Chapter 5 PARDO DISMISSES HIMSELF

"I am going into the town," said Mr. O'Hagan at breakfast next morning. "Last night's affair must not be passed over. I shall lay a formal complaint before Se?or Fagasta. It won't be any good, but it would never do to take no notice. When Pardo comes, Tim, tell him that he must get the ledger posted to-day; he is rather behind. And if any of the people are curious about the shots last night--they must have heard them--don't answer any questions. I have already told the servants to hold their tongues."

Setting off on horseback, he rode straight to the gobernador's house. He noticed that the magistrate greeted him nervously. When the usual civilities had been exchanged, he said:

"I have to report, se?or, that an attempt was made last night to break into my house, and to ask that you will do what you can to discover the villains and bring them to justice."

"This is very distressing, se?or," said the gobernador. "It will give the town a bad name, especially as it happened the day after the visit of our illustrious Prefect."

"Yes, that is decidedly unfortunate," remarked Mr. O'Hagan ironically.

"I will of course do what I can with the few police at my disposal," the gobernador continued. "Had it happened on the night before, I should have been better able to deal with the matter, for the Prefect left a few of his escort of gendarmes behind. They were quartered on me; but they departed yesterday evening. Perhaps you will give me full particulars, which I will draw up in proper form."

Mr. O'Hagan related the circumstances, which the gobernador wrote down with great deliberateness and solemnity. While he was doing this, Mr. O'Hagan had time to put two and two together. He had little doubt that the attack had been made by men left behind for that purpose by the Prefect, and guessed that the gobernador had learnt or suspected their design from something they had let fall while quartered in his house.

The report having been drawn up, Se?or Fagasta gravely stamped it with the official seal, and said:

"Be assured I will do what I can, se?or. I trust that the se?ora and your excellent son are well?"

"Quite, se?or, thank you," said Mr. O'Hagan.

Neither had mentioned the incident of the bicycle or the warning given by the gobernador, from whose manner Mr. O'Hagan judged that he did not wish those matters to be alluded to. On his side, he felt that it would be indiscreet and probably useless to press the magistrate for particulars of what he knew or suspected. He had done a good turn in giving the warning, no doubt risking the vengeance of the Prefect if his action should come to that worthy's knowledge.

Taking leave of the gobernador, Mr. O'Hagan rode home and went straight to the office. It was empty. He called to Tim, who was practising with an air-gun at a target set up at the end of the lawn.

"Where's Pardo?" he asked.

"He hasn't turned up, Father. He sent a kid over to say that he's grieved to the heart at not being able to attend to his duties, owing to a painful attack of lumbago. I don't like the chap, Father."

"Because he's got lumbago?"

"No; because I think he's a bit of a fraud. Last time he stayed away it was a sore heel, you remember; but I happened to see him picking oranges in the evening when the men had gone home, and he walked well enough."

"You didn't mention it to me."

"Well, his heel might have been sore, and I didn't want to meddle, especially as you think a good deal of him, Father."

"I do. He's the best book-keeper I ever had. I'll get your mother to send him some turpentine: that'll put him to rights."

In the course of the day Roma?a was despatched by Mrs. O'Hagan with a bottle of turpentine for the sick man. Pardo was not to be seen. The old half-breed woman who looked after him told Roma?a that her master had not risen that day, complaining of pains and stiffness in his back.

"Has he sent for the doctor?" he asked.

"Not yet. He says it is a chill, and will soon pass."

"The mistress has sent some stuff to cure him. The instruction is to rub it into the skin very thoroughly. Take it to Se?or Pardo, and ask if I can do anything for him."

The old woman went off with the bottle. Roma?a had noticed Pardo's coat lying over the back of a chair. As soon as he was alone, he lifted the coat, cast a rapid but searching glance over it, and laid it on the chair again.

"Many thanks, se?or," came Pardo's voice from the inner room. "Thank the gracious lady for me, and say that I hope to return to my beloved duty in a day or two."

"Is the pain very severe, se?or?" asked Roma?a sympathetically.

"Not so severe as the stiffness, se?or. Take care that you don't take a chill."

"Thanks, my friend. I myself am always careful of the night air. Good-day; I will give the mistress your message."

Roma?a hurried back to the house, and sought his master in the office.

"Well, how is the invalid?" asked Mr. O'Hagan. "Did you see him?"

"No, se?or: he was keeping his bed. I would suggest that you should send your own doctor to him."

"That's not necessary, surely. A good rubbing is all that he needs for lumbago."

"If it is lumbago!" said the man. "Will you give me a moment, se?or?"

"Of course," replied Mr. O'Hagan, laying down his pen. "What is it?"

He leant back in his chair, frowning a little. A most unsuspicious man himself, he was annoyed at Roma?a's suggestion of malingering, coming on top of the doubts hinted by Tim.

"On the day when the se?or gobernador rode on the bicycle," said Roma?a, "Se?or Pardo sent a letter to his excellency the Prefect."

"What of that? and how do you know?" asked Mr. O'Hagan sharply.

