t of an appointment as officer in a volunteer corps if
any rising took place; but that did not in the meantime bring in money,
and how they managed to get along when luck went against them it was not
easy to see.

Salve meanwhile was becoming rather tired of being on land. The
seclusion had suited him well enough at first, until the senorita had
begun to pay him attentions; but now that she evidently remained at home
all day solely on his account, to dress at him, and play off all sorts
of coquetry upon him, he began to find it intolerable; and when the Juno
at last had sailed, he announced one day that he meant to go down to the
harbour and look for employment.

The senorita turned pale, but soon recovered her self-possession, and
even joked with him about it; and later on her brother persuaded him to
defer his intention for three days, until he had attended a gathering of
Federigo's friends, which was to take place one night down in one of the
suburbs.

That evening, when her brother had gone out as usual to play, the
senorita sat down in the window of the room where Salve was, and through
which he would have to pass to go into the garden. She had undone her
luxuriant hair, and had put on a languishing look, and every now and
then thrummed absently on her guitar, humming gently to herself as she
fixed her black eyes upon him. Salve saw himself in a manner besieged,
and felt half inclined to brush past her and escape into the garden; but
it would have seemed too deliberately unfriendly. The only sign which
betrayed his consciousness of the situation was the somewhat hasty way
in which he puffed his cigarette.

"You really mean to leave us?" she said at last sadly, in almost a
beseeching tone.

"Yes, senorita," was the reply, and evidently it came from the bottom of
his heart; he was angry, and weary of her importunity.

He had hardly said it before, thrusting her hand into her bosom, she had
sprung to her feet, and a stiletto whizzed past his ear, and stuck
quivering in the wall close to his head. Her supple body was still in
motion, her face was pale, and her eyes were flashing: then with a
sudden transition she threw herself back and laughed.

"Were you frightened?" she cried. But Salve showed no sign of it. He was
provoked, but cool; and not being the kind of man who would deign to
engage in a conflict with a woman, he left the stiletto sticking in the
wall, though at first he had thought of seizing it.

"