The Rival Toreadors

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 146, 20 June 1906, Page 9

The Rival Toreadors

A ROMANCE OF SUNNY SPAIN.

By ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE, Author of "Dr. Jack" "The Winning of Isolde," "An American Nabob,' , " Miss Caprice," etc.

CHAPTER VI. TH-E WAY OCT. Of course this could mean but one thing. Since the consul had not carried his phonograph along, it must be Father gtefano in the tlesh. There had been a hitch in the delightful plan 0I " tne COIISU '" anu instead of remaining at hi, parish house to meet the expected guest who bad written, makiiie an appointment, ihe good old padre had conic to fulfil his usual weekly visit to the stubborn little lady of the convent. This rather complicated matters, and Jt was verv easy to be seen that preeently there niu-t arise a peculiar situation, when Ihe padre announced his intention of calling upon Ysabel. and the shocked lady superior would endeavour to convince'him that he had started l u do so almost half an hour before. Charlie imagined it might all seem verv humorous" to a disinterested party, but' hardly so in his own case. He changed his mind about entering that room. It also pleased him a little to discover what, success he had had in imitating the peculiar drone of the good father. While he stood there Charlie was also irresistibly reminded of Shakespeare's drama of'the two droniios who resembled each other so miraculously that they constantly became mixed up regarding their identity. Should he and the old padre appear together it might prove perplexing for a lime. He would have really enjoyed seeing the confusion of the simple old priest at coining face to face with his double, only that the serious nature of the case precluded taking such risks. Unless lie wished to give the whole thing away it seemed advisable that lie discover sonic hiding place without delay, or the way out. If a meeting could be avoided it would appear that the mother superior must guppose her old friend and spiritual adviser was losing his mental faculties. since he could ~ not remember having come to the convent iu company with the American consul. ChafTTf managed to catch a sight of the latter, and saw that he was rather UUeasy/showing that be had recognised the' gravity of the occasion, and was wondering "what .sort of an explosion would occur when his make>believe padre turned up again. He would have given some sort of a si"nal had he dared, in order to relieve his overwrought feelings: but there was too great a chance that one of the others might detect this as well as the consul, so he refrained. The climax was not long in coming. "Hew did you rind the maid this night, father':'" asked the mother. "indeed, that 1 can say better after -Ihave been to see her."' This rather surprised the dame. "Surely it was half an hour back you started to counsel with her," s'.ce exclaimed. "Then must I have dreamed that only pow I came in at the door." he persisted, Shaking his -head stubbornly. She looked at him with a certain garonnt of commiseration. "Ah, how many tiaes have I anticijpated this; how often predicted that so much study was bad for the brain! It has affected your memory; presently you will be saving that we have not piet since last evening, holy father.'' "And so say I. "Why not, when it is bnly just now I entered? You would confuse me, my sister, and cause me to doubt my senses. livtruth, if it is as you say then indeed am 1 fast reaching my dotage, and had better retire in favour of a younger spiritual shepherd." The old padre shook his head in a jiuzzled manner, as though not quite so positive as he had been at first. "The proof is easy—wc will send for the maid." declared the woman, whose fcrill was law, always under that of the toriest. within those walls. "Willingly, aud you shall see how my Reckoning is vindicated," exclaimed the Jiadre, trying to speak stoutly, and yet Svith a vein of suspicion showing in his froiee. So she put her finger on a button, End immediately a dark-robed sister glided into the apartment, to whom she Bpoke in a low tone. When she had gone upon her errand there was a strange silence in the room, ■with the padre trying to appear confident, yet venturing not a word. Soon there came the rustling of garments outside. Charlie hovered near, hidden from observation, He seemed to feel a sort of fascination chaining him to the spot. Hor could he have, broken loose had he toade the effort. Then the silent sister entered, and fetter her came Ysabel. The girl looked startled, not understanding what the meaning of this unusual summons to the. presence of the Mother superior might mean. Of course, she saw immediately that this was the true Father Stefano who ■walked nervously up and down, and perhaps something like a gleam of ihe truth Hashed into her mind, for she was uncommonly keen for a girl who had sc-n ■lo little of the outside world. "Come hither, daughter, I would ask you but a single question, and your answer I know will be simply the truth, for 't is not possible for you to prevaricate. Our good padre, I fear, is becoming confused in his memory, for. do you know, he imagines that he has only just arrived, while 1 am positive he has beni here this half hour. He savs he has not «en you since last night, and yet. when he came in companv with this gentleman, he started to 'hold converse with j you. Now, te? n m6j f ] aU ght.f. r , did some °ne knock on your door, and when vou | opened, did not one who resembled our Rood padre, though it mav only have "eon his wraith, enter with a word of Peace and blessing on his lips? That is What I desire you to sav—now speak." Isabel looked first from the lady to M astonished and eager priest, and ™ bac:k a Sain- Her face took on an yssicu of wonder that was not at au assumed, for she could not understand what relation, if any, existed bekte visitor Sa&sr SteKD.O the Just. Jlarl mel rj " WUS as ? ou siate < Mother bIJL **«"»<! this night; came and Wessed, and left me. after conversation. Wn ;n P ?i- r fran)c of mind tha * I have ■^ZiZr nih - u is suxe * true <-'

