"Women are fitful and filled with fancies, señor," he said. "At times they will rail at those whom they in reality adore. There is no telling the workings of a woman's mind—she cannot explain it with satisfaction herself."
"But I—I scarcely understand," Don Diego gasped6. "I used my words with care. Surely I said nothing to insult or anger the señorita!"
"She would be wooed, I take it, in the regular fashion. Do not despair, señor. Both her mother and myself have agreed that you are a proper man for her husband. It is customary that a maid fight off a man to a certain extent, and then surrender. It appears to make the surrender the sweeter. Perhaps the next time you visit us she will be more agreeable. I feel quite sure of it!"
So Don Diego shook hands with Don Carlos Pulido and mounted his horse and rode slowly down the trail; and Don Carlos turned about and entered his house again and faced his wife and daughter, standing7 before the latter with his hands on his hips8 and regarding her with something akin9 to sorrow.
"He is the greatest catch in all the country!" Doña Catalina was wailing10; and she dabbed11 at her eyes with a delicate square of filmy lace.
"He has wealth and position and could mend my broken fortunes if he were but my son-in-law," Don Carlos declared, not taking his eyes from his daughter's face.
"He has a magnificent house, and a hacienda besides, and the best horses near Reina de Los Angeles, and he is sole heir to his wealthy father," Doña Catalina said.
"One whisper from his lips into the ear of his excellency, the governor, and a man is made—or unmade," added Don Carlos.
"He is handsome—"
"I grant you that!" exclaimed the Señorita Lolita, lifting her pretty head and glaring at them bravely. "That is what angers me! What a lover the man could be, if he would! Is it anything to make a girl proud to have it said that the man she married never looked at another woman, and so did not select her after dancing and talking and playing at love with others?"
"He preferred you to all others, else he would not have ridden out to-day," Don Carlos said.
"Certainly it must have fatigued12 him!" the girl said. "Why does he let himself be made the laughing-stock of the country? He is handsome and rich and talented. He has health, and could lead all the other young men. Yet he has scarcely enough energy to dress himself, I doubt not."
"This is all beyond me!" the Doña Catalina wailed13. "When I was a girl, there was nothing like this! An honorable man comes seeking you as wife—"
"Were he less honorable and more of a man, I might look at him a second time," said the señorita.
"You must look at him more than a second time," put in Don Carlos, with some authority in his manner. "You cannot throw away such a fine chance. Think on it, my daughter! Be in a more amiable14 mood when Don Diego calls again."
Then he hurried to the patio15 on pretense16 that he wished to speak to a servant, but in reality to get away from the scene. Don Carlos had proved himself to be a courageous17 man in his youth, and now he was a wise man also, and hence he knew better than to participate in an argument between women.
Soon the siesta18 hour was at hand, and the Señorita Lolita went into the patio and settled herself on a little bench near the fountain. Her father was dozing19 on the veranda, and her mother in her room, and the servants were scattered20 over the place, sleeping also. But Señorita Lolita could not sleep, for her mind was busy.
She knew her father's circumstances, of course, for it had been some time since he could hide them, and she wanted, naturally, to see him in excellent fortune again. She knew, too, that did she wed21 with Don Diego Vega, her father was made whole. For a Vega would not let the relatives of his wife be in any but the best of circumstances.
She called up before her a vision of Don Diego's handsome face, and wondered what it would be like if lighted with love and passion. 'Twere a pity the man was so lifeless, she told herself. But to wed a man who suggested sending a native servant to serenade her in his own place!
The splashing of the water in the fountain lulled22 her to sleep, and she curled up in one end of the bench, her cheek pillowed on one tiny hand, her black hair cascading23 to the ground.
And suddenly she was awakened25 by a touch on her arm, and sat up quickly, and then would have screamed except that a hand was crushed against her lips to prevent her.
Before her stood a man whose body was enveloped26 in a long cloak, and whose face was covered with a black mask so that she could see nothing of his features except his glittering eyes. She had heard Señor Zorro, the highwayman, described, and she guessed that this was he, and her heart almost ceased to beat, she was so afraid.
