Lopez looked profoundly disappointed. He had come in the glory of a
conqueror--more, of a deliverer; to free Katie from the grasp of a
remorseless tyrant; to break in pieces her chains; to snatch her from
the jaws of death. He had expected to see her on the verge of
despair; he had fully counted on being received by her in wild and
eager excitement, almost like a messenger from Heaven. It was upon
all this that he had counted, as he had toiled to effect her rescue.
His task had been by no means light. Fortune had favored him, or else
his toil would all have been unavailing. His rescue of her in so
short a time was therefore very near the miraculous. And now as he
came to her, after all his efforts, after all this brilliant success,
with these hopes and expectations, he found his arrival greeted
in the coolest manner, and treated as the most commonplace thing in
the world. More than this, instead of finding Katie languishing in
her dungeon, he found her actually unwilling to leave it, and
pretending that she had an "attachment for it." Of course, all this
was pretence and affectation, yet still there was something
underneath which Lopez could not quite comprehend. For the present he
could only conceal his deep disappointment and vexation as best he
might, and arrange his plans for the future.
After retiring for a few minutes, he came back with a woman. This was
one of the women who had been captured, and was now allowed to remain
on condition of service, the particular service required of her being
merely attendance upon Katie.
Lopez here had a fresh disappointment. He had seen Katie's solitary
state, and thought that by bringing her an attendant he would give
her pleasure. But to Katie the presence of any attendant was
exceedingly distasteful. It was like having a spy set over her. It
was bad enough to be taken away from within reach of those secret
passages, but to be afflicted with this attendant and spy was too
much.
Lopez noticed her slight frown and her downcast look. He was
surprised once more, and more disappointed than ever.
"And now, senorita," said Lopez, "if you are quite ready, I will show
you the way to the new room, where you may stay so long as you remain
here."
"Very well, senor captain," said Katie, quietly.
"If you have any luggage, it shall be sent up to-morrow."
"Thanks, senor."
Upon this Captain Lopez went out with the torch, and Katie, with her
attendant, followed. She noticed, as she went, that there were marks
of great confusion in the castle; some men were bound, others lying
wounded, with women weeping over them; others again, in the Spanish
uniform, were lolling about, drinking and carousing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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