the
young girl, "unless," she added, turning to Guest, "unless you can
assist me. It was the plant I was examining to-day." "I think I can
show it to you," said Guest, with a slight increase of color, as he
preceded her towards the memorable cactus near the door, "but I doubt
if it has any flower."

Nevertheless, it had. A bright red blossom, like a spot of blood drawn
by one of its thorns. He plucked it for her, and she placed it in her
belt.

"You are forgiving," he said, admiringly.

"YOU ought to know that," she returned, looking down.

"I?--why?"

"You were rude to me twice."

"Twice!"

"Yes--once at the Mision of La Perdida; once in the road at San
Antonio."

His eyes became downcast and gloomy. "At the Mision that morning, I, a
wretched outcast, only saw in you a beautiful girl intent on overriding
me with her merciless beauty. At San Antonio I handed the fan I picked
up to the man whose eyes told me he loved you."

She started impatiently. "You might have been more gallant, and found
more difficulty in the selection," she said, pertly. "But since when
have you gentlemen become so observant and so punctilious? Would you
expect him to be as considerate of others?"

"I have few claims that any one seems bound to respect," he returned,
brusquely. Then, in a softer voice, he added, looking at her, gently,--

"You were in mourning when you came here this afternoon, Miss
Saltonstall."

"Was I? It was for Dr. West--my mother's friend."

"It was very becoming to you."

"You are complimenting me. But I warn you that Captain Carroll said
something better than that; he said mourning was not necessary for me.
I had only to 'put my eye-lashes at half-mast.' He is a soldier you
know."

"He seems to be as witty as he is fortunate," said Guest, bitterly.

"Do you think he is fortunate?" said Maruja, raising her eyes to his.
There was so much in this apparently simple question that Guest looked
in her eyes for a suggestion. What he saw there for an instant made
his heart stop beating. She apparently did not know it, for she began
to tremble too.

"Is he not?" said Guest, in a low voice.

"Do you think he ought to be?" she found herself whispering.

A sudden silence fell upon them. The voices of their companions seemed
very far in the distance; the warm breath of the flowers appeared to be
drowning their senses; they tried to speak, but could not; they were so
near to each other that the