which one might act rashly. The 
 secret which Ricardo Zurita held was one which threatened 
 families to suspect which would be to shake Havana from one 
 end to the other. Scores of arrests would follow. Estate 
 after estate would be confiscated. 
 
 " Wait until to-morrow !" she begged. " There may be 
 some awful mistake. One day will not make much difference 
 after twelve days of imprisonment. Wait !" 
 
 Somewhat relieved by her tears and a trifle comforted, 
 Seiiorita Zurita promised to do nothing rash before the mor- 
 row, and, returned to her home. 
 
 Raquel knew that there was to be a great demonstration 
 that night in the city, owing to the arrival of more troops. 
 She thought that, at the reception which was to be held in 
 honor of the officers, she might be able to secure an opportu- 
 nity to speak with Nicolas Valdes. He would be able to 
 learn it there were any truth in the report. In her excitement 
 she forgot entirely about M, Theuriet's remark in regard to 
 the scarce perceptible attentions which the young Cuban had 
 shown her. She was occupied now with but one idea — to 
 learn if the jewels were found on the person of Ricardo Zurita, 
 If so, the gravest of dangers threatened Havana's society 
 leaders. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 261 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 The first individual with whom Raquel had any conversa- 
 tion that night at the reception to the newly arrived Spanish 
 officers was Ruiz de Alvarez, a lieutenant. He gave her 
 more information than he supposed he was divulging. He be- 
 gan by boasting that, owing to intelligence received from the 
 Governor of Pinar del Rio, two suspicious-looking schooners 
 had been prevented from landing near the Cayos de San 
 Felipe. 
 
 " Do you know who commanded them?" questioned Ra- 
 quel, endeavoring to keep the anxious note out of her voice. 
 
 "No, seiiora; but that is not necessary. "We shall dis- 
 cover, however, for they will be trapped when they make a 
 second attempt. Troops have been dispatched there, and we 
 will make it hot for the rascals. We will make it hot for the 
 United States also, when we have wiped these insurgents 
 out !" 
 
 "Why, liigartcnicntcr Raquel murmured, exhibiting the 
 charming ignorance which she knew was expected of her. 
 
 " Why, seiiora?" He lifted his black brows. " Do they not 
 allow these filibustering expeditions to be fitted up on their 
 shores? They claim that the revenue cutter McLane is pa- 
 trolling Florida's coast, yet contraband goods arc landed con- 
 tinually on Cuban shores." 
 
 " Is it possible that this is accomplished?" exclaimed Ra- 
 quel in apparent alarm. " Then these terrible men under 
 Gomez are gaining ground!" 
 
 "Not a bit!" declared the lieutenant, spreading his chest 
 nobly. " We let them indulge in hopes while we discover 
 their plans. By the way, I suppose you know that one of your 
 citizens is to be shot in the morning for conveying tidings of 
 our movements to the rebels. No? He seems to be known 
 everywhere. I believe he was one of the most popular youths 
 of the city. The matter has caused some comment. I have 
 seen him— a fine, manly fellow. It is rather a pity! These 
 Cubans are brave !" 
 
 " His name? Who is he?" asked Raquel, divining to whom 
 he referred. 
 
262 A DAUGHTER OP CUBA. 
 
 " One Ricardo Zurita, they tell me. He was taken with a 
 large sum of money and papers of most incriminating nature 
 upon him. It is said that he obtained the gold by disposing of 
 family jewels, but no one can be found who will admit buying 
 jewels of him. Rather daring, was it not?" 
 
 " I have seen the boy, and I know his sister — she is a little 
 thing," said Raquel. " This is terrible ! Can nothing be done 
 to release him? He and his sister are orphans. What will 
 she do?" 
 
 " You would not wish him released when it is certain that 
 he is guilty !" exclaimed the Spaniard. " He would do the 
 thing over again. There is only one method to pursue in such 
 flagrant cases — administer death. That will teach others bet- 
 ter than to follow in his tracks." 
 
 Raquel leaned back in her chair with a paralyzing sense of 
 sickness numbing her heart. 
 
 Nicolas Valdes approached at that moment. Raquel 
 looked up into his face with such an appealing expression that 
 Valdes knew at once that, for safety's sake, it would be advis- 
 able to attract the Spaniard's attention in some other direc- 
 tion. Neither of them was aware or even suspected that 
 Theuriet had stationed himself where he could observe Raquel 
 without being seen by her. 
 
 " I heard Coronel Nunez inquiring as to your whereabouts 
 a few moments ago, lugartenieiite," Valdes told the soldier. 
 " He had the pretty Senorita Iriate on his arm. I think he 
 wished to introduce you." 
 
 The lieutenant arose not too willingly. 
 
 Valdes and Raquel were left alone. 
 
 " Have you heard this awful fate that has befallen Ricardo 
 Zurita?" she asked breathlessly. 
 
 "It is just beginning to creep out," he answered, seating 
 himself in the chair the Spaniard had vacated. " I have not 
 found out of what he is suspected. Perfectly harmless boy !" 
 
 " Harmless except to Spain," completed Raquel, repeating 
 what the soldier had told her. 
 
 Valdes heard her troubledly. 
 
 " It is bad for Ricardo and threatening for those who may 
 be implicated in the matter," he said anxiously. " He may be 
 shot and he may not. That lugartciiicnte may have been 
 sounding you as to your feeling on the subject. Did you think 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 263 
 
 of that? These Spaniards are not always as innocent as they 
 seem. Their system of espionage has been perfected during 
 all these years that they have held the keys to Cuban house- 
 holds, as one might say. They have improved on the man- 
 ners employed in the time of the inquisition." 
 
 "Is there no hope of freeing him?" asked Raquel, putting 
 her fingers up to her throbbing temples. 
 
 " Was ever a man freed whom Spain suspected ? " he an- 
 swered meaningly. " There has been no way of knowing what 
 becomes of those who are whisked from sight suddenly. 
 Spain's method of silencing has proven very efficacious; but, 
 please God, the dungeons of the Moro shall be thrown open to 
 the vision of a shuddering world before the year is done ! The 
 horrible agonies of those fathers and brothers who were im- 
 prisoned during the war of twenty 3'ears ago may then be 
 revealed." 
 
 "But to remain inactive while that poor boy suffers! 
 How can we?" Raquel cried with a sob in her breath. 
 
 Valdes seemed struck by a sudden thought. He looked at 
 her penetratingly. Did this indirectly threaten her, he won- 
 dered. 
 
 "It is for Cuba!" he whispered. "What more glorious 
 death would you wish him?" 
 
 " His sister is determined to go and ask General Campos to 
 let her be shot in Ricardo's stead," she went on. "I have 
 begged her to wait until the morning." 
 
 " Ah, she has been to see you?" said he. " Then the soldier 
 was not the first to tell you ! This is more serious than it ap- 
 peared. She must not go! Such an action would imperil not 
 one life alone, but many — is it not so?" 
 
 " She believes that he might be freed and could fight again 
 for Cuba." 
 
 " Ah, do Spain's victims not know her yet?" groaned Val- 
 des. " The girl must not be allowed to go near Campos or 
 any of his men. That is exactly what they want. From her 
 little body they could drag all the information she possesses. 
 No doubt she is under surveillance now. She must not come 
 to see you, Madame Theuriet. There is too much at stake! 
 Let them shoot Ricardo, if they will. It would be more mer- 
 ciful than imprisonment in Spanish jails; and — he will not 
 shrink! He will be meeting only what he would stand in dan- 
 
264 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 ger of meeting in the field. You may be certain of one thing 
 — all of the horses of the Spanish cavalry will never be able to 
 drag from him what secrets he may hold ; he is a Cuban !" 
 
 Raquel drew a long breath and closed her fingers tightly 
 together. 
 
 " How cruel war is I" she murmured. " It is horrible to sit 
 day after day and Vv'eek after week in inaction while the coun- 
 try calls. The little that I am able to do is so pitiably small ! 
 I am not an adept at discovering state secrets as Pepita is!" 
 
 " Sh !" warned Valdes. " Here comes that gossiping Seiiora 
 Iriate !" 
 
 Those who noticed this absorbing conversation lifted their 
 brows and smiled knowingly, repeating the old adage : 
 " Hearts are caught in the rebound." Nicolas Valdes' swerv- 
 ing devotion was the subject of many a laughing comment. 
 M. Theuriet even was watched by gossipy eyes to discover if 
 he approved of this sudden friendship which had sprung up 
 between his wife and Pepita's admirer. 
 
 And M. Theuriet, from his post of vantage where he was 
 talking desultorily with a Spanish officer's wife, noted every 
 change of Raquel's features. A rage began to stir within him. 
 He had no thought but that Valdes was making violent love 
 to Raquel, and the appearances were that she was not dis- 
 couraging him. 
 
 " i learned one important thing from that officer," Raquel 
 was saying at that moment. " Spain has sent a detachment of 
 troops to prevent the landing of two schooners that were seen 
 hovering about the south coast." 
 
 Valdes smiled with satisfaction at this information. 
 
 M. Theuriet ground his teeth. " I wonder what she said to 
 him?" he stormed inwardly. " I will ask her ! She shall tell 
 me!" 
 
 " That is a good place to keep the troops," Valdes replied 
 cautiously. " When they are there, they are not at more im- 
 portant spots. Collazo is sharp. He probably has landed 
 elsewhere by this time. I am glad you found that out. I 
 wonder if those were the troops that were sent off yesterday !" 
 
 " Oh, it was CoUazo's expedition?" 
 
 " I think. It was expected at Bahia Honda, but the coast is 
 patrolled. A large expedition will put in soon at the Cayos 
 Cobos on the east coast." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 265 
 
 " Who commands it?" she asked. " That will furnish arms 
 for the Santa Clara district." 
 
 " Yes," responded Valdes, answering the last question first. 
 " It is fitted out bj' a Cuban who has come into an English for- 
 tune. There is some satisfaction in feeling that as long as 
 Spain borrows English money with which to obtain men-of- 
 war, we can fight back with English gold that is given, not 
 loaned. By the way, Carlos Cespedes is said to have contrib- 
 uted eighty thousand dollars to the revolutionist fund." 
 
 ■' Know you the name of the one who has the English for- 
 tune?" demanded Raquel, her face aglow, all things swept 
 from her mind for the moment by this certainty that Zuliega 
 was alert and acting. 
 
 Nicolas Valdes shook his head. 
 
 " Do you, madame?" he queried, noting the expression of 
 gladness which banished the anxiety that had lain in her 
 eyes. 
 
 " Yes," she smiled. " He is a friend. He has promised to 
 fight not only for himself but for me as well. He knows my 
 hunger to take up arms against " 
 
 Valdes concealed the word she spoke by coughing, as that 
 instant M. Theuriet suddenly appeared before them. 
 
 It was the first time that Raquel ever had seen her husband 
 angry. She did not understand what was the matter, but she 
 knew at a glance that something had gone wrong. She, had 
 an uneasy presentiment that this conversation of hers with 
 Valdes had given M. Theuriet no pleasure. His words of the 
 afternoon returned to her mind. She wondered that she had 
 bestowed on them so little thought. It had been the entrance 
 of the Seiiorita Zurita that had put them out of her memory. 
 
 " You are not looking well, monsieur," she exclaimed, ris- 
 ing. " Are you ill? Shall we go home?" 
 
 Theuriet bowed to Valdes and offered her his arm. 
 
 " Eef Senor Valdes will pardon me for depriving heem ov 
 your societc," he murmured suavely. 
 
 " I fear that it will be a small deprivation," smiled Raquel. 
 " Adios, Senor Valdes." 
 
 " Eet might be advisabl' to say a farewell to heem," Theu- 
 riet told her loud enough for Valdes to hear. " I hav' made 
 arrangements to leav' Havana on ze morrow. We return to 
 ze plantation. Mes affaires demand eet." 
 
266 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Return to the plantation — now !" cried Raquel in con- 
 sternation. 
 
 " Zat ees my eentention," replied the Frenchman. " I hav' 
 learned eenformation zat mak' such a decision verra wise ; for 
 eenstance, eet is whispaired zat — but eet ees not senseebl' to 
 repeat reports." 
 
 Raquel recovered herself quickly, 
 
 "You men hear news that does not reach feminine ears," 
 she said. " I suppose that you fear for your coffee crop, 
 monsieur," 
 
 " Pas du tout" he answered, shrugging his shoulders. 
 " General Campos will hav' ze blind fellows all trapped before 
 zey hav' time to creep up zrough Puerto Principe. I hav' 
 fear for ozair mattairs which I will explain to you. AJios, 
 Senor Valdes, adios." 
 
 "The old man has found out something," Nicolas Valdes 
 thought uneasily, watching them making their adieus. 
 " There was half a threat in his eye." 
 
 When they were within their own walls, Raquel demanded : 
 
 " Why do you take this sudden step?" 
 
 For reply, her husband asked meaningly : " Will you pair- 
 mit me to inspect your jewels, f/m chereT 
 
 She had not expected this. She knew that she exhibited 
 surprise. 
 
 " You never have made such a request before. What is 
 your reason?" she asked. 
 
 " I wish to place zem een safeety before we commence our 
 journey," he answered. " Why should you hesitate?" 
 
 " I do not, monsieur," she replied indignantly, getting her 
 jewelry without another word and placing it before him, 
 
 " One is missing," he observed; " ze epingh wiz ze ruby." 
 
 "Yes, one is missing," acknowledged Raquel, knowing of 
 no other way than honesty by which to meet this trouble 
 which was descending upon her. 
 
 M. Theuriet looked up at her proud, fearless face with a 
 fright in his own. 
 
 " Where ees eet?" he demanded. Raquel shook her head. 
 " I know not," she replied, reflecting that she did not know 
 into whose hands it had fallen. " I have missed it for some 
 time." 
 
 " Know you what your words lead me to suspect?" he ques- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 267 
 
 tioned, his voice trembling a little with anger not unmixed 
 with anxiety. 
 
 " That I have been careless?" she smiled. " I thought best 
 not to tell you, monsieur." 
 
 " You have hoped to secure eet again.?" 
 
 " No, I have held no such hope," she replied truthfully. 
 
 M. Theuriet faced her squarely. 
 
 "I will tell you why I hav' wished to see zese," he said. 
 " I hav' zis night heard zat zare ees a whispair zat ze jewels of 
 which Ricardo Zurita disposed were the propairte ov senoras 
 here een Habana — women abov' suspicion who hav' done 
 what zey could to help ze rebel cause. I hav' remembered 
 your words ov zis afternoon. You would be one to do so fatal 
 a zing. I ask for your jewels. I find one, ze most expensiv' 
 one, gone. Zare ees but one zing to zink. I zink eet." 
 
 Raquel did not permit her eyes to quail before his. She 
 herself might have been the accuser, so queenly did she look. 
 
 " I could not be a coward, monsieur, because you are one," 
 she said quietly. " I will allow you to think what you please. 
 You must ask me no questions. I shall answer none." 
 
 " You will need to answer zem to ozairs zan me," he cried 
 angrily, " eef ze Senorita Zurita tells zat which the govern- 
 ment zinks zat she knows! She ees kept undair guard, know 
 you zat.?" 
 
 " Since when?" demanded Raquel. 
 
 " I hav' not asked zat. I hav' leestened to zat which was 
 told me. I hav' determined to fin' how far your lov' for 
 Cuba has carried you eento danger. Now zat I fin', I shall 
 waste no time een leaving Habana far behind. You hav' im- 
 periled everyzingi" 
 
 " I have done nothing of the sort," Raquel told him calmly, 
 though every nerve was quivering with the shock of what had 
 befallen Ricardo's sister. " It is your own tongue and appar- 
 ent suspicion that will get us into trouble. Who knows what 
 ears may have heard your excited words?" 
 
 •• You shall tell me eef zat beautiful epingle was offaired 
 up to ze eensane idea ov aiding zese scoundrels ov brigands." 
 
 " What matter since, if it were among those so offered, it 
 fell into the hands of Spain?" queried Raquel, feeling as if she 
 were turned into ice. " I will tell you nothing, because I know 
 nothing of its whereabouts. If you prefer to believe that I 
 
268 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 gave it to the Cuban cause, you are at liberty to think so. 
 You know where my heart is. Is it because of this that you 
 leave for the plantation?" 
 
 " No. I had made my plans before I hav' learned zis. I go 
 zat I may keep my honor." 
 
 " In what way is it threatened?" questioned Raquel. " You 
 will never be suspected of afiEording aid to the insurgents." 
 
 " I go to prevent zat diablo ov a Nicolas Valdes from steal- 
 ing away my wife," Theuriet said, rising to his feet and ex- 
 pecting to see her grow pale. Instead, the girl burst into 
 laughter, hysterical laughter to be sure, but it disconcerted 
 M. Theuriet none the less. 
 
 "Poor Valdes!" she cried, "No doubt he would be flat- 
 tered to find that you deem him a rival, but he is languishing 
 for Pepita." 
 
 " Men do not languish wiz such looks een zeir eyes as he 
 gav' to you zis night!" Theuriet returned. " Zink you zat I 
 hav' seen nozing? I hav' been where I could look at your 
 face, Madame Theuriet. I hav' zis night watched you grow 
 flushed and pale beneath his eyes. I hav' understood, at 
 last. Now I say to myselv: 'You hav' been blind! Eet ees 
 not only her patriotism zat you hav' to fear; you hav' also zis 
 lovair, Nicolas Valdes.' You shall tell me what you hav" 
 said to heem zat brought zat smile ov satisfaction to his face." 
 
 Raquel's eyes flamed into anger. She was on the point of 
 denying indignantly his accusation, when she realized that to 
 convince him of the utter falsity of his suppositions would be 
 to awaken suspicions far more dangerous to the Cause. 
 
 " Why should you single out Valdes?" she inquired with an 
 assumption of carelessness. " I talk much more with others." 
 
 " Eet ees posseebl', but you hav' not looked at ozairs as 
 you hav' zis night looked at heem." 
 
 " Perhaps you have forgotten a conversation that we had 
 at the sugar plantation before I became your wife," she said 
 retrospectively. " You prophesied that love would be made 
 to me, but that, such being the case, imhappiness should not 
 come to you, for your joy would be found in making me 
 happy. Now that you fancy that I am happy, you seek to put 
 an end to it." 
 
 " I hoped to hav' made you lov' me, inysdv, before zis, 
 Raquel." he urged. " I am human. I cannot stand quiet and 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 269 
 
 see you tak' plaisir can ze societe ov a man who transfers his 
 attentions as quicklee as he has from the Seiiora de Urquiza 
 to you. I will not see myselv made ze jest ov ze eentire city ! 
 Zis. added to what I hav' discovaired about ze jewels, con- 
 vinces me zat even anozair day een ze capital ees dangerous. 
 How know we what ordairs may be issued? What may not ze 
 Senorita Zurita tell?"' 
 
 " I have not admitted that the poor child can reveal any- 
 thing that will endanger inc,'' Raquel reminded him. " Some- 
 thing must be done to help her!" she continued anxiously. 
 " You need not expect that I will go from Havana and leave 
 that little woman to whatever fate Spanish justice may de- 
 cree. I will go to General Campos myself and plead for her. 
 He is fair-hearted. He might listen." 
 
 " Not one step shall you' tak' from zese walls unteel we 
 leave for ze steamer!" the old Frenchman shrieked as he 
 freshly realized how impotent he really was to deal with this 
 fearless spirit of young Cuba. " Hav' you not imperilled 
 enough? Would you wish your papa and myselv locked in ze 
 fortress? I will mak' a prisoner ov you here! I will watch 
 ovair you! You hav' no weesdom! Ah, you will drive me 
 crazy ! Alon Dicu ! " 
 
 Raquel stood in the centre of the floor. She looked like 
 Medea. There was that in her powerful eyes which told 
 her husband how little she feared him. His terror and anxiety 
 showed her that, possibly, she was selfish in her desire to aid 
 the Cause. His safety, his property, and that of her father lay 
 in her hands. Had she any right to endanger them for the 
 doubtful chance of benefiting the Seiiorita Zurita? Were 
 there other things she must consider besides her absorbing 
 craving to help Cuba? 
 
 " If I am such a menace to all that is dear to me, lose no 
 time in taking me from Havana," she said with emphasis, 
 seeming to accept his government with a grace that her eyes 
 belied. " There will be other fields for action." 
 
 ■' £>tc)s guard !" cried Theuriet. " Not for you, Raquel !" 
 
 " Who knows?" she retorted. " All Cuba will be swept by 
 dauntless, tireless Cuban feet before this year is ended. 
 Even now is not the entire island in commotion? Spain calls 
 the insurrection crushed, yet she is sending ten fresh battal- 
 ions of infantry." 
 
2 70 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " How hear you zese zings, Raquel?" demanded M. Theu- 
 riet, aghast. " How dare you repeat zem?" 
 
 " They are repeated to me by wives whose husbands intrust 
 them with encouraging news for the Spaniards. You are in 
 favor of Spanish tyranny; why should not your wife be told 
 all favorable reports for the Crown?"' 
 
 " I hav' nevair said zat I am een sympathy wiz tyranny," 
 protested M. Theuriet. 
 
 " But you do not say that you sympathize with the revolu- 
 tionists," commented Raquel. " It is impossible to remain neu- 
 tral in this matter." 
 
 " Eet ees posseebl' and I mean to do eet," declared the 
 Frenchman. " I am not going to see my estate seized by 
 Spain because ov incautious utterances. You call me a cow- 
 ard. Ze wise man ees zat one who knows when eet ees best 
 to seem a coward. No man ees brave continuously. Bravery 
 ees spasmodic, especiallee een Cuba. My words will be proven 
 true when zese revolutionists geeve up zeir battle against 
 Spain ; for geeve eet up zey will ! Zeir courage will wear out 
 when eet faces starvation and defeat. General Campos will 
 cornair zem. Zey will surrendair. Ah, zare hav' been ozair 
 uprisings! I hav' lived longair zan you; you will see ray 
 wisdom." 
 
 " You malign your own nation, monsieur," Raquel returned. 
 " What braver men has the world known than your country- 
 men.'' Bravery is not spasmodic. It is one with the fibre of 
 the human heart. Danger allures man. He goes to meet it, 
 and thrusts his defiance in its face. Neither starvation, tor- 
 ture, nor death will rob the Cubans of bravery. They fight 
 for the future of their country, the freedom from galling 
 chains." 
 
 All the evening M. Theuriet had spread the report that he 
 was summoned back to his estates in the greatest haste. And, 
 owing to his vigilance and the speed with which he transacted 
 affairs, he succeeded in embarking fi'om Havana without giv- 
 ing Raquel opportunity to exchange a word with any one save 
 in his presence. 
 
 As the steamer passed the Moro, which has kept so well its 
 ghastly secrets, Raquel 's heart sunk within her. Her anxiety 
 to learn Ricardo's fate made her every nerve tense. Probably 
 no one ever would know more concerning him. If he had a 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 27 1 
 
 burial-place, it would be only another one of those that Spain 
 guards silently. She was depressed. Despite Pepita's in- 
 structions that she must not trust too much to the accuracy 
 of government reports, she was weighed down by the informa- 
 tion that M. Theuriet had given her. It was claimed that the 
 rebels had sustained a severe loss that morning near Bayamo. 
 That Jiguani ever had been captured by the insurgents was 
 emphatically denied. No report was allowed to reach the peo- 
 ple of Gomez's victory over the Spaniards at Jarajueta nor of 
 the battle in Puerto Principe, where the Spanish loss was six 
 hundred and ninety-two killed and wounded and three hun- 
 dred prisoners. 
 
 The little steamer drowsed along on its course as though 
 there were no such things as war or urgent business. It had for 
 passengers, however, several naval officers whose destination 
 was Sagua la Grande. These devoted themselves assiduously 
 to Raquel's entertainment, and irritated her almost beyond the 
 point of endurance by the confidence with which they asserted 
 that another month would see the leaders of the revolution 
 prisoners of the Crown. 
 
 When they had travelled as far inland as Taguayabon, M. 
 Theuriet learned, to his consternation, that the remainder of 
 the trip would have to be made by carriage, as the insurgents 
 had destroyed the bridges and culverts. 
 
 "Moil Dieii ! Ees eet possebl' zat zey hav' crept up zis 
 far?" he exclaimied, looking at Raquel's gratified counte- 
 nance. 
 
