irst one ashore, you remember, before the mutiny; and where
did he turn up?--at the Mission, of course! And have you forgotten that
sleepwalking affair--all Jesuitical! Why, poor dear Markham used to say
we were surrounded by ramifications of that society--everywhere. The
very waiter at your hotel table might belong to the Order."

The hour of the siesta was just past, and the corridor and gardens of
the Alcalde's house were grouped with friends and acquaintances as
the party from the Presidio entered. Mrs. Brimmer, who had apparently
effected a temporary compromise with her late instincts of propriety,
was still doing the honors of the Alcalde's house, and had once more
assumed the Mexican dishabille, even to the slight exposure of her
small feet, stockingless, in white satin slippers. The presence of the
Comandante and his Secretary guaranteed the two ladies of their party a
reception at least faultless in form and respect, whatever may have been
the secret feelings of the hostess and her friends. The Alcalde received
Mrs. Markham and Miss Keene with unruffled courtesy, and conducted them
to the place of honor beside him.

As Eleanor Keene, slightly flushed and beautiful in her unwonted nervous
excitement, took her seat, a flutter went around the corridor, and, with
the single exception of Dona Isabel, an almost imperceptible drawing
together of the other ladies, in offensive alliance. Miss Keene had
never abandoned her own style of dress; and that afternoon her delicate
and closely-fitting white muslin, gathered in at the waist with a broad
blue belt of ribbon, seemed to accentuate somewhat unflatteringly the
tropical neglige of Mrs. Brimmer and Miss Chubb. Brace, who was in
attendance, with Crosby, on the two Ramirez girls, could not help being
uneasily conscious of this, in addition to the awkwardness of meeting
Miss Keene after the transfer of his affections elsewhere. Nor was his
embarrassment relieved by Crosby's confidences to him, in a half audible
whisper,--

"I say, old man, after all, the regular straight-out American style lays
over all their foreign flops and fandoodles. I wonder what old Brimmer
would say to his wife's full-dress nightgown--eh?"

But at this moment the long-drawn, slightly stridulous utterances of
Mrs. Brimmer rose through the other greetings like a lazy east wind.

"I shall never forgive the Commander for making the Presidio so
attractive to you, dear Miss Keene, that you cannot rea