r further characteristics, Salve soon perceived that she
was addicted to drink. She used to remain during the greater part of the
day on the shady side of the house, or on the little veranda, with
acachacas and water by her side, and incessantly smoking and rolling
cigarettes; and she was often quite drunk as she mumbled her Ave Maria,
and told her beads on her knees before going to bed in the evening.
Still the other inmates of the house appeared to have great respect for
her; and it was evident that she held the threads of whatever business
they might have on hand.

The senorita was out all the morning with the old mulatto woman, making
purchases for the house, Federigo said, and informing herself as to what
activity was being shown in their pursuit. When she returned, she
avoided addressing herself directly to Salve; and he observed that she
handed over a quantity of money to her brother, which had the happy
effect of bringing into his countenance a more cheerful look than it had
hitherto worn that morning.

"What have you done to my sister?" Federigo asked one day, laughing;
"you are not in her good graces. She is dangerous," he said, seriously;
and added then, as if speculating on possibilities, "as long as you are
in this house, at all events, you are safe. But mind, you are warned."

Federigo soon began to weary of their enforced confinement to the house,
and in spite of his sister's efforts to dissuade him, began to go out in
the evenings, coming home very late, and in a gloomy, irritable
humour--evidently, from the casual remarks he let fall, having lost all
his money at play.

The second morning of his stay in the house Salve had perceived that
there was a want of money; and having heard the brother and sister
quarrelling one day when both were in a bad humour, he thought it best
to carry out, at the first convenient moment, the determination at which
he had arrived, and handed over to Federigo what money he had, with the
exception of a single silver piastre, saying, "That it was only right he
should pay for his lodging and board."

The money, though deprecatingly, was still accepted, and in the evening
Federigo was out once more, his sister remaining at home.

She and Salve, on account of their ignorance of each other's language,
could not hold much conversation together, and Salve was rather glad of
this wall of separation between them, as it left him more at his ease.
She had, however, recently looked