then, not Indian? Whence got she the name of Majel?"

A look of swift intelligence from Alessandro reassured him. "Indian on
the mother's side!" said Alessandro, "and she belongs in heart to our
people. She is alone, save for me. She is one blessed of the Virgin,
Ysidro. She will help us. The name Majel I have given her, for she is
like the wood-dove; and she is glad to lay her old name down forever, to
bear this new name in our tongue."

And this was Ramona's introduction to the Indian village,--this and her
smile; perhaps the smile did most. Even the little children were not
afraid of her. The women, though shy, in the beginning, at sight of her
noble bearing, and her clothes of a kind and quality they associated
only with superiors, soon felt her friendliness, and, what was more,
saw by her every word, tone, look, that she was Alessandro's. If
Alessandro's, theirs. She was one of them. Ramona would have been
profoundly impressed and touched, could she have heard them speaking
among themselves about her; wondering how it had come about that she,
so beautiful, and nurtured in the Moreno house, of which they all knew,
should be Alessandro's loving wife. It must be, they thought in their
simplicity, that the saints had sent it as an omen of good to the Indian
people. Toward night they came, bringing in a hand-barrow the most aged
woman in the village to look at her. She wished to see the beautiful
stranger before the sun went down, they said, because she was now so old
she believed each night that before morning her time would come to die.
They also wished to hear the old woman's verdict on her. When Alessandro
saw them coming, he understood, and made haste to explain it to Ramona.
While he was yet speaking, the procession arrived, and the aged woman in
her strange litter was placed silently on the ground in front of Ramona,
who was sitting under Ysidro's great fig-tree. Those who had borne her
withdrew, and seated themselves a few paces off. Alessandro spoke
first. In a few words he told the old woman of Ramona's birth, of their
marriage, and of her new name of adoption; then he said, "Take her hand,
dear Majella, if you feel no fear."

There was something scarcely human in the shrivelled arm and hand
outstretched in greeting; but Ramona took it in hers with tender
reverence: "Say to her for me, Alessandro," she said, "that I bow down
to her great age with reverence, and that I hope, if it is the will of
God that I