ying helpless in some ditch. Was there ever a girl so
persecuted? With a father wrapped in mystery, a lover nameless and
shrouded in the obscurity of some Olympian height, and her only
confidant and messenger a Bacchus instead of a Mercury! Heigh ho! And in
another hour Don Juan--he told me I might call him John--will be waiting
for me outside the convent wall! What if Diego fails me? To go there
alone would be madness! Who else would be as charmingly unconscious and
inattentive as this American vagabond! (Goes to L.) Ah, my saddle and
blanket hidden! He HAS been interrupted. Some one has been watching.
This freak of my father's means something. And to-night, of all nights,
the night that Oakhurst was to disclose himself, and tell me all! What
is to be done? Hark! (DIEGO, without, singing.)

"Oh, here's your aguardiente,
Drink it down!"

Jovita. It is Diego; and, Mother of God! drunk again!

Enter SANDY, carrying pack, intoxicated; staggers to centre, and,
observing JOVITA, takes off his hat respectfully.

Jovita (shaking him by the shoulders passionately). Diego! How dare you!
And at such a time!

Sandy (with drunken solemnity). Miss Jovita, did ye ever know me to be
drunk afore at such a time?

Jovita. No.

Sandy. Zachy so. It's abnormal. And it means--the game's up.

Jovita. I do not understand. For the love of God, Diego, be plain!

Sandy (solemnly and drunkenly). When I say your game's up, I mean the
old man knows it all. You're blowed upon. Hearken, miss. (Seriously
and soberly.) Your father knows all that I know; but, as it wasn't my
business to interfere with, I hev sorter helped along. He knows that you
meet a stranger, an American, in these rides with me.

Jovita (passionately). Ingrate! You have not dared to tell him! (Seizing
him by the collar, and threatening him with the horsewhip.)

Sandy (rising with half-drunken, half-sober solemnity). One minit, miss!
one minit! Don't ye! don't ye do that! Ef ye forget (and I don't blame
ye for it), ef ye forget that I'm a man, don't ye, don't ye forget
that you're a woman! Sit ye down, sit ye down, so! Now, ef ye'll kindly
remember, miss, I never saw this yer man, yer lover. Ef ye'll recollect,
miss, whenever you met him, I allers hung back and waited round in the
mission or in the fields beyond for ye, and allowed ye to hev your own
way, it bein' no business o' mine. Thar isn't a man on the ranch, who,
ef he'd had a mind to watch ye, wou