his belt and the latter on his shoulder,
took his hat and stepped forward to bid his father farewell. But as he
threw himself into the arms of the weeping old man, the door opened and
Rosita entered.

The young girl glanced quickly from one to the other, and then her eyes
remained fixed on Stephano.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, examining his equipment.

"I am going away," replied Stephano. "Farewell, Rosita, be happy.
Farewell, father," he added, embracing Don Pedro.

"He is going," said Rosita, her eyes dim with tears, "without one
friendly smile, without one clasp of his hand. Oh! Stephano," she
exclaimed, springing forward. "You cannot part from me thus!"

"You are keeping me!" said the bewildered young man.

"Yes," she replied, seizing his hand. "Stay, Stephano, do not go. I
implore you!"

"Remain!" cried the young man, passionately. "Remain to see you in the
arms of another? Never!"

As he moved towards the door, Rosita sprang towards him with
outstretched arms. "And what if it is you whom I love, Stephano? What if
I have never loved anyone but you?" A thunderbolt would hardly have
produced more effect than did these words.

"You love me?" he repeated, approaching his cousin. "Rosita, for mercy's
sake, repeat those words once more, so that I may be sure of having
heard aright."

"Yes, I love you," repeated the young girl, tenderly; "no one but you!
Will you stay now?"

"For ever, if you wish it!" cried the enraptured youth, throwing down
his gun and pistols. "Look at me, Rosita, that I may read in your eyes
that word which gives me life, and which I have waited for so long. How
blind and foolish I have been! But that will be all right now, will it
not, my beloved?" As he spoke he embraced her passionately. By both of
them the world was forgotten.

Through the open window came the clink of spurs and rattling of sabres.
This sound, to which Stephano and Rosita were deaf, struck on the ear of
Don Pedro and paralyzed him with terror.

"Stephano!" he cried at last. "Remember Lieutenant Dulaurier!"

[Illustration: "REMEMBER LIEUTENANT DULAURIER!"]

"Ah!" groaned Stephano, rudely torn from his ecstasy of happiness; and
he fixed his gaze upon his cousin.

The girl had not even heard Don Pedro.

"Rosita," said her lover, "you say you love me, but you have a
_fiance!_"

"Dulaurier!" cried the startled girl. "Great Heaven! pardon me, I had
forgotten."

"If this man," continued Stephano, "