 " The whole province is honeycombed with them, seiior," 
 replied the official who had imparted the news concerning the 
 impairing of the railroad. " You have come from Havana and 
 know not this? Does Spain believe she is conquering these 
 fellows? They are stronger than ever. The railway and tele- 
 graph lines are to be rebuilt and improved through Manza- 
 nillo, Bayamo, Puerto Principe, Santa Cruz, San Luis, and 
 Soriano. Under Maceo, it is said, scfior inio, that the insur- 
 gents derailed a train that carried a load of Spanish soldiers! 
 What are we to expect? Spain must send us more soldiers! 
 This coast is unprotected. Roloff is destroying railways 
 everywhere." 
 
 Raquel turned upon her husband with a smile when they 
 were en route for the plantations. She had dreaded this re- 
 
2 72 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 turn to what threatened to be the old inaction. These ac- 
 counts of the ceaseless activity of the rebel forces encouraged 
 her. She did not dream that she was going into an arena 
 compared with which her perilous work in the capital had 
 been child's play. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 " I HAVE the Cuban revolutionary fever, Beatrice ! I am 
 going down there with Zunega to help strike the blow which 
 shall bring the island her freedom." 
 
 Lithgow stood in the centre of the studio and regarded her 
 with eyes that sought to read through the careless demeanor 
 she wore. 
 
 "I would go too, if I might," answered Beatrice, pinching 
 up a bit of clay between her thumb and forefinger thought- 
 fully. " Instead, I have done what I could. Shall I show you 
 what it is?" 
 
 Lithgow's face was full of questioning. He made no as- 
 sent, for, without waiting for his reply, she had gone to the 
 great creation which had been the chief occupant of the studio 
 for many weeks. She began to unwrap the damp cloths 
 which swathed the clay production. 
 
 Lithgow drew close to her but she motioned him away. 
 
 " Stand at a distance please," she begged. " I want to see 
 the impression it makes on you. You need say nothing. I 
 shall be able to read your countenance." 
 
 Lithgow several times had essayed to obtain a glimpse of 
 this figure, but to all of his queries Beatrice had returned 
 evasive answers. Now that he was to be the first one to view 
 it, he waited its exhibition with eager impatience. It was the 
 largest work the young sculptor ever had attempted, and 
 with all his soul, Lithgow hoped that it would be something 
 which would add to the fame which she already had achieved 
 as a faithful worker whom it would be well to watch with in- 
 terest. She had maintained such silence in regard to it that 
 his curiosity had been whetted. He was almost anxious, he 
 realized. 
 
 " I'll shut my e3'es," he volunteered; " then, when you say 
 'Ready," it shall burst upon me with all its magnificence." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. • 273 
 
 Beatrice smiled slightly. She continued to unwind the 
 wrappings. When finally the last one was laid aside she 
 looked at the revealed work with a satisfaction that she could 
 not conceal. 
 
 " Ready !" she said softly. 
 
 Lithgow opened his eyes to behold a life-sized figure of 
 Zuiiega standing erect with uplifted sword over the prostrate 
 form of a beautiful creature, from whose wrists and ankles 
 corroding chains had been wrenched away. The half-raised 
 face of the maiden was filled with startled, incredulous won- 
 der, as she appeared to realize that the bondage she had borne 
 so long was a thing of the past. From the stern, dauntless 
 visage of him who had freed her shone out the soul of liberty, 
 progress, and light. All of the fire, the faith, the courage of 
 the long-suffering sons of Cuba seemed merged into that 
 countenance which Beatrice had moulded with inspired fin- 
 gers. From the sad melancholy of the eyes an infinite pity 
 looked forth yearningly, as if viewing the graves of the gallant 
 Spanish youths whom Spain had offered up so heartlessly to 
 feed her cruel ambition. 
 
 Lithgow was silent. He had no words. He was surprised 
 out of speech. 
 
 Satisfied with his voiceless verdict, Beatrice began cover- 
 ing the work again. 
 
 "Don't— yet!" cried Lithgow with a break in his tone. 
 " Let me view it longer. ' Ciilki Lil>rc!' I never supposed that 
 you would do such work as this. Bee! You will be famous." 
 " It will be owing to Zuiiega, then," she said modestly. 
 " It was all in his face." 
 
 " He must sec it!" Lithgow exclaimed eagerly. " Let me 
 go and get him." 
 
 Beatrice shook her head. 
 
 " Not now," she refused. " It would take too long. He 
 may come to-morow. Perhaps he will not like it! I dared to 
 take his face because it is that of a hero, such an one as we 
 dream of heroes as possessing." 
 
 "I believe that you have fallen in love with him, Bee," de- 
 clared Lithgow teasingly. "What else could enable you to 
 interpret Zuiiega's nature as you have? I always have seen 
 it in him, but I could not express it." 
 
 "Neither could I— in words," answered the sculptor. "I 
 18 
 
2 74 ^ DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 see that in his eyes which I hear in music — something that; 
 thrills me. It is something intangible. Have j'ou never ftit 
 it when music throbbed about you?" 
 
 Lithgow's memory .went back unbidden to that night of the 
 contradanza. Softness and tenderness crept into his face. 
 Even the thought of it moved him. « 
 
 " You know how Jean Paul Richter voiced it," Beatrice 
 continued. " 'Thou speakest to me of things which in all my 
 endless life I have not found and shall not find.' Those words 
 come ever to me when I look into the eyes of Zunega. There is 
 a sadness in them as if they peered back through interminable 
 years; there is a prophecy in them as if they looked forward 
 endlessly. They entrance me with their mystery as music 
 does." 
 
 Lithgow came back to the present. He listened to her 
 dreamy words with intense surprise in which was mingled 
 pain. He knew how completely Zunega was bound up in the 
 determination to merit the praise of the white-robed girl who 
 had awakened him to life in the depths of the forest. 
 
 " You have lost your heart to him, Beatrice," he said gent- 
 ly. " Perhaps you are not aware of it; but nothing but love 
 — unrecognized, if you will — could bring such words to your 
 lips; nothing but love could read his heart and put into his 
 face what you have put there. You have met your master, 
 Beatrice — and it is not I !" 
 
 No smile came to Beatrice's lips; and no denial. There 
 was no smile on Lithgow's. He was in deadly earnest. Did 
 he not know what love was? Had he not battled with it with 
 what strength he could ever since that night when he had 
 touched Raquel's hand in the moonlight? 
 
 Beatrice stood still, looking into his eyes with a dawning 
 realization in her own. 
 
 Suddenly she put both of her hands to her face and re- 
 mained motionless, her head bent before him. 
 
 Lithgow was irresolute for a moment, during which some- 
 thing stung his eyeballs like fire. To see Beatrice, she the 
 strong, the unyielding — to see her conquered like this! He 
 told himself that he might have known that love would not 
 come to her as it came to other, lesser women. He dared to 
 go to her. He put his arms around her with the gentleness of 
 a brother. He pressed her face against his shoulder and 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 275 
 
 patted her hair with quick, nervous touch. She did not 
 draw herself away. She appeared scarce conscious what he 
 did. It was as if some shock had dazed her. 
 
 " It comes to all of us, dear," he whispered, " and it often 
 comes in unappointed ways. It is something to be thankful 
 for. something to thank God for. It is not the being loved that 
 constitutes happiness, it is the fact of loving. All the devo- 
 tion which I could have offered you would not have won you 
 the deep, satisfying joy of discovering that you are capable of 
 love yourself. It is something to be able to love in this age of 
 the world, Beatrice! It is worth life— worth all the trouble of 
 living— to find that the lofty spirit which has swayed the 
 mighty in the past is just as powerful, just as mysterious to- 
 day. You have not known what love is, Beatrice ! It is not 
 every nature that can feel it. though every individual is will- 
 ing to swear that he does. The high name is dragged down 
 to adorn baser affections. When love comes, it uplifts. Its 
 fair face drives out the base. It resurrects the true ; it des- 
 troys all that cannot bear its white light. You see I know 
 what love is. Bee. Love has done this for me. I don't know 
 what it will do for you, except place your fingers on the pulse 
 of the world." 
 
 Beatrice lifted her face. There were tears on it. She did 
 not wipe them away. She made no foolish effort to convince 
 him that all his conjectures were wrong. She was lost in 
 wonder concerning the truth of his words. Did she love this 
 Cuban with the countenance of a conqueror? She knew well 
 that he loved the seiiorita of the sugar plantation. She re- 
 leased herself from Lithgow's tender arm and went and sat 
 down on the old settle. 
 
 ■■ He must not know a word of this," she said with her 
 usual directness. " I am aware that he loves the little Cuban 
 girl whom you love. He must never dream that he has van- 
 quished an American girl without even a shot in her direction." 
 
 Lithgow fell back a pace. She had taken him by storm. 
 
 " I never have told you that I loved any one — but you," he 
 said. 
 
 " You did not need to tell me," she returned, glancing up 
 at him with symptoms of her old reliant self. " I knew it with- 
 out. I am sorry if — this has come — for — him. I — I — wanted 
 to love "ou!" 
 
376 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Lithgow sat down beside her. 
 
 " Well, since you say that I love some one else — mind, I do 
 not confess it — and I know thaX you love some one else, can we 
 not start anew ?" 
 
 She leaned toward him anxiously. 
 
 " Promise me that you never will tell him, Lithgow," she 
 insisted. 
 
 " I promise," said Lithgow honestly. " I never will tell 
 him ; but you forget that the little Cuban girl of whom you 
 speak is the wnfe of M. Theuriet. She cannot be Zuiiega's." 
 
 " That makes no difference," Beatrice replied. " He loves 
 her and he cannot help it. He revealed that to me. Such a 
 love does no wrong; it is an honor to the woman who can in- 
 spire it. It is odd that she should have the love of both of 
 you, yet — she married another." 
 
 " She does not know that Zufiega cares for her," answered 
 Lithgow, " while I — there is nothing to prove that your sus- 
 picions are correct." 
 
 " Except your eyes," smiled Beatrice. " They tell no un- 
 truths." 
 
 She arose with a sigh and went to complete her task of 
 placing the cloths about the clay again. 
 
 " I wish you had not told me, Lithgow," she said. " I was 
 happier before." 
 
 " I wonder if the coming of love brings sorrow," he ques- 
 tioned. " There never are shadows until the sun bursts forth. 
 Previous to that, all has been the darkness of night or the gray- 
 ness of gloom. A landscape owes its beauty largely to shad- 
 ows. A life may owe its grace and perfection to sorrow. 
 Whether this love brings you happiness or not, Beatrice, there 
 is one thing which it cannot fail to give you — the power to 
 read others. To him who has known love, temptation, and 
 sorrow, these lines are filled with meaning: 
 
 "'Since I have walked with these immortal three. 
 There is naught written on my brother's brow 
 Nor in his heart but mine may understand. ' 
 
 "To you, who have the gift of making inanimate clay 
 speak, love will be a revelator. It is necessary to your work; 
 otherwise you would be as many of your fellow-artists 
 are. mechanical — lacking the understanding that clears your 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 2 77 
 
 vision and lets you look deep into the human heart. All the 
 tragedy of life is held in one soul. Depict that, and the world 
 will recognize and worship." 
 
 Beatrice looked at him with quick comprehenson. 
 
 " Lithgow, I have underrated you," she said humbly. 
 " You are nobler than I dreamed. You have thoughts that I 
 did not know you entertained. I feel that I know you better 
 in this last half-hour than ever before." 
 
 " Didn't you know that all humans go veiled?" queried 
 Lithgow. " We hide behind our unreal selves all our lives. 
 We peer forth as the Oriental women do from their yasmaks, 
 and we smile to think that none of the other veiled figures 
 know our dear, secret selves. We permit them to think we 
 are consumed by the ambitions, the passions that moi'-e the 
 rest of the mass; we rejoice to feel that they cannot read our 
 mighty yearnings, our lofty aspirations, our outreaching soul 
 cries. You know now that, for a moinent, we have stood face 
 to face. We never may again. You will be shrouded like 
 your mummified creation there. I will be the jester that you 
 so often call me. But we will not forget!" 
 
 An eager knock fell on the door. 
 
 Beatrice opened it to find Zufiega standing there, hat in 
 hand. 
 
 " Seiior Hamilton, I seek him," he said inquiringly. " I 
 have good news!" 
 
 " Here I am!" cried Lithgow. " What is it?" 
 
 " There will be no trouble about the clearance papers. 
 They can be made out for Bluefields. We are to start south 
 to-night." 
 
 " Viva Cuba! Cuba librc!" shouted Lithgow, catching Zu- 
 iiega's hat from his hand and giving it an enthusiastic toss 
 into the air. " And the seven hundred of your countrymen, 
 where do they join us?" 
 
 '• It is all arranged. We pick them and the dynamite up on 
 the Gulf Coast where it has been concealed for months. The 
 schooner is loaded now with the rifles and ammunition, but 
 we are supposed to sail with a load of lumber." 
 
 "Then we have not a moment to lose!" exclaimed Lith- 
 gow. " I have just confessed to Miss Warrington my inten- 
 tion of accompanying you. I supposed it would take days yet 
 to get matters settled." 
 
278 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 He moved about as if preparing to take his departure, 
 then remembered the statue behind him. He turned sud- 
 denly and found that Zuiiega had advanced and was gazing up 
 at the work with wide eyes. 
 
 Beatrice had not uttered a w^ord save to welcome Zunega. 
 Now she watched him with a hesitating expectancy in her 
 face. 
 
 Lithgow remained silent. He also watched, while varying 
 expressions crept swiftly over the youth's features, puzzle- 
 ment, incredulity, recognition, delight. 
 
 " Ah, it is the face of Marti!" he cried. " See the look in 
 his eyes, seiior!" 
 
 " Bravo, Zuiiega!" Lithgow said quickly. " Only a Cuban 
 could wear that look! How well you recognize the yearning 
 that shines from the eyes of those who love the island! This 
 is 'Cuba Libre!' It is Miss Warrington's prophecy of what 
 will crown the struggle into which we are going." 
 
 Zuiiega turned his eloquent countenance toward her. It 
 held astonishment and reverence. He bowed his head until 
 the silky, black hair fell forward. 
 
 " In the name of my country, in the name of all Cubans, 
 I thank you," he said in the soft, broken English he had 
 learned to speak. " Jose JNIarti will be her savior. His name 
 ever will be enshrined in the hearts of her people. God 
 guard him !" 
 
 Beatrice was comparing the face of the clay figure with 
 that of Zuiiega. They were identical, line for line, feature for 
 feature. The rapid work she had done in the short time she 
 had had before they had gone to England had been splendid 
 in its force. It had a strength that other work of hers lacked. 
 She was surprised that Zuiiega did not recognize himself. 
 Never had she seen Marti. She was on the point of telling 
 him so, when Lithgow silenced her with a meaning look that 
 she did not understand, but obeyed. He had conceived a pro- 
 ject that Zunega's mistake made all the more possible of be- 
 ing carried to success. He meant to call the attention of the 
 Cuban organizations to this production. Put into bronze, it 
 would be a grand and a fitting statue for exiled Cubans to pre- 
 sent to their freed land when its liberty was acknowledged by 
 Spain — as it would be. But he knew that Zuiiega, if he sup- 
 posed that the figure of the liberator was his own, would give 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 279 
 
 no support to the matter. Now that Zunega had mentioned 
 it. Lithgow could see that there was the same resemblance to 
 Marti in the clay that he had noticed in Zunega the first night 
 at the Cuban meeting. Whether Marti or Zunega, the figure 
 represented Cuba's own son. It would be welcomed by all 
 Cubans as a type of the courageous manhood that had shed its 
 blood for the island it adored. Before he left for the scene of 
 the conflict he resolved to apprise the prominent New York 
 Cubans of this which had come from the fingers of a freedom- 
 loving American girl. But Beatrice was to know nothing of 
 it. If she received a commission to put the conception into 
 bronze or marble, never should she know of the part he had 
 played in bringing to her the recognition her labor deserved. 
 
 " While we are helping to win liberty for Cuba, Miss War- 
 rington will be winning fame here," he said to Zunega. " We 
 have not much time and I have much to attend to, but we 
 cannot leave the city without seeing the dear mother again. 
 Who knows what may befall us? We may become prisoners 
 of Spain. We may be among the fallen on a battlefield. We 
 must take her blessing with us. I know of nothing so likely 
 to shield one from harm" — he looked at Beatrice — " unless it 
 be the love — that will pray for our success." 
 
 Beatrice bit her under-lip. 
 
 "What hour do you leave New York?" she inquired 
 abruptly. 
 
 " Eleven-ten, I think," answered Lithgow. " You see we 
 take control of the boat near Mobile. That was decided on 
 three weeks ago. Zuiiega, being an Englishman, encounters 
 less obstacle and fewer inquiries than an American or a 
 Cuban would. We have been fortunate. Our expedition 
 will not have to be abandoned like the one off the Florida 
 coast," 
 
 " We are to pick up some of the munitions that it carried,"' 
 smiled Zuiiega, 
 
 " Can you not come out home about eight o'clock?" asked 
 Beatrice. " We will wish you 'God-speed,' and you can drive 
 straight to the depot from there. I presume you will depart 
 without any particular ostentation." 
 
 " Most assuredly," returned Lithgow. " Those who are to 
 be of our number have been vanishing in the same quiet way 
 for weeks. We will be with you near nine, I shall iiave my 
 
28o A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 arrangements completed by that time. Until that hour, au 
 revoir." 
 
 He took Zuiiega with him. Let alone, Beatrice finished 
 her task of replacing the damp cloths about the clay figures. 
 Then she locked the door and sat down on the old settle. 
 Sparrows hopped about inquiringly on the window ledge and 
 peered in at her. They never had seen her sit thus, with fin- 
 gers closely locked in her lap and her golden, fluflfy head bent 
 forward. 
 
 The noise of the city drifted up to the north window. 
 Faint suggestions of spring and bursting leaves came 
 dreamily in through the opening. As if drawn irresistibly by 
 that maddening longing which springs in the Northern heart 
 when the sap stirs in the boughs, she arose with a deep, sad 
 breath and went and looked out across the tops of the build- 
 ings to a far blue line of water. vShe held her hands tightly 
 over her heart. 
 
 " I thought love meant gladness and ecstasy," she mur- 
 mured softly. " It means pain — pain — pain ! But the pain is 
 sweet." 
 
 Zuiiega expressed his admiration for Beatrice's work with 
 eager speech as he and Lithgow went down the street. He 
 could not find words enough to suit the need. The awe 
 he first had felt for her had not diminished. This only added 
 to it. 
 
 " She is what the Seiiorita Raquel might have been had she 
 lived in any land but Cuba," he cried. " She is grand, noble 
 — and the senorita is the same. But, in the island, women 
 have tied hands. They must do nothing. They know not 
 what liberty is as the American knows it. Even England 
 knows it not. There is no land where woman is free like she 
 is here in America. There is no land where she is revered so 
 much. Ah, I have learned a few things since I have become 
 i^ord Harberton. We must make Cuba what America is; 
 but Cuba must rule herself." 
 
 "Amen," said Lithgow. "I told you on the journey up 
 from Cuba that you could give me your opinion of Miss War- 
 rington after you had learned to know her. I never have 
 asked for it. Now that you have given it, I will add that she 
 is the most noble girl I know. She is beautiful, she will be 
 famous — but she does not love me." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 28 1 
 
 Zunega laid his hand sympathetically on tlie American's 
 arm. 
 
 " Is it always so in life, seiior? " he said wistfully. " One 
 loves and the other does not?" 
 
 "Generally the right one does not," smiled Lithgow. 
 " You, however, will be loved in return. You are sure to be." 
 
 Zunega shook his head, 
 
 " The only one that I care to have love me — is another 
 man's wife," he said with a sigh. " I must love unrequitedly 
 always." 
 
 Beatrice was her old self that night. 
 
 '■ Since you have honored mamma and me witli your last 
 precious moment, we will have a little chafing-dish supper to 
 celebrate j'^our departure," she declared gayly. " I got a lob- 
 ster on my way home from the studio and carried it myself. 
 What do you think of that? If it does not prove my admira- 
 tion for Cuba's heroes and my devotion to the cause of lib- 
 erty, what does?" 
 
 Seated around the cosy table, with Mrs. Warrington plying 
 Zuiiega with questions concerning his plans, they watched 
 Beatrice concoct one of the dainty suppers for which the War- 
 rington house was noted among those who were admitted 
 within its sacred precincts. Beatrice never had appeared to 
 better advantage. Lithgow laughingly declared that, with 
 her high-necked ruffled apron on, she looked as she had 
 when she had won his heart in boyhood. None would have 
 dreamed of what lay beneath the surface of her fair, sweet 
 face. Even Lithgow, accustomed as he was to woman's pow- 
 er of concealment, was surprised to see how completely the 
 Beatrice of the afternoon was put out of sight. 
 
 "She has her yasmak on again," he thought. "I may 
 never see her minus it again." 
 
 When the moment came for taking leave, Mrs. Warrington 
 impulsively pulled Zuiiega's dark head down to her own. 
 
 " You have no mother to kiss you 'Good-by, ' my boy," she 
 said; " let me bid you the farewell that she would give you if 
 she could." 
 
 Tears sprung into his eyes. He kissed her timidly, grate- 
 fully. 
 
 " You, senora, have taught me what a mother is," he whis- 
 pered softly. 
 
282 A DA UGH TE J? OF CUBA. 
 
 Lithgow looked at Beatrice with a gaze that recalled the 
 afternoon. A flush crept up through her cheeks. 
 
 " This is the last word either of you ever may hear me 
 speak," he said in quiet farewell. " I go without the protection 
 of an American citizen when I enter Cuba's field. If I am 
 taken prisoner, I shall deserve no more consideration than if 
 I were a Cuban. Good-by, dear little mother !" He placed his 
 arms about her and kissed her tenderly. " Be proud that you 
 have two of your boys in Cuba's struggle. Pray for the hope 
 of the island." 
 
 To Beatrice he held out his hand. Its pressure was firm 
 and full of meaning. 
 
 When the carriage had whirled them away, Mrs. Warring- 
 ton placed a loving hand upon her daughter's shoulder. 
 
 " I don't understand you, dear," she said gently. " I used 
 to think that you liked Lithgow. I hoped — I may as well con- 
 fess it— that some time you and he would marry. He is all 
 that your father was. I would ask no better husband for 
 you." 
 
 " I am never going to marry, mamma," Beatrice answered. 
 " Art brooks no rival. Lithgow asked me to be his wife when 
 he went to Cuba. I did not love him." 
 
 "But, you may — some day," murmured the mother, ven- 
 turing to draw the girl into her embrace. " His going into 
 what may be death for him will teach you to know your 
 heart." She pushed back the sunshiny hair and touched the 
 white forehead with tender lips. 
 
 Beatrice closed down her lids. Tears started out from un- 
 der her lashes. 
 
 " Isn't there pain in learning to know one's heart?" she said, 
 with a sigh that endeavored to be a smile. 
 
 She watched the long hours of the darkness away with 
 eyes that slept not. When day broke, she turned on her pil- 
 lows wearily. 
 
 " Why couldn't it have been Lithgow !" she whispered, 
 burying her face. 
 
 Zuiiega and Lithgow found the schooner ready for sailing 
 when they reached the Gulf. The utmost care had been exer- 
 cised to keep the authorities from discovering the real nature 
 of their cargo. It had taken months of active work on the 
 part of Zunega and other patriots to get the expedition thus 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 283 
 
 far along. Zuiiega's capital had fitted it out. Zuiiega's or- 
 ders were to be obeyed. The captain was one to whom the 
 eastern coast of the island was as familiar as a playground. 
 He knew that he could wind his boat in and out among the 
 little mangrove isles with perfect ease where a Spanish gun- 
 boat could not follow. 
 
 They cruised cautiously along the Gulf coast, taking on at 
 different points the refugees who were now eager to go back 
 to take part in the wresting of Cuba from the tyrant. The 
 captain knew that American vessels were instructed to watch 
 out for just such filibustering ventures as this, and he shel- 
 tered his craft in many harbors unknown to marine charts. 
 
 Owing to all this prudence, they finally put out from the 
 southern coast one dark night a week after they were supposed 
 to have embarked. Swiftly they cut through the waters of 
 the Gulf and crept nearer and nearer the Cuban coast, moving 
 down through the Canal de Nicolas. All one day the boat 
 swung in the shelter of the islands off the coast of Santa Clara; 
 then, under cover of the night, wound its tortuous way among 
 the dangerous reefs with stealthy care. Its decks were 
 crowded with silent, anxious men, who, armed for conflict, 
 stood ready to step again on the soil from which they had 
 been banished. And each knew that the land that he loved 
 would be drenched with his life-blood before he ceased to 
 struggle to tear Cuba from the grasp of Spain. 
 
