a, if I have to recall the past. I saw you, as you
remember, some months ago for the first time, and found you not unwilling
to receive my attentions. From the first moment of my acquaintance with
you I loved you, and thought that I had reason for hope. Lovers are
always sanguine."

"I can assure you, senor," said Katie, "I do not see how you could have
found any reason to hope in this case."

Lopez felt this rebuff very keenly, but kept his temper.

"I was merely speaking of my own hopes," said he, mildly, "and you
certainly were far more amiable than you now are."

"I'm sure, senor, I should be sorry to be otherwise than amiable, but
sleepless nights and solitary confinement must necessarily affect one's
temper. I can only say I do not wish to be rude."

"Pardon me--rude? That is impossible," said Lopez, grasping eagerly at
this as at some small concession. "I only want you to give me now a fair
hearing. Let me say, once for all, that I loved you then, and have loved
you ever since, most devotedly."

"I suppose I have to listen," said Katie, "as I am your prisoner; but I
will only hint that before speaking of love it might be as well to set me
free."

Lopez drew a long breath. It was hard indeed for him to keep down his
anger.

"Very well," said he, taking no notice of her words. "In the midst of my
hopes there came this English Ashby, and at once I felt that I was pushed
into the background. I bore my disappointment as well as I could, and in
addition to this I put up with things of which you never knew. That man
had a most insolent manner. He was wealthy. He was purse-proud, and
excited universal hate by his overbearing ways. There was always the
clink of gold in his voice, and even in his step. I have even received
insults from him."

"Why did you put up with insults?" asked Katie. "I thought that no
Spaniard ever allowed himself to be insulted."

"For your sake," said Lopez, in a tender voice. "For your sake I endured
all."

"For my sake! I am at a loss to see why you should allow any one to
insult you for my sake."

"Ah! there were many reasons why I had to be very, very patient for your
sake. In the first place, I saw that you preferred him to me, and I
feared that if I quarrelled with him you would hate me; and that would
have been worse than death. Again, if I had quarrelled with him, you
would have been known as the cause, and would have been talked about; and
in Spain it is a great dishonor t