n investment, truly, of thy
original capital."

"Thou art thy father's child," said her mother, suddenly kissing her;
"and that is saying enough, the Blessed Virgin knows. Go now," she
continued, gently pushing her from the room, "and send Amita hither."
She watched the disappearance of Maruja's slightly rebellious
shoulders, and added to herself, "And this is the child that Amita
really believes is pining with lovesickness for Carroll, so that she
can neither sleep nor eat. This is the girl that Faquita would have me
think hath no longer any heart in her dress or in her finery! Soul of
Joseph Saltonstall!" ejaculated the widow, lifting her shoulders and
her eyes together, "thou hast much to account for."

Two weeks later she again astonished her daughter. "Why dost thou not
join the party that drives over to see the wonders of Aladdin's Palace
to-day? It would seem more proper that thou shouldst accompany thy
guests than Raymond and Amita."

"I have never entered his doors since the day he was disrespectful to
my mother's daughter," said Maruja, in surprise.

"Disrespectful!" repeated Dona Maria, impatiently. "Thy father's
daughter ought to know that such as he may be ignorant and vulgar, but
can not be disrespectful to her. And there are offenses, child, it is
much more crushing to forget than to remember. As long as he has not
the presumption to APOLOGIZE, I see no reason why thou mayst not go.
He has not been here since that affair of the letters. I shall not
permit him to be uncivil over THAT--dost thou understand? He is of use
to me in business. Thou mayst take Carroll with thee; he will
understand that."

"But Carroll will not go," said Maruja. "He will not say what passed
between them, but I suspect they quarreled."

"All the better, then, that thou goest alone. He need not be reminded
of it. Fear not but that he will be only too proud of thy visit to
think of aught else."

Maruja, who seemed relieved at this prospect of being unaccompanied by
Captain Carroll, shrugged her shoulders and assented.

When the party that afternoon drove into the courtyard of Aladdin's
Palace, the announcement that its hospitable proprietor was absent, and
would not return until dinner, did not abate either their pleasure or
their curiosity. As already intimated to the reader, Mr. Prince's
functions as host were characteristically irregular; and the servant's
suggestion, that Mr. Prince's private secretary wo