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Sinners who dreaded a future state of punishment, as a just reward for their evil deeds on earth, were accustomed to leave Father Concha a good round sum of money, to pray them out of the uncomfortable quarters to which they expected to be consigned after departing from this life. Like a certain shrewd Irishman, they "accepted" purgatory, fearing they might go further and fare worse.
The names given at baptism are almost all hers. Dolores, Amparo, Pilar, Trinidad, Carmen, Concepcion, abbreviated into Concha, are, in full, Maria de Dolores, del Pilar, and so forth, and are found among men almost as much as among women.
Those years are so few, and so much wisdom has gone into that little head." "Sixteen is quite old." Concha drew herself up with an air of offended dignity. "Elena Castro, who lives on the other side, is but eighteen and she has three little ones. The Virgin brought them in the night and left them in the big rosebush you see before the door one at a time, of course.
Concha darted a quick look at him like the momentary resentment of an animal, but almost as quickly her eyes became suffused, and with a hurried movement she put on the slipper. "Please, sir, it dropped off and Jimmy Snyder passed it on," said a small explanatory voice among the benches. "Silence!" said the master.
'Who travels slowly may arrive too late, said the Padre Concha, with a pessimistic shake of the head, as the carrier's cart in which he had come from Toledo drew up in the Plazuela de la Cebada at Madrid.
Concha looked at her with his grim smile amused at a youthfulness which could enable her to fall asleep at such a time and wake up so manifestly refreshed. A halt was made at a roadside venta, where the travellers partook of a hurried meal. Darkness came on before the horses were sufficiently rested, and by the light of an ill-smelling lamp the General had his inevitable cup of coffee.
'Is that you Father Concha, of Ronda? he asked. 'No other, my son. Standing in the doorway Conyngham held out his hand with that air of good-fellowship which he had not yet lost amid the more formal Spaniards. 'Hardly the night for respectable elderly gentlemen of your cloth to be in the streets, he said; whereat Concha, who had a keen appreciation of such small pleasantries, laughed grimly.
Rezanov, who had much on his mind, stared moodily at the altar until Concha, who had bowed her head almost to her knees, finished her supplication; then their eyes turned and met simultaneously. For a moment their brains did swim in the delusion that the priest with his uplifted hands pronounced benediction upon their nuptials, that probation was over and union nigh.
"This is the Señor Americano whom you are to guide to Jiguani, and afterwards, if he requires it, to Santiago," said del Concha, Dionysio looked keenly at Ridge, but uttered no word. "He is ready to start." The negro stood up, to signify that he was also ready. "You will not let the Spaniards kill him," Dionysio tapped his machete significantly.
"That is the vocation of certain men," said Concha lightly. Life was very gay for a fortnight. An hour after the Commandante's surrender he had despatched invitations to all the young folk of the gente de razon of Monterey, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego, and to such of the older as would brave the long journeys.
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