cornful ejaculation from his mother
interrupted him here; but Felipe hurried on, partly because he was borne
out of himself at last by impetuous feeling, partly that he dreaded to
stop, because if he did, his mother would speak; and already he felt
a terror of what her next words might be. "I have often thought about
Ramona's future, mother. You know a great many men would not want to
marry her, just because she is half Indian. You, yourself, would never
have given your consent to my marrying her, if I had wanted to." Again
an exclamation from the Senora, this time more of horror than of scorn.
But Felipe pressed on. "No, of course you would not, I always knew that;
except for that, I might have loved her myself, for a sweeter girl
never drew breath in this God's earth." Felipe was reckless now; having
entered on this war, he would wage it with every weapon that lay within
his reach; if one did not tell, another might. "You have never loved
her. I don't know that you have ever even liked her; I don't think you
have. I know, as a little boy, I always used to see how much kinder you
were to me than to her, and I never could understand it. And you are
unjust to her now. I've been watching her all summer; I've seen her and
Alessandro together continually. You know yourself, mother, he has been
with us on the veranda, day after day, just as if he were one of the
family. I've watched them by the hour, when I lay there so sick; I
thought you must have seen it too. I don't believe Alessandro has ever
looked or said or done a thing I wouldn't have done in his place; and I
don't believe Ramona has ever looked, said, or done a thing I would not
be willing to have my own sister do!" Here Felipe paused. He had made
his charge; like a young impetuous general, massing all his forces at
the onset; he had no reserves. It is not the way to take Gibraltars.

When he paused, literally breathless, he had spoken so fast,--and even
yet Felipe was not quite strong, so sadly had the fever undermined his
constitution,--the Senora looked at him interrogatively, and said in
a now composed tone: "You do not believe that Ramona has done anything
that you would not be willing to have your own sister do? Would you be
willing that your own sister should marry Alessandro?"

Clever Senora Moreno! During the few moments that Felipe had been
speaking, she had perceived certain things which it would be beyond her
power to do; certain others that it would be