m you that the lady is my only
sister. As to your second question--I beg you won't get out--sit
still, my dear sir, I will drive you to the _cafe_--your second
question I cannot so well answer. It would seem that my sister herself
is nothing loth--sit easy, sir, the carriage is perfectly safe--but
unfortunately it happens that the gentleman who has the control of her
actions, her guardian, dislikes Americans extremely; and I have reason
to believe that he has taken a particularly strong antipathy to you.
Indeed, I have heard him swear that he'll cut your throat--pardon me,
Mr. Stewart, for the expression, it is not my own.'

"Surprise overcame my confusion. 'Senor,' cried I, interrupting him,
'it seems you know my name, and--'

"'Certainly I do--Mr. Benjamin Stewart, of the ship John Cabot.'

"'Senor,' I cried, half angrily, 'since you know my address so well,
will you not be so kind as to favor me with yours?'

"'Mine! oh yes, with pleasure, though I now recollect that I have
omitted to state my sister's name--hers first, if you please; it is
Donna Clara Garcia.'

"'And yours is Pedro Garcia.'

"'Exactly, with a _Don_ before it, which my poor father left me. You
perceive, Mr. Stewart, by what means I knew you after your warning
about the kicking, eh? I suspected it was yourself, when I saw an
American gentleman with his arm in a sling, and so I made bold to
accost you in the midst of your rhapsody about angels--'

"'Ah! Don Pedro,' I stammered in confusion, when I recalled the
ludicrous scene, 'how foolish I must appear to you.'

"'For what, senor--for thinking my sister handsome? You do my taste
injustice. I think so myself.'

"We rode on in silence a few minutes. I recalled all that Captain
Hopkins had told me about my new acquaintance, his sister, and her
guardian. I took heart of grace, and determined to know more of the
beautiful creature whom I had now identified; but when I turned toward
my companion, his stern expression, so different from the one his
features had hitherto borne, almost disheartened me.

"'Don Pedro,' said I, with hesitation, 'may I ask if you are angry at
the trifling manner with which I have spoken of your sister before I
knew her to be such?'

"'Is it necessary for me to assure you to the contrary?' he asked,
with a smile again lighting up his face.

"'But if,' I continued, 'I should say that the admiration I have
manifested is sincere, that even in the short time I have seen