was only a few moments ago that Alessandro had been turning
over in his mind the possibility of leaving the Senora Moreno's service
immediately. This change had not been a caprice, not been an impulse
of passionate desire to remain near Ramona; it had come from a sudden
consciousness that the Senor Felipe would be his friend. And Alessandro
was not mistaken.

IX

WHEN the Senora came back to the veranda, she found Felipe asleep,
Alessandro standing at the foot of the bed, with his arms crossed on his
breast, watching him. As the Senora drew near, Alessandro felt again the
same sense of dawning hatred which had seized him at her harsh speech to
Ramona. He lowered his eyes, and waited to be dismissed.

"You can go now, Alessandro," said the Senora. "I will sit here. You
are quite sure that it will be safe for Senor Felipe to sleep here all
night?"

"It will cure him before many nights," replied Alessandro, still without
raising his eyes, and turning to go.

"Stay," said the Senora. Alessandro paused. "It will not do for him to
be alone here in the night, Alessandro."

Alessandro had thought of this, and had remembered that if he lay on
the veranda floor by Senor Felipe's side, he would also lie under the
Senorita's window.

"No, Senora," he replied. "I will lie here by his side. That was what I
had thought, if the Senora is willing."

"Thank you, Alessandro," said the Senora, in a tone which would have
surprised poor Ramona, still sitting alone in her room, with sad eyes.
She did not know the Senora could speak thus sweetly to any one but
Felipe. "Thank you! You are kind. I will have a bed made for you."

"Oh, no." cried Alessandro; "if the Senora will excuse me, I could not
lie on a bed. A raw-hide like Senor Felipe's, and my blanket, are all I
want. I could not lie on any bed."

"To be sure," thought the Senora; "what was I thinking of! How the
boy makes one forget he is an Indian! But the floor is harder than the
ground, Alessandro," she said kindly.

"No, Senora," he said, "it is all one; and to-night I will not sleep.
I will watch Senor Felipe, in case there should be a wind, or he should
wake and need something."

"I will watch him myself till midnight," said the Senora. "I should feel
easier to see how he sleeps at first."

It was the balmiest of summer nights, and as still as if no living thing
were on the earth. There was a full moon, which shone on the garden, and
on the white front of th