conscious of a light step behind him and of a sharp stinging pain and a
blow in the back. He turned wildly round and struck out with his
stick. A man, doubled in two, ran like a hare down the empty street
and vanished into the dark. Manvers, feeling sick and faint, leaned to
recover himself against a doorway, and probably fell; for when he came
to himself he was in his bed in the hotel, with Gil Perez and a grave
gentleman in black standing beside him.

CHAPTER XIII

CHIVALRY OF GIL PEREZ

He felt stiff and stupid, with a roasting spot in his back between his
shoulders; but he was able to see the light in Gil Perez' eyes--which
was a good light, saying, "Well so far--but I look for more." Neither
Gil nor the spectacled gentleman in black--the surgeon, he
presumed--spoke to him, and disinclined for speech himself, Manvers lay
watching their tip-toe ministrations, with spells of comfortable dozing
in between, in the course of which he again lost touch with the world
of Spain.

When he came to once more he was much better and felt hungry. He saw
Gil Perez by the window, reading a little book. The sun-blinds were
down to darken the room; Gil held his book slantwise to a chink and
read diligently, moving his lips to pronounce the words.

"Gil Perez," said Manvers, "what are you reading?" Gil jumped up at
once.

"You better, sir? Praised be God! I read," he said, "a little
catholic book which calls itself 'The Garden of the Soul'--ver' good
little book. What you call ver' 'ealthy--ver' good for 'im. But you
are better, master. You 'ungry--I get you a broth." Which he did,
having it hot and hot in the next room.

"Now I tell you all the 'istory of this affair," he said. "Last night
I see Manuela out a walking. I follow 'er too much--salute 'er--she
lift 'er 'ead back to strike me dead. I say, 'Senorita, one word. Why
you give your crucifix to my master--ha?' Sir, she began to
shake--'ead shake, knee shake; I think she fall into 'erself. You see
flowers in frost all estiff, stand up all right. By'nbye the sun, 'e
climb the sky--thosa flowers they fall esquash--all rotten insida. So
Manuela fall into 'erself. Then I talk to 'er--she tell me all the
'istory of thata time. She kill Esteban Vincaz, she tell me--kill 'im
quick, just what I told you. Becausa why? Becausa she dicksure
Esteban kill you. But I say to 'er, Manuela, that was too bad, lady.
Kill Esteban all the same. Ver' good for