 Zunega and Lithgow stood apart. They were watching 
 with field-glasses the fires which they could distinguish were 
 being built on the coast. Anxiously they counted the num- 
 ber and position of the ignited piles. 
 
 " Btictw! The proper signal has been given!" exclaimed 
 Zunega. " Rafael Castro was to patrol this coast until we 
 landed. Everything is well — unless the enemy have secured 
 our plans and are luring us on to land our cargo." 
 
 " Let us put ashore," suggested Lithgow. " No risk should 
 be taken. We can go in one of the small boats. Tell the 
 captain that if three of the fires are extinguished after we land, 
 he may know that the coast is .safe." 
 
 "And if we should fall into the hands of the Spaniards.?" 
 smiled Zuiiega. "Who knows what changes may have taken 
 place since we got news? Castro may have been defeated 
 and his papers been taken possession of. But the chances 
 
284 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 are that all is safe and sure. Twenty of us can row ashore. 
 Say you so?" 
 
 A boat was lowered and manned. It shot out over the 
 phosphorescent water. As it approached the land, its occu- 
 pants could discern that none of Spain's soldiers were among 
 the half-clad men who were feeding the flames with armfuls 
 of dead forest branches. 
 
 " Viva Cuba libre!" Every throat in the band of rowing 
 men gave out the cry. Every throat on shore took it ujo. The 
 very heavens seemed to ring with the patriotic words. 
 
 " What is the latest news from the front?" was Zunega's 
 first inquiry when the boat was drawn up on the beach by 
 eager hands. 
 
 There was sudden, complete silence. Each man looked at 
 his neighbor. An ominous hush seemed to be breathed through 
 the night air. 
 
 "For amor de Dios, speak!" cried Zuiiega. "Have we 
 lost?" 
 
 Rafael Castro removed his head-covering. Each man did 
 the same and turned his face upward to the mystery of the 
 stars. 
 
 Zuiiega felt a shiver of fear run over him. He looked 
 around at those who accompanied him. They had bared their 
 heads also. He followed their example and, with drawn, anx- 
 ious brows, stood waiting for the words. 
 
 " Marti is dead .'" said Rafael Castro sorrowfully. 
 
 Zuiiega stepped backward as if he had been struck a blow. 
 
 " Marti dead? " he cried. " Why, this is //is revolution ! " 
 
 " His death will put no end to the struggle which he in- 
 spired," replied the voices of those who had watched for his 
 coming. " For the love that we bear him and the land that 
 he sought to urge onward to freedom, we will fight now as we 
 had not fought before. Jose Marti's spirit is with us! He 
 leads us still!" 
 
 Zunega drew himself to his highest stature. He lifted 
 high in the night his sword. 
 
 " I, because he was my friend and my hero, will fight not 
 alone for myself. I will fight for three: Jose Marti, myself, 
 and the woman I love !" 
 
 " There is not a Cuban arm but will fight for the same." 
 cried the men with one voice. " Spain has to contend with 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUR A. 885 
 
 three men in one when she meets a Cuban in this last war that 
 Cuba means to have with her!" 
 
 Three of the fires were put out. 
 
 Obedient to the arrangement, the schooner slipped in 
 shore, guided by a hand that knew every inch of the perilous 
 way. 
 
 The seven hundred who stepped forth on the land with 
 their personal arms were surrounded by the insurgent forces 
 which had been keeping the coast clear. 
 
 The cargo which meant so much to the revolutionary cause 
 was unloaded and carried into the mountains. 
 
 The craft which had performed such a service for liberty's 
 sake crept away among the cayos again stealthily. 
 
 It had other work to do. 
 
 It would come again. 
 
 The fires were left to smoulder. The small army of men 
 vanished into the mysterious aisles of the forest that covered 
 the mountains behind them. 
 
 Zuiiega threw back his head and inhaled rapturously the 
 beloved scents given out by this crucible of the ages. He 
 caught Lithgow by the arm. 
 
 " Ainigo 71110, you know how I have longed for this mo- 
 ment," he said softly. " Does not your blood course faster 
 through your veins? Does not the odor of the forest thrill 
 you? Listen! Hear you not the voices? I have heard them 
 in my sleep calling,- calling— calling. They are the voices 
 of the forest spirits." 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 It was a long, tedious journey that Raquel and M. Theu- 
 riet were compelled to make to reach the plantations. M. 
 Theuriet consumed the time in impressing on Raquel's mind 
 how imprudent she had been in Havana. After exhausting 
 the subject, he would re-commence at the beginning. 
 
 Raquel, with weary eyes, sat in her corner of the convey- 
 ance and dreamed of the welcome which awaited her at La 
 Sacra Sonrisa. She petitioned her husband to go directly 
 thtre without pausing at the coffee estate. She wondered if 
 her father yet had discovered that he owed no man anything. 
 
286 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 M. Theuriet, unobtrusively, had settled all of those debts with 
 the Catalans. She glanced at him out of the corners of her 
 eyes. 
 
 " How kind he has been to me !" she told herself with a 
 shade of reproach, " I suppose it is natural for a man of his 
 age to be cautious. His blood does not stir with rage against 
 oppression. He has bowed beneath it so long. It is true that 
 I had no right to risk his possessions because I am willing to 
 offer even my life to Cuba!" 
 
 As the road grew more familiar and they neared the sugar 
 plantation, she Scarcely could restrain her impatience. Her 
 father knew nothing of their coming. How astonished he 
 would be! And he would tell her how he had missed her. 
 He had purposely refrained from speaking of it in his letters, 
 she knew. 
 
 Their arrival was discovered before they reached the haci- 
 enda. Surprised blacks surrounded the volante, with joyful 
 cries. 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave, summoned by the commotion, came from 
 the court. Scarcely believing that his eyes did not deceive 
 him, he rushed to welcome them with the words : 
 
 " Never was there so opportune a home-coming!" 
 
 The full significance of his exclamation was not made ap- 
 parent until they were within the sala and the greetings all 
 over; then he placed in the hands of M. Theuriet a letter 
 which purported to be from the insurgents, demanding the sum 
 of fifteen thousand dollars. 
 
 " Parbleu ! What mean zis?" cried the Frenchman. " Zose 
 scoundrels, do zey threaten us? You will defy zem, ov 
 course." 
 
 " Is it wise to do so?" questioned Palgrave. " You have no 
 idea what progress they have been making. Rumors reach 
 me that this is no such uprising as we fancied. Would it not 
 be best to keep them our friends, if possible? They under- 
 stand how we are situated. They know well that if we openly 
 express sympathy, Spain will confiscate every acre that be- 
 longs to us. They know also that we are the ones who will 
 be benefited if their fighting is successful. I see no harm in 
 contributing — or in being forced, seemingly, to contribute — if 
 it does not reach Spain's ears; and how should it?" 
 
 " You are mad to zink ov such a zing !" cried M. Theuriet. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 287 
 
 " Besides, where will you get your fifteen zou5;and? I will not 
 lend eet to you!" 
 
 " You have done what is of equal value, my friend," said 
 Palgfrave, flushing deeply. He arose and went to Raquel, 
 placing his arm about her and tipping her face up so that he 
 could look down into her eyes. 
 
 " Did you know, dearie, that your husband not only ex- 
 tends the time on the debt I owe him. but has himself released 
 me from the clutches of the Catalans; so that now he is the 
 only man ft) whom I owe a centavo? He has done this because 
 I am your father; I understand that, and I am grateful to him 
 for the deed. What I must learn is this : did you know that 
 he contemplated doing such a thing?" 
 
 Raquel nerved herself to utter the untruth which she knew 
 was the crowning point of her sacrifice. To fail now meant 
 that all that she had given to place her father right financially 
 would be of no value. He would divine at once what had 
 been the motive which had made her marry M. Theuriet. 
 She did not permit her lids to fall. She looked full into his 
 earnest, manly, blue eyes as she said with what surprise she 
 could feign: 
 
 " Has he done this? He is noble, is he not? But you are 
 my father— and his father, now. It was no more than right, 
 yet I appreciate it." 
 
 " Answer me," commanded Palgrave. " Did you know that 
 he was going to do it?" 
 
 Raquel heard M. Theuriet lean forward in his chair. She 
 heard the start he could not repress when she answered : 
 
 " I knew nothing of it." 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave drew a long breath. He bent and kissed 
 her. 
 
 " If you knew what a load this has been on my mind since 
 I found it out ! " he said with relief. " I would not write about 
 it. I wanted to put the question to your face. Now that I 
 know that M. Theuriet did it because of his friendship for me 
 and his belief that I will be able to lift the debt. I feel a man 
 again." 
 
 Theuriet's eyes followed Raquel as she moved about the 
 room. He understood what devotion it was which had caused 
 lier to reply as she had. He realized something of the nature 
 of this creature whom he called his wife. He knew well how 
 
288 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 distasteful to her was her marriage with him. He had given 
 up all hopes of making her love him as he had hoped that she 
 would. He was content now simply to possess her and to 
 feel that in ways he was her master. When he had heard her 
 call him noble, a warm glow had run through his heart. In- 
 deed, he thought that he was nobler than she gave him credit 
 for. He alone knew what it had cost his soul when he had 
 carried out Raquel's wishes completely in the matter of set- 
 ting her father free. He was ashamed to let her know how 
 dear to him had been the gold with which he had satisfied the 
 Catalans. But it seemed that Palgrave had not taken it that 
 his debt to his neighbor was discharged ; and M. Theuriet saw 
 that it was best so. He would never demand payment, but 
 it might be better for Palgrave to remain in ignorance of that. 
 
 " What propose you to do?" tiuestioned he of the sugar 
 planter. 
 
 " My inclination is to pay them what they demand," an- 
 swered Palgrave. " Neither you nor I can shut our eyes to 
 what this means for us if the fellows are successful." 
 
 " But zey will not be !" M. Theuriet shook his head. 
 " Your fifteen zousand will go to fill zeir pockets." 
 
 " That is not true," Raquel spoke suddenly from where she 
 stood inspecting her old books. " These men are not brigands, 
 they are heroes." 
 
 M. Theuriet shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 "You and I do not agree upon zat, c/ic'ric," he returned. 
 " You will see ze truth ov my words." 
 
 " But if I give not this monej', they threaten, you see, to 
 burn my cane before the time for grinding." 
 
 "Man Dicu ! Zink you zat General Campos will not be 
 able to put zis uprising down before zat time? Not one rebel 
 will be lef on ze island." 
 
 " I cannot help feeling that you are mistaken," replied 
 Palgrave. 
 
 " But, hav' I not just come from Havana?" cried the French- 
 man, with irritation at finding his opinion was not given the 
 weight he felt it deserved. 
 
 Raquel smiled. Her back was toward them. 
 
 " And you had not heard that the railroads were all de- 
 molished in Santiago dc Cuba and Puerto Principe,"' she 
 commented. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 289 
 
 M. Theuriet looked at the back of her head and was silent. 
 " My answer is to be given to-night." said Palgrave with 
 visible anxiety. " That is why I cried that never was an ar- 
 rival so needed as yours. I wanted your advice." 
 
 "Yet you will tak' eetnot!" said the Frenchman, with a 
 gesture of displeasure. " How could you produce zat sum ov 
 monnaie by zis time?" 
 
 " I can tell them when they can have it," returned Palgave. 
 " I own that it may look odd to you, who are my large cred- 
 itor, that I am ready to borrow this amount when you have 
 just released me from debt; but fifteen thousand dollars is a 
 small sum when compared with what my crop will be worth. 
 If it insures the safety of my cane, then I will be in a position 
 at the close of the year to repay you somewhat and pay the 
 fifteen thousand as well to whomever I may borrow it of. 
 From my point of view, it would be economy in the end." 
 " I would defy zem," M. Theuriet insisted. 
 " And what if they threaten your coffee crop?" queried 
 Palgrave. 
 
 " I should lik' to sec anyone who could keep me from pick- 
 ing eet!" M. Theuriet responded, with an air as if he had an 
 entire regiment to enforce his word. " I am not afraid ov 
 zese rascals." 
 
 "Well, I am glad that you are not," sighed Gilbert Pal- 
 grave. " I know this ; they have got to obtain support from 
 us planters or else destroy our crops so that Spain will not 
 reap the benefit. I mean to grind my sugar-cane this winter. 
 How can I do it if it is burnt?" 
 
 " You will pairsist cen believing zat zese insurgents are 
 more powerful zan zey are," Theuriet replied comfortably. 
 " I will call upon Spain for help ecf zey attempt to keep me 
 from picking my coffee." 
 
 " How long will it take soldiers to reach here?" questioned 
 Raquel without turning around. " With railroads destroyed, 
 you would be beyond reach of immediate help. I think papa 
 is right. Contribute what they ask. It is cowardly not to. 
 I knew all the time that papa's heart was where mine is, only 
 he has deemed it best not to say so. Now has come the time 
 for action." 
 
 M. Theuriet threw out his graceful fingers in a way that 
 betokened that he declined to share any responsibility in the 
 19 
 
290 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 matter. " Eef you can sateesfy zem wiz promises, well and 
 good," h^said. " Before time to pay ze gold, zeir cause may 
 be lost. Ees eet zis night zat zey come? How was ze mes- 
 sage lef?" 
 
 " Pinned to the door with a knife," answered Palgrave. 
 
 " Let us remain here until this is over?" Raquel said plead- 
 ingly to M. Theuriet. " No one at La Buena Esperanza knows 
 that we have come. To-morrow will do as well for us to go 
 home." 
 
 " It shall be as you wish, jna chere" answered M. Theuriet. 
 " Your papa and I hav' faced ozair troubles togethair. I would 
 not wish heem to meet zis alone. Eef zese men are as cour- 
 teous as ze brigand, Gonzalo Alarcon — oh, by ze way, Pal- 
 grave, had you heard zat ze price which has been so long 
 placed on ze head of Alarcon is won? No-o? Ah, ze word 
 arreeved quicklee een Havana! He was hung." 
 
 " By whom?" questioned the sugar planter. " It was a fate 
 he deserved twice over." 
 
 " As I remembair, eet was ze insurgents zemselves who 
 hav' hung heem," answered M. Theuriet slowly. " He offaired 
 gold, which he had obtained by ransom and blackmail, to ze 
 insurgent leader. Eet was refused and " 
 
 " Ah, does that not prove to you the nature of these men 
 who are fighting for the freedom of the island?" cried 
 Raquel. 
 
 " I confess zat eet ees incredeebl'," Theuriet admitted, 
 " but, to continue, his own men zen took heem and not only 
 divided ze monnaie between zemselves but claimed ze reward 
 oflfaired for his dead body." 
 
 Raquel sat down suddenly in the estrada and leaned her 
 head back. The story sent a horrible sickness over her. She 
 had known these men ! The very ones who had peered at her • 
 that night, as she had sat with Zuiiega at her feet watching 
 the dance of Faquita, probably had participated in this act of 
 treachery! From what a fearful life had not Zufiega and 
 Faquita released her ! Where was Faquita? Had she reaped 
 the benefit of the reward? 
 
 She went up to the room in which she had slept through 
 her girlhood. Not a thing had been changed in it. Tia Juana 
 had seen that even the candle was burning before the little 
 crucifix. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 291 
 
 " How long ag-o it seems since I slept here last !" she sighed, 
 touching the little white bed reverently. 
 
 She turned half-guiltily as she heard her father's voice 
 behind her. He had followed her up in order to secure an 
 instant alone with her, as a mother wistfully seeks to look 
 into the face of her daughter who has gone out from the home 
 nest. Raquel wondered if he would be able to peer beneath 
 the surface which she endeavored to present to him. 
 
 He put his arms around hec and drew her hungrily against 
 him. 
 
 " I have missed you dreadfully, Raquel," he whispered with 
 tears in his eyes. " When you had gone, I found that you 
 were all that made the plantation a home to me. Time and 
 again, I have been tempted to write and beg you to shorten 
 your stay in Havana, but I conquered my selfishness. Now 
 that you really are here, however, I may as well tell you." 
 
 "I longed to hear just such words," Raquel said against 
 his cheek. 
 
 " Tell me. are you happy?" queried he troubledly. " There 
 is something in your face that — was not there when you went 
 away." 
 
 " I suppose — I have left — girlhood behind me, here in this 
 dear room," she answered evasively. "One must change; I 
 have seen something of the world," 
 
 "It is not that," Palgrave shook his head with conviction, 
 " There is an expression of — indifference, — a sort of hopeless- 
 ness in your eyes." 
 
 " Ah no, no! You do not read aright!" cried Raquel. " I 
 tremble with anxiety concerning this venture of our patriots. 
 You know how I yearn to do something myself. Oh, will you 
 keep a secret? I have not told M. Theuriet, but I would like 
 you to know." 
 
 " What is it?" questioned her father, visibly worried. 
 " Have you been less wise that I advised you to be?" 
 
 " Possibly," admitted Raquel, " but it is not that. Zuiiega 
 has come back to fight! I told you that he would." 
 
 " How heard you so?" 
 
 " In Havana." 
 
 " How comes it to be known there? Spain will be making 
 him a prisoner." 
 
 "There art; many Ihings known in Havana of which Si)ain 
 
292 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA, 
 
 is not cognizant." she replied meaningly. "I am proud of 
 you. papa! You have laughed at my rage against Spain, 
 yet the same righteous indignation is in your English breast. 
 Tell those who come to-night that you wish them success in 
 their noble effort to give the island freedom. If Spain con- 
 fiscates what we have, we can go and fight against her. That 
 would be glorious! I could fight as well as these Spanish 
 boys who are sent over here to face a desperate nation. Poor 
 lads! It has been sad to see them land; for every Cuban 
 knows that they will return never to Spain. Fever will do 
 the work that Cuban rifles leave undone." 
 
 " You are more of an insurrectionist than ever," smiled her 
 father. " It is a wonder that you did not get both M. Theu- 
 riet and me into hot water while you were in the capital!" 
 
 And Raquel refrained from confessing how nearly she had 
 accomplished the very thing he feared. 
 
 Gilbert Palgrave, cautious ever, made preparations for 
 receiving his expected nocturnal callers. He called his large 
 force of men together and instructed them to supply them- 
 selves with whatever arms the plantation afforded; these, he 
 knew, were few and old; but each man possessed a machete 
 or cane-knife, formidable weapon enough in the strong hand 
 that knew how to wield it. One sweeping stroke of this keen 
 blade would be more than sufficient to cut a man's head clean 
 from his shoulders. That the insurgents themselves were 
 likely to be armed with these same instruments of Cuban 
 warfare he was aware; shut off from the markets of the 
 world, they had no recourse save to dig up the arms which 
 had been buried since the last war, or to employ the imple- 
 ments that gained them their livelihood. 
 
 M. Theuriet, not too confident of his neighbor's ability to 
 deal with characters supposed to be so desperate, sent a mes- 
 senger commanding all of the available men on the coffee 
 estate to come to Palgrave's aid. 
 
 The astonishment which the servants of La Buena Espe- 
 ranza experienced at learning of their master's unexpected re- 
 turn was lost in the more exciting news of the near approach 
 of the insurgents. 
 
 When they were all assembled and were being put through 
 a brief training, M. Theuriet said suddenly to the sugar 
 planter : 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 293 
 
 "Where ees Pepillo, ze mayoral?" 
 
 " He left suddenly at the first suggestion of war," replied 
 Palgrave. " And to tell the truth, I was not sorry. I always 
 was suspicious of that fellow. He was a Spaniard. I am 
 convinced that he was a spy of the government sent here to 
 determine if I was taxed to the fullest extent possible. My 
 failure to render the full tribute detnanded by the officials has 
 placed me under suspicion, no doubt. You may be sure that 
 he kept account of every pound of sugar raised on this plan- 
 tation. It is a villainous espionage that Spain maintains 
 over her subjects. I, for one, will be glad to see it over, and 
 I do not mind contributing toward that end." 
 
 " I would rejoice as loudly as any eef Spanish taxes could 
 be lifted, or, what would be bettair, eef ze Spaniards could be 
 driven out ov ze island; but zat will nevair be done, so I 
 remain on ze safe side." 
 
 " I am not certain which will be the safe side this time," 
 returned the sugar planter. " Isn't there some old adage to the 
 effect that it is not well to have all of your eggs in one basket?" 
 
 With the approach of darkness, the blacks were stationed 
 all over the plantation with orders to resist any attempt to 
 damage the mill or the crop. The air was full of suppressed 
 excitement. 
 
 The house was secured against a possible attack. The 
 iron-barred windows were fastened and guarded by men with 
 machetes. Raquel, her father, and M. Theuriet remained in 
 the sala, awaiting the arrival of the delegation. Palgrave 
 was nervous and smoked two cigars to Theuriet's one. He 
 knew in what danger he stood. The presence of the blacks 
 at the various points of vantage reminded him of that fact and 
 he could not remain seated. With hands in his pockets, he 
 paced the floor hour after hour. Raquel's nerves also were 
 strained to a high pitch, but she compelled herself to sit mo- 
 tionless. She had learned much self-control in the few 
 months of her married life. 
 
 It was near midnight when, on the stillness of the air, the 
 sound of horses' feet was borne to the ears of the watchers. 
 Nearer, nearer, the tread came. Raquel shivered with ap- 
 prehension. A terrible dread, that had not been hers before, 
 paralyzed her. She gazed at her father in si^eechless anxiety. 
 Noticing the look, he came and touched her hair with his lips. 
 
2 94 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Thank God that you have some one to care for you — if 
 anything happens to me," he whispered. 
 
 Raquel sprung up then and wound her arms around him 
 passionately. 
 
 " Do you think — that — anything may happen?" she cried. 
 " You shall not go out! Let me go! I will tell them " 
 
 " Hush ! They are knocttng," he said, throwing up his head. 
 " There is a God ! He is with men in their hour of trouble !" 
 
 He went swiftly to the entrance and stepped out among 
 the circle of men who stood there. Despite his express 
 orders, Raquel followed him, taking the chains of the door 
 from the unwilling hands of the man who was on guard. She 
 heard the leader say in distinct tones : 
 
 " We come for the fifteen thousand which you are to con- 
 tribute toward the liberation of Cuba. We know where your 
 sympathies lie. We demand this expression of them." 
 
 "Where have I heard that voice before?" Raquel ques- 
 tioned puzzledly of herself. " It sounds almost as familiar as 
 my own; yet I can not tell who is its possessor." 
 
 " It is true that my sympathies are with Cuba; whose are 
 not?" Gilbert Palgrave said in reply, " but owing to Spain's 
 exorbitant taxes I am not in a position to furnish you with the 
 gold that you demand; but I am willing to promise that I 
 will make every effort to borrow it, and, if I am successful, it 
 shall be turned over to you. I know that I and my brother 
 planters on the island are the ones who most will profit by 
 this revolution if it wins the day. It is not fair that we sup- 
 port you not, yet you are perfectly aware of how Spain holds 
 us. You know that at the first suggestion that we are favor- 
 able to the enterprise in which you are engaged, the govern- 
 nment will take every possession from lis and give us in 
 return imprisonment or banishment. Therefore I ask you 
 to be as generous as you can afford to be and permit me time 
 enough to raise this sum without incurring suspicion from 
 Spanish officials. If you will return a month from now, I will 
 have it for you." 
 
 " That will not do, we must have it now, " replied the leader. 
 
 " What further proof do we need?" cried a voice from the 
 circle. "Has he not told us what he is? Are not Pepillo's 
 words revealed to be true? He is a sympathizer with the 
 revolutionists. Seize him." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. =95 
 
 " Pepillo?" thundered Pal grave. " Is that dog here? Ah. 
 I understand this now! It is a plot to entrap ine into making 
 known my true sentiments. That devil of a Spaniard has be- 
 trayed me after being in my employ. I know not what he has 
 heard me speak, but this I say to you, whoever you are: I 
 now would put every dollar I possess into the hands of the 
 men who are determined to teach Spain that her barbarisms 
 have no place in the twentieth century. For nearly four 
 hundred years Spanish cruelty has made this place a robbers' 
 nest. Not content with deceiving the peaceful Caribs, she 
 has deceived her own children. She has crushed and killed 
 them ! But their blood speaks again with a voice that Spain 
 is destined to hear from the lips of the men of to-day. Seize 
 me if you like. I am for Cuba and liberty! The flag of my 
 country will protect me! I am an Englishman, and, if need 
 be, I can die for the freedom of this land which I have made 
 my home." 
 
 Raquel had darted without a cry from the shadow of the 
 portal. She stood by his side. Her face was white. Her 
 eyes were like stars. 
 
 " If you take him, you take me !" she said in ringing tones. 
 " I am a Cuban and I defy the Spanish tyrant. You may kill 
 me, but the patriotism that burns in my breast burns in that 
 of every Cuban. You can never kill or imprison us all. Ever 
 will there be a soul like Marti's left to lead us on to liberty." 
 
