CHAPTER XXIX. THE BOLD STROKE.

Going back a little distance, we will relate what had occurred from the day when Miramón so freely disposed of the money of the Convention bonds deposited in the English consulate, to that which our story has reached; for the political events precipitated the termination of the narrative we have undertaken to write.

As don Jaime had predicted to him, the rather brutal manner in which General Márquez executed his orders, and the most illegal act of seizing the money, cast a fatal slur on the character of the young President, which up to this time had been pure from any violence or spoliation.

On learning this news, the members of the diplomatic body, among others the ambassador of Spain, and the Chargé d'Affaires of France, who were better disposed to Miramón than to Juárez, owing to the nobility of his character, and the loftiness of his views, had from this moment considered the cause of the moderate party represented by Miramón as hopelessly lost, unless one of those miracles, so frequent in revolutions, but of which no possibility could be seen, occurred. Besides, the comparatively large sum of the Convention bonds, joined to that which don Jaime remitted to the President, had not been sufficient to cover the deficit, which was enormous, and had not even sensibly diminished it.

The greater part of the money was employed in paying the soldiers, who not having received a farthing for three months, were beginning to raise seditious cries, and threatening to desert in a body.

The army paid, or nearly so, Miramón began recruiting for the purpose of increasing it, so that he might, for the last time, try the fortune of war, resolved to defend, inch by inch, the power which had been freely entrusted to him by the representatives of the nation. Still, in spite of the confidence he affected, the young and adventurous general did not deceive himself as to the deplorable state of his position, when opposed to the far more considerable, and really imposing forces of the Puros, as the partizans of Juárez called themselves. Hence, before playing the last stake, he determined to try the last resources in his power, that is to say, a diplomatic mediation.

The Spanish ambassador, on arriving in Mexico, recognized Miramón's government; it was therefore to this diplomatist that the President in his desperate circumstances applied, with the object of obtaining a mediation of the resident ministers, to try and effect the re-establishment of peace by conciliation. He proposed to submit to certain conditions of which the following were the most important:—

Firstly.—The delegates chosen by the two belligerent parties, conferring with the European ministers and the representative of the United States, would agree as to the way of re-establishing peace.

Secondly.—These delegates would nominate the person who was to hold the government of the whole Republic, while a general assembly resolved the questions that divided the Mexicans.

Thirdly and lastly.—The manner of convoking Congress would also be determined.

This despatch, addressed, on October 3rd, 1860, to the Minister of Spain, terminated with these significant words, which fully displayed Miramón's lassitude, and his desire for a settlement.

"Heaven grant that this convention, confidentially attempted, may obtain a better result than those which have been proposed up to this day."

As was generally supposed, this final attempt at reconciliation failed. The motive was simple and easy to be understood, even by persons the least versed in politics. Juárez, master of the larger portion of the territory of the republic, felt himself in his government of Veracruz too strong, through his adversary's exhaustion, not to prove intractable, he would not share the position by reciprocal conditions, but triumph fully.

Still Miramón, like a brave lion at bay before the hunters, had faith in his valiant sword which had so often been victorious, he did not despair yet, or perhaps would not despair. In order to keep together the scattered strength of his last defenders, he addressed to them a supreme appeal on November 17th, in which he strove to rekindle the dying sparks of his ruined cause, by trying to impart to those who still surrounded him, the courage which himself retained intact. Unhappily, faith had fled, these words fell on ears closed by personal interest and fear; no one would comprehend this supreme death cry of a great and sincere patriot. Still, he must form some resolution, either give up the struggle and lay down the power, or attempt again the fate of arms, and resist to the last extremity. The latter resolution was adopted by the general after ample reflection.

Night was drawing to its close; bluish gleams filtered through the curtains and paled the candles burning in the cabinet, to which we have once before led the reader to hear the conversation between the General President, and the adventurer. This time again, the same couple were face to face in the cabinet. The candles almost entirely burnt down, proved that the conference had been long, the two men bending over an immense map, seemed to be studying it with the most serious attention, while conversing together with some degree of animation. All at once the general rose with an angry movement, and fell back into an armchair.

"Bah!" he muttered between his teeth, "What is the use of obstinately opposing ill fortune?"

"To conquer it, General," the adventurer answered.

"It is impossible."

