r, made the matter all the more
exciting. When she fell asleep, tired and happy, that night, already she
was on the road to fame. Sebastiano, who was the adored of his order,
who in spite of his adventures sought no woman, had asked her name, had
made efforts to discover it, and had learned that among those who had
had the good fortune to see and speak to her she was known as "the
pretty sister of Jose." A week from this time Jose came home one evening
bringing Manuel with him. Manuel was often with him--in fact he had
many friends; almost every day some gay or grave young fellow managed to
attach himself to him, and somehow the acquaintance always shared itself
soon afterward with Pepita. But Manuel appeared oftener than the rest,
having a timid obstinacy, and seeming only puzzled and not discouraged
by the indifference which sometimes ignored his very existence. On this
particular evening he was moved from his usual calm, and so was Jose.
They had seen Sebastiano; they had spoken to him; in the presence of a
circle of his friends and admirers he had drunk wine with them. "We were
passing the wine-shop and we saw him," explained Manuel, "and we went in
to look on a little and hear him talk. One of the chulos who stood near
spoke to him quickly when he saw us--as if he knew us--and presently the
same chulo came and spoke to Jose, and soon Sebastiano came and spoke
too. The one who approached us first was one of the three who drank
at the table near us on the evening after the bull-fight. Once, in
his boyhood, Sebastiano lived near the village you left; he knew Padre
Alejandro and some others; he was pleased to see Jose and speak of
them--it was as if they were friends at once."

"He has a good heart," put in Jose; "they all say that of him. He
remembered everything--even old Juan, who lived to be a hundred and was
bent double. He asked if he lived yet. It seems strange that he was once
so near us, and was a little lad, ill-used and poor. He is not too
proud to remember it. He would be a good friend to one in
trouble--Sebastiano--though he is rich and spoken of by the whole
world."

So great a celebrity Jose was convinced must be known to the entire
universe. That night, as Pepita made ready for her bed, old Jovita, who
had already retired, lay and looked at her.

The girl stood in the flood of brilliant white moonlight which bathed
part of the bare room; her round dimpled arms were lifted as she unwound
the soft dusk