eam had faded away, from the time he had first met Amenche;
and when Cacama had proposed the marriage to him, he had accepted
the offer gladly. His chance of ever leaving the country, at that
time, seemed slight; and he felt sure that he should be happy with
Amenche. Since that time, the girl's frank expression of her love
for him, her tender devotion, and her willingness to sacrifice
country, and people, and all, to throw in her lot with him, had
greatly heightened the feeling he had towards her; and he had come
to love her truly; but still, perhaps, rather with the calm earnest
affection of a brother, than the passionate devotion of a lover.

But now he knew that she had his whole heart. If she died, it
seemed of little consequence to him what became of his life. It was
for his sake that she had risked everything, had left all--friends
and home and country--and he felt that he would gladly die with
her.

Morning was breaking before Malinche came into his room.

"She is sensible," she said, "and my countryman, who is with her,
thinks that she will live."

The relief was so great that Roger burst into tears.

"Come with me," Malinche said, taking his hand. "We do not think
she knows what has happened, but she looks anxiously about the
room. She is very, very weak; but the leech thinks that if she sees
you, and knows that you are safe and well, it will rouse her and
put her in the way of recovery. You must not talk to her, or excite
her in any way."

Roger followed Malinche into her room. Amenche was lying, without a
vestige of color on her face, and with her eyes closed and her
breathing so faint that Roger, as he looked at her, thought that
she was dead.

"Take her hand and kneel down beside her," Malinche whispered.

Roger took the girl's hand. As he did so, a slight tremor ran
through her, as if she recognized his touch. Then her eyes opened.

"Amenche, my darling, do you know me?" Roger said, as he stooped
his face close to hers.

Her face brightened suddenly, and a look of intense happiness came
into her eyes.

"O Roger!" she whispered; "I dreamed that they had killed you."

"I am safe and well, as you see," he said. "They have hurt you,
darling; but you will get better, and we shall be happy together.
You must not talk, but I may stay by you, if you will keep quiet.

"Drink this first," and he handed to her a cup that the Mexican
doctor held out to him; and placing his arm under Amenche's head,
r