but
these are trifles. Happy he! he had forgotten much more than that.

When Manvers told him that he intended to pay Manuela a visit on the
day allowed, Gil Perez suffered the tortures of the damned. Jealous
rage consumed his vitals like a corroding acid, which reason and
loyalty had no power to assuage. Yet reason and loyalty played out
their allotted parts, and it had been a fine sight to see Gil grinning
and gibbering at his own white face in the looking-glass, shaking his
finger at it and saying to it, in English (since it was his master's
shaving-glass), "Gil Perez, my fellow, you shut up!" He said it many
times, for he had nothing else to say--jealousy deprived him of his
wits; and he felt better for the discipline. When Manvers returned
there was no sign upon Gil's brisk person of the stormy conflict which
had ravaged it.

Manvers had seen her and, by Sister Chucha's charity, had seen her
alone. The poor girl had fallen at his feet and would have kissed them
if he had not lifted her up. "No, my dear, no," he said; "it is I who
ought to kneel. You have done wonders for me. You are as brave as a
lion, Manuela; but I must get you away from this place."

"No, no, Don Osmundo," she cried, flushing up, "indeed I am better
here." She stood before him, commanding herself, steeling herself in
the presence of this man she loved against any hint of her beating
heart.

He had himself well in hand. Her beauty, her distress and misfortune
could not touch him now. All that he had for her was admiration and
pure benevolence. Fatal offerings for a woman inflamed: so soon as she
perceived it her courage was needed for another tussle. Her blood lay
like lead in her veins, her heart sank to the deeps of her, and she
must screw it back again to the work of the day.

He took her hand, and she let him have it. What could it matter now
what he had of hers? "Manuela," he said, "there is a way of freedom
for you, if you will take it. A man loves you truly, and asks nothing
better than to work for you. I know him; he's been a good friend to
me. Will you let me pay you off my debt? His name is Gil Perez. You
have seen him, I know. He's an honest man, my dear, and loves you to
distraction. What are you going to say to him if he asks for you?"

She stood, handfasted to the man who had kissed her--and in kissing her
had drawn out her soul through her lips; who now was pleading that
another man might have her dead