 " Seize him !" ordered the leader. " Leave the girl. There 
 are other ways of dealing with her." 
 
 " My God!" cried the father. " Raquel, why have you ex- 
 posed yourself!" 
 
 Raquel had given a cry that summoned every black within 
 reach. The alarm was spread by two hundred throats. As 
 Palgrave was made prisoner, an entire regiment of soldiers 
 seemed to rise up from the shadows where they had lain in 
 hiding. They came to the help of those who bound the strug- 
 gling man. 
 
 But they found themselves surrounded by a mass of des- 
 perate, fighting blacks, at whose head was M. Theuriet, deter- 
 mined to rescue his neighbor even if the attempt landed him 
 beside Palgrave amid the indescribable horrors of a Spanish 
 prison. 
 
 There ensued a battle which for fierceness and desperation 
 
296 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 had, as yet, had no parallel during the experience of the sol- 
 diers, who defended themselves from the furious strokes of the 
 frantic blacks urged onward by their love for their master and 
 by the voice of Raquel. Mauser rifles were of no avail in a 
 hand-to-hand scrimmage with crazed men who fought like 
 demons to preserve their master from the fate that threatened 
 him. Unknown to any of them, he had been borne away in 
 the thick of the struggle, and was now being taken rapidly 
 from the scene by mounted men. 
 
 Little by little, those who were able fought their path 
 through the army of cane-workers to where their horses were 
 standing. Swinging themselves into their saddles, they re- 
 treated from the machetes of the combined forces of both 
 plantations. 
 
 There in the darkness, Raquel stood in the midst of loss 
 and bloodshed. The groans of the wounded filled the air. 
 She was chilled through and through with horror. A scream 
 of terror rose from her heart, but it could not pass her stiff lips. 
 
 She feared that her father had been killed. Were he able 
 to speak, she knew that he would try to silence her fears by a 
 word that would tell her of his whereabouts. 
 
 The frightened women, headed by Tia Juana, obeyed her 
 order for candles. Soon, lights went flitting about over the 
 bodies that lay outstretched before the entrance. 
 
 Breathlessly, Raquel bent over the men, fearful of what 
 she might see. No thought entered her mind as yet concern- 
 ing the fate of her husband. She had forgotten his existence. 
 Everything was swallowed up in her absorbing fear for her 
 father. 
 
 With gladness she noted that, thus far, those over whom 
 she flashed her light wore the uniform of Spanish soldiers. 
 Not a wounded black was to be seen. If any were dead, they 
 had been borne to the quarters. 
 
 One soldier groaned with agony as she passed him. She 
 halted an instant with the pity of woman. 
 
 " I will have your wounds attended to," she said. " I am 
 seeking my father." 
 
 "They have taken him away," the man told her, with an- 
 other moan of pain that he could not repress. " He is a pris- 
 oner of Spain." 
 
 The candle dropped from Raquel 's hands. She stood as if 
 
A DAOi7IITEK Of CUBA. 297 
 
 turned into stone. Nothing so merciful as unconsciousness 
 came to her. Before her mental vision passed in quick review 
 all of the hideous cruelties which she ever had heard of being 
 practised by the Spaniards. 
 
 Tia Juana. with a cry of alarm, darted toward her and ex- 
 tinguished the flame which had caught her gown from the 
 fallen candle. In doing this, the woman made the discovery 
 that the man beside whom Raquel thus stood frozen with 
 fear was M. Theuriet. 
 
 Reaching up, she took Raquel by the arm and attracted 
 her attention. 
 
 " M. Theuriet is wounded, senorita viia" she said trem- 
 blingly. " iMira .' He moves not. He hears not." 
 
 Recalled to the things about her, Raquel dropped to her 
 knees, remorseful that she had not thought of him sooner. 
 She placed her fingers on his heart. It seemed to beat faintly. 
 
 " Call some one," she cried anxiously. " We must get him 
 into the house!" 
 
 Awed by this terrible thing which had befallen the planta- 
 tion, the men bore him into the sala carefully. 
 
 In the employment furnished by the effort to revive him 
 to consciousness, Raquel, for a moment, lost sight of her 
 greater trouble. When he opened his eyes, after she seem- 
 ingly had exhausted everj' remedy known to Tia Juana, 
 Raquel felt a wave of thankfulness sweep through her be- 
 numbed mind. She knelt beside him, stroking his hands. 
 
 " Ah, thank God !" she cried with relief. 
 
 Theuriet endeavored to raise his head. He looked about 
 him in a dazed way ; then, when recollection became his, he 
 asked quickly: 
 
 " Palgrave, — where ees he?" 
 
 " They have taken him away !" moaned Raquel. " He is a 
 prisoner of Spain. You and I must rescue him, monsieur," 
 
 The Frenchman fell back with a groan of despair. 
 
 "MonDieu! I zink I am dying," he whispered. "What 
 will you do?" 
 
 "I will revenge both of you!" she cried, trying to gather 
 him up in her strdng young arms. " You are not dying ! You 
 have not been hurt seriously." 
 
 " I hav' received a sword-thrust from zat leader," mur- 
 mured he feebly, putting his hand to his side. " I die— now !" 
 
298 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Frantically Raquel tore his clothing from the spot indi- 
 cated. 
 
 It was true. How deep or how dangerous the wound was, 
 she could not determine. She was surrounded by blacks 
 more ignorant than herself. She watched the grayness of 
 death creeping over his face and did not know what she looked 
 upon. Even while she bent above him with wide, terror-filled 
 eyes, there was a horrible struggle in his throat. Then he 
 lay very still. 
 
 The minutes passed. She drew him closer in her arms. 
 She smoothed the gray hair back from his forehead. Her fin- 
 gers were wet with the dampness which stood on his brow. 
 She observed his features anxiously. She waited for some 
 further sign of recognition. 
 
 Suddenly Tia Juana gave a shriek and endeavored to take 
 him from her, 
 
 " See you not that he is dead, sehorita nna ?" 
 
 With a tightening at her heart, Raquel put her face down 
 to his. 
 
 "He has fainted again — with pain,"' she whispered, look- 
 ing up at Tia Juana with startled countenance when she found 
 that no breath came from his lips. 
 
 "He is dead! Dies pity us!" cried the woman. " He is 
 dead !" 
 
 Raquel would not permit him to be taken from her. 
 
 She held him closer and glanced around the sala with a 
 gaze that seemed to see nothing. The few candles scattered 
 about afforded little light to dissipate the awful gloom of the 
 waning darkness. The anxious eyes of the terrified servants 
 who watched her did not read that she was taking a farewell 
 of all she looked upon. 
 
 " Summon all that are of left of you," she said. 
 
 " Only Diego and Pedro are injured, seiiorita," old Pablo 
 told her. " The Spaniards shot themselves, not us. Our 
 machetes were powerful." 
 
 " They will need to be as powerful in the future," she said 
 meaningly. " Call every member of the plantation here." 
 
 When they were assembled, awe-stricken and tearful, she 
 looked up into their dark, faithful faces from that quiet one in 
 her arms. 
 
 " I have no protector now but you," she said, hushing their 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 299 
 
 cries of woe authoritatively. " You have no masters now — 
 but me. Are you prepared to obey me?" 
 
 " Si, SI, sefiorita," came from the dusky throats of her 
 father's men, to whom, despite her marriage, she always 
 would be the little sefiorita. 
 
 "Si, si, sfiiora," the voices of those from the cofifee estate 
 replied. 
 
 " Will you follow me wherever I may lead you.^" she 
 demanded. 
 
 " As long as we have life !" 
 
 " Spain's officials have robbed me of all that I hold dear," 
 she said bitterly. " I will revenge the capture of my father, 
 the death of my husband! I am Spain's avowed enemy! It 
 will not be safe for me to remain here. I shall go to the 
 mountains. I am a woman, but I can lead you against those 
 whom Spain has sent over here to conquer us. As long as 
 strength is mine, I will fight the power that has brought such 
 desolation to my home, such ruin to our land. Have I the 
 support of those who have lost their masters and their homes 
 because of Spanish treachery?" 
 
 " We are yours, seiiorita. Our machetes are for Cuba!" 
 
 " There is no time to be lost." She seemed to have come 
 into her own. Her voice was one of command. She was 
 bom to lead and she knew it at that moment. " The Span- 
 iards will come back here after their dead. Wc must be 
 away. This estate will become Spain's. What will be the 
 fate of La Buena Esperanza I know not. We will do what 
 we can for these wounded. Ay, it is the mercy of Jesu! We 
 cannot leave them to suffer. Then to the forest! Spain has 
 another band of insurgents now to harass her troops and lead 
 them into ambush ! We will do what we can to break Cuba's 
 chains and throw open the doors of the prisons. And if death 
 becomes ours in the struggle, we will welcome it— for the sake 
 of our Cuba!" 
 
 The Spanish soldier to whom she had promised care lifted 
 his head. 
 
 " Fira Cuba! Cuba libre!" he said under his breath. 
 " Spain sends us over here to fight such a people as this ! God 
 give them freedom!" 
 
300 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Raquel remained beside the body of M. Theuriet while 
 the women unwillingly attended to the wounds of those of the 
 Spaniards who were not yet dead. With the break of day, the 
 scene where the conflict had been presented an aspect that 
 made the blacks full of shuddering terror. 
 
 Ten soldiers already were dead and three more slipped 
 from life before the sun was an hour high. The machetes 
 had done fatal work. 
 
 The soldier who had whispered " Viva Cuba ! " requested 
 that he might speak with Raquel. Tia Juana refused to call 
 her. He caught the woman by the hand and drew her nearer 
 to him. 
 
 " Call her !" he begged. " I can be of help to her. I heard 
 what she told you. She intends to leave here. She must go 
 quickly. Call her!" 
 
 Impressed by his earnestness, Tia Juana obeyed. 
 
 Raquel came. Her face was set and stern. She hated the 
 sight of the Spanish uniform. The soldier lost no time in 
 convincing her of his desire to aid her. 
 
 " Take the arms and ammunition from me and my com- 
 panions," he told her. " I understand where you mean to go. 
 It is wise. Pepillo Astucera will return here. You wish to 
 do something for your island. I will tell you what her brave 
 men will need. A hospital! You are prepared to give it 
 them. Take your provisions, ^^our remedies, your beds. Es- 
 tablish a place in the mountains where your wounded can be 
 cared for. Cubans will bless you. If you will take me with 
 you, I will lead your blacks on to whatever you desire. Ay, 
 I am a Spaniard ! But — God knows I am ashamed to be one ! 
 There are many of us who would join the insurgents if we 
 dared. We knew not what we came to fight when Spain sent 
 us over." 
 
 " I could trust no Spaniard !" Raquel returned slowly. His 
 words showed her the necessity for action, but she could not 
 see which way to turn. She knew beyond all hope of change 
 that M. Theuriet was dead, yet she could not endure the 
 thought of having him buried. To go and leave him was a 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CCBA. 301 
 
 thing impossible. To take him with them seemed as impos- 
 sible. The soldier appeared to comprehend her trouble, 
 
 " Perhaps you are right," he sighed. " Since I came I 
 have learned of things which Cuba has endured that Spain 
 herself does not know, I think — the people of Spain, I mean. 
 1 did not know the nature of the work which we were to do 
 here at your home. I was given to understand that your 
 father was a dangerous conspirator against the government. 
 We were ordered to accompany his accusers and enforce 
 Spain's law. Let me atone what I can. Help me to join the 
 cause for which you, a woman, are ready to fight. Leave 
 your dead here until all else is safe ; then, if there is time, 
 return for them." 
 
 He was little more than a boy. His face was honest. His 
 eyes, full of pain, looked into hers earnestly. 
 
 " I may be dead by that time," he added. " I suffer, but I 
 do not know how badly I am hurt." 
 
 Raquel examined his wound with inexperienced ej'es. 
 
 " I know not either," she told him troubledly. 
 
 " Give no thought to me," he urged her. " Summon your 
 people. Take your animals and cart into the forest — all that 
 you can carry." 
 
 " You are brave," Raquel said. " I will be as brave." 
 
 Even in less time than she had hoped there was little left 
 within the walls to betoken a habitation. The blacks of both 
 plantations worked as they never had in the busiest season. 
 The carts, built for loading the cane to be brought to the mill, 
 now served to convey the contents of the hacienda through 
 the protected roads of the cane-fields to the river, which was 
 easily forded though the rains had swollen it. From this 
 point on there was more caution to be observed, but the 
 transfer of the possessions of La Sacra Sonrisa went on un- 
 interruptedly throughout the day. 
 
 Raquel found herself confronted by a fresh problem. What 
 was she to do with the women of both plantations? They 
 could not fight. It was true that some of them could act in 
 the capacity of nurses, but there were too many to be thus 
 employed or fed. She knew something of the difficulties of 
 camp-life from her short experience in that of Alarcon. She 
 finally decided to leave all that would remain at La Buena 
 Esperanza and place, as guard and protection over them, one- 
 
302 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 third of M. Theuriet's own men. It soon would be time for 
 the gathering of the coffee crop. It might be that Spain 
 would permit that to be done. M. Theuriet was believed to 
 have been most loyal to Spain. His estate might not be mo- 
 lested unless by the revolutionists. 
 
 To her consternation, she learned that none of them was 
 willing to stay. They not only were afraid of Spain's sol- 
 diers, but they desired to accompany her on whatever expe- 
 dition she chose to send them. After laying the case before 
 them, however, she won the consent of thirty men, who agreed 
 to remain with the women for two months at La Buena Espe- 
 ranza and carry on the work as if their master still were in 
 Havana, on the condition that, at the end of that time, their 
 places should be taken by some of those who were to follow 
 her. 
 
 The destination which Raquel had in her mind was the 
 cave which Zunega had revealed to her and Faquita. She 
 remembered its location and believed that her men could find 
 the way to it. 
 
 The children, mothers, and old women were removed to 
 La Buena Esperanza. The dead Spanish soldiers had been 
 buried. The only one that was alive was the boy, who watched 
 all these things being accomplished. 
 
 " Are you going to leave me here, seiiora?" he asked wist- 
 fully. " I will prove no traitor to Cuba." 
 
 "We will take you with us," said Raquel. "They who 
 suffer much can forgive much. You have tried to help me. 
 I am grateful." 
 
 When the shadows were beginning to cast themselves far, 
 M. Theuriet was placed in the rude coffin which Pablo had 
 hastily constructed. The utter absence of a burial service 
 made the scene no less impressive. 
 
 With her bowed head touched by the sunlight that sifted 
 through the orange trees, Raquel stood looking down into the 
 grave. She could shed no tears. She believed that never 
 again would such relief ease the burning beneath her heavy 
 lids. With what strange swiftness had come the end of her 
 married life and her entrance into the arena where Cuba was 
 fighting for her liberty with such desperation as the goaded 
 bull exhibits beneath the tortures of the toreador! 
 
 " You have given your life to Cuba," she said softly as the 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA 303 
 
 earth covered him from sight. " It shall not be in vain. The 
 island will gain the strong hands and stout hearts of those 
 who were your servants. They shall swell the mighty cry of 
 ' Cul'd librc ! 
 
 The wounded Spaniard was carried swung in a blanket 
 between two horses. 
 
 Raquel led the way with M. Theuriet's Diego by her side. 
 They pushed a short distance into the forest; then waited for 
 the coming of another day, when they skirted the shoulder of 
 the mountain over which Zufiega had led her. In spite of her 
 belief that she could go directly to the spot, four long, weari- 
 some days elapsed before they came to the river she sought. 
 She had forgotten that Zunega had said it was a subterranean 
 stream, and much of that time they had crossed and re- 
 crossed where it was tunnelling its way unseen hundreds of 
 feet beneath their tread. 
 
 Descending to where it rushed as fiercely as ever over its 
 stony bed, the company took up its march to the destined 
 cave. The finding of this Raquel had anticipated would be 
 difficult, but, to her surprise, they had not gone far when they 
 observed signs that others had been there recently. The 
 dense tangle which she remembered, had been cut away. 
 Following the cleared path with more speed, they reached a 
 spot where she paused abruptly. She had forgotten how the 
 place looked, yet, when she came to the spot where Zuiiega 
 had left the river, she recognized it instantly. 
 
 Apprehension seized her. She had not once thought of 
 the possibility that the cave might have been taken possession 
 of already. The indisputable evidence about her proved that 
 such must be the case. As far as she could peer up the 
 stream, the mass of green growth had been cut away suffi- 
 ciently to allow easy passage. 
 
 " This is the cave," she said to Diego, who still was her 
 body-guard, " but some one has been before us. The Span- 
 iards have discovered it, or our patriots are using it. Keep 
 the others back while I go and see." 
 
 Diego rushed to warn the long cavalcade which was fol- 
 lowing in the path Raquel had chosen. There were not lack- 
 ing those who had found the journey an anxious one, and many 
 had been the unuttercd questions which had trembled on the 
 lips of the men. But they were accustomed to obey, and Raquel 
 
304 A DAUGHTER OF CUB A. 
 
 had shown them that she expected nothing less. The soldier 
 had borne the tediousness of the slow forest travelling far bet- 
 ter than any of them had expected. His wound, a machete 
 cut, had yielded to the magic of the remedies which Tia Juana 
 had applied one after the other, and the inflammation had sub- 
 sided considerably. He had raved over the beauties of this 
 plant world through which they cut their way, and he had 
 shivered when told that it abounded in vines the touch of 
 which was poisonous and deadly to those who, like himself, 
 were unacquainted with the remedies and unaccustomed to 
 the climate. 
 
 Raquel stole cautiously up through the green barricade 
 which nature had built before this retreat. The huge boul- 
 der which had been there was pushed to one side, but the veil 
 of vines concealed the entrance sufficiently. Trembling vio- 
 lently, Raquel thrust her fingers through the leaves and peered 
 in. There were signs of recent occupancy. She ventured to 
 creep in stealthily, not knowing what might be made manifest 
 by exploration. Back among the shadows she stumbled over 
 a collection of rifles which evidently had been stored here, 
 together with what looked like boxes of ammunition. 
 
 She did not really grasp the nature of the discovery until 
 Diego had made his way to her. Crazy with excitement, he 
 ran back and brought as many of the others as could follow 
 his fleet feet. 
 
 The Spaniard, hearing the commotion, demanded that he 
 should be carried into the cave. 
 
 " These are concealed by the insurgents!" he cried. " No 
 Spanish soldier ever would penetrate thus far into a Cuban 
 forest. He is not obliged to hide his war munitions. Only 
 you Cubans must do that!" 
 
 The supposed ammunition he regarded with suspicion. 
 
 " They may contain ammunition and they may hold 
 dynam.ite," he told them. " Roloff is blowing up bridge after 
 bridge with the deadly stuff. Where he gets it, where he 
 keeps it concealed, we Spaniards have not been able to find. 
 This may be one of the hiding-places. I am fearful of having 
 the boxes opened !" 
 
 " But what good are the guns without ammunition?" de- 
 manded Raquel. 
 
 " None," agreed he. " but I can tell you where to obtain 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 305 
 
 ammunition. Only there is no one to lead your men to it. 
 They could capture it easily now." 
 
 " I can lead them !" Raquel said proudly. 
 
 The soldier looked at her, his surprise struggling with 
 unbelief. 
 
 " Dare 3'ou, seiiora?" he asked quickly. " It will be peril- 
 ous." 
 
 " Do you think I care for peril?" demanded she scornfully. 
 " My life is worth only what it can win for Cuba. I shall 
 count that every blow I can strike at Spain is that much to- 
 ward the freedom of my father." 
 
 The Spaniard hesitated. 
 
 "You may deem me ignoble," he said finally. "I am 
 going to betray to you my own country. I can fight for her 
 no more. If I recover the use of my arm, I shall join the 
 Cuban forces. That will be no worse than the action of those 
 soldiers in Havana who continually dispose of ammunition to 
 the friends of the insurgents. Spain's methods drive her own 
 soldiers from the cause they are brought over to defend." 
 
 " It is only a noble soul that is courageous enough to refuse 
 to support an unrighteous power," answered Raquel. " It is 
 only a cowardly or a benighted mind that will war against 
 Cuba when her deep wrongs are understood : cowardly, be- 
 cause afraid of Spanish vengeance; benighted, because not 
 touched by the advancing spirit of civilization which demands 
 the recognition of liberty and brotherhood!" 
 
 The soldier's eyes filled with honest admiration as he 
 watched her slender, graceful figure draw itself up command- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Your soul is too large for your woman's body, seiiora," 
 he sighed. " It is no wonder that we fail to vanquish a nation 
 with such hearts as yours!" 
 
 " Where is the ammunition?" questioned Raquel curiously. 
 
 " Lieutenant Jaime Arco, with fifty soldiers, is detailed to 
 guard a rude fort of logs in which is stored fifteen thousand 
 rounds of ammunition, seventy-five Mauser rifles and some 
 camp stores. You have ninety men with you, have you 
 not?" 
 
 Raquel nodded assent. Her face was alight with daring. 
 
 " If they fight as they fought the other night, you can se- 
 cure everything that the hut holds." 
 
 20 
 
3o6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Without guns?" asked Raquel, finding that the project 
 was rather formidable when she came to contemplate it. 
 
 " Your men do not know how to use guns yet," reminded 
 the soldier. " In their hands the machetes are twice as 
 fatal. And in close conflict our rifles are of little avail. 
 They carry too far." 
 
 " Tell me what to do," Raquel requested determinedly. 
 
 "I scarcely know where the place is," replied the Span- 
 iard, " but it is called by name of Yaez. It consists only of a 
 few houses and a dozen huts. The ammunition is being held 
 there for our men, as they are expected to move backward 
 through the country." 
 
 "I know where the spot is," Raquel said quickly, "but I 
 do not know how to reach it from here." 
 
 " If I were able, I would lead your men to it," declared the 
 soldier, " but I fear that I never will be in shape to do much 
 for any cause again." 
 
 " Tia Juana has healed worse wounds than that, she says," 
 Raquel encouraged him. " You yet will be so that you can 
 follow Gomez." 
 
 "No; I will fight under you, seiiora," he swore, lifting his 
 uninjured arm. 
 
 " I and my men may be Spain's victims by that time," she 
 returned. 
 
 When the weary group of embryonic patriots had disposed 
 itself to its satisfaction in and about the cave, the women pre- 
 pared a meal, of which the half-famished men partook hun- 
 grily. The possibility of an immediate sortie filled them with 
 delight. They fondled the weapons in the cave and obeyed 
 the instructions of the weak voice of the soldier, who told 
 them how to bring the rifles up into proper position. With the 
 possession of the ammunition for which they were willing to 
 go under Raquel's orders, they fancied that they would be in 
 a position to work limitless damage to the men of Spain. 
 They were so amenable that the soldier was delighted. With 
 them to hear, he told Raquel what was the best course to pur- 
 sue. He advised that the onslaught be made near night, when 
 Arco might be drinking, as was his wont. 
 
 " I hate myself for being a traitor, but I find that I am a 
 Cuban at heart even if I was born in Spain. I will be tnie to 
 my inclinations. Kill none, if you can help it. Make them 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 307 
 
 prisoners. Bring them here. If you capture them and return 
 them to Spain, she will shoot them for being so remiss in duty 
 as to permit themselves to be captured. Rather than return 
 to be court-martialed, they will join the Cuban army. You 
 will have a company of fighting men, senora." 
 
 " I will trust no Spaniard," she said. 
 
 " Yet you trust me," he reminded her. 
 
 " You are in my power," she returned. 
 
 Accustomed as she had been all of her life to care and lux- 
 ury of home, Raquel found that she suffered from the fatigue 
 of the travelling far more than she had anticipated. She dis- 
 guised the fact as well as she could, and went among her men, 
 encouraging them constantly by the sight of her sad, deter- 
 mined face. The truth was that they needed little encourage- 
 ment. The prospect before them was exactly to their taste. 
 They had all of the desire to see their land free, added to 
 which was the negro desire for revenge for the wrongs which 
 had been done Raquel and their masters. 
 
 The next morning, leaving the cave to be guarded by the 
 women and the sick Spaniard, Raquel and the ninety blacks 
 moved down the path which had been cleared through the 
 dense foliage. They were watched out of sight by the fearful 
 Tia Juana, who was apprehensive that the stalwart band never 
 would return to the safety of this mountain stronghold. 
 
