d she had not even taken off her hat.

A strange light gleamed in the man's eyes. He went close to the grated
gate, and made a sound just loud enough to be heard by the girl alone;
she swiftly raised her head, and a sudden flame passed over her face
when she saw who it was that called her; then she went to the gate and
opened it, greeting her cousin with a gracious smile to repay him,
doubtless, for the cool treatment of the promenade.

Don Alfonso eagerly took both hands and pressed them warmly.

"Will you allow me?"

And without awaiting her answer, he raised them to his lips and kissed
them no less eagerly. The girl quickly withdrew them, but the smile that
lighted her face did not fade.

"I cannot escape my fate; I come to the Astillero, and the first person
whom I meet is the one who most interests me."

"Yes, yes! the idea of saying that to me!" said Julia, just as gayly as
before. "I am going to tell mamma. The last thing that she expects is to
see you here."

"Haven't you told her?"

"She was lying down when I came, and I did not want to disturb her,"
replied the girl, blushing at the lie that she was telling.

"Well then, let us not go indoors quite yet; I have something to talk
with you about first."

And he went and sat down in the summer house and took off his hat. Julia
hesitated a moment; but finally sat down beside him.

"Don't you know what I want to tell you?" he began, giving her a keen
and loving look.

"I am not a gypsy, my dear."

"It happened to be a gypsy who told me while I was in Seville that a
sly, witty little brunette was going to kill me with disdain."

"And you believed her, simpleton?"

"Why not?"

"Because the only thing that you would die of would be rascality."

"A thousand thanks, cousin."

"I do not deserve them. Go on."

"Well, then, as to what I was going to tell you.... Do you know I have
so much on my mind that I don't know where to begin! I suffer from the
same thing that troubles orators."

"Then rest a few minutes.... Would you like a glass of water?"

"There is no need; like the ten commandments, it all reduces itself to
two truths,--loving you above all things, and blowing my brains out if
you don't love me."

"Are you sure that they are true?"

"Perfectly sure."

"Stuff and nonsense! Then I have made a mistake in this too!" said the
girl, sighing with graceful irony.

"Cousin, cousin! what a wretched opinion you have of me. If you realized
w