laid for Chiquita!

"If Captain Forest proposes to her to-night, she'll never lift her eyes
to the world again," he whispered to Blanch beside whom he sat.

"What do you propose doing?" she asked.

"Have patience," he answered, his face lighting up with an expression of
malicious joy. "Of course, it all depends whether you give the signal or
not."

"I came here with the intention of doing so," she confessed. "But
everybody seems so happy. Why not let the evening pass pleasantly? It
would be a pity to mar its harmony."

"Mere sentiment!" he replied. "Do you think she would show you such
consideration? I assure you, to-night is the time of all times!" There
was something so malicious, so weird in his tone and manner that she
shuddered as she listened to his words. In spite of her humiliation, her
bitterness and suffering, and her desire for retribution, she never
realized that one could find such sweet satisfaction in revenge as did
Don Felipe. The prospect of it filled him with a joy that seemed almost
devilish at times.

At length the tables were cleared, and coffee, liqueurs, cigars and
cigarettes served, Blanch and Bessie, like the Spanish women, indulging
in the latter. In fact, everybody, with the exception of Mrs. Forest,
smoked. The musicians were ranged in a semicircle across the upper end
of the _patio_ opposite the garden and continued to render national and
Spanish airs upon their instruments while the company smoked and sipped
coffee and liqueurs. And by the time the men had finished their first
cigars, the different artists, dancers and singers, who had been engaged
for the occasion, came forward and began to display their talent,
adding to the novelty and gayety of the evening. Considering the time
and the place, they did well enough in their way and were quite
picturesque and pleasing as a whole, but at no time did their
performance rise above the level of mediocrity, such as one was
accustomed to see anywhere in the world on the vaudeville stage. At the
end of an hour, Blanch felt that the moment had arrived to ask Chiquita
to dance. So, without imparting her intention to any one, she rose from
her chair and walked over to where Chiquita sat conversing with the
Captain and Don Agusto Revera, Alcalde of Santa Fe.

"We have heard so much about your dancing, Senorita," she began,
interrupting the conversation. "Won't you favor us with a dance
to-night?"

"A dance?" repeated Chiquita with a little s