"Trust to Gomez' muchacha to understand a proposal." When the laugh was over, and the sparks of the cigarette, cleverly whipped out of the speaker's lips by Faquita's fan, had disappeared in the darkness, she resumed, pettishly, "I know not what you call it when he kissed her hand and held it to his heart." "Judas!" gasped Pereo.

"But," he added, feverishly, "she, the Dona Maria, thy mistress, SHE summoned thee at once to call me to cast out this dust into the open air; thou didst fly to her assistance?
What! thou sawest this, and did nothing--eh ?" He stopped, and tried to peer into the girl's face.

"No! Ah, I see; I am an old fool.

Yes; it was Maruja's own mother that stood there.

He! he! he!" he laughed piteously; "and she smiled and smiled and broke the coward's heart, as Maruja might.