"I thank you for having given these orders."
The young lady did not at all understand this blunt declaration of love.
"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, innocently, "you love me--you have pity on me."
"I will make every effort to make my sister happy."
"Oh! it would be so easy to do that, if you really wished it!" she cried.
"What must I do for that? I am ready to obey my sister."
"The tears of a poor girl can only render a great warrior like you sad!"
"Restore me to my friends!" she cried, in an excited manner.
Antinahuel drew back quite astounded, biting his lips with anger. The Linda burst into a loud laugh.
"You see," she said, "it is very easy for you to render her happy."
The chief knitted his brow still more ferociously.
"Come, brother," the Linda continued, "do not be angry; leave me to have a moment's chat with her."
"What to do?" the Toqui asked, impatiently.
"Caramba! why, to explain your intentions clearly to her."
"Only be so kind as to observe that in nowise will I answer for disposing her in your favour."
"Ah! To what purpose, then, will you talk?"
"I will undertake that, after our conversation, she shall know perfectly what she has to expect from you with regard to herself."
"My sister has a golden tongue--she will prevail."
"Hum! I do not think so; nevertheless I will try, in order to make myself agreeable," she added.
"Very well; and during that conversation I will visit the camp."
Antinahuel went out, after darting at the young girl a look which made her cast down her eyes. Left alone with Rosario, the Linda examined her for an instant with such an expression of malignant hatred, that the poor girl felt herself tremble. The sight of this woman produced upon her the strange effect attributed to the look of the serpent; she felt herself fascinated by the cold glance of the green eyes that were fixed upon her in a manner which she could not endure. After a few minutes the Linda said, in a cutting voice--
"Poor girl! Although you have been nearly a month a prisoner, can you at all divine what induced me to have carried you off?"
"I do not comprehend you, señora," the young lady replied, mildly; "your words are enigmas to me; I in vain endeavour to discover their meaning."
"Oh! poor, innocent thing!" the courtesan replied, with a mocking laugh; "and yet I fancy that on the night we were face to face at the village of San Miguel, I spoke to you pretty plainly."