"'Zillah, what is this? Why are you so terrified?' She had drawn back
towards the tent, grasping the phial close in her hands; then with her
wild eyes on my face, and her features locked in gray whiteness, she
stood a full minute staring at me in dumb terror. At last, she faltered
out, 'Miss, Miss Crawford, how--how you frightened me. I--I am so
nervous.'

"'But there is nothing to make you nervous, Zillah. I only came to say
that your mistress wishes to go home.'

"'Oh! I am ready--I am ready, but--but when did you get here? We--we
were talking--'

"'About something you had in your hand. What is it, Zillah?'

"I saw the girl's slender fingers close spasmodically on the phial, and
the dead whiteness returned to her face.

"'Oh! it is--'

"Then the gipsy broke in. 'It is a love philter--something that will
make her sweetheart tender and faithful--would the senorita like to buy
one?'

"I turned my eyes on Zillah; she was still pale, and trembled visibly.
With her magnificent eyes cast down, and her whole figure bowed as if by
some invisible power, she seemed to deprecate my scorn or anger. I was
angry. What did she want with the philter in her hand--to whom was it
applicable?

"'Foolish, ignorant girl,' I said. 'So it was for this poor fraud you
wanted money. Zillah, I thought you had more sense?'

"The girl stood up more firmly. It seemed as if a load had dropped from
her shoulders. She gave a sharp laugh, and said 'I know it, young
mistress. It is a folly--but I could not help it--the gipsies have such
power--and I may never see them again. Don't tell of me, they will laugh
so?'"

CHAPTER LV.

BURDENED WITH A SECRET.

"I turned away without answering, only ordering Zillah to have done with
such nonsense, and go to her mistress. She walked on a little behind me,
with more meekness than was natural to her; but I was troubled with a
sort of dread, which nothing in the circumstances could explain.

"It was all natural enough. In the name of heaven, what had I suspected?
I did not know--I do not now! but I felt faint and sick with some
horrible dread, to which I could give neither name or reason.

"'Miss Mabel,' said Zillah, coming to my side. 'I suppose you think I
told you a story this morning.'

"'Yes,' I said, 'I saw you give that money to the old woman.'

"'I was ashamed to tell you what I really wanted, for fear you would
laugh at me,' she replied, 'I never do tell the least bit of a fib th