wice resolved to bear the suspense no longer,
and made a movement to go. The chance of Alessandro's encountering at
Hartsel's the men sent in pursuit of him and of Baba, loomed in her
thoughts into a more and more frightful danger each moment she reflected
upon it. It was a most unfortunate suggestion for Alessandro to have
made. Her excited fancy went on and on, picturing the possible scenes
which might be going on almost within stone's-throw of where she was
sitting, helpless, in the midnight darkness,--Alessandro seized, tied,
treated as a thief, and she, Ramona, not there to vindicate him, to
terrify the men into letting him go. She could not bear it; she would
ride boldly to Hartsel's door. But when she made a motion as if she
would go, and said in the soft Spanish, of which Carmena knew no word,
but which yet somehow conveyed Ramona's meaning, "I must go! It is too
long! I cannot wait here!" Carmena had clasped her hand tighter, and
said in the San Luiseno tongue, of which Ramona knew no word, but which
yet somehow conveyed Carmena's meaning, "O beloved lady, you must not
go! Waiting is the only safe thing. Alessandro said, to wait here. He
will come." The word "Alessandro" was plain. Yes, Alessandro had said,
wait; Carmena was right. She would obey, but it was a fearful ordeal. It
was strange how Ramona, who felt herself preternaturally brave, afraid
of nothing, so long as Alessandro was by her side, became timorous and
wretched the instant he was lost to her sight. When she first heard his
steps coming, she quivered with terror lest they might not be his. The
next second she knew; and with a glad cry, "Alessandro! Alessandro!" she
bounded to him, dropping Baba's reins.

Sighing gently, Carmena picked up the reins, and stood still, holding
the horse, while the lovers clasped each other with breathless words.
"How she loves Alessandro!" thought the widowed Carmena. "Will they
leave him alive to stay with her? It is better not to love!" But there
was no bitter envy in her mind for the two who were thus blest while she
went desolate. All of Pablo's people had great affection for Alessandro.
They had looked forward to his being over them in his father's place.
They knew his goodness, and were proud of his superiority to themselves.

"Majella, you tremble," said Alessandro, as he threw his arms around
her. "You have feared! Yet you were not alone." He glanced at Carmena's
motionless figure, standing by Baba.

"No, n