alleros who hardly knew
whether to like her or not, but who adhered to the knowledge that she
was Chonita Iturbi y Moncada, the most famous beauty of the South.

"_Dios!_ but thou art beautiful," murmured one, his dreamy eyes
dwelling on her shining hair.

"_Gracias_, senor." She whispered it as bashfully as the maidens to
whom he was accustomed, her eyes fixed upon a rose she held.

"Wilt thou not stay with us here in Monterey?"

She raised her eyes slowly,--he could not but feel the effort,--gave
him one bewildering glance, half appealing, half protesting, then
dropped them suddenly.

"Wilt thou stay with me?" panted the caballero.

"Ay, senor! thou must not speak like that. Some one will hear thee."

"I care not! God of my life! I care not! Wilt thou marry me?"

"Thou must not speak to me of marriage, senor. It is to my father thou
must speak. Would I, a Californian maiden, betroth myself without his
knowledge?"

"Holy heaven! I will! But give me one word that thou lovest me,--one
word!"

She lifted her chin saucily and turned to another caballero, who, I
doubt not, proposed also. Estenega, who had watched her, laughed.

"She acts the part to perfection," he said to me. "Either natural or
acquired coquetry has more to do with saving her from the solitary
plane of the intellectual woman than her beauty or her father's
wealth. I am inclined to think that it is acquired. I do not believe
that she is a coquette at heart, any more than that she is the marble
doomswoman she fondly believes herself."

"You will tell her that," I exclaimed, angrily; "and she will end
by loving you because you understand her; all women want to be
understood. Why don't you go to Paris again? You have not been there
for a long time."

Not deeming this suggestion worthy of answer, he left me and walked to
Chonita, who was glancing over the top of her fan into the ardent eyes
of a third caballero.

"You will step on a bunch of nettles in a moment," he said,
practically. "Your slippers are very thin; you had better stand over
here on the path." And he dexterously separated her from the other
men. "Will you walk to that opening over there with me? I want to show
you a better view of Monterey."

His manner had not a touch of gallantry, and she was tired of the
caballeros.

"Very well," she said. "I will look at the view."

As she followed him she noted that he led her where the bushes were
thinnest, and kicked the stones from