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She awoke and found herself lying on her bed, with her husband sitting beside her, caressing her hands and watching her anxiously. It was a little time before she could summon her faculties to exercise and to an understanding of her husband’s endearing words; but, seeing him safe with her, her next thought was of Velasco.

“Where is Basilio?” she asked, starting up and looking fearfully about.

“He is safe, my dear one. Think no more of Basilio, who would have harmed my Violante. Be calm, for my sake, sweet wife.”

“Oh, I can’t, I can’t! You must tell me about Basilio.” And, in a frightened whisper, she asked, “Did you kill him?”

“No, loved one; Basilio is alive.”

She sank back upon her pillow. “God be praised!” she whispered.

Suddenly she started again and looked keenly into her husband’s eyes. “You have never deceived me,” she hurriedly said; “but, Robert, I must know the truth. Have no fear–I can bear it. For God’s sake, my husband, tell me the truth!”

Alarmed, he took her in his arms, and said, “Be calm, my Violante; for as the Almighty is my witness, Basilio is alive.”

“Alive! alive!” she cried; “what does that mean? You are keeping something back, my husband. I know your passionate nature too well–you could not let him off so easily. Tell me the whole truth, Robert, or I shall go mad!”

There was a frantic earnestness in this that would have made evasion unwise.

“I will, Violante; I will. Listen–for upon my soul, this is the whole truth: When I saw you drop the pistol and sink back upon the floor, I knew that you had fainted. I ordered the vaqueros to secure the weapon and make Basilio descend to the ground. Then I ran upstairs, placed you on the bed, loosened your clothing, and did what I could to restore you. But you remained unconscious—-“

“Basilio! Basilio! tell me about him.”

“I went to the window and sent one of the men to the hacienda for a doctor for you, and told the other to bring Basilio to this room. He came in very weak and trembling, for he had fallen from the vine and was slightly stunned, but not much hurt. He expected me to kill him here in this room, but I could not do that–I was afraid on your account, Violante. He was very quiet and ill—-“

“Hurry, Robert, hurry!”

“He said nothing. I spoke to him. He hung his head and asked me if I would let him pray. I told him I would not kill him. A great light broke over his face. He fell at my feet and clasped my knees and kissed my boots and wept like a child. It was pitiful, Violante.”

“Poor Basilio!”

“He begged me to punish him. He removed his shirt and implored me to beat him. I told him I would not touch him. He said he would be your slave and mine all his life; but he insisted that he must make some physical atonement–he must be punished. ‘Very well,’ I said. Then I turned to Nicolas and told him to give Basilio some light punishment, as that would relieve his mind. Nicolas took him down and lashed him to the back of a horse, and turned the animal into the horse-corral. Then Nicolas came back and told me what he had done. I replied that it was all right, and that as soon as I could leave you I would go and release Basilio. And then I told Nicolas to go to the range and look up Alice and bring her home, for she was too weak to come back with me.”

“And Basilio is in the corral now?”

“Yes.”

“How was he lashed to the horse?”

“I don’t know–Nicolas didn’t tell me; but you may be sure that he is all right.”

She threw her arms around her husband’s neck and kissed him again and again, saying, “My noble, generous husband! I love you a thousand times more than ever. Now go, Robert, at once, and release Basilio.”