 Raquel may have had the same thought, but she did not 
 voice it. She waved her hand backward with the cry : 
 
 " Viva Cuba ! Cuba libre ! " 
 
 She bore the gun which belonged to the Spaniard. Some 
 of the blacks carried the others which had been taken from 
 the dead soldiers. 
 
 Where this river trail would lead them she had no idea. 
 She meant to follow it as long as the path was clear. She 
 reasoned that a considerable force of men must have journeyed 
 over this route, for there were signs that many machetes had 
 been employed in devastating the underbrush. She wondered 
 when they would come back again for their hidden stores. 
 The novelty of this enterprise she had in mind, the certain 
 danger into which she was going, combined to keep her from 
 giving way to- the grief which filled her heart with the mem- 
 ory uf all that had happene-d sincu she had left Havana. She 
 thought of Pepita dc Urquiza and wondered what would be 
 
3oS A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 that person's comment on this action. She remembered that 
 these were the paths through which Faquita even now might 
 be moving. What had the girl done after the death of Alar- 
 con? That had not been long ago. Had it not been for the 
 knowledge that this forest was no longer the rendezvous of 
 the brigands, she never would have dared to penetrate thus 
 fearlessly into its depths. 
 
 The manner in which the foliage crossed and interlaced at 
 the top of the gorge made it gloomy for those who crept along 
 on the verge of the stream, ignorant of whether thej' were 
 going deeper into the mountain fastnesses or coming out into 
 the light of day. 
 
 Tirelessly Raqiiel led them on, resolving that she would 
 not let the unfortunate fact that she was a woman keep her 
 from achieving all that she had dreamed in those days when 
 she had swung in the hammock of the quiet court. 
 
 Night overtook them. They, slept by turns, watching over 
 their mistress with eager, anxious care. Secretly they felt 
 that they could do better without her, but they dared not tell 
 her so. They were fearful of what might happen to her in the 
 attempt to capture the store of ammunition. They failed to 
 perceive what benefit a woman's brain would be to them in 
 the battle that lay before them. They meant to fight desper- 
 ately. What more was there to do? 
 
 But before the raid on the Spaniards was completed, they 
 found that the calm judgment of the girl was to be depended 
 on far more than the excited, varying opinions of ninety 
 blacks. 
 
 They took up the march in the morning and were rewarded 
 four hours later by coming out into the broad sunlight of a 
 valley through which the river ran noiselessly, gi-^ng no hint 
 of the tumultuous force with which it had dashed itself along 
 through the mountain opening. 
 
 Here they discovered the hut of a inontero, who not only 
 made them welcome and provided them with as much of a 
 breakfast as his meagre possessions allowed, but presented 
 Raquel with his only horse when he learned the object they 
 had in view. 
 
 " It is for Cuba, se flora mia" he replied when she remon- 
 strated. " It is all I have to give." 
 
 Knowing that she could return it to him or replace it 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 309 
 
 with another, she accepted it, seeing her mistake in not bring- 
 ing those from the camp. The spirit within her had been so 
 mighty that she had not thought but what her body would be 
 able to obey all demands made upon it. To the blacks this 
 constant travelling was no more than they were accustomed to 
 the greater portion of the year. To her feminine frame it 
 was fatiguing beyond measure. 
 
 From the viontcro they derived the information that the 
 tiny hamlet which was their destination lay twelve miles 
 beyond. The road to it led through the manigua or thick 
 imderbrush, which makes so excellent an ambush. He finally 
 offered to guide them there, and left his half-clad wife and not 
 clad children weeping. 
 
 Mounted, Raquel felt even more hopeful of success than 
 she had when creeping along the riverside. Her body be- 
 came rested and promised to carry out the plan which she 
 was formulating in her mind. Everything seemed favorable 
 to them. There was no moon now. It would be a dark night. 
 The soldiers would anticipate little danger. They might be 
 off their guard. When two miles from the spot, the blacks 
 took to the manigua, lest they might be seen. She rode on 
 alone, but she could hear her men moving through the heavy 
 green growth. The knowledge of their nearness was not 
 without its value to her feminine mind. 
 
 On the verge of the diminutive town she halted, intend- 
 ing to wait for darkness. Diego stole nearer the collection of 
 dwelling* and came bacH with the information that only five 
 soldiers appeared to be guarding the fort, the remainder of 
 them being occupied in watching a cock-fight in the court-yard 
 of the posada. 
 
 Ignorant of all war tactics, she divined nevertheless that 
 this was the moment for the master-stroke, and, with no warn- 
 ing, swept in upon the unsuspecting village with a swarm of 
 belligerent blacks at the heels of her horse. Before the sol- 
 diers at the mud-banked fort knew what had happened, they 
 were prisoners and the stores they had l)ccn guarding were in 
 the hands of this wild-eyed crowd of excited negroes, who 
 obeyed the orders given by a pale-faced girl. 
 
 With the swiftness of those who know that they yet have 
 much work to do, the muscular men convtycd every |>ortinn 
 of the ammunition to the manigua. They secreted there the 
 
3IO A DAUGHTER Of CUBA. 
 
 rifles also, relieving the bound soldiers of their arms as well. 
 Not a shot had been fired. Not an alarm had been given. 
 The five soldiers on guard had been playing dominoes at the 
 time of the attack. Leaving four others beside Diego to 
 guard these, Raquel led her men to the posada. She knew 
 that horses and carts must be secured to carry the booty to 
 the mountains. This could not be done until all of the sol- 
 diers were captured. The success at the fort had encouraged 
 the men. They were ready for anything. As they rushed 
 through the one street the inhabitants of the huts and few 
 houses came out and followed in alarm to ascertain what 
 meant this strange procession of blacks with a girl at their 
 head. 
 
 Fascinated by the national game, the Spanish soldiers at 
 the posada heard nothing of this outer disturbance. Not until 
 a black with a murderous machete stood at the right of each 
 of them did they comprehend that they were powerless to re- 
 sist the capture which threatened them. Random shots were 
 fired in the excitement that ensued. The keeper of the po- 
 sada and six soldiers were thus disabled by the weapons of the 
 Spaniards themselves. 
 
 The people of the hamlet made no effort to assist the sol- 
 diers. They gave their sole attention to the figure of the girl 
 who presided like a general over this overthrow of the enemy. 
 When each man had at last realized that he was a prisoner and 
 that his personal arms had been taken possession of by his 
 captor, Raquel stepped into their midst. 
 
 "You are my captives!" she told them with the tone and 
 glance of a conqueror. " My men have seized your fort and 
 taken your guns and stores. You Spaniards have made my 
 father prisoner; you have killed my husband. This is the 
 beginning of my revenge." 
 
 " We have not done this, seiiora," cried the lieutenant. " We 
 know not of what you speak !" 
 
 " Spain's emissaries have done it, and you fight under the 
 same flag," the retort rang out in her clear, fearless voice, 
 " though how well you fight I have had no opportunity of 
 observing !" 
 
 There was subdued laughter among the villagers, whose 
 sympathies were all Cuban when it was possible to have them 
 so safely. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 311 
 
 She turned to them quickly. 
 
 " In the name of the country that affords us livelihood, 1 
 demand your carts, your horses, and all the provisions that 
 you can gather together. The former will be returned to you 
 when we see fit." 
 
 There was not a demur. Though not wholly awake to the 
 need of their land, they were unanimous in the desire to 
 atford this beautiful, masterful girl whatever she demanded of 
 them. They laughed in the faces of the chagrined soldiers 
 and went to obey her bidding. 
 
 [aime Arco and his discomfited men knew what Spanish 
 justice would accord them for the flagrant neglect of duty 
 which had gotten them into this dilemma. Each looked into 
 the other's troubled countenance questioningly. None of 
 them relished the prospect of being shot in the Moro or, at 
 the best, being transported. 
 
 In that moment of triumph Raquel thrilled with the joy of 
 the victor. She felt as strong as if she had been a dozen men. 
 Bound as they were, despoiled of arms, these bragging sol- 
 diers of Spain were like children in the hands of her men. 
 Thev knew too well the power of the machete stroke to dare 
 anything now, even were their limbs free. She smiled at 
 their humiliation with the bitterness of a heart that found that 
 even this triumph brought her no cessation of pain. 
 
 When the country people had brought out before the front 
 of the posada all that they could spare, she sent ten of the 
 men to load in the ammunition from where it was concealed 
 in the manigua. As matters had turned out, that had been a 
 quite unnecessary precaution. 
 
 She was glad that she had not made the mistake of wait- 
 ing for night. All this had been consummated in much less 
 time than she had expected, and they would be far on the 
 road through the manigua before nightfall. She intended to 
 take the prisoners along. She had decided what she would do. 
 
 Each one of her men now was well armed. The Span- 
 iards were not aware of their inability to employ the rifles to 
 advantage. 
 
 When ready to depart, the cavalcade assumed pretentious 
 portions. Ahead rode Diego and old Pablo on two well-fed 
 animals: immediatc-ly following them went the carts with the 
 munitions of war and the provisions. Then marched the 
 
312 A DA UGH TEA' OF CUBA. 
 
 Spaniards witn a black beside each one, vigilant. On as 
 many horses as were provided she mounted her remaining 
 men, taking a fresh animal herself and returning the other to 
 the montero. 
 
 As they passed out of the village, Diego lifted his som- 
 brero and cried : 
 
 " Viva Cuba libre ! " 
 
 The words passed from throat to throat in a continuous 
 shout that was taken up by the villagers, who openly rejoiced 
 at this defeat of the very men with whom they had been mak- 
 ing merry a short time previous. 
 
 Mile after mile of this country road was traversed by the 
 triumphant company. The blacks shot remarks at each other 
 over the heads of their captives. They were enjoying every 
 step of the way. They were ready to administer any manner 
 of punishment that their mistress might devise. 
 
 The Spaniards marched gloomily. One and all had de- 
 cided upon the course to pursue. They had no fear of the 
 sentence of death from this band. They knew that in no case 
 had a prisoner taken by the insurgents been shot. What they 
 were afraid of was the judgment of Spain. 
 
 It was on the verge of the sudden darkness known to t^e 
 tropics that Raquel gave the order which brought all the pris- 
 oners up before her in ten rows of five each. Surrounding 
 them stood her men with drawn machetes. 
 
 Their faces blanched at the sight. What they had not ex- 
 pected seemed to have come upon them. They looked at the 
 stern, white countenance of the girl leader with wonderment. 
 Could she witness without flinching the sight which would 
 follow the order which seemed to be on her lips? 
 
 In that hush of waiting, the lieutenant stepped forward as 
 well as the stout cord which extended from one heel to the 
 other w^uld permit. 
 
 " Sefiora inia" he pleaded, " we are ready to join the insur- 
 gent forces. Show mercy to us ! Let us go with you. We 
 will be loyal to your cause. We have learned your wrongs ; 
 we will be glad to fight with you. We dare not return to the 
 Spanish army." 
 
 " I accept no one who has fought under the flag of Spain," 
 she said in reply. " I understand what awaits you as soldiers. 
 You deserve it. You were not faithful -to the cause you es- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 313 
 
 poused. I have no intention of offering you punishment. The 
 law of Cuba is the law of mercy. In a moment my men will 
 set you free. You will be at liberty to return to your empty 
 fort or to find your way to the ranks of Cuba's revolutionists. 
 I will have none of you." 
 
 At a significant motion from her, the waiting men cut the 
 cord attached to the feet of the prisoners. 
 
 " You will have no difficulty in walking back to the hamlet," 
 she told them. " The people there will be glad to release the 
 thongs that bind your hands. The first man who attempts 
 to follow us will be shot." 
 
 There was no mistaking her determination. 
 
 They understood that if they joined the Cuban army it 
 would not be with her recommendation. 
 
 The lieutenant turned to his men and gave the order for 
 attention. Then he faced the eyes of her who sat looking 
 down upon them from her horse. 
 
 " We are men who are able to recognize nobility in an 
 enemy," he said proudly. "You captured us fairly. We de- 
 serve no such consideration as you show us. As a woman, 
 we revere your courage; as a Cuban, we respect youl You 
 never may hear of us again, but — Cuba has won fifty sol- 
 diers! God save the island and her daughters! Viva Cuba 
 libre ! " 
 
 His men, obedient to their leader, echoed his speech with 
 enthusiasm. The blacks, surprised, took up the Cuban cry. 
 
 Raquel's face flushed crimson with their tribute, then paled 
 again. 
 
 The lieutenant gave quick orders. The Spaniards wheeled 
 and marched down the rapidly darkening road. 
 
 Raquel and her men watched them out of sight silently. 
 Then, leaving six to watch that no effort was made to follow 
 them and learn their destination, the tiny army pursued its 
 track back into the safety of the forest's edge. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 They struggled on considerably farther into the crepuscu- 
 lous gloom when the advance of day admitted, but they 
 found that the carts would have to be abandoned and their 
 
314 A DAUGHTER Of CUBA. 
 
 contents conveyed on the animals through the green-fringed 
 aisle. 
 
 This was an undertaking which promised to consume much 
 time. Here the blacks proved that their ingenuity and train- 
 ing was far in excess of that of their young leader. They cut 
 down the parasitic vines and ropes that had woven themselves 
 among the thick foliage. These they deftly manufactured 
 into panniers which would serve well their purpose. Elate 
 with their success in this their first raid against the enemy, 
 they made a vociferous medley with their excited voices, as 
 each related to each the struggle he had had with his soldier 
 before he had gotten the fellow bound and submissive. That 
 they felt at liberty to dilate somewhat on the extent of these 
 various victories was to be expected, and they improved the 
 privilege. 
 
 Raquel felt inclined to ride on alone to the cave and allay 
 the anxiety which she knew was reigning there in the breasts 
 of Tia Juana and the unprotected women. She was curious 
 to prove to the Spanish soldier that she had not over-rated 
 her ability to lead her men, but her fatigue was so great that 
 she was compelled to delay the satisfaction of this pride. She 
 sighed as she realized how ill-fitted she was in strength and 
 endurance to carry out the projects that formed themselves in 
 her mind. 
 
 " I shall have to become inured to hardship," she said to 
 herself as she lay, half-recumbent, among the soft green 
 things. " It will not be as difficult for me as it is for the poor 
 boys whom Spain sends over here to be seized with the fever 
 before they ever can fire a gun. I know the climate. I have 
 a will like iron. My body shall obej' me ! It never shall find 
 rest until my country and my father are free! God help!" 
 
 Her memory travelled back, by force of association, to that 
 other time when she had lain thus close hy the water of this 
 very river that dashed so tirelessly on. How strangely Zu- 
 fiega had looked at her on that day I And how far, far back 
 in the past it seemed ! What unlooked-for things had the 
 future held for each of them! Where was he now? Was he 
 really to land the expedition of which Valdes had spoken ? 
 Perhaps in this war his would be the fate which had befallen 
 her father or M. Theuriet! She shivered and laid her face 
 down against the soft leaves. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CiPA. 315 
 
 " Her ear, near the ground, caught the sound of horses' 
 feet. She leaped upright and called to the negroes, but thtir 
 voices had reached such a pitch that her cry of alarm was not 
 distinguishable. 
 
 She rushed through the undergrowth with but one clear 
 thought in view — to spring out in front of the horsemen, start- 
 ling them with the unexpected sight of a woman. This, she 
 calculated, would give her men time to get ready for action. 
 But the riders were nearer than she had thought. She caught 
 a glimpse of the face of the foremost one as his horse stole 
 out of the wan twilight of the trees. 
 
 She halted, speechless, her lips apart. Her breath came 
 quickly. Her heart beat with great, stifling throbs. 
 
 She heard the negroes give shouts of surprise and terror as 
 they discovered the coming invaders, but she did not look 
 toward them. She knew that they yelled to each other that 
 the Spaniards had followed. 
 
 " We are no dogs of Spaniards!" she heard the first of the 
 riders cry in a tone that had the command of a general. " We 
 are for Cuba and libertad. Drop your machetes! What are 
 you doing here?" 
 
 Like a wraith, Raquel slipped out from the shadowy veils 
 of the festooned trees. 
 
 " They are my men !" she said, looking up into the face of 
 the leader with gaze in which he read only unutterable woe. 
 " They are for liberty also." 
 
 " Raquel ! — here !" 
 
 With the fleetness of a swallow the man was out of his 
 saddle and beside her. He caught both of her hands in his 
 and stood looking down into her eyes, his own burning with 
 an intensity that banished all of their melancholy. 
 
 " I have obeyed you," he said softly. " I have come back 
 to fight for you !" 
 
 To Raquel, at that moment, all that ever had been in life 
 seemed to be consumed by that fire in the face above hers. A 
 marvellous sense of joy crept with the swiftness of light through 
 her veins. Everything appeared possible and easy of accom- 
 plishment, even to the emancipation of Cuba and the freeing 
 of her father, as she was held there with this youth of the for- 
 est absorbing her very life into his own with the look beneath 
 his lids. 
 
3l6 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " I need you, Zuiiega !" she answered, whether with her 
 lips or her eyes, neither of them really knew. 
 
 " What has happened?" he cried. " What makes you a 
 mountain refugee?" 
 
 " What but Spain !" was the bitter reply. " M. Theuriet 
 has been killed! My father is a prisoner!" 
 
 Zuiiega stepped backward with horror. He shuddered to 
 think of what she had been called upon to pass through. 
 
 " Lithgow !" he called. 
 
 A figure which had sat motionless on his horse dis- 
 mounted. He had seen it all — the revelation which had 
 voiced itself from the girl's illumined face. He went forward 
 with the smile in his blue-gray eyes that a man wears when 
 he knows he is meeting the annihilation of a dream. 
 
 Through all the days of the journey toward Cuba, through 
 all the hours of the wearisome tramping through the moun- 
 tains, he and Zufiega had talked of Raquel and her probable 
 gladness could sh? know that they were marching against the 
 soldiers of Campos. And secretly each man had wondered 
 what look her face would wear when she beheld him. This 
 position at the Cave of Lost Spirits Zuiiega had chosen be- 
 cause of its importance as the army of Gomez moved upward 
 through the island ; but both he and Lithgow knew that its 
 proximity to the estates had not been without influence in the 
 matter. They had stored a few arms and had gone back for 
 another supply and to secure horses and provisions. It was 
 during this absence that Raquel had taken possession. 
 
 Unconfessed, each had felt that, even though she was the 
 wife of the Frenchman, she would be committing no crime if 
 she allowed for an instant a glance of satisfaction to reward 
 him for the effort he intended to make for the abolition of 
 Spanish tyranny, and he had been anxious to obtain that 
 glance. Now Lithgow knew that, however enthusiastic might 
 be the look bestowed upon him by Raquel, it would lack that 
 which, in his weak, selfish moments, he had hoped to see. 
 
 " What terrible thing has driven you to the mountains?" he 
 cried, clasping anxiously the hands which she had withdrawn 
 from Zuiiega's grasp. " Has the plantation been burnt?" 
 
 " Oh, worse, worse," she answered, scarcely able to restrain 
 the emotion which the sight of his familiar face awakened. 
 " I am alone, trying to fight Spain with what strength I have. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 317 
 
 I mean to rescue my father. He has been betrayed into the 
 hands of enemies. He is dead or a prisoner! I — oh ! — is your 
 free country sending her gallant men down here to aid 
 us?- 
 
 Lithgow shook his head. He was aghast at this which had 
 befallen the genial planter. He knew of no words with which 
 to express the pain and pity which surged up through his 
 heart for this fearless, impassioned creature arraying herself 
 and her forces as best she knew how against her country's 
 enemy and the wrecker of her home. 
 
 " I come not as an American but as a man who will war 
 against oppression wherever he finds it," he replied gently. 
 " M. Theuriet — is — safe?" Her announcement that she was 
 alone filled him with wonder. 
 
 " He is dead!" she told him with lips that trembled. " The 
 Spaniards killed him. We have — buried him — on the plan- 
 tation." 
 
 Lithgow looked at Zuiiega with horrified eyes. Her an- 
 guish-drawn face, and grief-shadowed eyes told of what black 
 terrors had assailed her. 
 
 " I have a thousand pairs of arms that will avenge you," 
 Zunega said solemnly. 
 
 " And I have ninety courageous men who have taken the 
 Spanish fort at Yaez I" she said modestly. 
 
 Astounded, the two viewed the corroboration afforded her 
 assertion by the collection of rifles and ammunition that the 
 blacks were guarding, even though now they were convinced 
 that the strangers were friends. Amazed, they exchanged 
 incredulous glances and regarded her lithe form with mascu- 
 line wonder. The entire company dismounted and surveyed 
 the result of the raid, while Lithgow insisted on hearing a 
 thorough account of the entire affair, Raquel gave the vic- 
 tory to the unmistakable valor of her men, and had it not 
 been for Diego, who, despite her orders, obeyed Lithgow and 
 related graphically the capture, the tale would have been a 
 short one. But what Diego omitted the other men supplied, 
 until the vanquishment of the fifty Spaniards was made known 
 eventually with all its details to the listening men. When 
 Diego repeated the speech of the lieutenant. . united shout 
 went up from the throats of these Cuban sold.ers for the girl 
 whose coolness, bravery, and finesse had wrought so unquali- 
 
3l8 A DAUGHTER 01' CUBA. 
 
 fied a success from what might easily have been a disastrous 
 failure. 
 
 They swept their sombreros low before her in one mighty 
 tribute. 
 
 " The land that holds women who are as fearless and as 
 patriotic as its men is not a land that will be crushed again by 
 any force that Spain may send from her bankrupt soil !" cried 
 one. " We will be led by a daughter of Cuba ! Viva libertad ! " 
 
 Zufiega looked around over his men with a light in his face 
 that they read but did not wholly understand. The two 
 noblest fires that ever burn in the human heart made his 
 blood leap with godlike vigor through his veins. Before 
 him, free, stood the woman whom he loved as men love once 
 and once only. Around him rose the virgin forests of the 
 country he would give his life to save. 
 
 "That is spoken like a Cuban," he said, with his grand 
 head thrown back and a smile in his eyes. " In this war that 
 we will wage against the barbarism of tyrant Spain there shall 
 be committed no crimes at which our mothers and our sisters 
 might blush ! We fight for the women of Cuba and for our 
 future homes! We will sweep over the island, but mercy, 
 purity, and victory will be our watchwords! And the world 
 shall know what manner of men it is who struggle for the land 
 of their birth !" 
 
 He unsheathed his sword and extended it to Raquel, who 
 had heard all this without comprehending its relation to her. 
 
 " My men have chosen you for their leader, I am under 
 your command," he said, bowing. 
 
 Bewilderedly Raquel gazed into the enthusiastic counte- 
 nances of the men who cheered the action. 
 
 "I am one of you," she finally said clearly; "I will fight 
 side by side with you through every battle, if I may ; — but led 
 by your leader! This man who rides at your head is he who 
 rescued me from the grasp of Gonzalo Alarcon, the bandit. 
 He brought me through these very paths that lead to the Cave 
 of Lost Spirits only a short year ago. He said then that when 
 the hour came for the liberation of Cuba that he would follow 
 the leader who might arise. That is Jose Marti !" She handed 
 the sword back to Zunega. She motioned her men nearer. 
 " You are his followers now, not mine," she told them. 
 
 " Marti is dead!" Zuiiega said sadly, " but we fight as if he 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 319 
 
 lived! I do not accept your men. They are subject to no 
 orders but yours; yet, from this moment our bands will be- 
 come united in one hope : — we will avenge the death of M. 
 Theuriet ; we will fight for the emancipation of our island ; 
 we will accomplish the liberation of your father." 
 
 The soldiers fell to work helping the blacks get the cap- 
 tured munition in shape to carry forward. 
 
 Lithgow occupied himself in winning from Raquel the his- 
 tory of all that had transpired since he had taken his depar- 
 ture with Annizae. He listened to what she had been able to 
 do in Havana in affording information to the rebels of the 
 movements in the official circles. He listened troubledly to 
 the story of the disposition of the jewels. He commented 
 on the strangeness of the fact that that danger had been 
 almost providential in that it had brought her back to the 
 plantation at the moment when of all others she most was 
 needed. He was very tender and sympathetic. He read the 
 meaning of the new lines which the bitter brush of experience 
 had wrought into her face during the last year. 
 
