Page:Cup of Gold-1929.djvu/193

Henry Morgan went to the Palace of the Governor to establish his quarters, and there, in the doorway, stood Don Juan Perez de Guzman, with a naked rapier in his hand.

“I am the Governor,” he said brokenly. “My people looked to me to defend them against this scourge. I have failed—but perhaps I can manage to kill you.”

Henry Morgan looked at the ground. Something about this hysterical man unnerved him. “I did not set the fire,” he said. “Some of your own slaves did that out of revenge, I think.”

Don Juan moved forward with his drawn rapier. “Defend yourself!” he cried.

Captain Morgan did not change his position.

The sword dropped from the Governor’s hand. “I am a coward—a coward,” he cried. “Why did I not strike without speaking? Why did you not oppose me? Ah, I am a coward! I waited too long. I should never have spoken at all, but driven my point into your throat. I wanted to die a moment ago—to die as a kind of atonement for my failure—and to take you with me as a peace offering to my conscience. Panama is gone—and I should be gone, too. It is as though a finger continued to live after the body has died. But I cannot die now. I haven’t the courage. And I cannot kill you. I realize how I pretended. Ah! if I had only acted quickly! If I had not spoken—” He walked away toward the gate and the open country. Henry Morgan watched him drunkenly lurching out of the city.