d with sweet airs and
the smiles of voluptuous _houris_! Ah, Lord above, you are good to
your little Diego! Another sip, my lovely Ana--and bring me the
cigarettes. And come, fat lass, do you sit beside me and twine your
graceful arms about my neck, while your soft breath kisses my old
cheek! Ah, _Dios_, who would not be human! _Caramba_! the good God may
keep His heaven, if He will but give me the earth!"

Ana drew his head against her bosom and murmured hypocritical words of
endearment in his ear, while she kept his glass full. Diego babbled
like a child. He nodded; struggled to keep awake; and at length fell
asleep with his head on her shoulder. Then she arose, and, assured
that he would be long in his stupor, extinguished the light and
hurried to her own room.

Carmen was sleeping peacefully. The woman bent over her with the
lighted candle and looked long and wistfully. "Ah, _Santa Maria_!" she
prayed, "if you will but save her, you may do what you will with me!"

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she turned to the door and
threw the bolt. Coming back to the bed, she again bent over the
sleeping girl. "_Santa Virgen_!" she murmured, "how beautiful! Like an
angel! _Dios mio_--and that beast, he has seen her, and he would--ah,
_Dios_!"

Going again to the dresser, she took from a drawer a sandalwood
rosary. Then she returned to the bed and knelt beside the child.
"Blessed Virgin," she prayed, while her hot tears fell upon the beads,
"I am lost--lost! Ah, I have not told my beads for many years--I
cannot say them now! _Santa Virgen_, pray for me--pray for me--and if
I kill him to-morrow, tell the blessed Saviour that I did it for the
child! Ah, _Santa Virgen_, how beautiful she is--how pure--what
hair--she is from heaven--_Santa Virgen_, you will protect her?" She
kissed the cross repeatedly. "_Madre de Dios_--she is so beautiful, so
pure--"

Carmen moved slightly, and the woman rose hastily from her knees.
"Anita dear," murmured the child, "Jesus waked Lazarus--out of
his--sleep. Anita, why do you not come? I am waiting for you."

"Yes, child, yes! But--_Dios mio_!" she murmured when Carmen again
slept, "I am too wicked to sleep with so pure an angel!--no, I can
not! I must not!"

She spread a light shawl upon the tile floor near the window and lay
down upon it, drawing a lace _mantilla_ over her face to protect it
from the mosquitoes. "_Santa Virgen_", she murmured repeatedly, "pray
the blessed Saviour