Then the head of the establishment uttered an exclamation of satisfaction." not unmixed with commiseration for the unhappy fathei\ whom she had known and respected, 10, these, manv years. As for the wretched padre, he groaned in mental anguish, and clutched his brow with both hands as though reeling under the shock, for it is no light blow to be given to understand that one's wits are clouding with age. -Strange that it did not strike either ot them how easily the fact could be proven one way or the other bv interrogating the sister whose duties consisted in attending to the door after vespers. "There is something amiss—l do not feel quite well, and hence I am sure you will excuse me, sister, from any further attendance this night. Perhaps a little rest may serve to clear my faculties —but 1 sadly fear I have come near the end of my labours here," he said, in a quavering voice. The mother superior comforted him as best she might, but he insisted on retreating, and so the incident was closed. Ysabel was again given in charge of the one who had brought her thither. She had shot more than one curious I glance toward the American consul while in the room, for, truth to tell, certain suspicions had seized hold upon ■ her mind, which, being carried out to their legitimate conclusion, gave her a slender thread upon which to build a theory. The priestly cousin who had so unexpectedly turned up, claimed to be from America—she knew who the consul was, and had even conversed with him several times as occasion arose—what he had told her about the institutions of that free country which he claimed as his home had never been forgotten, arid perhaps had borne fruit in developing that eagerness on her part to do as her heart craved, rather than as others demanded. Was there any connection between these facts—both Americans, and present at the same time within those sacred walls? And then, why should the lady superior imagine that it had been poor old Father Stofano who had visited her— was, it, then, a part of the scheme for this cousin to represent the padre—good heaven-! was he a holy man at all? Now that her suspicions were aroused, she remembered several things that led her to imagine he earned on a greater deception than at the time had appeared upon the surface. Was she angry—did her heart feel i that he must be like all the. rest, not only an impostor, but au arrant rogue i as well? Why should she blush at the thought that, he was only a common everyday individual, with •» prefix of mister to his name, instead of holy father? Ah, who can fathom ihe secret thoughts of a maiden? Perhaps Ysabel had in this bold cousin, coming so far to her relief, discovered the one about whom she may have dreamed many times, the knight who appears to every girl in her hour of romantic fancy, or when her soul is wafted far across the mystic land of dreams. And Charlie was yet a prisoner within the convent v.alls, for now he dared not approach the outer door, lest the sister, already astonished at baring twice given ingress to Father Stefano without seeing him depart, might be on her guard, and arouse the house, thinking she saw spirits. The deuce of it was, how could he get out. for while that snug retreat was no doubt a very acceptable asylum for those who chose to consider it their early home, it did not promise to be a very healthy residence for one who bore the name of a man. Before now rash individuals had been stoned to death for such presumption in this land where religion is a frenzy. He knew that the consul had taken his departure, -doubtless under the impression that his colleague had also found an opportunity to slip out. Charlie yearned to see the blue sky once more, with its multitude of stars — he was always hippiest under the broad expanse of heaven, while roofs and walls gave him a strange feeling of oppression. Purely there must be some means of crawling out of a window, for instance, or dropping from roof to roof until the ground was within reach. As a. general rule, these convents are rendered impregnable of assault from without, but the same care is seldom taken to make them proof against an escape from within, and here his hopes found a chance to expand. He began to move around. The passages dazed him as before, anl it was not long before he found himself |as badly twisted as when he had been forced to call upon a lay sister to serve him as a guide. He dared not risk thp same thing 1 again—the circumstances were different now, and his appearance in the role of Father Sstefano was apt to bring about a small edition of a riot, under the impression that the good priest had certainly gone mad. and was wandering in forbidden territory. Charlie, however, had a few points in his favour, and could give a fair guess as to whether he had ever been in certain territory before, so that presently j he believed bp must be standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the turretroom, where Yyabel was lodged. First he thought the situation desperate enough to admit of his seeking thp I presence of the young miss again, and through her interposition discovering some means of escaping from his tortuous rounds. Then he shrank from facing her under such conditions. He h?.d appeared before, as a knight come to succour a distressed maiden, and she had looked upon him with a certain amount of reverence and favour. To now fepl compelled to beg assistance of her would in a measure destroy the illusion, and he could not do it, come what might. So he took up his wanderings again, winding along uncanny passages, into a chapel where several black-robed figures were bent low before an altar, and from which sacred place he instinctively shrank as though he had no business there—finally bringing up in a corridor, where light peeped through a row of windows. This encouraged him, and he made an effort to get his head outsid*., which was not a very difficult task, since the

window sashes could be moved at will. The view was charming, for it seemed that the moon had risen since his voluntary retirement to te convent, and this mean3 of illumination showed him the ragged, little blind ealle, that came only so far as the side of the grey wall. Once he reached that he could easily run to the street beyond. His hopes arose, and he even hummed a tune blithely as he prepared to risk a descent, for he had noted various projections that promised to assist in this part" of the business. Even with this promise of good things ahead, it was very annoying to feel someone clutch at his gown just as he passed through the window, and upon looking hastily up to ascertain who had appeared so inopportunely on the scene, \to find himself looking into the astoni ished face of the mother superior. (To be continued daily.)