Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Dynamiter

THE FAIR CUBAN*. 155
by what means, I know not ; by crime, if need l)e; and
Heaven forgive botli you and me and our oppressors,
and Heaven help my helplessness ! ' Thereupon I felt
strengthened as l)y long repose; stepped to the mirror,
ay, even in that chamber of the dead ; hastily arranged
my hair, refreshed my tear- worn eyes, breathed a dumb
farewell to the originator of my days and sorrows; and
composing my features to a smile, went forth to meet
my mastei*.
He was in a great, hot bustle, reviewing that house,
once ours, to which he had but now succeeded; a corpulent,
sanguine man of middle age, sensual, vulgar, humorous
and, if I judged rightly, not ill-disposed by nature. But
the sparkle that came into his eye as he observed me
enter, warned me to expect the worst.
' Is this your late mistress ? ' he inquired of the slaves ;
and when he had learnt it was so, instantly dismissed
them. ' Now, my dear,' said he, ' I am a plain man :
none of your damned Spaniards, but a true blue, hard-
working, honest Englishman. My name is Caulder.'
' Thank you, sir,' said I, and curtsied very smartly as
I had seen the servants.
' Come,' said he, ' this is better than I had expected ;
and if you choose to be dutiful in the station to which it
has pleased God to call you, you will find me a very
kind old fellow. I like your looks,' he added, calling me
by my name, which he scandalously mispronounced. ' Is
your hair all your own ? ' he then inquired with a certain
sharpness, and coming up to me, as though I were a horse,
he grossly satisfied his doubts. I was all one flame from
head to foot, but I contained my righteous anger and
sul)mitted. ' That is very well,' he continued, chucking
me good-humouredly under the chin. ' You will have no
cause to regret coming to old Caulder, eh ? But that is
by the vv^ay. What is more to the point is this : your
late master was a most dishonest rogue and levanted
with some valuable property that belonged of rights to
me. Now^, considering your relation to him, I regard
you as the likeliest person to know what has become of
it ; and I warn you, before you answer, that my whole