r expression, upon her features, but
saying nothing.

"I see that Ramona has told you all!" she continued, her voice hardening
as she spoke. What a fortunate wording of her sentence!

"No, mother; it was not Ramona, it was Alessandro, who told me this
morning, early," Felipe answered hastily, hurrying on, to draw the
conversation as far away from Ramona as possible. "He came and spoke to
me last night after I was in bed; but I told him to wait till morning,
and then I would hear all he had to say."

"Ah!" said the Senora, relieved. Then, as Felipe remained silent, she
asked, "And what did he say?"

"He told me all that had happened."

"All!" said the Senora, sneeringly. "Do you suppose that he told you
all?"

"He said that you had bidden him begone out of your sight," said Felipe,
"and that he supposed he must go. So I told him to go at once. I thought
you would prefer not to see him again."

"Ah!" said the Senora again, startled, gratified that Felipe had so
promptly seconded her action, but sorry that Alessandro had gone. "Ah, I
did not know whether you would think it best to discharge him at once
or not; I told him he must answer to you. I did not know but you might
devise some measures by which he could be retained on the estate."

Felipe stared. Could he believe his ears? This did not sound like the
relentless displeasure he had expected. Could Ramona have been dreaming?
In his astonishment, he did not weigh his mother's words carefully; he
did not carry his conjecture far enough; he did not stop to make sure
that retaining Alessandro on the estate might not of necessity bode any
good to Ramona; but with his usual impetuous ardor, sanguine, at the
first glimpse of hope, that all was well, he exclaimed joyfully, "Ah,
dear mother, if that could only be done, all would be well;" and, never
noting the expression of his mother's face, nor pausing to take breath,
he poured out all he thought and felt on the subject.

"That is just what I have been hoping for ever since I saw that he and
Ramona were growing so fond of each other. He is a splendid fellow, and
the best hand we have ever had on the place. All the men like him; he
would make a capital overseer; and if we put him in charge of the whole
estate, there would not be any objection to his marrying Ramona. That
would give them a good living here with us."

"Enough!" cried the Senora, in a voice which fell on Felipe's ears
like a voice from some other worl