"You—you are—" she questioned on her breath.
He stepped back, removed his sombrero, and bowed low before her.
"You have guessed it, my charming señorita," he said. "I am known as Señor Zorro, the Curse of Capistrano."
"And—you are here—"
"I mean you no harm, no harm to any of this hacienda, señorita. I punish those who are unjust, and your father is not that. I admire him greatly. Rather would I punish those who do him evil than to touch him."
"I—I thank you, señor."
"I am weary, and the hacienda is an excellent place to rest," he said. "I knew it to be the siesta hour, also, and thought every one would be asleep. It were a shame to awaken24 you, señorita, but I felt that I must speak. Your beauty would hinge a man's tongue in its middle so that both ends might be free to sing your praises."
Señorita Lolita had the grace to blush.
"And does it not? Is it that the Señorita Lolita lacks suitors? But that cannot be possible!"
"It is, nevertheless, señor. There are few bold enough to seek to ally themselves with the family of Pulido, since it is out of favor with the powers. There is one—suitor," she went on. "But he does not seem to put much life into his wooing."
"He is so wealthy that I suppose he thinks he has but to request it and a maiden31 will agree to wed him."
"What an imbecile!'Tis the wooing gives the spice to romance!"
"But you, señor! Somebody may come and see you here! You may be captured!"
"And do you not wish to see a highwayman captured? Perhaps it would mend your father's fortune were he to capture me. The governor is much vexed32, I understand, concerning my operations."
"You—you had best go," she said.
"There speaks mercy in your heart. You know that capture would mean my death. Yet must I risk it, and tarry a while."
He seated himself upon the bench, and Señorita Lolita moved away as far as she could, and then started to rise.
But Señor Zorro had been anticipating that. He grasped one of her hands, and before she guessed his intention had bent33 forward, raised the bottom of his mask, and pressed his lips to its pink, moist palm.
"Señor!" she cried, and jerked her hand away.
"It were bold, yet a man must express his feelings," he said. "I have not offended beyond forgiveness, I hope."
"Go, señor, else I make an outcry!"
"And get me executed?"
"You are but a thief of the highroad!"
"Yet I love life as any other man."
"I shall call out, señor! There is a reward offered for your capture."
"Such pretty hands would not handle blood money."
"Go!"
"Ah, señorita, you are cruel! A sight of you sends the blood pounding through a man's veins34. A man would fight a horde35 at the bidding of your sweet lips."
"Señor!"
"For the last time, señor! I shall make an outcry—and your fate be on your own head!"
"Your hand again—and I go!"
"It may not be!"
"Then here I sit until they come and take me. No doubt I shall not have to wait long. That big Sergeant37 Gonzales is on the trail, I understand, and may have discovered track of me. He will have soldiers with him—"
"Señor, for the love of the saints—"
"Your hand!"
She turned her back and gave it, and once more he pressed his lips to the palm. And then she felt herself being turned slowly, and her eyes looked deep into his. A thrill seemed to run through her. She realized that he retained her hand, and she pulled it away. And then she turned and ran quickly across the patio and into the house.
With her heart pounding at her ribs38, she stood behind the curtains at a window and watched. Señor Zorro walked slowly to the fountain, and stooped to drink. Then he put his sombrero on, looked once at the house, and stalked away. She heard the galloping39 hoofs40 of a horse die in the distance.
"A thief—yet a man!" she breathed. "If Don Diego had only half as much dash and courage!"
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1
veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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placate
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| v.抚慰，平息(愤怒) | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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dabbed
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| （用某物）轻触( dab的过去式和过去分词 )； 轻而快地擦掉（或抹掉）； 快速擦拭； （用某物）轻而快地涂上（或点上）… | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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patio
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| n.庭院，平台 | |
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pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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siesta
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| n.午睡 | |
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dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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cascading
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| 流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流 | |
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awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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26
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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laggard
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| n.落后者；adj.缓慢的，落后的 | |
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30
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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35
horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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39
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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40
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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