Part 40 (1/2)
”I will be very late to-night,” said Pepita, timidly.
”But are you much later than usual?”
”Oh, very much!”
”There is no danger, is there? But if there is you are safe. I can protect you. Can you trust me?”
”Yes,” said Pepita, in a low voice.
It was too dark to see the swiftly-changing color of Pepita's face as d.i.c.k murmured some words in her ear. But her hand trembled violently as d.i.c.k held it. She did not say a word in response. d.i.c.k stood still for a moment and begged her to answer him. She made an effort and whispered some indistinct syllables. Whereupon d.i.c.k called her by every endearing name that he could think of, and--Hasty footsteps!
Exclamations! Shouts! They were surrounded! Twelve men or more-- stout, strong fellows, magnified by the gloom. Pepita shrieked.
”Who are you?” cried d.i.c.k. ”Away, or I'll shoot you all. I'm armed.”
”Boh!” said one of the men, contemptuously. ”Off!” cried d.i.c.k, as the fellow drew near. He put himself before Pepita to protect her, and thrust his right hand in the breast-pocket of his coat.
”Who is that with you?” said a voice. At the sound of the voice Pepita uttered a cry. Darting from behind d.i.c.k she rushed up to him.
”It is Pepita, Luigi!”
”Pepita! Sister! What do you mean by this?” said the man hoa.r.s.ely.
”Why are you so late? Who is this man?”
”An American gentleman who walked out as far as this to protect me,”
said Pepita, bursting into tears.
”An American gentleman!” said Luigi, with a bitter sneer. ”He came to protect you, did he? Well; we will show him in a few minutes how grateful we are.”
d.i.c.k stood with folded arms awaiting the result of all this.
”Luigi! dearest brother!” cried Pepita, with a shudder, ”on my soul --in the name of the Holy Mother--he is an honorable American gentleman, and he came to protect me.”
”Oh! we know, and we will reward him.”
”Luigi! Luigi!” moaned Pepita, ”if you hurt him I will die!”
”Ah! Has it come to that?” said Luigi, bitterly. ”A half-hour's acquaintance, and you talk of dying. Here, Pepita; go home with Ricardo.”
”I will not. I will not go a step unless you let him go.”
”Oh, we will let him go!”
”Promise me you will not hurt him.”
”Pepita, go home!” cried her brother, sternly.