登陆注册
15455000000043

第43章 CHAPTER X. THE DOCTOR AND THE PRIEST.(3)

Indeed, no one was aware of it but herself and Ortiz; and the servants in the kitchen looked with a curious interest at the doctor riding into the stable yard as if his life depended upon his speed. Perhaps it did. All of them stopped their work to speculate upon the circumstance.

They saw him fling himself from the saddle they saw Antonia run to meet him; they heard her voice full of distress--they knew it was the voice of complaint. They were aware it was answered by a stamp on the flagged hall of the doctor's iron-heeled boot--which rang through the whole house, and which was but the accompaniment of the fierce exclamation that went with it.

They heard them mount the stairs together, and then they were left to their imaginations. As for Antonia, she was almost terrified at the storm she had raised. Never had she seen anger so terrible. Yet, though he had not said a word directly to her, she was aware of his full sympathy. He grasped her hand, and entered the Senora's room with her. His first order was to Rachela--"Leave the house in five minutes; no, in three minutes. I will tell Ortiz to send your clothes after you. Go!"

"My Senora! Fray I--"

"Go!" he thundered. "Out of my house! Fly! I will not endure you another moment."

The impetus of his words was like a great wind. They drove the woman before him, and he shut the door behind her with a terrifying and amazing rage. Then he turned to the priest--"Fray Ignatius, you have abused my hospitality, and my patience. You shall do so no longer. For twenty-six years I have suffered your interference-"

"The Senor is a prudent man. The wise bear what they cannot resist"; and with a gentle smile and lifted eyebrows Fray Ignatius crossed himself.

"I have respected your faith, though it was the faith of a bigot; and your opinions, though they were false and cruel, because you believed honestly in them. But you shall not again interfere with my wife, or my children, or my servants, or my house."

"The Senor Doctor is not prince, or pope. `Shall,' and `SHALL NOT,' no one but my own ecclesiastical superiors can say to me."

"I say, you shall not again terrify my wife and insult my daughter, and disorganize my whole household! And, as the God of my mother hears me, you shall not again burn up His Holy Word under my roof. Never, while I dwell beneath it, enter my gates, or cross my threshold, or address yourself to any that bear my name, or eat my bread." With the words, he walked to the door and held it open. It was impossible to mistake the unspoken order, and there was something in the concentrated yet controlled passion of Robert Worth which even the haughty priest did not care to irritate beyond its bounds.

He gathered his robe together, and with lifted eyes muttered an ejaculatory prayer. Then he said in slow, cold, precise tones:

"For the present, I go. Very good. I shall come back again.

The saints will take care of that. Senora, I give you my blessing. Senor, you may yet find the curse of a poor priest an inconvenience."

He crossed himself at the door, and cast a last look at the Senora, who had thown herself upon her knees, and was crying out to Mary and the saints in a passion of excuses and reproaches. She was deaf to all her husband said. She would not suffer Antonia to approach her. She felt that now was the hour of her supreme trial. She had tolerated the rebellion of her husband, and her sons, and her daughter, and now she was justly punished. They had driven away from her the confessor, and the maid who had been her counsellor and her reliance from her girlhood.

Her grief and terror were genuine, and therefore pitiful; and, in spite of his annoyance, the doctor recognized the fact. In a moment, as soon as they were alone, he put aside his anger.

He knelt beside her, he soothed her with tender words, he pleaded the justice of his indignation. And ere long she began to listen to his excuses, and to complain to him:

He had been born a heretic, and therefore might be excused a little, even by Almighty God. But Antonia! Her sin was beyond endurance. She herself, and the good Sisters, and Fray Ignatius, had all taught her in her infancy the true religion.

And her Roberto must see that this was a holy war--a war for the Holy Catholic Church. No wonder Fray Ignatius was angry.

"My dear Maria, every church thinks itself right; and all other churches wrong. God looks at the heart. If it is right, it makes all worship true. But when the Americans have won Texas, they will give to every one freedom to worship God as they wish."

"Saints in heaven, Roberto! That day comes not. One victory!

