n her mind. At first it seemed only as if her whole being
went out into the fierce demand that he should come, and the obstinate
proud belief that it must be as she wished--that he could not resist and
disobey her. Who had ever disobeyed her? Not Jose; not Jovita, for all
her grumblings; not any of those others. And was it likely that he who
had adored her more than all the rest, who had watched her with that
hungry love in his eyes, could do what no other had ever done? She told
herself this over and over again; but he did not come. She began to feel
a feverish eagerness when she dressed herself, a passionate desire to
be pretty--to be prettier than ever before. She used to stand before her
scrap of looking-glass to try on one bit of simple finery after another,
twisting up the soft cloud of her hair afresh a dozen times a day, and
putting a fresh flower in it. She went to the well again and again and
filled her jar, and emptied and filled it again, and lingered, and tried
not to look round when she heard a footstep; but the right one never
came, though her heart's throbbing shook her many times in false alarm.
She was only a child--a passionate Spanish child, ignorant and full
of fierce young natural impulses--and she knew only childish, crude
methods. So she made herself beautiful, and showed herself in the places
where she thought he would see her and be unable to resist her will
and her beauty; but though she made Jose take her here and there and
everywhere, she never saw Sebastiano but once. It was in the Public
Garden, where they had first met. They were sitting in the shade
refreshing themselves with wine, and he came toward them, not at first
seeing them. Pepita clutched her fan until she broke it, and a wild
exultation sprang in her breast. She had seen before she left home that
she had never before been so pretty.

There had come into her face a new look--a fire that had burned deeper
every charm. He would see--he would see that she was Pepita still, and
that he could not keep his word if she chose--if she chose.

He drew nearer and nearer, still not seeing them. He was talking to the
three companions who were with him. He was richly dressed, and looked
stronger than ever, and more handsome and graceful. He came still
nearer. No, she would not speak to him. No! He looked up and his eye
fell upon them--upon Jose and Jovita and Pepita! He drew back a step
and stood still; he made a low bow to them, a grand bow,