United States or Togo ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Her head veiled by a silk scarf which partly concealed the luxuriant tresses of her dark hair as they fell in luxuriant clusters upon her bosom, Dona Rosarita's countenance gave evidence of long and secret suffering. As she seated herself, a look of deep disquietude increased her paleness.
A pang shot through Dona Rosarita's heart, her bosom heaved, her cheeks were dyed with a deep crimson, then became pale again as the flowers of the datura, but she still remained silent. "I draw towards the close of my recital," continued Gayferos. "After having recovered the brave warrior's son from the Apaches, we journeyed towards the plains of Texas.
If the breeze could have brought to the ears of the young Count of Mediana the accents of Rosarita's voice, when she recalled him back to the hacienda, he would gladly have quitted all these treasures to run towards her. But the breeze was mute, and there is in gold so irresistible an attraction that Fabian, in spite of his sadness, was for the moment fascinated.
Don Augustin's daughter could not help the belief that Fabian yet lived. But why, then, had not Tiburcio, as she always called him, returned to the hacienda? Either he was dead, or he no longer loved her? It was this uncertainty that gave rise to Dona Rosarita's deep dejection.
The young man's heart felt as if it would burst, for at this moment a horrible idea crossed his mind. He believed that what he saw was Rosarita's spirit, and he would rather a thousand times have known her living, though pitiless and disdainful, than behold her dead, though she appeared in the form of a gentle and benignant apparition.
"Mercy, mercy!" he cried, "in the name of your mother for Dona Rosarita's sake, who loves you, for I know that she loves you I heard " "What?" cried Fabian, in his turn rushing towards Cuchillo, but the question expired upon his lips. Spurned along the earth by the carabinier's foot Cuchillo with head and arms stretched back was hurled into the abyss! "What have you done, Pepe?" exclaimed Fabian.
"The young man slept tranquilly, and his lips softly murmured a name that of a woman the same which had lately been revealed to me in his slumber." Rosarita's dark eyes seemed to question the narrator, but her words expired upon her parted lips; she dared not utter the name her heart was whispering in her ears.
When Don Augustin Pena returned, he found his daughter alone, and still kneeling; he waited until her prayer was finished. The news of Don Estevan's death so entirely occupied the haciendado's mind that he naturally attributed Dona Rosarita's pious action to another motive than the true one.
But was this really the position of Tiburcio with Rosarita? It remains to be known. According to the custom of country houses throughout Mexico, the window of Rosarita's chamber was unglazed. Strong iron bars, forming what is called the reja, hindered an entrance from without; and behind this reja, lit up by the lamp in the chamber, the young girl was standing in an attitude of graceful ease.
At this part of the narrative, Dona Rosarita's cheek became deadly pale. "Well, and the young man," interrupted the haciendado, who was almost as much moved as the daughter, on hearing these sad events, "what became of him?"
Word Of The Day