BEL RUBIO; OR, THE CHILDREN of the EARTHQUAKE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 745, 11 June 1886, Page 8

BEL RUBIO; OR, THE CHILDREN of the EARTHQUAKE

A STORY OF THE NEVILLES OF GUY’S TOWER. BY CAPT. FREDERICK WHITTAKER. CHAPTER VIII. Bel Rubio. The remarkable thing about the young Spaniard who carried in the box was that he had hair of a light flaxen yellow, and that his whiskers, which he wore in the luxuriant Spanish style, were of the same light color a thing seldom or never seen in the South of Spain. His side-face was turned to them, and the outline was very fine ; but as he rose, after putting down the box, he met their curious glances with a pair of great, soft, black eyes, that were in the strongest possible contrast to his hair and complexion. The latter was sunburned, hut unmistakably the brown of a naturally fair man. Take him all in all, as he stood there, he was as handsome a fellow as could be found -of a morning in any part of the world, and his rich velveteen costume set of his stalwart figure well. He caught the two gentlemen staring, and returned the glance with a slight smile, as he said in very good English : ‘ The porters hope to drink the health of the excellent lord.’ _ . Seymour was putting his hand in Ins pocket, but Lord Neville rose on his elbow and put his hand on his cousin’s arm saying in a low tone : * Wait a minute, please.’ Then he said to the young man in a low voice that trembled perceptibly : « In heaven’s name, who are you, and what is your name ? I beg your pardon, but yon are so like —so like to—someone I—never mind that—Who are you, and what is your na The" young porter seemed to be surprised at the way in which the other spoke, for he stared hard at Lord Neville before he answered. Then he drew himself up to reply : * My name is Martino Diaz, Senor, I hope your excellency has heard no ill of it.’ ‘ Martino Diaz ? but that is Spanish, and yon talk English,’ Neville began. Diaz smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. That is nothing. My father was called the same ; but he sent me away on a British ship when 1 was a boy to learn the language, Senor, and that's the way I came to know it. The officers call me ‘ Martin,’ just as the ladies of the garrison call my sister * Mary,’ though we call her Concha, as she was christened.’* Lord Neville was puzzled, never navmg been among Spaniards before. ‘ Concha ? ’ he repeated, ‘ and Mary ? How can that be ? I don’t see the connection between the names.’

Martin Diaz smilled again. ‘lt often puzzles the English milords. The full name of my sister is Maria de la Conception, and we shorten the last name to Concha ; while you take the first alone. Lord Neville had been gazing at him all the time he had been speaking, as if he would read his thoughts, and now he sank back on the sofa as if satisfied, murmuring : ‘lt is imoossible ; but the likeness is wonderful. I wish— ’ He was interrupted in his tram of thoughts by the young porter, who said, quietly : ‘ I am sorry to trouble his excellency ; but the men down stairs are eager to have the honor of wishing your excellency long life, and many such escapes as you had today.’ - . The language was sufficiently plain for Neville to understand that a fee was wanted, and he hastily drew out his purse and gave it to Martin, saying, with a sigh, as if something yet troubled him : ‘ Take that my friend. I beg your pardon for not thinking of it before.’ The young Spaniard who talked such good English, took the purse with a bow that would have done credit to a duke ; but, as soon as he found that it wa3 heavy with gold, he drew himself up and said, rather proudly : * I ask your excellency’s pardon ; but there is too much here. We contrabandistas are not robbers. Our custom is to help gentlemen for a favor, and drink their healths ; but we do not take such pay for a little thing like that.’ Neville s&fc up on the sofa* to look at Martin, while Seymour, who had been long enough at the town to know the peculiarities of the contrabandistas, who made the majority of the population, whispered to him : ‘ Give him a guinea. They are queer fellows, these contrabandistas. _ They have their customs, but they are quick to resent any appearance of superiority from a stranger, like over-liberality.’* Then the young lord rose from his seat, and said to the Spaniard, with _ his most charming smile and manner of high breeding : ‘ Sir, I regret that I have hurt your feelings. Ido not like to troub’e gentlemen to carry my boxes ; but, since you have been so kind, will you add to the kindness by accepting, for your comrades, a couple of guineas to drink my health ? ’ The young Spaniard listened attentively till the other had finished, when he made a second bow more courtly than the first replying : ‘ Senor Milordo, I shall be happy to accept the compliment for my comrades ; but I assure you, we shall wish that your lordship will live a thousand years in happiness and prosperity.’ He took the coins,and was about to leave the room, when Neville added : ‘By the by,—excuse the question,—but did you say you had a father ? ’

Martin faced round at once. ‘A father and sister, your excellency ; and .if I say it that should not, the prettiest sister in Spain, and the bravest father.’ * I should like to see your father very much said Lord -Neville, hesitatingly. ‘.Would you have any objection to giving me your address that I might call on him ? ’ ‘ None in the world, your excellency,’ Martin replied, instantly. The house is your excellency’s, and aud all it contains. We live near the Mole and any of the men will pomt out the cottage of Martin Diaz whenever your excellency feels disposed to honor us with a visit.’

