d her when she
took her up, from the Government pawnshop in Mexico City and dated back
to the brief glories of Maximilian's period, and a cool bath in a tin
tub.

"You are so good," said Honor. "Taking me in like this! It was a
dreadful thing to do, but--I had to come to him."

The Englishwoman put her hand on her shoulder. "My dear, it was a
topping thing to do. I--" her very blue eyes were pools of
understanding. "I should have done it. And we're no end pleased to have
you! We get fearfully dull, and three young people are a feast! We'll
have a lot of parties and divide you generously with our friends and
neighbors--neighbors twenty miles away, my dear! We'll do some
theatricals,--Carter says your boy is quite marvelous at that sort of
thing."

"Oh, he _is,"_ said Honor, warmly, "but I'm afraid we ought to hurry
back to his father!"

"I'll have Richard telegraph. Of course, if he's really bad, you'll have
to go, but we do want you to stay on!" She was moving about the big
room, giving a brisk touch here and there. "Have your cold dip and rest
an hour, my dear. Dinner's at eight. Josita will come to help you." She
opened the door and stood an instant on the threshold. Then she came
back and took Honor's face between her hands and looked long at her.
"You'll do," she said. "You'll do, my girl! There's no--no royal road
with these Kings of ours--but they're worth it!" She dropped a brisk
kiss on the smooth young brow and went swiftly out of the room.

To the keen delight of the hosts there was a fourth guest at dinner, a
man who was stopping at another _hacienda_ and had come in to tea and
been cajoled into staying for dinner and the night. He was a personage
from Los Angeles, an Easterner who had brought an invalid wife there
fifteen years earlier, had watched her miraculous return to pink plump
health and become the typical California-convert. He had established a
branch of his gigantic business there and himself rolled semiannually
from coast to coast in his private car. Honor and Jimsy were a little
awed by touching elbows with greatness but he didn't really bother them
very much, for they were too entirely absorbed in each other. He seemed,
however, considerably interested in them and looked at them and listened
to them genially. The Kings were thirstily eager for news of the
northern world; books, plays, games, people--they drank up names and
dates and details.

"We must take a run up to the States this yea