"Do you despair?" he asked significantly.

"I do not, far from that, I am resolved to fall if necessary, sooner than yield to the law, which would be imposed on me by that villain Juárez, a hateful and vindictive Indian, picked up through pity on the side of a road by a Spaniard, and who only employs the learning he has gained, and the education he has received by accident, to distract his country, and plunge it into an abyss of misfortunes."

"What would you have, General?" the adventurer answered sarcastically. "Who knows whether the Spaniard to whom you allude did not educate this Indian for the purpose of accomplishing a vengeance, and with a prevision of what is taking place today?"

"Everything would lead to the belief, on my soul! Never did man follow with more catlike patience, the darkest schemes, or accomplish more odious actions, with such impudent cynicism."

"Is he not the chief of the Puros?" the adventurer said laughingly.

"Curses on the man!" the general exclaimed, with an outburst of generous indignation, which he could not overcome. "He wishes the ruin of our unhappy country."

"Why do you refuse to follow my advice?"

The general shrugged his shoulders impatiently.

"Good Heavens!" he said, "Because the plan you have submitted to me is impracticable."

"Is that really the sole motive that prevents you from adopting it?" he asked cleverly.

"And then again," the general said with a slight embarrassment, "since you compel me to say it, I consider it unworthy of me."

"Oh, General, permit me to remark that you have not understood me."

"Monsieur, you are joking, my friend, I have so thoroughly understood you, on the contrary, that if you wish it, I will repeat to you word for word, the plan you have conceived, and," he added with a laugh, "which, with an author's self love, you are so anxious to see me carry out."

"Ah!" said the adventurer, with an air of doubt.

"Well, the plan is as follows: to quit the city suddenly, take no artillery with me, so as to march more quickly across country roads, surprise the enemy, attack him—"

"And beat him," the adventurer added meaningly.

"Oh, beat him," he said dubiously.

"It is infallible; consider, General, that your enemies rightly consider you shut up in the city, engaged in fortifying yourself there in the provision of the siege, with which they menace you; that since the defeat of General Márquez, they know that none of your partizans keep the field, and that consequently they have no attack to fear, and march with the most perfect security."

"That is true," the general muttered. "Hence, nothing will be more easy than to rout them; a guerilla war is not only the sole one you can carry on at the present day, but it offers you almost certain chances of success, by unnecessarily harassing your enemies, and beating them in detail; you have the hope of seizing once more the fortune which is abandoning you, and of delivering yourself from your odious rival. Only gain the victory in three or four encounters with his troops, and your partizans who are deserting you because they believe you ruined, will return in crowds, and Juárez's formidable army will melt away like snow before the sun."

"Yes, yes, I understand the boldness of this plan."

"Besides, it offers you a final chance."

"What?"

"This, if you are defeated, of ennobling your overthrow, by falling weapons in hand upon a field of battle, instead of letting yourself be smoked out like a fox from its earth, by an enemy whom you despise, and of seeing yourself in a few days constrained to accept a shameful capitulation, in order to spare the capital of the Republic the horrors of a siege."

The general rose, and began walking up and down the cabinet with long strides; presently he stopped in front of the adventurer.

"Thanks, don Jaime," he said to him, in an affectionate voice; "your rough frankness has done me good, it has proved to me that I have at least one faithful friend left in misfortune; well, be it so, I accept your plan, and will put it into execution this very day; what o'clock is it?"

"Not quite four, General."

"At five, I shall have left Mexico."

The adventurer rose.

"Are you leaving me, my friend?" the general said to him.

"My presence is no longer necessary here, General, permit me to retire."

"We shall meet again."

"Yes, at the moment of action, General. Where do you intend to attack the enemy?"

"There," said the general, placing his finger on a point of the map, "at Toluca, where his vanguard will not arrive before two in the afternoon: by making haste I can reach it before noon, and thus have the necessary time to make all my preparations for the action."

"The spot is well chosen, and I predict you a victory, General."

"May heaven hear you! I do not believe in it."

"Again your discouragement."

"No, my friend, you are mistaken: it is not discouragement on my part, but conviction."

And he affectionately offered his hand to the adventurer, who took leave and withdrew. A few minutes later don Jaime had left Mexico, and bending over his horse's neck, was galloping madly across country.