‘ Thank you,’ said the young lord, earnestly. ‘ I assure you I will come very soon. I have a particular reason for wishing to see your si—l mean your father.” Then he bowed to the young porter as if he had been a prince ; and Martin, on his part, returned the salute as if to an equal, leaving the room with a dignity that surprised Seymour, who had never seen him before.

“ Who is that man ? ’ asked Neville anxiously, as Martin vauished. ‘ Did you ever see him before? ’

‘ No: but I have often heard of him,’ wasthe reply of the young officer, who did not understand his cousin’s agitation. *He is the one they call Bel Rubio, on account of his light hair. I have often heard the ladies of the garrison talk of him for his good looks ; and I don’t wonder, for I never saw such a handsome young man in my life. I wonder how he came by such light hair with his dark eyes.’ ‘ Have yon seen his sister that he speaks of ? ’ asked Neville trying to appear indifferent.

Seymour smiled. * I have at a distance ; and if the brother is handsome, the sister is an angel. The combination of black eyes aud golden hair is said to be so lovely that half the officers of the garrison have been in love with her, at one time or another—not to much purpose, they say ; for the old father is a regular Tartar, and the girl has the reputation of being good and vi tuous. She is often up in the quarters of the general officers, they say, Old Ross has her to do all sorts of things for his wife and daughter. She teaches the ladies stitches of embroidery ; makes lace, and all that sort of thing. That’s the way she learned English, lor she talks it as well as the brother, I’m told.’

‘ And how is it you never fell in love with her ? ’ asked Neville, curiously. I can fancy a girl that resembles that young man must be, as you say, very beautiful.’ ‘ I ? Oh, I have no time to waste in falling in love,’ said his cousin, sarcastically.’ ‘ I have a name to make and a title to earn, to please the old gentleman, who has set his heart on having one in our family—that is, George —I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to refer to the thing, but it slipped out of me. You’re not offended ? ’

George Neville had turned his eyes on his cousin, and Seymour saw that they were glistening with deep feeling. ‘Oh ! Herbert,’ he said in a low voice, * How I wish—yes, from my heart I wish—. that I had never been born to what I have. I would rather be simple Mr Neville, and know that no one wished for my death, than to be called Lord Neville, and know that the title is a source of jealousy to another man, and such a good fellow as you, Herb..’ 4 But it’s no such thing,’ said Herbert,, eagerly. ‘ I was only speaking about my father, and that is different. One thing is sure—that I have not had time, since I’vebeen here, to fall in love with anybody ; and I never had a fancy to go after Concha Diaz, who is reported to be a perfect paragon of goodness, and all that sort of thing. But you’ll go, of course, and as likely as not you’ll fall head over heels in love with her,, aud then the trouble will begin for you.’ ‘ Why ?’ asked George.

‘You are not likely to find out until after the moon rises at midnight,’ said Seymour, dryly, These Spanish contrabandistas never give a man much warning ; but they catchhim as he is going home, some dark night, and give him a few inches of steel in theribs, to remind him not to fool around their women. But that’s all a joke, of course George. You would not be apt to have any bad designs on a good girl like Concha Diaz.’ His consin took up the jest more seriously* than was expected, for he colored high, and his tone had an angry ring in it as he retorted :

‘ Herbert Seymour, you have more right then you think. I have a mother, whom I love dearly ; the best woman that ever lived ; and she taught me that n® girl is so poor that a gentleman should not respect her. But that is not the reason I want to see Concha Diaz. Did you not see something in that yonng fellow’s face, when he came in that struck you as remarkable ?’ ‘Well, yes, now you speak of it, he was something like you if he had been shaved.’ ‘ No, I don’t mean that. He could not be like me for his eyes are dark, and are blue. But were you never at the castle, in the portrait gallery ?’ Herbert pursed up his lips slightly. * I never had that pleasure, my lord.’ George stared at him for a moment at the stiff address, and then he sighed as he turned away and murmured to himself : ‘ It is too much to expect, I suppose, but I did not think he felt bitterly about it.’ ‘Never mind, Herbert,’ he said, more cheerfully. ‘l’ll tell yon what we’ll do, this very afternoon. We’ll pay a visit to this old contrabandists you speak of, and you shall show me trie way. lam very anxious to see—well, call it Concha, if you like ; but the real person I want is the father of these children. I want to see if he has hair as light as they have.’ ‘ I can spare you the trouble by telling you that he has not. The old man used to have hair like a raven's wing, and now he’s as grey as a badger.’ Neville seemed to be irritated at the way his cousin spoke ; for he broke out: ‘Well, I want to see for myself. Confound it, you don’t seem to think that I have any curiosity at all, lam going to see this wonderful contrabandista this very day.’ And he had his hand on the door knob,. when Herbert said, hastily: 1 Then I’ll go with you. I know where - he lives well enough.’