"I saw his Cholo messenger ride away with it to San Juan, se?or, and a friend reported to me that the Cholo took it to the Prefect's house. As you know, the Prefect came to San Rosario two days after, and visited the gobernador. He then rode here. Se?or Pardo held his stirrup while he dismounted. He returned to San Juan, but left some of his gendarmes behind. Then came the matter of last night. To-day Se?or Pardo is not to be seen."

"What are you driving at?" asked Mr. O'Hagan irritably.

"Have patience, se?or. I have been ten years in your service, and you have no complaint against me?"

"That is true, but I don't like this air of mystery and suspicion. Say plainly what you have in your mind."

"I have just seen Se?or Pardo's coat--the one he was wearing yesterday: there were several little black holes in the back. I think if you send your doctor to him, you will find that he suffers not from lumbago but from shot wounds."

Mr. O'Hagan stared in amazement.

"You suggest that he was among those villains who tried to break in last night?" he asked.

"I do, se?or."

"And that the Prefect was concerned in it?"

"The Prefect's gendarmes, se?or. As for the Prefect himself!..."

He shrugged expressively.

"And that Se?or Pardo is in the Prefect's pay?"

"That is my belief, se?or."

"Roma?a, are you a spy?"

"Se?or, I am a Mollendist," replied the man with dignity.

Mr. O'Hagan was much perturbed. He was loth to believe that Pardo was a traitor, but the chain of events as linked together by Roma?a was unpleasantly consistent. Perhaps what troubled him most of all was the discovery that, careful as he had been to hold aloof from local dissensions, two of his servants were mixed up in them, on opposite sides. It was now easier to understand the mutual antagonism between the two men, of which, though veiled by the outward forms of civility, he had always been conscious.

"You have told no one else what you suspect?" he said, after a few moments' deliberation.

"Nobody, se?or."

"Then take care not to do so. I believe that you mean well, but I hope to find you mistaken. We shall see."

When Roma?a had gone, Mr. O'Hagan sought his wife and told her everything.

"I have never liked Pardo," she said, "though I can't say why. Perhaps it would be as well to ask Dr. Pereira to see him."

"I prefer not to. I shall put it to the fellow direct when he comes back to work. One thing is certain: Roma?a must go. I can't have a Mollendist about the place. If it became known, the Prefect would make it another reason for worrying me, or worse."

"Won't you write to the British consul at Lima?"

"I'm afraid that would be useless. He's too far away to be able to do anything. We're in a desperately awkward position, Rose. The Prefect will have his knife in me, and young Tim has certainly offended the Mollendists by releasing the gobernador. Whatever they meant to do with him, they will be furious at being baulked by a youngster. When I send my next convoy to the capital, I think you and the boy had better go too. You'll be out of harm's way there."

"Indeed I will do nothing of the kind, Tim. I will not leave you. And I can't believe that there's any danger to a British subject here. Write to the consul at once, dear; it's just as well to be beforehand with trouble."

"I will do so. Say nothing to Tim, by the way. He'd only worry."

Three days afterwards Pardo returned. He looked rather pale, and after greeting his employer launched out into a voluble description of his sufferings.

"But the gracious lady's lotion worked wonders, se?or," he said.

"Rather painful, isn't it?" said Mr. O'Hagan, noticing with misgiving that the man wore a new coat.

"Not at all, se?or. Its application was most soothing. It is a most excellent remedy."

Mr. O'Hagan remembered how, when suffering from lumbago himself, the friction with turpentine had left his back sore and smarting for days.

"Sit down, Pardo," he said. "I've something to say to you."

The man sat down awkwardly on his chair, smiling amiably.

"You remember the night of the attempted robbery," Mr. O'Hagan went on. "No doubt my shots disturbed you."

"Not at all, se?or. I slept the sleep of the just."

"How often do you correspond with the Prefect?"

The sudden question obviously took Pardo aback. He looked uncomfortable, but recovered himself in a moment, and said with a feeble smile:

"A humble clerk and book-keeper does not correspond with so important a person as his excellency, se?or."

"Nevertheless, you sent a letter to his excellency a few days ago. He visited me two days after, and left a party of his gendarmes in the town when he returned to San Juan. I have reason to suspect that they were concerned in the attempt to rob me. How did they know that at that precise moment I had a large sum of money in my safe?"

"These are very strange questions, se?or," said Pardo. His manner was quiet and restrained, but Mr. O'Hagan, intently watching him, noticed a look of fear in his eyes.

"They are," he said. "Here's another: where is your old coat? I mean the coat you were wearing last time you were here. It was nearly new."

Pardo started to his feet.

"Se?or, this is intolerable," he cried. "I don't know what you mean, but your questions are an insult to a perfect gentleman." (Every Peruvian is a perfect gentleman.) "You will please to accept my resignation."

"Very well, Pardo: perhaps it is best." He handed him his week's wages.

"And let me tell you this, Se?or Inglés," cried the man furiously as he pocketed the money: "a Peruvian gentleman does not take lightly such insults to his honour. You will repent this. You will feel the weight of my just anger. You treat me like a dog: dogs can bite. I will not accept your money."

He took it from his pocket and threw it on the floor. "You shall learn what it is to insult a perfect gentleman."

Snatching up his hat, he swept it round in ironical salutation, and flung out of the room.