For with the quickened senses of a lover he felt the diffused and perfumed aura of HER presence, of HER garments, of HER flesh, flow in upon him through the open window, and possess his whole breathless being! It was SHE! Like him, perhaps, longing to enjoy the perfect night--like him, perhaps, thinking of-- "So you ar-range to get rid of me--ha! lik thees?
To tur-rn me off from your heels like a dog who have follow you--but without a word--without a--a--thanks--without a 'ope! Ah!--we have ser-rved you--me and my sister; we are the or-range dry--now we can go! Like the old shoe, we are to be flung away! Good! But I am here again--you see.

I shall speak, and you shall hear-r." Don Caesar's voice--alone with her! Paul gripped his chair and sat upright.
"Stop! Stay where you are! How dared you return here ?" It was Yerba's voice, on the balcony, low and distinct.
"Shut the window! I shall speak with you what you will not the world to hear." "I prefer to keep where I am, since you have crept into this room like a thief!" "A thief! Good!" He broke out in Spanish, and, as if no longer fearful of being overheard, had evidently drawn nearer to the window.
"A thief.

Ha! muy bueno--but it is not I, you understand--I, Caesar Briones, who am the thief! No! It is that swaggering espadachin--that fanfarron of a Colonel Pendleton--that pattern of an official, Mr.
Hathaway--that most beautiful heiress of the Californias, Miss ARGUELLO--that are thieves! Yes--of a NAME--Miss Arguello--of a NAME! The name of Arguello!" Paul rose to his feet.
"Ah, so! You start--you turn pale--you flash your eyes, senora, but you think you have deceived me all these years.

You think I did not see your game at Rosario--yes, even when that foolish Castro muchacha first put that idea in your head.

Who furnished you the facts you wanted?
I--Mother of God! SUCH FACTS!--I, who knew the Arguello pedigree--I, who know it was as impossible for you to be a daughter of them as--what?
let me think--as--as it is impossible for you to be the wife of that baron whom you would deceive with the rest! Ah, yes; it was a high flight for you, Mees--Mees--Dona Fulana--a noble game for you to bring down!" Why did she not speak?
What was she doing?
If she had but uttered a single word of protest, of angry dismissal, Paul would have flown to her side.