ona Felipa overcame her horror of the rose garden at
infelicitous hours, so far as to permit herself to be conducted by the
cousins into it, and to be installed like a rose queen on the stone
bench, while Dick and Cecily threw themselves in submissive and
imploring attitudes at her little feet. The young girl looked
mischievously from one to the other.

"It ees very pret-ty, but all the same I am not a rose: I am what you
call a big goose-berry! Eh--is it not?"

The cousins laughed, but without any embarrassed consciousness. "Dona
Felipa knows a sad story of this house," said Cecily; "but she will not
tell it before you, Dick."

Dick, looking up at the coquettish little figure, with Heaven knows what
OTHER memories in his mind, implored and protested.

"Ah! but this little story--she ees not so mooch sad of herself as she
ees str-r-r-ange!" She gave an exaggerated little shiver under her lace
shawl, and closed her eyes meditatively.

"Go on," said Dick, smiling in spite of his interested expectation.

Dona Felipa took her fan in both hands, spanning her knees, leaned
forward, and after a preliminary compressing of her lips and knitting of
her brows, said:--

"It was a long time ago. Don Gregorio he have his daughter Rosita here,
and for her he will fill all thees rose garden and gif to her; for she
like mooch to lif with the rose. She ees very pret-ty. You shall have
seen her picture here in the casa. No? It have hang under the crucifix
in the corner room, turn around to the wall--WHY, you shall comprehend
when I have made finish thees story. Comes to them here one day Don
Vincente, Don Gregorio's nephew, to lif when his father die. He was
yong, a pollio--same as Rosita. They were mooch together; they have
make lofe. What will you?--it ees always the same. The Don Gregorio have
comprehend; the friends have all comprehend; in a year they will make
marry. Dona Rosita she go to Monterey to see his family. There ees
an English warship come there; and Rosita she ees very gay with the
officers, and make the flirtation very mooch. Then Don Vincente he is
onhappy, and he revenge himself to make lofe with another. When Rosita
come back it is very miserable for them both, but they say nossing. The
warship he have gone away; the other girl Vincente he go not to no more.
All the same, Rosita and Vincente are very triste, and the family will
not know what to make. Then Rosita she is sick and eat nossing, and walk
to herself