Isaura, the SlavePart 5
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Part 5
Belchior had in one hand the vast straw hat, which he dragged along the ground, and with the other he gripped, not a bouquet, but an enormous bundle of flowers of all kinds, in whose shade he sought to eclipse his graceless and extravagant figure. He looked like one of those earthenware vases, of fantastic and grotesque shapes, that are filled with flowers to adorn sideboards and dressers.
--Good Lord help me!--thought Isaura when she set eyes on the gardener.--What luck is mine! this one too!... this one at least is the most bearable of all: the others vex me and torment me; this one sometimes makes me laugh.
--Very well met, Master Belchior! so, what do you want?
--Mistress Isaura, I... I... was coming...--mumbled the gardener, embarrassed.
--Mistress!... I a mistress!... so you too mean to mock me, Master Belchior?...
--I mock you!... I am not capable... may my tongue be eaten by worms, if I fail in the respect due to you... I was coming to bring you these flowers, though you yourself are a flower...
--Enough of that, Master Belchior!... always calling me mistress!... if you go on like that, we shall fall out, and I will not accept your flowers... I am Isaura, slave of Mistress D. Malvina; do you hear, Master Belchior!
--That may be; you are the sovereign here of this heart, and I, young lady, count myself happy if I can kiss your feet. Look, Isaura...
--That is better! Now yes; treat me that way.
--Look, Isaura, I am a poor gardener, that much is true; but I know how to work, and you will not find my little money-box empty, for I already have more than half a thousand cruzados in it. If you will have me, as I want you, I will arrange your freedom, and I will marry you, for you are not meant to go about like this as anyone's slave.
--Many thanks for your good wishes; but you are wasting your time, Master Belchior. My masters will not free me for any money.
--Ah! truly!... what scoundrels!... to keep such a queen of beauty in captivity!... but no matter, Isaura; I would take more pleasure in being the slave of a slave like you, than in being the master of the masters of a hundred thousand captives. Isaura!... you have no idea how I love you. When I go to water my flowers, I remember you with such loneliness!...
--Truly! now that is love for you!...
--Isaura!--Belchior went on, bending his knees,--have pity on this your unhappy captive...
--Get up, get up,--interrupted Isaura impatiently.--It would be fine if my masters came here and found you playing those parts!... what am I saying?... there they are!... ah! Master Belchior!
Indeed, on one side Leoncio, and on the other Henrique and Malvina, were watching them.
Henrique, having withdrawn from the drawing room, vexed and furious against his brother-in-law, hot-headed and frivolous as he was, went to find his sister in the dining room, where she was preparing the coffee, and there in her presence he did not hesitate to vent his anger, letting loose imprudent words, which planted in the young woman's spirit the seed of suspicion and unease.
--That husband of yours, Malvina, is nothing but a miserable scoundrel,--he said, puffing with rage.
--What are you saying, Henrique?!... what did he do to you?...--asked the young woman, astonished at that outburst.
--I am sorry for you, my sister... if you knew... what infamy!...
--You are mad, Henrique!... what is it then?
--May God grant that you never know!... what villainy!...
--What happened then, Henrique?... speak, explain yourself, for pity's sake,--exclaimed Malvina, pale and breathless in the height of her distress.
--Oh! what is wrong with you?... do not distress yourself like that, my sister,--replied Henrique, already repentant of the mad words he had let slip. Too late he understood that he was playing a sad and deplorable role, serving as messenger of discord and suspicion between two spouses, who until then had lived in the most perfect harmony and tranquillity. Too late and in vain he sought to soften the terrible effect of his fatal indiscretion.
--Do not trouble yourself, Malvina, he continued, trying to smile;--your husband is a formidable blockhead, that is all; do not go thinking that we mean to fight a duel...
--No; but you came foaming with rage, with your eyes on fire, and with an air...
--Nonsense!... do you not know me?... I have always been like that; for--give me that straw--I catch fire, but it is also straw fire.
--But you gave me such a fright!...
--Poor thing!... take this,--said Henrique, offering her a cup of coffee,--it is the best thing there is to calm frights and attacks of nerves.
Malvina tried to calm herself, but her brother's words had penetrated to the very core of her heart, like the bite of a viper, leaving there the poison of suspicion.
The appearance of Leoncio, who was coming from the drawing room, put an end to this incident. The three took coffee in haste and without exchanging words; they were already estranged from one another, they looked at each other with suspicion, and from one moment to the next discord had insinuated itself into the bosom of that little family, so recently so happy, united and tranquil. Coffee finished, they withdrew, but all by an instinctive impulse directed their steps toward the drawing room, Henrique and Malvina arm in arm through the great entrance corridor, and Leoncio alone through inner rooms that communicated with the drawing room. It was there indeed that the fatal but innocent apple was to be found, which was to serve as the instrument of the disunion and ruin of that nascent family.
They arrived still in time to witness the end of the ridiculous scene that Belchior was performing at Isaura's feet. Leoncio, however, who was spying on them through the half-open blinds of an alcove, did not see Henrique and Malvina, who had stopped in the corridor beside the entrance door.
--Oh! oh!--he exclaimed at the moment when Belchior prostrated himself at Isaura's feet. I believe I have in my house an idol, before which everyone comes to kneel and render adoration!... even my gardener!... Here, Master Belchior, that is fine!... Continue with the farce, it is not bad... but to tend to that flower we do not need your care, no; have you understood, Master Belchior!...
