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Chapter 6
...Thatfellow”—headdressedhimselfinEnglishtoMrs.Gould—“isalwaysstealingupbehindone’sbackonhisbarefeet.IsethimtolookforthatfandirectlyIcameintojustifymyreappearance,mysuddenreturn.”
HepausedandMrs.Gouldsaid,amiably,“Youarealwayswelcome.”Shepausedforasecond,too.“ButIamwaitingtolearnthecauseofyourreturn.”
Decoudaffectedsuddenlytheutmostnonchalance.
“Ican’tbeartobespiedupon.Oh,thecause?Yes,thereisacause;thereissomethingelsethatislostbesidesAntonia’sfavouritefan.AsIwaswalkinghomeafterseeingDonJoseandAntoniatotheirhouse,theCapatazdeCargadores,ridingdownthestreet,spoketome.”
“HasanythinghappenedtotheViolas?”inquiredMrs.Gould.
“TheViolas?YoumeantheoldGaribaldinowhokeepsthehotelwheretheengineerslive?Nothinghappenedthere.TheCapatazsaidnothingofthem;heonlytoldmethatthetelegraphistoftheCableCompanywaswalkingonthePlaza,bareheaded,lookingoutforme.Thereisnewsfromtheinterior,Mrs.Gould.Ishouldrathersayrumoursofnews.”
“Goodnews?”saidMrs.Gouldinalowvoice.
“Worthless,Ishouldthink.ButifImustdefinethem,Iwouldsaybad.Theyaretotheeffectthatatwodays’battlehadbeenfoughtnearSta.Marta,andthattheRibieristsaredefeated.Itmusthavehappenedafewdaysago—perhapsaweek.
