o see whether she
could afford to sell to the Ortegas a piece of pasture-land which they
greatly desired to buy, as it joined a pasturage tract of theirs. This
bit of land lay farther from the house than the Senora realized, and it
had taken more time than she thought it would, to go over it; and it was
already sunset on this eventful day, when, hurrying home, she turned
off from the highway into the same shortcut path in which Father
Salvierderra had met Ramona in the spring. There was no difficulty now
in getting through the mustard tangle. It was parched and dry, and had
been trampled by cattle. The Senora walked rapidly, but it was
dusky twilight when she reached the willows; so dusky that she saw
nothing--and she stepped so lightly on the smooth brown path that she
made no sound--until suddenly, face to face with a man and a woman
standing locked in each other's arms, she halted, stepped back a pace,
gave a cry of surprise, and, in the same second, recognized the faces of
the two, who, stricken dumb, stood apart, each gazing into her face with
terror.

Strangely enough, it was Ramona who spoke first. Terror for herself had
stricken her dumb; terror for Alessandro gave her a voice.

"Senora," she began.

"Silence! Shameful creature!" cried the Senora. "Do not dare to speak!
Go to your room!"

Ramona did not move.

"As for you," the Senora continued, turning to Alessandro, "you,"--she
was about to say, "You are discharged from my service from this hour,"
but recollecting herself in time, said,--"you will answer to Senor
Felipe. Out of my sight!" And the Senora Moreno actually, for once in
her life beside herself with rage, stamped her foot on the ground. "Out
of my sight!" she repeated.

Alessandro did not stir, except to turn towards Ramona with an inquiring
look. He would run no risk of doing what she did not wish. He had no
idea what she would think it best to do in this terrible dilemma.

"Go, Alessandro," said Ramona, calmly, still looking the Senora full in
the eye. Alessandro obeyed; before the words had left her lips, he had
walked away.

Ramona's composure, and Alessandro's waiting for further orders than her
own before stirring from the spot, were too much for Senora Moreno. A
wrath, such as she had not felt since she was young, took possession of
her. As Ramona opened her lips again, saying, "Senora," the Senora did a
shameful deed; she struck the girl on the mouth, a cruel blow.

"Speak not to