Has Natalie an intrigue?
Is she already secretly married? Is the heiress of Lagunitas dead?
The labors of his waking hours and the brandy bottle only tell him
of an unfaithful woman's vagaries; a greedy lover's plots, or the
curiosity of the dark-eyed maid, whose avarice is above her fidelity.
Bah! she will tattle. No woman can resist it; they all talk.
But this Italian cur; he must be watched.
The child! Pshaw; she is a girl in frocks. But Villa Rocca is a
needy man of brains and nerve; he must be foiled.
Now, what is her game? Hardin must acknowledge that she is true
to her trust, so far.
The Judge walks over to his telegraph office, for there is a post,
telegraph, and quite a mining settlement now on the Lagunitas
grant.
He sends a cable despatch to Paris to his agent, briefly:
"Stop work. Report acceptable. Come back. Take your time leisurely,
East. Well pleased."
He does not want any misplaced zeal of his spy to alarm Natalie.
As the year 1866 rolls on, the regular reports, business drafts and
details as to Isabel Valois are the burden of the correspondence.
Natalie's heart is silent. Has she one? She has not urged him to
come back; she has not pressed the claims of her child.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401