ile the other was a year and a half
younger. Both, however, had acquired that full development of feminine
beauty which a tropical climate often calls forth at a much earlier age.

While the hair of Gertrudis was being arranged by her waiting woman,
Marianita was tying around her ankle the ribbons that were to confine
the tiny slipper upon her pretty little foot.

The grand political events at this time occurring had disturbed the
quietude of this family, as well as that of most others. There were
some probabilities, too, of there being a difference of opinion among
its members, for at the moment when our narrative commences, a marriage
was on the _tapis_ between a young Spaniard of the neighbourhood and
Dona Marianita.

Previous to the Mexican revolution, the most ardent wish of a young
Creole lady was to obtain for a husband some new arrival from the mother
country--Spain. Gertrudis, nevertheless, had more than once declined
this honour, which Marianita, as we have seen, had accepted. Why did
the Dona Gertrudis form an exception to the general rule? The sequel
will show.

We have presented these two young girls in the act of making their
toilet; we may add, that these preparations were in view of the arrival
of two gentlemen who were that evening expected. One was the young
Spaniard, the betrothed lover of Marianita; the other Don Rafael
Tres-Villas, Captain in the Queen's Dragoons. The former lived within
less than two leagues of the hacienda Las Palmas, and might be expected
at any moment--the other, having two hundred to travel, could scarce be
looked for with equal punctuality; for although he had sent positive
word that he would arrive on that evening, it was reasonable to suppose
that upon such a long journey some incident might arise to derange his
calculations. Was this uncertainty the reason why Gertrudis had scarce
commenced making her toilet, while Marianita had finished hers? Was Don
Rafael the only man in whose eyes Gertrudis cared to appear beautiful?
We shall presently know.

One of the daily cares of a young Creole lady is to take down the
abundant plaits of her hair, and combing out the separate tresses, leave
them hanging over her shoulders, so that the air may circulate freely
among them. As soon as the attendant of Gertrudis, charged with this
duty in the present instance, had accomplished her task, she passed out
of the chamber, and the two sisters were left alone.

There are cert