ith which the grace was uttered, recalled to the heart of Tiburcio that
sad souvenir, which recent events had for a time caused him to forget.

Cheerfulness soon reigned around the table. The expedition was talked
of, and toasts drunk to its success. Vast silver goblets of antique
shape were used for wine glasses, and these, passing rapidly from hand
to mouth, soon produced an abundance of good-humour among the guests.

"Gentlemen!" said Don Augustin, when the festive scene was near its end,
"before retiring I have the honour to invite you all to a hunt of the
wild horse on my estate--which is to come off early in the morning."

Each of the guests accepted the invitation, with that _abandon_ natural
to people who have made a good supper.

With regard to Tiburcio, jealousy was devouring him. He scarce ate of
the rich viands placed before him. He kept his eyes constantly fixed
upon Don Estevan, who, during the supper appeared to pay marked
attentions to Rosarita, and for every one of which Tiburcio thanked him
with a look of hatred. As soon as the supper was ended, the young man
silently left the room and repaired to the chamber that had been
assigned to him for the night.

At an early hour--for such was the custom of the hacienda--all the
guests had retired to their sleeping apartments--even the domestics were
no longer to be seen in the great hall; and a profound silence reigned
throughout the vast building, as if all the world had gone to rest. But
all the world was not yet asleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

THE ASSIGNATION.

Alone in his chamber, Tiburcio awaited impatiently the hour named by
Rosarita. From his window he cast a distracted glance over the plain
that stretched away from the walls of the hacienda. The moon was up in
the heavens, and the road leading to Tubac appeared under her light
shining like a vast ribbon extended through the middle of the forest.
The forest itself appeared asleep; not even a breath stirred the leaves
of the trees, and the only sounds he heard were those caused by the
half-wild herds that wandered through its glades. Now and then the
bellowing of a bull denoted the uneasiness of the animal--perhaps from
the presence of those terrible night robbers, the puma and jaguar.
There was one other sound that reached the ear of Tiburcio, but this
appeared to proceed from some part of the hacienda itself. It was the
tinkling of a mandolin. The hour was appropriate to amorous
refl