Adventure stories; Americans -- Mexico -- Fiction; Love stories; Young women -- Fiction
"He's jealous of Don Juan, too. Well, that won't do him any harm. He's so
determined not to fall in love with me that he's going to need a little
outside interference to make him change his mind. He's got to change his
mind because I--yes, I do care for him--a lot. People may think these
things don't come suddenly outside of books, but they do--oh, they do!"
And, worn out by the exertions of the day, Polly curled herself in a knot
and prepared to sleep.
Juan Baptisto Pachuca had not availed himself of the shakedown made for
him by Mrs. Van Zandt's blankets. He had put out his light because he
wanted to think and he preferred thinking by moonlight. He sat in Hard's
office chair by the window, closed now, for the night was cool, and
drummed impatiently upon the arm of it.
Mentally, Pachuca was more than impatient; he was outraged. His plans had
been spoiled, his liberty restricted and his dignity impaired. He had been
made to look ridiculous. Of all the offenses against him the latter was
the most serious. He hated giving up anything he had put his mind on, but
he hated a great deal more being made ridiculous.
Nor was it pleasant to be triumphed over by a girl. Juan Pachuca liked
girls, especially good-looking ones, but he liked them in their places,
not in the larger affairs of life. When they insisted upon mixing
themselves up with such affairs, they ceased, in his estimation, to be
pretty girls and became merely tiresome members of the other sex.
Had Polly Street given in to his proposals of escape he would have felt in
a better temper with her, but he would not have been at all tempted to
fall in love with her. He had been in the mood for that once--the night
they had come over from Conejo together--but Fate, or the girl herself, or
Marc Scott, he had hardly taken the time to decide which, had interfered
and that was over.
Pachuca bore Polly no ill will for her part in that affair. That was her
province--a love affair. A lady had the privilege of granting or denying
her favors; it was not always because she wanted to that she denied them.
He knew a good deal about that sort of thing and he was willing to give
and take very agreeably in the game of love, without repining if things
didn't seem to be going his way.
This, however, was a question of business and Juan Pachuca considered that
any woman who could get ahead of him in a matter of business would have to
get up exceedingly early in the morning. He would get out of that room or
he would know the reason why. It was highly important that he should. In
fact, his plans for the next few days depended absolutely upon his so
doing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account