 Despite the satisfying conviction that, in the matter of 
 birth and fortune, he was now the equal of this woman who 
 had stirred him from the lethargy of his forest-enclosed exist- 
 ence, Zuiiega was conscious of the same timid, reverent feel- 
 ing which had been his as an island outlaw. After the 
 moment of surprise was over when he had allowed her name 
 to leap from his lips as he spoke it religiously in the secret 
 chambers of his soul, he was overcome afresh by the inexpres- 
 sible adoration he bore her. He tried to shut his passion 
 down beneath his lids, and he moved among his men, dwelling 
 proudly on the enormous value of the stores she had made 
 Cuban property. He scarcely saw the things he looked upon, 
 however, so entrancing was the ecstasy which pervaded him. 
 He had thrilled under the look which had come to her eyes 
 when he had held her hands in his; every palpitating sense 
 told him what he had read there, but he dared not drink from 
 this chalice of hope. He rested his eager lips on its rim and 
 peeped down wistfully into the magic draught. Was it for 
 him to drain? A thousand and one little things had told him 
 that the American loved her too. He glanced out of his dark 
 eyes to where the two sat talking. He observed how com- 
 pletely they appeared to understand each other. He heard 
 
320 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 her teil Lithgow that she carried with her continually the 
 book which he had given her. With the poignancy of tor- 
 ment he said to himself that he was no mate for her. What 
 knew he of these books that had been her mind's food? He 
 drew a long breath and looked up into the mass of florescence 
 above his head. He had had no volume but Nature until s/ie 
 had come, and even that had been half-sealed to him until, 
 with the lifting of her innocent lids, had been shown him the 
 mysterious meaning of life. 
 
 He quivered with the remembrance that, in the days to 
 come, he was to be near her. He marvelled over the fate that 
 not only had made her a widow but had brought their paths 
 together in this struggle which was to be the demolition of 
 Spanish reign in the West Indies. 
 
 It was Lithgow who saw to it that Zunega and not he rode 
 before Raquel when the march was taken up toward the cave. 
 He knew well what was in the heart of the youth ; he thought 
 he read what was struggling for recognition in the heart of 
 the girl who spoke with him of the past while her eyes 
 wandered unconsciously in the direction of Zunega's steps. 
 If to his own lips crept words that craved utterance, he smiled 
 them back with grave control. He perceived that that clasp 
 of fingers in the moonlight on the night of the contradanza 
 had no such place in her memory now as it held in his. 
 
 As they moved on ahead of him through the intricacies of 
 the green tangles which overhung the edge of the stream, he 
 looked down at the sharp rocks which here and there jutted 
 up out of the water fretted with the lacework of the foam, 
 and he propounded to himself a problem that only the years 
 ahead of him could solve : " What are Beatrice and I, who 
 love those two souls ahead who love each other, to do with 
 our lives and our love.-* Her heart and its comprehension will 
 go into her art, and her work will live. It is only the unsatis- 
 fied heart that accomplishes and leaves its silent history writ- 
 ten in its achievements. The happy human is content and 
 stagnates! But what will I do with the half-century which 
 probably is left to me? I can fight for Cuban independence, 
 but after that ?" 
 
 He halted his horse and remained studying the waters 
 until the long procession of horsemen came up with him. 
 
 Zuiiega and Raquel passed on slowly out of sight. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 32 1 
 
 There were a multitude of questions she might have asked 
 him concerning the varied experiences which had been his 
 since he had ridden away from La Sacra Sonrisa, but she 
 thought of none of them. 
 
 He turned and looked at her now and then with his soul in 
 his face. 
 
 And they did not know that they were silent. 
 
 A scarlet blossom dropped on her horse's mane, as if it had 
 been flung by a laughing fairy's fingers. She caught it and 
 pressed it to her lips. She was reproaching herself that she 
 could feel the beauty of this ride when her father, hopeless, 
 anguished, lay in the hideousness of some Spanish prison. 
 But the sound of the horses' hoofs on the stones by the river 
 kept time to something that beat in her blood, something 
 new and wholly strange and indescribably sweet. And she 
 asked not its name. 
 
 The green life which spread itself so luxuriantly about 
 them seemed to understand far better than these evanescent 
 humans did this sudden blossoming forth of joy. The dark 
 leaves appeared to lean toward them yearningly as if to whis- 
 per. The secret stole like magic through the labj-rinths. A 
 murmur crept about them that they heard only when the time 
 came that the path would allow no further progress on horse- 
 back. 
 
 Zunega stood for a moment with his hand on the neck of 
 her animal. He heard the sighing murmur. It seemed to 
 him that it whispered that never again was to come such an 
 instant as this out of life. His eyes drew hers irresistibly. 
 The muscles of his arms quivered as he held them up to lift 
 her down from the saddle. 
 
 " Have we not known this path before?" he said softly, as 
 he placed her on her feet. " I loved you then, and knew it 
 not. I love you now. I want you for my own, but — I will 
 wait — I will wait! It is evil to speak while you have grief in 
 your heart, but the words will not be smothered longer. They 
 break their way up from where they have burned ever since I 
 first saw you — that first moment when you faced Alarcon." 
 
 " Hush, do not speak!" begged Raquel. " Leave it all un- 
 said. I must not listen; I must forget your words." 
 
 " But you will not forget?" he pleaded. " I will speak 
 them again never — unless you bid." 
 21 
 
32 2 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " Speak them again — when Cuba and my father are free,** 
 she said. 
 
 Lithgow, riding on with feigned laboriousness, rounded a 
 curve and saw them through a misty veil of emerald lace as 
 they stood thus, looking into each other's faces. He reined 
 in his horse sharply, with a sick pain forcing itself upon his 
 consciousness. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVm. 
 
 On reaching the camp they found that a great change had 
 been wrought in the appearance of the place. 
 
 The Spaniard, wearying of complete inaction and to con- 
 sume the long hours of the absence of Raquel and the men. 
 had persuaded the women to follow his directions and prepare 
 a cleared place which would serve the needs of the camp. 
 Little by little they had made noticeable inroads upon the 
 vegetation, and Zuiiega was quick to perceive the value of the 
 suggestion. 
 
 When all the explanations were over and the surprise and 
 rejoicing had abated concerning the triumphant return of 
 Raquel' s band, he and Lithgow talked with the sick soldier, 
 obtaining from him his account of the treachery employed to 
 entrap the sugar planter. His praise for the girl who had 
 borne herself so bravely through the disasters which had en- 
 compassed her won for him the friendship of the two men, 
 who gave respectful attention to his ideas concerning the 
 necessity of establishing in this safe retreat a mountain hos- 
 pital. 
 
 " Here is running water, seiiors, and women to nurse the 
 injured." he said, " while there still remains the plantation of 
 the dead seiior from which to draw supplies." 
 
 " But there have been few signs that the revolution is 
 going to creep up into this province," Zunega remarked sig- 
 nificantly to him. " There may not be a battle big enough to 
 furnish us with subjects for a hospital. Jose Marti is dead 
 and the insurrection is believed to be ended." 
 
 The Spaniard looked the Cuban full in the eyes. 
 
 " You and I both know that this war never will be ended 
 until Cuba is free," he returned. " Your leaders mean to make 
 every district their own. You will lead the Spanish boys on 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 323 
 
 weary marches that will net them nothing. They will die of 
 the fever and despair. You know your island; we do not. 
 But already we have learned one thing — you Cubans are mag- 
 nificent enemies. Your Gomez compliments his prisoners on 
 their valiant fighting, and, instead of shooting them, he re- 
 turns to them their swords and sets them free ! There is not 
 one of us but would fight on your side if he dared. Your 
 humanity wins you the admiration of the world. I am ashamed 
 to be a Spaniard." 
 
 " Then we will count you one no longer," declared Zu- 
 iiega. " When you are able to bear arms, if ever you are, you 
 shall be one of us. Until then you shall be at the head of 
 the hospital staff. You are right. We do mean to make 
 every province our own. Puerto Principe will be in the hands 
 of our men before the dry season sets in. If you have no 
 other patients, you shall have Spaniards!" 
 
 And his words proved true — more than true. 
 
 Before the grinding season not only Puerto Principe but 
 Santa Clara as well was in the hands of the revolutionists. 
 Only the large cities remained unmolested. General Roloff 
 continued calmly his plans of interfering with the transporta- 
 tion of troops and the transmission of telegraphic signals. 
 General Gomez moved unhesitatingly^ up through the eastern 
 portion of the island. Maceo carried on extensive operations 
 in unison with other leaders. Pinar del Rio rose up with in- 
 numerable bands that kept the wearied Spanish soldiers con- 
 stantly on the move. Spain no longer could keep the fact 
 from the world that the entire island was in a state of revolt. 
 
 As the armies of the Cubans swept like magic from one 
 spot to another, they were augmented by those who came out 
 from the towns and joined their fortunes with the patriots. 
 When the Spanish pursued, in hopes of forcing a battle, the 
 revolutionists vanished, only to reappear at another place from 
 which they obtained provisions, fresh animals, recruits. But 
 when there was anything to gain, the Cubans themselves did 
 the attacking, and the official reports— not given to the world 
 — contained many dismal accounts of victories that placed the 
 insurgents in possession of Spanish arms and ammunition. 
 And. these reports more than once mentioned the fact that at 
 the head of the dauntless column of men rode a beautiful girl, 
 fully armed and conversant with the tactics of war. 
 
324 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Unscathed she went through many a conflict that Spanish 
 correspondents spoke of slightingly, giving no suggestion of 
 their brave dead that they left on the field to be borne away 
 by the more humane insurgents. It was a strange thing which 
 all the world commented on, that in no battle did the Span- 
 iards lose, yet the revolutionists marched on undeterred and 
 the Governor-General continually begged for more men from 
 Spain. 
 
 The hospital in the mountain became filled to overflowing 
 with the wounded, and the Castilian lad who, half crippled, 
 watched anxiously over his patients under the direction of 
 medical men who had slipped from the cities to the ranks of 
 the patriots, saw to it that those who were Spaniards received 
 no less care and comfort than did the impatient men of the 
 island, who were anxious to be in the field again. 
 
 A satisfactory communication was carried on with the 
 coffee estate. Local Spanish officials had not interfered with 
 the picking of the crop. The deserted plantation of La Sacra 
 Sonrisa had not been taken possession of by the enemy, and it 
 even seemed to Raquel that it might have been well to have 
 remained there, only she knew that she could not have en- 
 dured the sight of the dear court and the absence of her father. 
 In the rush and excitement of the scenes amid which she now 
 found herself, she kept distinctly before her the thought that 
 all this was for the freeing of him whom she loved. This ter- 
 rible struggle, with its bloodshed at which her heart sickened 
 and her head reeled, was to throw open the dungeons wherein 
 had languished for years Spain's suspects. The horror of the 
 life into which she had thrown herself became no less with the 
 passage of time, but the knowledge that, though the forces of 
 the Spanish were not annihilated, the situation was rapidly 
 falling into the hands of the fighters for freedom, gave her 
 strength to ride side by side with Zufiega or Lithgow. The 
 soldiers declared that she won the battles. Her very pres- 
 ence seemed to dismay the foe. To merit her praise, the 
 Cubans fought in a way that carried terror to the disheart- 
 ened Spaniards, half fed, under-paid, if paid at all. 
 
 There came a time when she remained at the camp for 
 some days, while plans were completed for the extended raid 
 which was to carry them up through the Matanzas district. 
 The Spanish at Havana were saying that the insurgents had 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 325 
 
 become dissatisfied with their generals and were on the eve of 
 a rupture ; and while they thus deceived themselves, General 
 Gomez was making the phenomenal march up through Puerto 
 Principe into the district of Havana. 
 
 Tia Juana, half frantic at the hardships to which Raquel 
 voluntarily was exposing herself, was in the middle of an elo- 
 quent remonstrance, to which the Spaniard lent support, when 
 a messenger came from La Buena Esperanza with a supply of 
 coffee and the intelligence that the sugar plantation was now 
 in the hands of the mayor of the neighboring town, who de- 
 clared that he would grind the cane in spite of all the insur- 
 gents in Cuba. 
 
 Raquel rose to her feet and put Tia Juana's retaining hands 
 away gently. 
 
 " That mayor is one of the men who are responsible for the 
 imprisonment of my father, I know," she said. " He is a Span- 
 iard. Whether he or Spain is to derive the revenue from our 
 sugar is a question I will not wait to have answered." 
 
 "Where go you, scfiorita mial" cried Tia Juana, seizing 
 her. " You go not back there !" 
 
 " Yes, and it is thou who wilt accompany me," answered 
 Raquel determinedly. " There are no men here to do that 
 which must be done ; besides, I myself wish to see it. The 
 plantation shall be fired!" 
 
 Unwilling, but not daring to disobey, Tia Juana mounted 
 behind Raquel and they followed back through the forest the 
 woman who had come. 
 
 "When the cane is burning," said Raquel to the woman, 
 " you and those who are at La Buena Esperanza must load 
 into the carts all of the coffee with which you safely can es- 
 cape. They will take possession of that crop next — if they 
 can." 
 
 "There is not much to seize, sciiorita iitia," laughed the 
 woman. " We have been carrying it to the edge of the moun- 
 tain and concealing it even as we picked it." 
 
 " Bueno ! Who thought of so wise a thing?" exclaimed 
 Raquel. 
 
 "The Spanish soldier, sciiorita w/<7." explained Tia Juana, 
 who never yet had been able to call her mistress by the ma- 
 tronly title she had acquired with marriage. " Thinks he not 
 of everything — no?' 
 
326 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 All the blood of the Palgraves flamed within Raquel when 
 she came within sight of the walls of her lost home. Whether 
 or not these were the men who were instrumental in the mis- 
 fortune which had become hers, they were Spaniards and their 
 tread desecrated sacred ground. Righteous rage was hers as 
 she looked out once more over the wide-spreading fields. 
 
 " They shall lie blackened, the mill itself shall burn before 
 one pound of sugar shall be made by those who still keep their 
 heels on the necks of Cubans!" she vowed. 
 
 In the darkness she and Tia Juana made their way through 
 the unguarded aisles of the cane estate. The fires were burn- 
 ing in the mill, but the number of men who could be procured 
 to work were few and there was no grinding at night. With 
 a hand that faltered not she touched the torch to the acres 
 that Spain had confiscated. Here and there the flames began 
 to spring up, slowly at first, then creeping with eager, lapping 
 tongues on. When certain that no amount of fighting could 
 save the sugar-cane, she and the tired, breathless negro wo- 
 man rode out of the reach of danger and watched the confla- 
 gration sweep up grandly against the midnight sky. They 
 could hear the cries of alarm which were given when the fire 
 was discovered. They could see the figures of men, rushing 
 back and forth excitedly, outlined against the lurid light. 
 
 It was a magnificent sight — that sea of flame ! The two 
 women watched it silently, while from the coffee plantation 
 passed the remainder of the gathered crop, accompanied by 
 those who now deserted the estate, fearing the brutality of 
 the Spaniards. 
 
 The fire swept onward toward the mill resistlessly. Ra- 
 quel laid her hand on Tia Juana's arm. 
 
 '■ It is all going to go," she whispered with a break in her 
 voice. " From the works it will leap to the quarters and from 
 there — through the orange grove to the house ! It will cross 
 the grave of M. Theuriet — but he will not know ! I wonder 
 if my father— wherever he may be — sees in a dream this awful 
 crimson glow eating into the home where he brought my 
 mother a bride !" 
 
 " Stop, sefwrita mia ! " sobbed Tia Juana. " You break my 
 heart! See! The quarters are catching! Oh, are you not 
 sorry, C/iita T' 
 
 " No !" answered Raquel ; but tears filled her eyes and 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 327 
 
 rained down her face. It was the first time that actual relief 
 in tears had come to her since that terrible night. All the 
 scenes she had witnessed during the months she resolutely 
 had followed Zuiiega's leadership had not moved her as did 
 this destruction of her home. 
 
 In spite of Tia Juana's pleadings, she stood watching until 
 the red, ravishing blaze died into fitful up-leapings. And all 
 the waving fields stretched wide and forlorn as if a plague 
 had touched them. 
 
 Then, as the first pearly hues of dawn stole softly on the 
 fringe of night's sable trappings, they hastened and joined 
 the refugees from La Buena Esperanza, who were only too glad 
 to have their guardianship of the property of the dead M. 
 Theuriet brought to an end. One by one the men had slipped 
 into the forest and had not come back. Fearful but obedient, 
 the women had staid on alone, gathering the coffee berry and 
 conveying it to places of safetj', from which spots it readily 
 could be obtained by the camp forces. As they pushed 
 through the forest in a trail that now had grown familiar and 
 friendly to them because of freqi:ent travel over its soft mould, 
 the women glanced pityingly at the traces of grief in the face 
 of their young mistress. They hushed their speech and 
 moved ahead of her, holding back the daring vines that con- 
 stantly strove to twine their verdant strength across the path 
 and obliterate the wreckage wrought by these trespassers. 
 
 Raquel followed them slowly, wearily. 
 
 The stupendousness of this task that faced the valorous 
 Cubans had never seemed to oppress her as it did now, when 
 the ashes of her home lay smouldering behind her. 
 
 " It is what must be done," she murmured sadly under her 
 breath; "the plantations of Cuba must be sacrificed to the 
 hope that is in our breasts. If the crops are destroyed, how 
 can the planters pay taxes? And if they pay no taxes, Spain 
 can no longer 7ciiih our gold supply her soldiers with that 
 which will enable them to conquer us I On the altar of liberty 
 the Cubans will offer up their crops, their homes, if need be! 
 And the light of the sacrificial fires will attract the attention 
 of the world to our need." 
 
 The word spread through the insurgent camps, in that 
 strange inexplicable way which baffled Spanish generals, that 
 from the penal colonies of southern Spain a battalion of crimi- 
 
328 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 nals had been sent and were now in active operation under 
 the command of the officer who brutally had butchered the 
 sick occupants of a rebel hospital camp, reserving only those 
 who were Spanish soldiers, receiving care and medicine from 
 the men against whom they had fought. 
 
 This act of hideous barbarism drove many into the ranks 
 of the patriots who before had endeavored to remain neutral. 
 If there was wanting anything to fan the Cuban fire into a 
 universal conflagration, such uncalled-for inhumanity did the 
 work. 
 
 By the same method of communication which kept the 
 revolutionists in constant possession of every move of the 
 Spanish army, Zunega and the other bands in his vicinity 
 were apprised that a government transport train of two hun- 
 dred mules, carrying ammunition worth twenty thousand dol- 
 lars, was hastening to the support of the anxious generals in 
 Santa Clara. It was understood that the same officer who had 
 so richly won their hatred was commanding the expedition. 
 
 This was the time that both Zufiega and Lithgow begged 
 Raquel not to accompany them. They knew the peril for her 
 far better than she did. 
 
 " What if you should be captured by these men who come 
 from convict cells !" argued Lithgow. " The fate which is 
 your father's is nothing to what yours would be. Remain in 
 camp ! Every man among us will strike a blow for you. You 
 are our queen, but it is unwise to risk 3'ourself in such a bat- 
 tle as this will prove to be." 
 
 " The accident of birth which made me a woman instead 
 of a man shall not keep me from any struggle into which my 
 company goes," she declared proudly. " I am becoming strong 
 and full of endurance. No man would be allowed to shirk his 
 duty because it promised to be disagreeable. Neither must I." 
 
 She held her dark head with its riotous hair in the same 
 manner in which she had carried it that day in the sala when 
 she had told her father what she would do if she were a man. 
 She looked the American in the face with eyes that showed 
 the bravery of the spirit which would not be conquered by 
 woman's fear. 
 
 " I have a queer presentiment, Raquel," he told her. He 
 called her by her name now. She had said to him that it gave 
 her a feeling of comfort to hear her name spoken as her father 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 3^9 
 
 had spoken it. During this terrible time in which she had 
 not faltered from her post, he had tried to take the place of 
 father, brother, mother to her. In numberless ways he had 
 contrived to make the privations of their life less. Resolutely 
 he had buried every thought inimical to the love he bore 
 Zutiega. So carefully had he sustained his part that the girl 
 never dreamed of the gladness this self-contained Northerner 
 found in being able to minister unto her. 
 
 '• That I shall be killed?" she questioned with the calmness 
 that comes from looking death in the face frequently. 
 
 '• There are worse things than that," he replied, shaking his 
 head. " I do not think you will meet with death in the Held; 
 bullets fly by you; your life seems charmed. But I feel that 
 I am dreading something. What it is— I don't know. I wish 
 you would not go into this engagement." 
 
 She smiled at him. He saw, with a sudden fresh realiza- 
 tion, how all the youth was being taken out of her face. But 
 the girlish softness of contour had given place to a wonderful 
 character that told how her nature was chiselling itself into 
 her features. 
 
 '■ Have you forgotten that in our book, yours, mine, and 
 Beatrice's, there is something like this: 'If I have shrunk 
 unequal from any contest, instantly the joy I find in all the 
 rest becomes mean and cowardly'?" returned she. "When 
 Cuba is free I could not bear to think that I had not struck 
 every blow that was possible for me to strike." 
 
 And that was the feeling which bore her through the attack 
 which was made on the Spanish detachment. Through the 
 thick of the engagement she rode with her blacks obeying her 
 orders. The sight of her seemed to demoralize the troops in 
 the way that it often did. And this was the moment which 
 was always taken advantage of by Zuiiega's men. There were 
 only six hundred soldiers to guard the ammunition and they 
 quickly found themselves at the mercy of the enemy, but in 
 the first melee there had been some desperate fighting done 
 by the officer in charge, who knew that to lose this valuable 
 store would mean for him disgrace and removal. 
 
 It was during this time that Raquel saw Lithgow pitch 
 forward and fall from his horse. The blood left her heart. 
 She reeled in her own saddle. Then she urged her men on 
 wilder than ever. 
 
330 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 When the entire transport train was theirs and the field lay 
 strewn with the dead, Raquel crept with limbs that trembled 
 under her to where she thought he lay. Those who had been 
 in the rear had borne him to a place far from the hoofs of the 
 horses. He was not unconscious. He tried to smile when 
 she dropped on her knees beside him with her sorrow written 
 in her eyes and trembling lips. 
 
 " My presentiment, — you know," he said faintly. " I am — 
 so glad it was I, — not you." 
 
 " But you are not *' 
 
 " Yes," he whispered with an effort, " only just a few min- 
 utes more, dear. Will you write " 
 
 " To Beatrice?" she asked, making no pretence of hiding 
 her tears. 
 
 He assented by a pressure of her fingers which held his 
 with that grasp which essays so vainly to restrain the flight of 
 that which goes unseen. 
 
 He studied her face, bent so near him, with eyes that were 
 hungry and could no longer hide their hunger. 
 
 " Will you — kiss me?" he asked with growing weakness. 
 " Once, — just once. I have loved — you — and you have not — 
 known." 
 
 With a sob of inarticulate anguish she laid her face down 
 against his. 
 
 " The contradan — za — you have — forgotten, "he said softly. 
 " I can — never " 
 
 She placed her arms around him and held him thus while 
 his eyes grew dim. 
 
 " I have not forgotten," she said. And the chords in her 
 throat tightened and Cuba itself faded out of her mind. " But 
 how could I know that you remembered?" 
 
 A fresh pulse of life became his for the moment. A joy 
 pierced the mist creeping over his vision. 
 
 " If — " he sighed feebly. Then, with a thought, seemed to 
 come a sense of necessity for action. He sought to lift him- 
 self, but fell back. " It is better so," he whispered with 
 difficulty. " Marry Zunega; — don't wait. You must not be 
 alone here. Marry him — now. For me, — death is sweeter 
 — than a life — without — you." 
 
 " But it is you whom I love! " Raquel cried wildly, her long- 
 guarded secret breaking forth resistlessly. "You shall not 
 go from me! I will not lose you! " 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 33 1 
 
 Frantically she tore at his blood-stained garment, suddenly 
 realizing that precious moments had been spent. 
 
 "Zufiega, — Zunega! He is — dying!" she moaned with 
 frenzy, as she watched the light of love in his eyes give way 
 to complete unconsciousness of his surroundings. " Save 
 him, — save him! For I love him, — I love him!" 
 
 Called hurriedly from the far side of the field, Zufiega 
 had galloped up madly and now flung himself from the 
 saddle, in time for her passionate appeal to reach his ears, 
 lis double import turned his face almost as gray as Lithgow's 
 own. He sent one agonized glance into her anguished eyes 
 and read there crushing confirmation of the avowal her grief 
 had wrung from her. 
 
 Speechless with pain, he knelt beside Lithgow, aiding 
 her trembling fingers in disclosing the wound. There was no 
 time for expressions of woe. But his heart sickened within 
 him as he suddenly grasped how deep, how immeasurable 
 was the love he bore this American and how powerless was 
 that love in a battle with Death. 
 
 " There is a chance, — one in a thousand," he told her 
 encouragingly, as he endeavored to stanch the flow of blood. 
 " But we must work rapidly." 
 
