erly.

"God knows!" said Charles Gould. "I owed it to my wife to say that much.
He is well enough informed. He knows that I have Don Pepe there. Fuentes
must have told him. They know that the old major is perfectly capable of
blowing up the San Tome mine without hesitation or compunction. Had it
not been for that I don't think I'd have left the Intendencia a free
man. He would blow everything up from loyalty and from hate--from hate
of these Liberals, as they call themselves. Liberals! The words one
knows so well have a nightmarish meaning in this country. Liberty,
democracy, patriotism, government--all of them have a flavour of folly
and murder. Haven't they, doctor? . . . I alone can restrain Don Pepe.
If they were to--to do away with me, nothing could prevent him."

"They will try to tamper with him," the doctor suggested, thoughtfully.

"It is very possible," Charles Gould said very low, as if speaking to
himself, and still gazing at the sketch of the San Tome gorge upon the
wall. "Yes, I expect they will try that." Charles Gould looked for the
first time at the doctor. "It would give me time," he added.

"Exactly," said Dr. Monygham, suppressing his excitement. "Especially if
Don Pepe behaves diplomatically. Why shouldn't he give them some hope
of success? Eh? Otherwise you wouldn't gain so much time. Couldn't he be
instructed to--"

Charles Gould, looking at the doctor steadily, shook his head, but the
doctor continued with a certain amount of fire--

"Yes, to enter into negotiations for the surrender of the mine. It is a
good notion. You would mature your plan. Of course, I don't ask what it
is. I don't want to know. I would refuse to listen to you if you tried
to tell me. I am not fit for confidences."

"What nonsense!" muttered Charles Gould, with displeasure.

He disapproved of the doctor's sensitiveness about that far-off
episode of his life. So much memory shocked Charles Gould. It was like
morbidness. And again he shook his head. He refused to tamper with the
open rectitude of Don Pepe's conduct, both from taste and from policy.
Instructions would have to be either verbal or in writing. In either
case they ran the risk of being intercepted. It was by no means certain
that a messenger could reach the mine; and, besides, there was no one
to send. It was on the tip of Charles's tongue to say that only the
late Capataz de Cargadores could have been employed with some chance
of success and the certitude