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 倾城绝恋:三世之缘

    倾城绝恋:三世之缘

    他是高高在上的七夜帝君,她是神宫的倾城神女,本来如此相爱的两人却天人永隔。满林的桃树下,洛倾城美丽明亮的脸庞挂着微笑,身后站着最爱她的男人。“我洛倾城,生生世世只爱七夜一人,不离不弃,直到天荒地老?”倾城,我想你了!
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 妇毒

    妇毒

    我从不杀人,的确,我从未亲手杀过一个人。我杀人不是因为喜欢权势,我同样不贪图富贵。我所做的一切,不过是为了拿回属于我自己的东西。
  • 穿越之古代奇遇记

    穿越之古代奇遇记

    这年唉,为什么我本宝宝我就这么倒霉啊!我的大学生活才刚刚开始老妈就让我去相亲,相亲也就算了吧!想不到居然捡到一穿越王爷,最可恨的是他居然把我的初吻给夺走了…………
  • 此妃有毒,殿下请慎重

    此妃有毒,殿下请慎重

    今生,一个是口口声声情同姐妹的闺蜜,一个是口口声声甜蜜饯的爱人。两人却在一起激情苟且翻云覆雨,骗我钱财!辱我尊严!害我性命!利我感情!明月不再觉得撕心裂肺的痛,而是感受到了彻骨的仇恨,更恨自己的无知愚蠢。然而天不亡我,这一世我要好好活。再不会相信任何的甜言蜜语,我只相信自己。管他高高在上的皇权,管他什么美色皮囊,这生的乐,死的痛,爱的迷,痛的伤,统统收入麾下!
  • 蓝玉镯传奇

    蓝玉镯传奇

    林颖因跳崖回到现代,失去记忆,并生下遥梦雪,当她取回记忆后,因思念上官云峰成疾,最终死在曾经穿越的那片海滩。转眼遥梦雪逐渐长大,学会了林颖擅长的二胡与她经常弹唱的歌曲。二十岁生日那天,舅舅林天豪带着遥梦雪去拜祭她的母亲,并把曾经送给林颖的蓝玉镯转送给遥梦雪,由于回家路上刹车失灵,双双坠崖,一命呜呼。遥梦雪醒来后,发现自己变成了婴儿。(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 误闯春秋变霸主

    误闯春秋变霸主

    一场车祸,让西九龙重案组高级督察邹子华回到了两千多年前的春秋时期变成了晋国二公子重耳。那是一个群雄争霸的年代,晋国在外有秦、齐等国虎视眈眈,在内有骊姬和荀息阴谋不轨,还有心术不正的晋国三公子夷吾,再加上胸怀坦荡的世子申生。莫名其妙来到这个时代的邹子华,不得不为了自己的命运,而努力去拯救晋国的命运。假途灭虢,平冤案,斗骊姬,出使楚国,代晋献公参加葵丘之会,蒲城斗秦军,流亡天下,杀夷吾夺回晋国,称霸中原……一幕幕精彩的故事接踵而来都说没有任何一个人能改变历史,也不能创造历史,但是因为邹子华的意外出现,会不会让历史上所记载的春秋和现实发生一点点改变呢?(稗官小说不求实事与正史相合,学者通人不必深究。)
  • 隔世之恋:腹黑王爷绝世妃

    隔世之恋:腹黑王爷绝世妃

    他本是厌倦了世尘爱恋高高在上的幽冥王,当他邂逅她,一切都转变,是爱是恨?是真是假?她来自二十一世纪,糊涂搞怪,机灵活泼,他却一直将她当做她,他心中的那个人是自己吗?不被允许的爱恋,“执子之手,与子偕老”只是无稽之谈,当他忘记心里的她,爱上她时,却发现已隔了百世
  • 短狐

    短狐

    短狐,一名蜮,鬼蜮,形如鳖,三足,又名射工。在水中含沙射人影至使人病,而人不知因由。本书以此为名,意为人在局中身陷诡谋而不自知。
  • 传奇《女生版》

    传奇《女生版》

    传奇,是风靡一时的网络游戏,相信许多人对于它都已经不再陌生.在这场风暴中,我也被卷了进来,尽管我是一个女孩子.曾为了传奇而忘乎所以,活生生的在传奇世界里渡过了许多日子,有喜,有哀.传奇的世界的的确确让我成长了不少,想了想,总觉得得为它写点什么......