away from you? No, no, Juanita!"

"But I do not want to see you."

"You're a foolish girl. Why are you so determined against me? Your
father gave me his promise----"

"It will do you no good to speak of that, senyor. I tell you now for the
last time that I do not care for you--I never can. If you are a
gentleman, you will bother me no more. I'm going back now."

He placed himself before her.

"Not yet!" he exclaimed.

"You cannot stop me, senyor!"

"Oh, yes, I can, senyorita. Don't fancy I've followed you all the way
from Mexico to be baffled so easily. The Murillos are determined men. I
have resolved that you shall be mine!"

"Never!"

"That word is easy to speak. What have I done that you should despise
me?"

"You say the Murillos are determined men. They are, likewise, bloody
men. I know not why my father favored you. I do know that my mother
feared all Murillos, even as I fear you."

"It is good for a woman to have a husband whom she fears and respects."

"In this case fear and respect do not go together, senyor. I have no
respect for you."

"Then I will teach you respect when you are mine."

"That opportunity will never be given you. Look, senyor, we stand at the
edge of this cliff. The water is very close at hand. I wish you to
understand me. Rather than become your wife, I'd leap into that water. I
cannot swim."

"Leap!" he exclaimed. "I will leap after you, and I cannot swim!"

"Are you mad?"

"It is madness perhaps, senyorita, but it is the madness of love. You
must understand me now. You must understand how useless it is to fly
from me. Once I thought you cared for another man. Once I was jealous of
Emmanuel Escalvo. He never knew how close he walked with death. When I
learned you did not care for him I put away my knife. There can be no
others--unless you have met him within a few hours. I am satisfied that
there is no other."

With sudden indiscretion and defiance, she exclaimed:

"You're wrong, Senyor Murillo! There is another!"

He uttered a sudden curse.

"Who is the man? Tell me his name, and he shall have what Emmanuel
Escalvo escaped!"

She was frightened by her folly.

"Who is the man?" he snarled, suddenly seizing her. "Speak quick--speak
at once!"

"You hurt me, senyor!" she panted, striving to break from his grasp. "Let
me go!"

"I will not! I have you now, and I'll keep you! I'll never let you go!"

"I beg your pardon," said a quiet voice, "but I think you're m