 All the surgical skill the camp afforded was brought into 
 play. They labored breathlessly, their hearts failing them 
 as he seemed to pass swiftly beyond all earthly succor. 
 There came an awful moment of strange hush. Zufiega 
 looked up at her blanched face with fear in his own, 
 
 " I myself would die to return him to you," he said 
 brokenly, "but — it is too late!" 
 
 The last barrier of woman pride went down before that 
 flood of sorrow. With a wail of sharp despair, Raquel 
 pressed her quivering lips hungrily, entreatingly to Lithgow's, 
 so chilled and unresponsive. 
 
 What startling telegraphy was that! 
 
 Back from the borderland of the vast Silence its quick- 
 ening power summoned him. Through all his veins crept 
 slow thrills of warming blood. There was faint pulsing of 
 the heart once more. 
 
 The first stage in the fight with Death was won. 
 
 But it was destined to be a great struggle, in which noth- 
 ing but sleepless, tireless love could prove victorious. 
 
 Days and nights of unwearied watching followed. 
 
 Not recognizing the identity of those who nursed him, 
 Lithgow's fevered mind roamed back through the past. He 
 
332 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 talked wistfully of his mother, long dead. He called for 
 Beatrice. He spoke familiarly of those whose paths his own 
 had crossed. 
 
 And Raquel endured pangs of acute jealousy amid her 
 sweet work of ministering to him. Nevertheless, she wrote 
 to the northern girl, telling of his danger and the hope they 
 held of his recovery. This letter was to be entrusted to 
 Zufiega, who, in turn, would give it into the charge of thu^e 
 Cubans who formed means of communication with the coast. 
 To while away long hours, during which she sat by the side 
 of Lithgow, Raquel jotted down the events of the day to- 
 gether with Lithgow's symptoms and Zuiiega's daring raids. 
 And the letter grew in size and became a sort of diary; and 
 it was long before it found its way to the one for whom it 
 was intended. 
 
 On one of the anxious nights when she and Zunega kept 
 watch, the latter brought himself to whisper softly: 
 
 "When health comes again to him and he is able to be 
 conveyed, we will go to San Juan de las Yevas. There the 
 padre will — marry you. It should be so. Always have I 
 known he loved you, but — I was selfish. I am so no more. 
 My life belongs to my people. His he has risked to battle 
 with us for our land; and — he has won a daughter of Cuba. 
 I myself will tell him it is so." 
 
 But the weeks were many and lapsed into months before 
 this magnanimous intention could be carried into effect. 
 
 Zunega and the band were ordered to the support of the 
 leader of the insurgent forces, and, as there were several in 
 the camp too ill to be moved, Raquel and the women were 
 left in care of the hospital, with a few of the blacks to guard 
 and serve as messengers. The young Spanish soldier had 
 recovered sufficiently to take the field, and he had gone with 
 joy to fill Lithgow's place. 
 
 Into the safety of the hospital retreat penetrated reports 
 that the tide of rebellion had swept through all the provinces 
 until, in despair, Spain had exchanged General Campos' civil- 
 ized methods for the inhuman policy of his successor, who 
 speedily instigated the war of extermination of the helpless. 
 License, butchery, untold horrors boastfully were added to 
 the grievous burden of hideous wrongs the struggling Cubans 
 were giving their lives to avenge. 
 
 The pitiful cries of starving children, the moans of bereft 
 mothers, the sobs of outraged womanhood reached the ears 
 of those in the land to the north. A thrill of sympathy swept 
 
A DAVGIITER OF CUBA. 333 
 
 through its vast territory from coast to coast. But the law 
 of nations stifled this expression; and a mighty people, afire 
 with righteous indignation, compelled itself to silence and 
 inaction. 
 
 And the men who fought for liberty fought also to secure 
 revenge for the murder and rapine wrought by the tyrants. 
 The tales told of the sufferings of the reconcentrados steeled 
 anew their sad hearts and added fuel to the deathless hope 
 burning within them. 
 
 And while all this transpired, Lithgow slowly tightened his 
 grasp upon the threads of life and began to weave again the 
 pattern of the fabric called his own. 
 
 There had been a dawn which brought a noticeable change 
 in his aspect. Raquel had bent above him with a suffocating 
 leaping of her heart, which made her face white and strained. 
 She had felt herself a powerless witness to a struggle between 
 two opposing forces for the nerveless body of the man she 
 loved. She had dropped to her knees in an agony of suppli- 
 cation and, at that instant, the lids which had been closed for 
 such a weary while had lifted slowly, questioningly, and his 
 eyes had looked into hers with answering intelligence. 
 
 " Raquel ! Are both of us — dead ? " he had whispered 
 wistfully. 
 
 Then he had slept the sfeep of restfulness, knowing his' 
 hand lay in hers. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 The old church on the road to the town of San Juan 
 basked in the tropical sunlight as it had done for a century. 
 Nothing disturbed it, not even the murmur of war's alarms. 
 But there came a day when its indolent padre was aroused 
 from his siesta by the loud clanging of the three bells. 
 
 He sprung to his feet with more alertness than was his 
 wont. The reports that the rebels were near had not been 
 conducive to restful slumbers lately. His fat legs shook 
 beneath him as he hurried to ascertain the cause of this 
 unusual commotion. 
 
 He found himself confronted by a circle of frowning 
 horsemen who commanded him to open the entrance to the 
 church. 
 
 '-Sleeping?" demanded the leader, observing signs of 
 somnolency. " How can you dream while your country 
 bleeds? " 
 
334 ^ DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 The padre made a conciliating attempt at conversation, 
 noticing that the expressions their eyes wore suggested such 
 a dire possibility as the poles on which the three bells 
 hung being made to serve again their original purpose — a 
 gallows. 
 
 "What would you, senor? " he questioned quakingly. "I 
 can not fight. I am a priest, sworn to peace." 
 
 "So was Father Arteaga," returned the leader, "yet he 
 fought in the ten-year war. But — it takes courage to fight; 
 and you look as if you had but appetite. Open your church I 
 You can marry, I suppose, even if you can not defend the 
 land which provides you with a living." 
 
 Confused and fearful of what seemed to threaten him, 
 the padre had failed to detect that one of the riders was a 
 woman. 
 
 Regarding her curiously out of the corners of his heavy- 
 lidded eyes, he swung the doors wide and summoned one 
 to light the candles while he prepared himself for the 
 ceremony. 
 
 As they moved up the nave to the martial music of the 
 ringing of spurs, a cry of recognition broke from their lips 
 at sight of the woman who appeared in response to the 
 padre's call. 
 
 " Faqulta ! " 
 
 She dropped the candle she was lighting. With aston- 
 ished gaze she faced those who advanced. 
 
 " What do you here ? " cried Raquel excitedly. 
 
 "By day I serve the padre," she replied. "At night — 
 I dance with whom I will." She laughed coquettishly at the 
 group of Cubans. 
 
 " Do you not recognize me ?" questioned Zuuega, step- 
 ping forward. 
 
 She shook her head, though she answered: 
 
 "You are of the great outside world; I can see that. 
 Why have you come back?" 
 
 "For 'Cuba Libre,'" declared he boldly. 
 
 A swift look of fear crossed her features. She held up 
 her hand warningly. 
 
 " Come with us," urged Raquel. " It is like a taste of 
 the old life of which you were so fond." 
 
 Faquita shrugged her shoulders, 
 
 " There is life here." she returned carelessly. " The town 
 is full of soldiers and there is gayety." 
 
 "Who is commandante ?" asked Zuiiega. 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 335 
 
 ''One whom it would not be well for you to meet," was her 
 answer. "He has sought you relentlessly since the day you 
 stole the seiiorita from him." 
 
 "What mean you ?" demanded Zunega. 
 
 "I mean that Gonzalo Alarcon seeks to find you that he 
 may have revenge because you returned his prize to the arms 
 of her father." She glanced at Raquel and smiled. 
 
 "But you had a part in that, Faquita," reminded Raquel 
 quickly. 
 
 "True," she admitted, "and proud am I of it." 
 
 "How comes it that he is commander here?" queried Lith- 
 gow. 
 
 "We heard he had met death by hanging," said Raquel, 
 troubled at the discovery of the proximity of him who had 
 brought to her so much of suffering. 
 
 "So it was announced," stated Faquita. "But to save his 
 neck he swore to place at the service of the Spaniards all his 
 knowledge of the forests and the plans of the insurgents." 
 
 "Traitor !" exclaimed Zunega wrathfully. "He shall drink 
 the cup of death at my hands. He always was a Spaniard at 
 heart, as he is by birth." 
 
 "If Alarcon is at the head of the soldiers in yonder town, 
 why are you here serving the padre, Faquita?" queried Lith- 
 gow curiously. 
 
 "What is that to you .?" retorted she. "Perhaps I do pen- 
 ance." 
 
 "Penance because you also have turned traitor ?" persisted 
 the American. 
 
 Faquita flushed angrily. 
 
 '■^Quien sabe ?" she said simply, controlling her tongue. 
 
 "Ah, who knows?" repeated Lithgow. "But I wish to 
 know, Faquita. Let me tell you this: He who is true to 
 Cuba is wise, for the hour approaches when America will aid 
 Cuba to sweep from her shores both traitor and tyrant." 
 
 Facjuita put out her hand impulsively. A joy shot into 
 her eyes. 
 
 "Is it so ?" she asked eagerly, "The senora will be glad." 
 
 Raquel leaned forward, struck by a sudden thought. 
 
 "Sefiora ?" she questioned. 
 
 Faquita exhibited annoyance at her apparent lapse of 
 caution. 
 
 "The great lady of this province — is it she ?" Raciiiel 
 pressed the query with keen insistence. 
 
 The eyes of the two met and a swift interchange of 
 
336 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 confidence took place, by what method neither could have 
 told. 
 
 "And if it is ?" Faquita ventured. 
 
 "I shall ask you to bear her a message from me," said 
 Raquel, to the complete mystification of the men. "You did 
 me an inestimable service once. What can I offer you to 
 serve me again ?" 
 
 Faquita's ear caught the sound of the padre's steps and com- 
 pelled silence with a gesture, but there was that in her manner 
 which convinced Raquel that her appeal had not been in vain. 
 
 "Is she to be trusted ?" whispered Lithgow anxiously. 
 
 "That is what we must discover," returned Zufiega 
 troubledly. 
 V Before the little altar in the bleak edifice which was des- 
 tined to serve in the future as a hospital for wounded Span- 
 yV^^^^ards, the wedding party knelt reverently, while Raquel and 
 ^ Lithgow solemnly took the vows which bound their lives as 
 
 their hearts were bound — indissolubly. 
 
 It was wholly unlike the marriage in which, at times in his 
 life, Lithgow dreamily had figured himself one of the chief 
 actors. But his head whirled with ecstasy and his hand 
 trembled when the priest placed Raquel's fingers within his 
 and gave her the sacred name of wife. His mind shot back 
 to the night of the contradanza. How their fingers clung 
 together for that sweet stolen moment ! The memory of it 
 thrilled him yet. And he marveled at the strange fortunes 
 of war which had awarded to him the very happiness against 
 the striving for which he then had battled so valiantly. 
 
 Zunega stood in the capacity of Raquel's guardian, his 
 handsome face so successfully masking his emotions that 
 Faquita studied' him curiously. 
 
 " I thought you it was who loved her ! " she ventured in an 
 undertone when the ceremony was over. 
 
 " So I do," was his calm reply, " too well to allow it to 
 separate them. I have but one passion now — Cuba." 
 
 " Nor I," she whispered, glancing cautiously over her 
 shoulder at the padre. 
 
 Zunega sent a penetrating glance into the depths of her 
 very soul and knew she spoke the truth. 
 
 "We need you," he said. 
 
 "lam needed more here," was her answer. 'You will 
 comprehend when I deliver the message and bring her a 
 reply. This will I do to-night if you camp within reach." 
 
 A hurried conversation ensued between the women, then 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 337 
 
 the cavalcade rode away as quietly as it had approached. The 
 padre turned over a glittering coin in his palm and secretly 
 debated the advisability of purchasing the fighting cock on 
 which, for months, he had had his eye. 
 
 Faquita returned to her interrupted duties. At dusk she 
 went cityward, as was her custom. She was bent on a dan- 
 gerous mission. How well she executed it was evidenced 
 just before midnight, when, in company with another, she stole 
 out from the shadow of the city walls and sped toward the 
 dark forest mantling the hills. 
 
 Those within the rebel camp awaited impatiently her com- 
 ing. When, at last, was heard the challenge of the sentry, 
 they leaped to their feet in keen excitement, prepared for 
 defense if it should prove they had been betrayed. 
 
 As two dark-robed figures were brought forward by the 
 guard, Raquel sprung toward them with a cry of strangely 
 mingled emotion. 
 
 "Pepita! How dared you come?" she sobbed gladly 
 against the face of Faquita's companion. "There is such 
 danger." 
 
 " The desire to see you was too great to be resisted," re- 
 turned the Sefiora de Urquiza, clasping Raquel with the ten- 
 derness of a mother. " I am astonished, dear. Why are you 
 here? I have heard nothing since you left Havana." 
 
 Eager questions and sad replies followed. While the swift 
 hours ^flew, they rehearsed the thrilling events through which 
 each had passed ; and anxiously they formulated plans which 
 Pepita de Urquiza believed she could carry into effect. 
 
 "And you say you have gained not one clew concerning 
 the fate of your father," she said pityingly. • " Did it ever 
 occur to you that this man, Gonzalo Alarcon, may have been 
 the instigator of that attack upon the plantation ?" 
 
 Even Facjuita started with surprise at this suggestion. 
 "I had not thought of it before." said Zufiega. "But it 
 would be like Alarcon. It was M. Theuriet he intended 
 should be abducted at the time Raquel was captured. He 
 had not abandoned the plan. In the attack he may have 
 hoped to secure Raciuel once more after capturing or killing 
 her natural protectors. Years do not dull the edge of 
 Alarcon's revenge, as I will Icarn if I encounter him." 
 
 " Faquita should be able to unravel this mystery if — — " 
 began T,ilhgow, regarding her closely by the illumination 
 afforded by the torches. 
 
 " I have known nothing of Alarcon ^ince the day I returned 
 
338 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 to camp after assisting the senorita to her home," answered 
 Faquita bitterly. 
 
 "Oh, Faquita!" cried Raquel anxiously. "Was your 
 kindness to me the cause of trouble? I feared it might be, 
 I — what can I do to recompense you at this late day ?" 
 
 " Speak not of it," begged Faquita. " It was meant to be! " 
 
 Noting that Lithgow and Zunega appeared doubtful, 
 Pepita de Urquiza said explanatorily: 
 
 "Alarcon accused her of spiriting Raquel away and, fear- 
 ing for her life, she fled the camp and took refuge in the 
 household of the padre. There I saw her one day. Gather- 
 ing her history, I took her into my service because of the 
 friend she had been to you, Raquel; and it seemed a strange 
 freak of fate that across my path should come one who had 
 been interwoven with the fortunes of yourself and your 
 friends. Finding she could be trusted, I pressed her into 
 secret work for Cuba and what she has accomplished has been 
 of the first importance to the cause. When Alarcon was 
 captured and sentenced to death her resentment vanished 
 and, though a price had been set on his head for years, she 
 longed to release him; but when he turned traitor to the 
 island, he saved his neck at the expense of her love. She 
 vowed then that she would labor to defeat him at every turn, 
 and she has done well. Woman's wit when linked to hatred 
 will devise schemes that man can not circumvent; and Alar- 
 con's reign as commander in the town has not been a success- 
 ful one, owing to her cleverness at unearthing all his plans." 
 
 "But does he not suspect her?" questioned Raquel curi- 
 ously. 
 
 "He knows not of her proximity," replied Pepita smiling. 
 " If he did, she would lie in the prison along with other 
 unfortunates. She gains all information from the soldiers, 
 none of whom relish having the notorious brigand placed 
 above them, even though he be tireless in his attempts to 
 exterminate the rebels. In fact, they condemn his energy 
 which essays so many fruitless attacks upon the alert enemy 
 that always seems to have been warned just in time to vanish. 
 Under-fed and never paid, the Spanish soldier has little appe- 
 tite for fighting and does not take readily to the guerrilla 
 warfare Alarcon seeks to introduce." 
 
 " I would like nothing better than to make an assault upon 
 that town and deal the fellow the desert he has escaped so 
 long!" cried Lithgow. "I have heard it reported that he is a 
 convict, one of the many Spain has seen fit to empty into the 
 island." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 339 
 
 " Mine must be the right to meet Alarcon with weapons," 
 claimed Zuilega gravely. "He shall have his opportunity to 
 secure revenge; and I — will make him reveal the fate of 
 Raquel's father before I run my sword through his traitor 
 heart." 
 
 He felt a touch on his arm and turned to see Faquita's 
 hands held toward him appealingly. 
 
 "I wish not death for him," she said softly, "but pun- 
 ishment." 
 
 Zufiega hesitated. 
 
 " I saved the sefiorita," she reminded him wistfully. 
 
 "And — I will spare Alarcon," he promised slowly. 
 
 She bent her proud head and touched her lips to his 
 hand. 
 
 "Sefiora," said Lithgow suddenly, "what was hidden in 
 that suggestion that Alarcon may have prompted the attack 
 
 on La Buena Esperanza ? Were you wondering if " He 
 
 paused and she completed his sentence swiftly. 
 
 " Yes; I was wondering if Raquel's father might not be 
 among those who crowd the prison at San Juan." 
 
 Raquel gave a cry. Pepita, with infinite pity, put her 
 hand out and caressed the dark head of the bereft daughter. 
 
 " Do not hope too much," she cautioned. " Many have 
 been brought to those bleak walls. Some have been — shot. 
 Others have been taken to Havana. A few have been 
 deported to Ceuta." 
 
 Raquel covered her face, shuddering with misery. 
 
 "There is a whisper abroad among the Spaniards," con- 
 tinued Pepita, "that America is wakening. They tremble 
 with fear lest it be true. Ah, she has been deaf so long, 
 so long ! But now, if she comes to our aid, the doors of 
 the prisons will be set wide and " 
 
 " Within will lie the lifeless bodies of the prisoners," 
 prophesied Zunega. " That will be the last act of the 
 Spaniard: — to murder those in chains." 
 
 " God grant you speak not the truth ! " sighed Pepita 
 sadly. 
 
 When she and Faquita stole like wraiths from the camp, 
 wending their perilous way back to the church, every detail 
 of necessary movements had been arranged as far as was 
 possible. Zunega was in possession of valuable information 
 which he was to forward to other leaders, and he had been 
 able to furnish Pepita de Urquiza news which would prove 
 precious to her in her difficult role. 
 
340 
 
 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Faquita was to return with whatever discovery she suc- 
 ceeded in making. But she did not come on the second 
 night; nor on the third. 
 
 Zunega was confident that something wholly unexpected 
 had occurred to make her thus fail in her promise. He 
 knew her fearlessness of old and felt it had not deserted 
 her at this juncture. 
 
 The camp was moved farther into the forest to guard 
 against a surprise, and sentries were stationed to escort her 
 through the labyrinth when she should appear. 
 
 On the fourth night there was a young moon; but its 
 tender radiance had stolen softly down the west and deep- 
 est midnight was upon them before there was the slightest 
 stir which alert sentinels could interpret as token of the 
 approach of an intruder. Then, in reply to the demand 
 for the watchword, Faquita's voice was audible; and she 
 was led into the presence of the assembled camp members 
 who noted that her manner indicated a message of portent. 
 
 Raquel caught her by the hand feverishly, questioning 
 silently. 
 
 " It is as the Sefiora suspected," Faquita exclaimed breath- 
 lessly. " I have succeeded in learning that there is an old 
 man confined in one of the dungeons who seems to be 
 Gonzalo Alarcon's special victim. Other tenants of the 
 prison have come and gone. Death by guns at sunrise has 
 been meted to some; chained like criminals, others have 
 been sent to the penal colonies; but the old man of whom 
 the soldiers talk still occupies the dungeon. They say there 
 have been times when, like a raving maniac, he has called 
 for his daughter. After these seasons he lies for weeks 
 uttering no word save when Alarcon visits him and taunts 
 him thus: 'You crave to know of the seilorita? Does it 
 not comfort you to learn she is in my tender care ? No ? 
 Why call me a devil ? You sold her to the old Frenchman; 
 I rescued her from him. For that should you not thank 
 me instead of curse me ? You owe me gratitude. Some day 
 when we Spaniards have killed all these rebels, I will release 
 you and let you see for yourself how happy I have made 
 her. Que? You object to my caresses for her? Bueno ! 
 She shall have the love of others whe-n I have wearied of 
 her! Does that satisfy you ? ' " 
 
 ^'Madre de Dios /" sobbed Raquel. "Does not that torture 
 drive him mad with pain ? What frightful agony of mind has 
 been his ! There is no Spanish gun that can keep me from 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 341 
 
 reaching and freeing him nuw that I know where he is ! My 
 proud father in chains — at the mercy of that — oh, come ! 
 come !" she implored them. "Let us go ! How can I wait 
 an instant? To think he has suffered thus while I have 
 found — happiness !" 
 
 Lithgow placed his yearning arm about her tenderly, vainly 
 trying to soothe her distress. 
 
 "Listen !" he whispered. "Faquita has not told all. She 
 says it will be impossible for us to rescue him now, even 
 though we know where to strike. The town is too well forti- 
 fied. We must wait until we — what is that, Faquita?" he 
 demanded, lifting his head with excitement as he caught her 
 words. 
 
 '■More soldiers have come in from Habana, senor," Faquita 
 was relating, "and there has been the wildest rejoicing in the 
 cities. They say an American battleship has been blown up 
 by Spanish cleverness in Habana harbor." 
 
 "One of our battleships blown up?" echoed Lithgow, un- 
 willing to credit his ears. 
 
 "Si, sefior ; and the towns are all tumult, for the soldiers 
 declare the 'Yankee pigs' will have to come and fight now or 
 else prove themselves to be what the Spaniards always have 
 called them — cowards. You should hear the fellows boast 
 how they will attack America and teach its people a lesson." 
 
 "Let them try !" Zunega cried contemptuously. "They 
 who never saw a town larger than sleepy Cadiz would drop 
 dead in their tracks at the sight of throbbing American 
 cities." 
 
 "What was the name of the battleship?" demanded Lith- 
 gow an.xiously. 
 
 "•The Maine', sefior; and the soldiers drink to the death 
 of the men who went down like rats in a trap," she told him. 
 
 "Devils !" he cried, his voice ringing with all the righteous 
 rage evoked by an inhuman deed. "And they call that civil- 
 ized warfare, as they call the starving of helpless recoiuxn- 
 trados ! The throats that drink to the death of American 
 sailors, brought to watery graves by Spanish treachery, •shall 
 plead for pity from the sword revenge! " 
 
 "The Seuora de Urcjuiza bade me tell you that the hour 
 for attack is not now," P"a(iuita cautioned. "She has accurate 
 information that America is rising in arms. War is to be 
 declared ! Cuba will be freed by American soldiers." 
 
 A wild slunit went up from the insurgent camp. 
 
 " liut my father must be rescued before that time," pro- 
 
342 
 
 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 tested Raquel. "The Spaniards will put him to death before 
 they will give him up to victors." 
 
 "Leave that to the Seuora de Urquiza," advised Faquita. 
 "At the present moment, we would meet with defeat. Every- 
 thing we seek would be lost. Your father might be conveyed 
 to another prison — possibly the Morro. Remember, it is said 
 those dungeons connect with the sea. They will be flooded 
 and all secrets washed away before Havana is captured." 
 
 "Faquita is right," decided the men. "Every plan must 
 be perfectly made and magnificently carried into execution. 
 It is not the hour for haste." 
 
 "The Senora de Urquiza is in communication with both 
 sides, you know," continued Faquita. "She is endeavoring 
 to secure the co-operation of our strongest forces, for the 
 armory must be taken. They must be prevented from firing 
 it. We need its contents. She is petitioning that Senor 
 Heredia may be sent up from the south provinces to give 
 you aid." 
 
 "Senor Heredia? " repeated Raquel with interest. 
 
 "Si, Seiior Heredia," replied Faquita. "He had vast 
 interests in the asphaltum mines near here ; but he left every- 
 thing and joined Gomez." 
 
 "It is he whom Pepita has loved so long," murmured 
 Raquel thoughtfully. "It is to be near and aid him that she 
 shuts herself thus away in the interior — and he dreams 
 it not." 
 
