,
some few miles farther down the valley. He was received rather coolly.

"Your timely visit has saved me a ride this morning, Donaldson," said
the Spaniard. "I have an imperative necessity for my money, or at
least for a part of it."

"My dear fellow, the very thing I have come to talk about!" said
Donaldson.

"_Corambre--to talk about!_ It must be something more than talk--words
will not answer my purpose," replied Perozzi, his sharp black eye
glittering with hate. "I tell you money I must have--money I will
have, or--"

"Good God, Perozzi, don't drive me to desperation. You know I cannot
pay you a single piastre! Only wait until I receive my return sales
from England, and I swear to you you shall receive your last
farthing!"

"Holy Mother Mary! your return sales from England!" exclaimed the
other, in a tone of cutting sarcasm. "In what manner of vessel must
those same returns be coming, for, if my memory serves me, Columbus
discovered a new world in less time than this same richly-freighted
_caravela_ has been crossing the Atlantic--this has been your answer
for twice a twelvemonth. And now," he continued, suddenly altering his
tone, and striding to the side of his victim, "there must be an end of
this--either pay me what you owe me, or give me a quit claim to the
Cascade, for which you have already received from me more than its
value."

"By heavens, Perozzi!" cried Mr. Donaldson, turning pale with anger
and mortification, "this is more than I can bear even from you; but
come," he added, suddenly forcing a laugh, "it was to see you upon a
more pleasing errand I came here."

"_Corambre!_" whistled through the teeth of the Spaniard.

"Hark ye, Perozzi; what would you say if I could this moment promise
to place you in possession of one hundred thousand dollars and--a
wife?"

"Say! why that the Devil helped you to cajole, and then deserted you
at the pinch, as he always does!" replied Perozzi.

"No cajolery about it, as you shall find," answered Mr. Donaldson.
"But come, let us sit--by your leave I'll taste your wine; your
health, signor, and" (turning out a second glass) "here is another to
Madame Perozzi--ha-ha-ha! There--now," said he, setting down his glass
with a force which nearly shivered it, "listen to me. You know that
Mrs. Donaldson, by her first husband, had one daughter, Mildred Ward,
who is at this moment on her return from England, whither she was sent
at an early age for her education. She