Well, time passed on in its ever-varying round. Lorenzo Bezan was on
his way to Spain, and Isabella and her brother filling nearly the
same round of occupation, either of amusement or self-imposed duty.
Occasionally General Harero called; but this was put a stop to, at
last, by Ruez's pertinently asking him one evening how he came to
order the execution of Lorenzo Bezan to take place a full hour
before the period announced in the regular sentence signed by the
governor-general!
Ruez was not the first person who had put this question to him, and
he felt sore about it, for even Tacon himself had reprimanded him
for the deed. Thus realizing that his true character was known to
Don Gonzales and his family, he gave up the hope of winning Isabella
Gonzales, or rather the hope of sharing her father's rich coffers,
and quietly withdrew himself from a field of action where he had
gained nothing, but had lost much, both as it regarded this family,
and, owing to his persecution of Captain Bezan, that of the army.
Isabella Gonzales became thoughtful and melancholy without exactly
knowing why. She avoided company, and often incurred her father's
decided displeasure by absenting herself from the drawing-room when
there were visitors of importance.
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