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During dinner, that night, Don Hermoso related to his family and guests the particulars of the interview that had occurred between him and Alvaros in the afternoon; and if he had, even for a moment, entertained the slightest doubt as to the wisdom of the step which he had taken in declining Alvaros' proposal and dismissing him from the house, it was finally dissipated when Senorita Isolda expressed in quite unmistakable terms her relief and gratification.
It now appeared that the original suggestion had very powerfully appealed to the imagination of the ladies, who had kept it pretty persistently before Don Hermoso, until he, worthy man, finding nothing very convincing to advance against it, had been gradually brought into a frame of mind that needed very little further persuasion to induce him to give it his willing assent.
Don Ramon then went on to state that, upon receipt of this communication, he had taken it upon himself to pay a flying visit to Senor Calderon, upon which occasion he, Don Ramon, had informed the Senor of the escape of Don Hermoso from the convict ship, and had instructed him to hold the property, at all hazards, until Don Hermoso's return.
Then he, Don Hermoso, and Carlos held a consultation as to how the prisoners were to be disposed of, the difficulty of feeding and controlling so large a number being one that was likely to grow daily: and it was finally decided that, as the rest of the army had by this time passed on, and were scarcely likely to return over the same ground, the sound prisoners, together with those of the wounded who were so slightly hurt as to be able to travel, should be set at liberty and escorted for some few miles on the road to Pinar del Rio by a strong band of armed negroes, whose duty it would be to see that the released men did not attempt to rejoin the main army; that as soon as those were disposed of, the estate which was practically destroyed, and therefore could not very well be further injured should be abandoned to the Spanish doctor and such assistants as he could persuade to remain with him to look after the wounded; and that, as soon as the Senora's health would permit, Don Hermoso, Carlos, and Jack should attach themselves to one of the guerrilla bands who were hanging upon the skirts of the main Spanish army and harassing it night and day.
Swallowing his rage, therefore, he made an attempt to retrace that false step by exclaiming: "Pardon me, Don Hermoso, but I have been most unfortunate in my choice of words, and, believe me, you have entirely mistaken my meaning. What I really intended to convey was "
"Ah!" remarked Don Hermoso; "I will see that Don Sebastian's visits are discouraged henceforth. It is true that I know nothing against him indeed, he is spoken of as a very promising officer still, like yourself, Carlos, I do not altogether trust him; he is not precisely a desirable acquaintance, and I will endeavour to make him understand that he is not wanted at the hacienda."
"Such a visit as this from me, Don Hermoso, can have but one object, and I think you will have no difficulty in guessing what that object is," replied Alvaros, with a somewhat embarrassed laugh. "Pardon me, Senor," answered Don Hermoso; "you credit me with a much larger measure of perspicacity than I can lay claim to.
"Then we had better proceed forthwith, and get our work over whilst the opportunity is favourable," remarked Don Hermoso. "What is your name, by the by?" "Pedro, Senor Pedro Velasquez," answered the man. "Good!" said Don Hermoso. "Follow me up to the bridge, Pedro.
They buried the poor lady on the evening of that day, in a particularly lovely and peaceful spot, some distance up the valley, which had been a favourite resort of her daughter. The ceremony was singularly moving and impressive, every negro on the place following the body to the grave, and Don Hermoso himself, in the absence of a priest, reading the funeral service over his departed wife.
Hence we can easily understand the presence of rounded masses of tosca-rock in this lowest plain; and likewise, as the cliffs at Monte Hermoso with their mammiferous remains stand at a higher level, the presence of the one much-rolled fragment of bone which was as black as jet: possibly some few of the other much-rolled bones may have been similarly derived, though I saw only the one fragment, in the same condition with those from Monte Hermoso.
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