ita. "What can I do better?"

"But you ought to be something better--far better. Would you not like
to--"

"Like what?" asked Rita, who was full of excitement.

"Well," said Russell, "to have plenty of money, to have beautiful
clothes, to live in a beautiful house, to have jewels, to have
amusements, and so forth?"

Rita's dark eyes flashed fire with eager covetousness at this
alluring speech.

"Oh, senor," she said, "it is impossible."

"Rita!" said Russell, in a solemn voice.

"Senor!"

"Look at me."

"Si, senor."

Rita had been looking at him all along fixedly enough, but at this
invitation she threw additional earnestness into the deep glance of
her bold, dark eyes.

"You see what I am, Rita, my dear. I am a prisoner--in grief, in
despair. Now, if any one would help me, I could do very much for that
one."

"You are a gran' nobile?" said Rita, in an inquiring tone.

"Oh yes," said Russell, in his large way; "and, what's more, I can
make you happy for the rest of your life. I like you, Rita. I'm quite
fond of you. You're an uncommonly pretty woman."

Saying this, Russell took Rita's hand and pressed it with much
emphasis. Now, the interpretation which Rita put upon these words and
this action was very different from what Russell intended. The
benignant Russell merely wished to impress upon Rita's mind that he
had very friendly feelings toward her, and that, if she would help
him, he was in a position to reward her handsomely. He didn't want to
name any sum. He wished, for obvious reasons, to leave the amount
unsettled. But Rita understood it differently. Being of a sentimental
turn, she regarded this as a sort of declaration of love--in fact,
almost an offer of marriage--and, if not so altogether, at least an
approach to it. Still, she was a shrewd woman, and waited until
Russell had explained himself further.

Russell observed her silence, and was quite satisfied. It showed
proper caution, and caution was an excellent quality in one whom he
wished to have for a helper in his need. So he went on in the same
way, still holding Rita's hand.

"You are so pretty, Rita, my dear, I swear I never before saw such a
pretty woman. This isn't the place for you. You must get out of this;
and if you will only go away with me, why, there's nothing that I
wouldn't do for you. When I like a person, I'm ready to do anything
for them. And the first moment I saw you, I said to myself, 'There's
the woman for you!'