Page:Amalia. A romance of the Argentine.djvu/84

68 Come nearer to the table and don't sit there flattening yourself against the wall like a spider. What was it that frightened you?"

"His hand," answered Vigua, drawing his chair closer to the table, with an air of relief at finding himself free from the presence of Cuitino, who had caused him to pass so uncomfortable a quarter of an hour.

"Manuela,* you did not behave well," said Rosas, turning to his daughter.

She was about to answer when the sound of footsteps outside the door was heard and Rosas, turning his head in that direction, said to a man who appeared in the doorway :

"Come in, Victorica."

Victorica was at this time a little over fifty years of age; he was of medium height and well-proportioned. His mottled complexion was somewhat bronzed; his black hair was beginning to turn gray; his forehead was broad, but protuberant over the heavy eyebrows; his eyes were small and dark, and his glance was sullen and piercing ; two deep lines furrowed his face from the outer edge of the nostrils to the corners of the upper lip ; and a harsh and repulsive expression was stamped upon his countenance, in which the ravages made by violent passions were more noticeable than those made by time; and it was said that on that countenance a smile was rarely to be seen. The Chief of Police of Rosas was attired in black trousers, a scarlet waistcoat and a jacket of blue cloth trimmed with black silk braid, from one of the buttonholes of wh.ch hung a Federal device twelve inches in length. From his right wrist hung a whip with a silver handle, and in his left hand he carried a broad-brimmed hat with the regulation scarlet mourning band.