--Forgive me, my master,--stammered the gardener, rising trembling and confused;--I was coming to bring these flowers for the vases in the drawing room...
--And to present them on your knees!... that is gallant!... If you continue in that role of gallant, I declare to you that I will put you out the door with two kicks on that hump.
Ashamed, confused and stunned, Belchior, staggering and bumping into the chairs, went off blindly in search of the street door.
--Isaura! oh my Isaura!--exclaimed Leoncio, coming out of the alcove, advancing with open arms toward the girl, and giving his voice, until then harsh and rude, the softest and tenderest inflection.
A sharp and piercing cry, which echoed through the drawing room, made him stop mute, frozen and petrified. He had caught sight of Malvina in the middle of the doorway, who, pale and fainting, was hiding her forehead on her brother's shoulder, who supported her in his arms.
--Ah! my brother!--she exclaimed, coming out of her swoon,--now I understand everything you were telling me just now.
And with one hand pressing her heart, which seemed about to burst with pain, and with the other hiding in her handkerchief the tears that from her beautiful eyes were bursting forth, she ran to shut herself in her room.
Leoncio, disconcerted by the terrible mishap of which he had just been the victim, remained a long time pacing, frenetic and agitated, from one side to the other along the drawing room, furious against his brother-in-law, to whose impertinent frivolity he attributed the fatal occurrences of that morning, which threatened to thwart all his plans regarding Isaura, and pondering means of extricating himself from the difficulties in which he found himself entangled.
Isaura, having resisted in less than an hour three consecutive approaches directed against her modesty and detachment, bewildered, full of fright, confusion and shame, ran to hide among the orange trees like a timid hare that hears the hounds baying through the meadows, eager to follow its trail.
Henrique, highly indignant against his brother-in-law, did not want to see his face; he took his shotgun and went out disposed to spend the whole day bird-hunting in the woods, and to leave unfailingly for the court at daybreak the next day.
The slaves were astonished when at breakfast time Leoncio found himself alone at the table. Leoncio sent for Malvina, but she, pleading an indisposition, would not leave her room. His first movement was an impulse of brutal anger; he was on the point of throwing tablecloth, plates, cutlery and everything into the air, and going to slap the senseless and insolent boy, who had come at an evil hour to his house to disturb the tranquillity of his domestic life. But he restrained himself in time, and calming down he understood that it was better not to let on, and to face with an air of the greatest indifference and even disdain the sulks of his wife and the bad humor of his brother-in-law. He was quite persuaded that it would be difficult if not impossible to dissimulate further in his wife's eyes his base conduct; incapable, however, of retracting and imploring pardon, he resolved to shelter himself from the storm that was about to break over his head with the shield of the most cynical indifference. Pride inspired this expedient in him, and the low opinion he held of all women, in whom he recognized neither honor nor dignity.
After breakfast Leoncio mounted his horse, rode through the fields and coffee plantations, a thing he very rarely did, and as the sun went down he returned home, dined with the greatest calm and appetite, and afterward went to the drawing room, where, lounging on a soft and cool sofa, he began tranquilly to smoke his Havana.
At that moment Henrique arrives from his hunting excursions, and after searching in vain for his sister in every corner of the house, he goes at last to find her shut in her bedroom, disfigured, pale, and with her eyes red and swollen from so much crying.
--Where have you been, Henrique?... I was distressed to see you,--exclaimed the young woman when she caught sight of her brother.--What bad habit is this of leaving one all alone like this!...
--All alone?!... so until now you did not live without me in the company of your handsome husband?...
--Don't speak to me of that man... I was deluded; now I see that I was worse off than alone, in the company of a wicked man.
--It's just as well that you witnessed with your own eyes what I did not have the courage to tell you. But come! what do you intend to do?...
--What do I intend?... you will see this very instant... Where is he?... did you see him around here?...
--If I'm not mistaken, I saw him in the parlor; there was a figure there on a sofa.
--Well then, Henrique; accompany me there.
--Why don't you go alone? spare me the displeasure of facing that man...
--No, no; you must come with me; I was waiting for you for that very purpose. I need someone to support and encourage me. Now I'm even afraid of him.
--Ah! I understand; you want me to be your bodyguard, so you can scold that scoundrel as you please. Well then; I gladly offer myself, and we'll see if the rascal has the audacity to disrespect you. Let's go!--
Chapter VI.
--Senhor Leoncio,--said Malvina in an altered voice, approaching the sofa on which her husband was,--I wish to say two words to you, if it doesn't inconvenience you.
--I am always at your orders, dear Malvina,--he replied, rising briskly and smiling, and like one who had noticed nothing in the ceremonious tone with which Malvina addressed him.--What do you want of me?...
--I want to tell you,--exclaimed the young woman in a severe tone, making vain efforts to give her lovely and melodious countenance a ferocious air,--I want to tell you that you insult and betray me in your own house, in the most vile and disloyal manner...
--Good God!... what are you saying there, my dear?... explain yourself better, for I don't understand a single word of what you're saying...
--It's in vain that you pretend to be surprised; you well know the cause of my distress. I should have sensed this shameful behavior of yours long ago; for a long time now you have not been the same toward me, and you treat me with such coldness and indifference...
--Oh! my heart, did you want the honeymoon to last forever?... that would be horribly monotonous and prosaic.
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