 " Manuel Heredia has a strong force," commented Zunega 
 gladly. " It is well equipped and absolutely fearless. It is 
 said he drilled his employes for months in secret before they 
 took to the field. He has been a powerful factor in this 
 rebellion. I understand now the reason. He has had the 
 quick wits of Pepita de Urquiza to supplement his own. With 
 his aid I stand ready to meet any number of Spaniards. And 
 — if the Americans come — long will live free Cuba ! " 
 
 "Viva Cuba Libre!" rose the strong and faithful cry, 
 piercing the heavy canopy of forest foliage which hid from 
 them the magnificent constellations of the heavens. Through 
 the night drifted the prayer of hope on the winds that blew 
 from the Caribbean — "Viva Cuba Libre I " 
 
 And from coast to coast of the great land to the north that 
 same prayer even then was thrilling, while yet the strong 
 heart of the nation quivered beneath the shock which had 
 come with the loss of the Maine and its men. 
 
 Unable to make even one struggle for life, two hundred 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. t^^t^ 
 
 and sixty-six seamen on a peaceful mission sank to a horrible 
 death in the night waters of Havana harbor ! 
 
 And a nation of seventy millions leaped with desire to 
 avenge its drowned dead, and worshiped them as heroes. 
 Long-curbed sympathies slipi>ed from leash. The incredible 
 tales of Spain's uncivilized war methods had received over- 
 whelming confirmation. Bugle calls rang clear throughout 
 the Union. The blood of the busy North and the patriotic 
 South stung with fever to follow the flag and light side by side 
 beneath it for the liberty it symbolized. An enormous army 
 sprung into being and poured itself upon the historic battle- 
 fields of Virginia and Tennessee, ready to be sent to aid those 
 who had fought a tyrant so long and so well. 
 
 And America voted millions for war and calmly pursued 
 her wonted occupations, while through her streets sounded the 
 inspiring music of the fife and drum and the tramp of 
 marching feet eagerly rushing to the first war ever begun for 
 unselfish love of humanity. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Beatrice read the war news as she took her morning 
 coffee. She was heavy-eyed. There had been the sound of 
 weeping through the city by night. Tears which had been 
 bravely controlled when the gallant naval reserves responded 
 to the call had had their bitter way when darkness came to 
 hide them. The sons and brothers of many of Beatrice's 
 friends had gone to the front and Beatrice had sorrowed with 
 them. 
 
 "I smiled and cheered to the last," she told her mother, 
 "but I could not keep back the tears. I knew that I looked 
 for the last time into some of their faces. Teddy .Simonds 
 tore off his tie and thrust his arm from the car window to 
 throw it to me with a shout of farewell. The little silk knot 
 fell and was trampled under foot. See how crushed ami 
 soiled it is. But 1 rescued it and shall lay it away so ten- 
 derly." 
 
 "Dear boy ! It seems wicked that he must go !" sighed 
 Mrs. Warrington. "His mother is prostrated. He is all she 
 has." 
 
 Both were silent for a time, then Beatrice added: 
 
 '*I was wild to go with them. I told Teddy that I would 
 
344 ^ DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 go and nurse him if anything happened. I don't see how j'ou 
 lived through the civil war, mother. The suspense we endure 
 now seems awful ; but what must have been four years of it ?" 
 
 "Words never can picture what the women of the North 
 and the South passed through during the war," said Mrs. War- 
 rington slowly. "There are those among us who never can 
 speak of that time save with hushed voice." 
 
 The maid brought in the early mail. At sight of one 
 envelope Beatrice gave an exclamation of surprise. 
 
 "A letter from Jamaica — in a strange — no, it is directed in 
 Lithgow's fashion ; but — so unlike his usual bold hand. Can 
 he have been ill ?" 
 
 She tore open the missive nervously, scanning the closely 
 written pages rapidly, seeking that which would explain. 
 
 "Lithgow has been wounded !" she cried. "He has been 
 ill, very ill, for a long time. This is a sort of record which 
 seems to have been kept by — the girl of whom they talked — 
 Raquel. She has nursed him back to safety." 
 
 Mrs. Warrington leaned forward with anxiety on her sweet 
 countenance. 
 
 "Lithgow wounded !" she echoed, watching her daughter 
 narrowly. "We have much to thank the girl for if she has 
 won him back to health." 
 
 Beatrice essayed to read aloud the disconnected diary, but 
 at every mention of Zufiega's name she hesitated almost im- 
 perceptibly, seeming to dwell with intense interest on the 
 portions relating to his achievements. 
 
 Suddenly she dropped the sheets and covered her face with 
 her hands. 
 
 Mystified and filled with consternation at this exhibition of 
 feeling, Mrs. Warrington sat motionless and undecided. 
 Finally she arose and placed her arms about Beatrice with the 
 tender, inquisitive touch of sympathetic motherhood. 
 
 "Tell me, dear, what is it ?" she whispered. "Can I help 
 you ?" 
 
 "Oh, mother !" Beatrice answered, her whole form quiver- 
 ing with the stress of emotion. "They love each other. 
 They have been married." 
 
 "Who have been married ?" demanded Mrs. Warrington 
 puzzledly. 
 
 "Who? Raquel and — Lithgow !" explained Beatrice. 
 
 "My poor child ! " cried the mother pityingly. 
 
 Beatrice lifted her face with wonderment. 
 
 " Poor ? " she echoed. " Oh, you do not understand." 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 345 
 
 "Yes, I do," murmured Mrs. Warrington, shaking lier head 
 sadly. "But I must confess tliat you ahnost deserve it, Pea- 
 trice. You drove Lithgow from you; you treated him in care- 
 less fashion. I had hoped to — to see you his wife — sometime. 
 Now, I can only be sorry for you." 
 
 Beatrice sprung away from the consoling embrace and 
 regarded her mother with eyes into which all the illumination 
 of love had leaped. 
 
 "No, you do not understand," she reiterated with a laugh 
 in which was mingled a tinge of maidenly shame that she 
 must make audible confession. " Do you fail to perceive that 
 I rejoice? If Raquel is the wife of Lithgow — Zuuega must 
 love elsewhere." 
 
 " Zuuega ! " exclaimed Mrs. Warrington. 
 
 •' Yes, Zufiega; for it is he whom I love! " declared Beatrice 
 proudly. She drew herself up to her full height, and, with 
 (jueenly daring, awaited the effect of her startling announce- 
 ment. 
 
 "Beatrice! have you lost your womanliness?" fairly 
 sobbed Mrs. Warrington. "How can you " 
 
 " I have lost nothing," interrupted Beatrice softly. " I have 
 discovered myself and a comprehension of my nature's needs. 
 I know now that I loved him from the first. I did not know 
 what strange thing it was which had come and nestled in my 
 heart. Lithgow espied it and called it by name. He told me 
 that I loved. Since then — I have suffered. When we heard 
 that M. Theuriet was dead, I feared Zuuega would marry 
 her; but I concealed my pain as women always must, though 
 hearts break." 
 
 "Surely you do not mean to do any rash, unfeminine 
 thing! " expostulated the mother. 
 
 "No, I could not," returned Beatrice comfortingly. "I 
 am your daughter; that should be sufficient guarantee. 1 will 
 wait. It is all that a woman can do." 
 
 "Whoever would dream this of you!" murmured Mrs. 
 ^Varrington with incredulity in her tones. "You who have 
 been so cold, so unimpressionable. You seem transformed." 
 
 " I am," asserted the girl with a deep breath. " I don't 
 know why it does not seem unmaidenly to say it, but it does 
 not. However, you alone will know. Even he shall not — 
 ever. I turned the key for an instant, and let you look into 
 the secret place of my soul. I now turn back the key, and — 
 we will forget." 
 
 " No, we never will forget, dearest," replied her mother. 
 
346 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 " You have suffered alone, but this glimpse of your struggle 
 has brought us very close. I — I saw in you, at that moment, 
 the exact semblance of your father. Not for the world would 
 I shut you from a happiness as great as was my own with 
 him." 
 
 "Then you will not oppose me if I wish to join Mrs. 
 Bucklain in her work of caring and providing for the 
 soldiers?" Beatrice pleaded, kneeling down impulsively at 
 her mother's feet. " She is on the point now of leaving for 
 Tampa. If the army moves into Cuba, she and her aids are 
 to go." 
 
 "I not only will not oppose you, but I will accompany 
 you," decided Mrs. Warrington. "You are not the sole 
 individual who yearns to be of service in this hour." 
 
 Calm, cool Beatrice threw her arms about her mother 
 enthusiastically. 
 
 " Three cheers for ' The Red, White, and Blue '! " she cried 
 delightedly. "We will go to the front! We will fight if 
 need be — and we will pray that those we love may be kept 
 safe from harm." 
 
 And those for whom she prayed were bending every 
 energy toward the rescue they had planned. But days and 
 weeks crept by before the hour arrived when they could 
 make the contemplated assault upon the city. 
 
 The rainy season begun. The American warships were 
 before Santiago. The hearts of the patriots beat high with 
 hope. That for which Cuba had fought and bled seemed 
 within reach at last. 
 
 The Cubans were closing in upon the southern strong- 
 hold to aid the American troops there landed. But Zuiiega's 
 force and that of Manuel Heredia tarried in the vicinity of 
 San Juan to co-operate with the Americans who had come 
 in on the north coast escorting an expedition which had 
 been safely guided into the mountains to those most in need 
 of ammunition. 
 
 On a night when heavy clouds obscured the moon, the 
 attacking forces moved in upon the city from four points. 
 Manuel Heredia from the west with his trained blacks; 
 Zunega from the east with Raquel by Lithgow's side riding 
 eagerly to the battle which was meant to give once more 
 to her father the sunshine of liberty. Up from the south 
 stole a stalwart band of Cubans, absenting themselves tem- 
 porarily from the siege against Santiago. And from the 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 347 
 
 north, a company of heroic men marching in order under the 
 Stars and Stripes ! 
 
 Soaked to the skin by the drenching rain which had been 
 falling for hours, the American soldiers followed their guides 
 with an ardor that did not diminish. They had brought to 
 the men from the field fresh details of the victory at iNIanila 
 and the departure of troops for the l'hilii')pines. And the 
 wine of pure patriotism stung in their blood and made strong 
 the cry: " Remember the Maine ! " 
 
 Through the thick pall of the darkness shot vivid flames 
 of venomous lightning. Forked tongues of fire appeared to 
 run down the mountain slojies. Nature herself seemed 
 desirous of protecting them; for they were able to creep 
 stealthily upon the town under cover of constant cannon- 
 ading of heaven's artillery. The furious storm had made the 
 Spaniards less alert. Some had forsaken their posts. Meet- 
 ing less resistance than they had expected, the Cubans and 
 Americans burst in on the city like a West Indian tornado, 
 traveling hand in hand with the phantom of Night. 
 
 Startled from sleep, San Juan leaped to defend itself. 
 Its guns roared forth unavailingly. The foe already was 
 within, warring hand to hand in an effort to capture the 
 arsenal. 
 
 Wild and desperate was the battle in the dense gloom. 
 The Spaniards, bewildered by the fierceness of what appeared 
 to be a vast horde of demons rending the night air with 
 unfamiliar war-cries, fought with what spirit was theirs; but 
 it counted for little against the impetuous rush and daring 
 of the men they encountered. 
 
 The first intimation that they were contending with men 
 from the north came in a shout which rose above the din 
 of battle; *' Death to the Americanos ! " It woke a savage 
 fury that prolonged the conflict till day. 
 
 The gray tints of the dawn revealed that the streets were 
 filled with the wounded and dead. The stones were red with 
 blood. The Spanish had been overpowered by the united 
 forces which sought to avenge not the heroes of the Maine so 
 much as the thousands of starved babes and mothers whose 
 lives were offered up for Cuba as certainly as if they had died 
 with sword in hand. 
 
 Racjuel had been in the thick of the fray, despite Lithgow's 
 entreaties. The thought of her father urged her on through 
 the frightful scene. She was seeking Gonzalo Alarcon. In 
 the weird light of daybreak, she found herself face to face 
 with him. 
 
348 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 "Gonzalo Alarcon, you are my prisoner !" she shouted with 
 triumph. 
 
 Under the accusing hatred of her beautiful eyes, the man 
 of many crimes cowered for the first time in his daring life. 
 
 "You, senorita?" he exclaimed incredulously. 
 
 "Yes; it is I, come to avenge my father !" she answered, all 
 the anguish of her heart breaking irresistibly through her 
 voice. "Take him to the dungeon !" she ordered her men. 
 "His own hands shall unlock the chains which bind Gilbert 
 Palgrave." 
 
 Alarcon became dogged and defiant. 
 
 "You may kill me, but you never can make me free him," 
 he swore savagely. 
 
 An unmistakable murmur of contempt arose from his own 
 soldiers as well as from the victorious men. A bold fellow 
 cried from among the ranks of prisoners : 
 
 "Senorita, if he who lies in the deep dungeon, chained to 
 the south wall, be your father, I can tell you how to reach 
 him. The key to his chains is in the possession of the com- 
 mandante." 
 
 "Release him who has spoken !" ordered Zufiega. 
 
 The soldier stood forth, scornfully meeting Alarcon's ven- 
 omous gaze. 
 
 "Though he has been appointed our superior, we bear him 
 no love," declared the Spaniard fearlessly. "If you shoot him. 
 let it be as he has shot our prisoners — at sunrise — in the back. 
 If you chain him, I myself will come, if I may, and return lo 
 him the kicks he has given dying men, hoping thus to con- 
 vince us of his fealty to the mother land. All of us are 
 Spaniards, senorita, and are proud so to be, but not all of us 
 are traitorous devils ! And we have learned some lessons in 
 this island: — its rebels die like heroes." 
 
 A tremendous cheer burst from the Cuban and American 
 throats, and to this tribute from soldier to soldier the Spanish 
 prisoners of war added their echo. 
 
 Quivering with hot but impotent rage, Alarcon stared fasci- 
 natedly at the imposing form of Zufiega. He recognized 
 him, yet was unwilling to believe his eyes. Here, in the 
 attitude of the conqueror, v/as the youth who nobly had 
 robbed him of both ransom and Raquel. Awful had been the 
 oaths he had taken in revenge ; now, not only was he power- 
 less to fulfill them, but he found himself at the mercy of the 
 man he had sworn to kill. 
 
 ^'Buenos dias, Alarcon," saluted Zufiega with mock defer- 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 349 
 
 ence. "Is not he a wise man who prefers death to dishonor ? 
 'i"o be hung as a brigand is one death to avoid — if one can ; 
 to be hung as a traitor is a less desirable ending. Vour fate 
 I place in Faquita's hands. I have promised it iier for the 
 work she has done for the cause of Free Cuba." 
 
 "Faquita !" foamed Alarcon fiercely. I would " 
 
 "Ah, you would have stabbed me in your anger," declared 
 Faquita, as she stepped aggravatingly before him. " Jiut all 
 you have been able to do was to make plans that I joyfully 
 defeated. When you became a traitor 1 became a patriot. In 
 memory of other days, I petitioned Zuucga to save your life ; 
 but now — it has no value for me." 
 
 She turned on her heel with affected indifference, but 
 Raquel saw that her eyes were full of bitter tears. 
 
 "Take him to the dungeon ! " ordered Zinlega. 
 
 The heavily barred doors were swung wide that those who 
 crouched within might come forth. But such action was 
 beyond their powers. Strong arms would be needed to carry 
 them to the light and the air of freedom. 
 
 The stench of the underground prison was so foul that the 
 liberating party staggered back, choked by its poison. 
 
 There was a period during which strenuous efforts were 
 made to keep Raquel from entering. 
 
 " Surely I can live for a moment where he has lived for 
 months ! " she cried passionately. " I will enter. Death could 
 not deter me from reaching him now ! " 
 
 But her face was white with grief, and her heart stood still. 
 
 " Papa ' Papa ! " she called through the fetid atmosphere. 
 " It is I — Raquel. I have come to save you ! " 
 
 A low moan of agony came through the gloom. 
 
 " Raquel ! " it cried with unutterable pathos. " Is this his 
 last stab ? Tired of you, my poor darling, he brings you here 
 to share this awful hole I If he would kill us both, it would 
 be merciful." 
 
 Through the breast of every listener the wail of paternal 
 grief penetrated like a knife. Each shivered in the presence 
 of this frightful sorrow which Alarcon's heartlessness had 
 caused. 
 
 "I have not come to share your dungeon, but to free 
 you from its chains," triumphantly rang Racjuel's tones. 
 "The Americanos have landed in Cuba I A\'e have taken 
 the town; the Spaniards are our prisoners. Alarcon himself 
 shall loosen your irons." 
 
 "Let not that — devil — come near me ! " pleaded the plain- 
 tive voice of the captive. * 
 
3SO A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 "He shall not touch you!" declared Lithgow vehemently. 
 "No hands but those of love shall give you liberty!" 
 
 With Lithgow at her left and the Spanish soldier acting 
 as guide on the right, Raquel found her way through the 
 indescribable horrors of the place to the side of her father. 
 
 Chained to the floor, he dazedly received the emancipa- 
 tion which came in the clasp of his daughter's arms, tlje 
 tearful pressure of her face. 
 
 "Since the moment you were carried from me I have 
 worked with this hope," she sobbed. "Alone I could never 
 have accomplished it; but Lithgow and Zufiega have done 
 what I could not." 
 
 "Lithgow and Zufiega?" he repeated. "Then — what 
 Alarcon told me was — not true? Oh, thank God! I thought 
 you were — in his power; and I have died a thousand deaths 
 because of your unhappy fate." 
 
 "Alarcon has never .<een me since the attack," she ex- 
 plained as she caressed him. "But I have fought in the 
 field and have been under the protection of — my husband, 
 Lithgow." 
 
 "Lithgow?" he questioned as, weak and trembling with 
 excitement, he folded her in arms which vainly had ached 
 for revenge. " I can not comprehend." 
 
 "But years lie ahead of us in which we will relate all that 
 has happened," prophesied Lithgow hopefully. "Years dur- 
 ing which Cuba will show the world she is capable of self- 
 government." 
 
 Gonzalo Alarcon. in the grasp of his jailers, turned his 
 head away as the emaciated form of his victim was borne 
 past him in the American's pitying arms. All the remorse 
 and physical agony to which he might be doomed could not 
 equal the acute shame of that moment when he encountered 
 Raquel's vengeful eyes for the last time. 
 
 Then, shorn of his uniform, he was dragged through the 
 filth of the dungeon to the spot where the irons lay waiting. 
 
 The hands that locked them on him were Zufiega's. 
 
 "When Cuba is free. General Gomez himself shall decide 
 the measure of your punishment," said the conqueror. "Until 
 then — I will wear the key to your chains. A quick death 
 would be too merciful; it shall be years in coming if I have 
 my way." 
 
 Without the prison, Manuel Heredia stood before Pepita 
 de Urquiza. 
 
 " It will be impossible for you to remain here, Senora," 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 351 
 
 he was saying. "After conveying the ammunition from the 
 arsenal into the hands of those who stand waiting, we mean 
 to destroy the fortifications and return to our posts. Where 
 go you next ? " 
 
 "Toward Santiago; my work is finished here. They will 
 need nurses in the field." 
 
 " You shall not venture there!" he declared. "You — I — 
 I will not permit you to imperil yourself further. You have 
 done so too long." 
 
 " But it is not your right to dictate," she said softly. 
 
 " Make it my right ! " he cried daringly. " 1 have loved 
 you for years — hopelessly, it seemed. Be kind to me nuw ! 
 Here — to-night — let the padre speak his blessing above us. 
 Pepita, I love you ! Be my wife.?" 
 
 " But the wife of Manuel Heredia must work no less for 
 Cuba," stipulated Pepita, after a time. "If my services as a 
 spy are no longer required, I insist on being allowed to nur^e 
 our heroes. Let me go with you to Santiago." 
 
 " It shall be so," he agreed. "There will be American 
 heroes to nurse as well as Cubans." 
 
 Pepita's eyes dimmed with quick sympathy. 
 
 "Ah, the mother hearts of America ! " she sighed. " They 
 are giving their dearest that we may gain libcriy. Was ever 
 such love shown ! " 
 
 "It marks an era!" said Manuel Heredia solemnly. 
 " Never before in the history of the world has there been so 
 vicarious an offering on the altar of Freedom." 
 
 And the fierce battles which followed proved the verity of 
 Heredia's words, as the Americans fought to establish jjeace 
 and liberty in the war-scarred island. 
 
 After conveying the feeble frame of Gilbert Palgrave to a 
 hospital retreat which would be safe from Spanish butchery, 
 both the Cuban and American soldiers moved southward 
 rapidly to reinforce the troops landing near Santiago de Cuba. 
 
 And they were none too soon. 
 
 The American marines at Guantanamo had defended 
 valiantly the Stars and Stripes which they Jiad planted; and 
 the precious blood of heroes had made sacred to American 
 hearts the soil of Cuba. To supplement the little invading 
 party which had held its own so well, a vanguard of three 
 thousand of General Shafter's army was put ashore at 
 Baiquiri. These soldiers found themselves reinforced by a 
 thousand Cubans who seemed to spring out (jf the ground at 
 the proper moment to attack the Spaniards. Among these 
 
352 
 
 A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 
 
 Cubans were Zufiega, Lithgow, and Manuel Heredia, their 
 knowledge of English being scarcely less valuable than their 
 familiarity with the forest Superb was the fervor with which 
 their forces led the way, receiving the deadliest fire from the 
 ambushed Spaniards. Cuban heroism won bitter reward, for 
 over the dead and dying bodies of those who struggled for 
 freedom, the American troops were forced to pass: as, mad- 
 dened by this awful slaughter, they pushed forward steadily, 
 relentlessly, in the face of a storm of bullets that mutilated 
 like knives and mowed down as a blast from hell. 
 
 Suffocating with the terrible heat of the tropical sun, their 
 flesh torn by the thorns of the dense underbrush, their 
 tongues swollen and parched with thirst, the brave boys of 
 the Northland rushed on. Those who fell wounded to the 
 death urged with their last breath their comrades forward to 
 achieve the lofty purpose for which they had been sent. And 
 nothing but this — the righting of grievous wrongs — could 
 have spurred men to win what they won that day. 
 
 When the Spanish had abandoned their position, retreating 
 ignominiously before the advancing soldiers, who fought not 
 with Apache methods but according to military rule, those 
 able to do so immediately sought out the wounded and 
 dead. 
 
 Almost the first face which Lithgow turned up compas- 
 sionately was that of one of his own friends, a New Yorker, 
 a millionaire youth whose movements had been of interest to 
 two continents. Inexpressibly pained he staggered backward, 
 but it was no moment for woe. He was destined to find 
 many he knew among these gallant " rough riders" recruited 
 from the first and wealthiest families of America. Pale and 
 stern, he grew to rejoice that their blood had been shed in so 
 noble a cause, and he thrilled with the thought that he looked 
 upon the faces of those who would go down canonized in 
 American history, but he sensed the horrible meaning of war 
 as he had not been able to do before. 
 
 There were cases where his services were of value, but it 
 seemed to him that where he loved most, hope was vain. 
 All he could do was to cover them mercifully from the burn- 
 ing rays of the pitiless sun; and, later, to lay them sorrowfully 
 to rest beneath Mother Earth. 
 
 It was when he was thus engaged that two soldiers ap- 
 proached with a wounded Cuban. 
 
 Lithgow utterea a cry of grief: 
 
 " Zufiega ! " 
 
A DAUGHTER OF CUBA. 353 
 
 But Zunega heard no voice. He had been among those 
 who first fell, and he had lain long in the scorching sun. 
 
 Trembling with fear lest it be too late, LithgOw summoned 
 aid, and, as soon as was practicable, had him removed to the 
 hospital ship, and from there the son of two nations was 
 taken to Guantanamo, where the Red Cross Society had been 
 established. That he was being sent into the hands of 
 Beatrice Warrington, Lithgow little dreamed. But it was so. 
 
 And when the hour came that Zufiega looked out upon 
 the world again and knew her, he tried to place his remaining 
 hand over on her tender fingers which had nursed him back 
 to life. 
 
 '"Could you care for one — so changed ? '" he whispered. 
 
 And Beatrice adjusted the bandages on the torn right 
 shoulder and answered softly: 
 
 "To me, you are not changed. You have gained, not lost. 
 You are one of Cuba's heroes, and — though you never again 
 can carry a gun or fight for her — she will need such as you 
 to guide and govern her when she is free." 
 
 "And will you be — my right arm ? " he asked wistfully. 
 
 And there was no need for reply. 
 
 Though her fair face flushed, Beatrice met his appealing 
 eyes with love voiced in her own; then, she bent her golden 
 head swiftly and touched her pure lips to his brow. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF N C. AT CHAPEL H'l L