ce
and silken gowns flutter. Benicia and a group of girls were standing by
Dona Eustaquia. They opened their large black fans as if to wave back
the pink that had sprung to their cheeks. Only Benicia held her head
saucily high, and her large brown eyes were full of defiant sparkles.

"Why art thou so excited, Blandina?" she asked of a girl who had grasped
her arm. "I feel as if the war between the United States and Mexico
began tonight."

"Ay, Benicia, thou hast so gay a spirit that nothing ever frightens
thee! But, Mary! How many they are! They tramp as if they would go
through the stair. Ay, the poor flag! No wonder--"

"Now, do not cry over the flag any more. Ah! there is not one to compare
with General Castro!"

The character of the Californian sala had changed for ever; the blue and
gold of the United States had invaded it.

The officers, young and old, looked with much interest at the faces,
soft, piquant, tropical, which made the effect of pansies looking
inquisitively over a snowdrift. The girls returned their glances with
approval, for they were as fine and manly a set of men as ever had faced
death or woman. Ten minutes later California and the United States were
flirting outrageously.

Mr. Larkin presented a tall officer to Benicia. That the young man was
very well-looking even Benicia admitted. True, his hair was golden, but
it was cut short, and bore no resemblance to the coat of a bear; his
mustache and brows were brown; his gray eyes were as laughing as her
own.

"I suppose you do not speak any English, senorita," he said helplessly.

"No? I spik Eenglish like the Spanish. The Spanish people no have
difficult at all to learn the other langues. But Senor Hartnell he
say it no is easy at all for the Eenglish to spik the French and the
Spanish, so I suppose you no spik one word our langue, no?"

He gallantly repressed a smile. "Thankfully I may say that I do not,
else would I not have the pleasure of hearing you speak English. Never
have I heard it so charmingly spoken before."

Benicia took her skirt between the tips of her fingers and swayed her
graceful body forward, as a tule bends in the wind.

"You like dip the flag of the conqueror in honey, senor. Ay! We need
have one compliment for every tear that fall since your eagle stab his
beak in the neck de ours."

"Ah, the loyal women of Monterey! I have no words to express my
admiration for them, senorita. A thousand compliments are not worth