It was Valcour who broke the silence. Confronting the captain with blazing eyes, while his slight form quivered with excitement, he cried:
253“This is nonsense, de Souza! The Emperor must have been mad to write such an order. You will convey your prisoners to Rio for trial.”
“I shall obey the Emperor’s commands,” answered the captain, gloomily.
“But it is murder!”
“It is the Emperor’s will.”
“Hear me, Captain de Souza,” said Valcour, drawing himself up proudly; “you were instructed to obey my commands. I order you to convey the prisoners to Rio, that they may be tried in a court of justice.”
The other shook his head.
“The order is to me personally, and I must obey. A soldier never questions the commands of his superiors.”
“But I am your superior!”
“Not in this affair, Senhor Valcour. And the Emperor’s order is doubtless to be obeyed above that of his spy.”
Valcour winced4, and turned away to pace the floor nervously5.
“But the lady—surely you will not execute the Donzella Paola in this brutal6 fashion!” 254he protested, after an interval7 of silence.
The captain flushed, and then grew pale.
“I will speak with the lady,” he said, and motioning aside the guard he entered the room where Lesba was confined, and closed the door after him.
We could hear his voice through the thin partition, speaking in low and earnest tones. Then a burst of merry laughter from Lesba fell upon our ears with something of a shock, for the matter seemed serious enough to insure gravity. Evidently the captain protested, but the girl’s high-pitched tones and peals8 of merriment indicated that she was amusing herself at his expense, and suddenly the door burst open and de Souza stumbled out with a red and angry face.
“The woman is a fiend!” he snarled9. “Let her die with the others.”
Valcour, who had continued to pace the floor during this interview, had by now managed to get his nerves under control, for he smiled at the captain, and said:
“Let us see if I have any argument that will avail.”
255While the officer stood irresolute10, Valcour bowed mockingly, opened the door, and passed into Lesba’s room.
It was de Souza’s turn now to pace the floor, which he did with slow and measured strides; but although we strained our ears, not a sound of the interview that was progressing reached us through the partition.
After a considerable time it seemed that the captain regretted having allowed Valcour this privilege, for he advanced to the door and placed his hand on the knob. Instantly the spy appeared, closing the door swiftly behind him and turning the key in the lock.
“I withdraw my opposition11, Captain,” said he. “You may execute the lady with the others, for all I care. When is the massacre12 to take place?”
The officer stroked his moustache and frowned.
“The order commands the execution on the same day the conspirators13 are arrested,” he announced. “I do not like the job, Valcour, believe me; but the Emperor must be obeyed. Let them die at sunset.”
256He turned abruptly14 and left the house, but sent a detachment of the Uruguayans to remain in the room with us and guard against any attempt on our part to escape.
We indulged in little conversation. Each had sufficient to occupy his thoughts, and sunset was not very far away, after all. To me this ending of the bold conspiracy15 was not surprising, for I had often thought that when Dom Pedro chose to strike he would strike in a way that would deter16 all plotting against the government for some time to come. And life is of little value in these South American countries.
“Where are the records?” I whispered to Dom Miguel, who sat near me.
“Safe with Fonseca in Rio,” he answered.
“Do you imagine that Fonseca will succeed?” I continued.
“He is sure to,” said the chief, a soft gleam lighting17 his eyes. “It is only we who have failed, my friend.” He paused a moment, and then resumed: “I am sorry I have brought you to this, Robert. For the rest of us it matters little that we die. Is not 257a free Brazil a glorious prize to be won by the purchase of a few lives?”
It was futile18 to answer. A free Brazil meant little to me, I reflected; but to die with Lesba was a bit comforting, after all. I must steel myself to meet death as bravely as this girl was sure to do.
Paola, after sitting long silent, addressed Valcour, who, since the captain’s exit, had been staring from the window that faced the forest.
“What did de Souza say to Lesba?” he asked.
The spy turned around with a countenance more composed and cheerful than he had before shown, and answered:
“He offered to save her from death if she would marry him.”
“Ah; and she laughed at the dear captain, as we all heard. But you, senhor, made an effort to induce her to change her mind—did you not?”
“I?” returned Valcour. “By no means, senhor. It is better she should die than marry this brutal Captain de Souza.”
This speech seemed to confirm my suspicion 258that Valcour himself loved Lesba. But Paola cast one of his quick, searching glances into the spy’s face and seemed pleased by what he discovered there.
“May I speak with my sister?” he asked, a moment later.
“Impossible, senhor. She must remain in solitary19 confinement20 until the hour of execution, for the captain’s gallantry will not permit him to bind21 her.”
Then, approaching de Pintra, Valcour stood a moment looking down at him and said:
“Sir, you have made a noble fight for a cause that has doubtless been very dear to you. And you have lost. In these last hours that you are permitted to live will you not make a confession22 to your Emperor, and give him the details of that conspiracy in which you were engaged?”
“In Rio,” answered Dom Miguel, quietly, “there is now no Emperor. The Republic is proclaimed. Even at this moment the people of our country are acclaiming23 the United States of Brazil. Senhor, your power is ended. You may, indeed, by your master’s 259orders, murder us in this far-away province before assistance can reach us. But our friends will exact a terrible vengeance24 for the deed, be assured.”
Valcour did not answer at once. He stood for a time with knitted brows, thoughtfully regarding the white-haired chieftain of the Republic, whose brave utterances25 seemed to us all to be fraught26 with prophetic insight.
“If your lives were in my hands,” said the spy, with a gesture of weariness, “you would be tried in a court of justice. I am no murderer, senhor, and I sincerely grieve that de Souza should consider his orders positive.”
He turned abruptly to Mazanovitch, and throwing an arm around the little man’s shoulders bent27 swiftly down and pressed a kiss upon the pallid28 forehead. Then, with unsteady gait he walked from the room, and at last I saw the eyes of Mazanovitch open wide, a gaze of ineffable29 tenderness following the retreating form, until Valcour had disappeared. Paola also was staring, and the disgusting simper had left his face, for a time, at least.
260Silence now fell upon the room. Bastro, in his corner, had gone to sleep, and Dom Miguel seemed lost in thought. From the chamber30 in which Lesba was confined came no sound to denote whether the girl grieved over her approaching fate or bore it with the grim stoicism of her doomed31 comrades.
The guard paced up and down before the closed door, pausing at times to mutter a word to his fellows, who stood watchfully32 over us. From my station on the chest I could gaze into the yard and note the shadow of the house creeping further and further out into the sunshine, bringing ever nearer the hour when the bright orb33 would sink into the far-away plateau and our eyes would be closed forever in death.
Yet the time dragged wearily, it seemed to me. When one is condemned34 to die it is better to suffer quickly, and have done with it. To wait, to count the moments, is horrible. One needs to have nerves of iron to endure that.
Nevertheless, we endured it. The hours passed, somehow, and the shadows grew dim with stretching.
261Suddenly I heard a clank of spurs as de Souza approached. He gave a brief order to the Uruguayans who were lounging in the yard, and then stepped through the doorway35 and faced us.
“Get ready, senhors,” said he. “The hour has come.”
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1
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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7
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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8
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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10
irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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11
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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14
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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15
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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16
deter
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| vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住 | |
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17
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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18
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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19
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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20
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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21
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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23
acclaiming
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| 向…欢呼( acclaim的现在分词 )； 向…喝彩； 称赞…； 欢呼或拥戴（某人）为… | |
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24
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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25
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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26
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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27
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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28
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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29
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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30
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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31
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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32
watchfully
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| 警惕地，留心地 | |
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33
orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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34
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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35
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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