f Ed's presence, though often for
weeks at a time she sat in solitary state, presiding over an empty
table. Nevertheless, she kept to her custom, for not only did the
formality help her to retain her own self-respect, but it had its
influence upon the servants. Without companionship one needs to be ever
upon guard to retain the nice refinements of gentle breeding, and any
one who has exercised authority in savage countries soon learns the
importance of leaving unbridged the gulf of color and of class.

But Alaire looked forward to no lonely dinner to-night, for Ed was at
home. It was with a grave preoccupation that she made herself ready to
meet him.

Dolores bustled in for a second time and straightway launched herself
into a tirade against Juan, the horse-boy.

"Devil take me if there was ever such a shameless fellow," she cried,
angrily. "He delights in tormenting me, and--Dios!--he is lazier than a
snake. Work? Bah! He abhors it. All day long he snaps his revolver and
pretends to be a bandido, and when he is not risking hell's fire in
that way he is whirling his riata and jumping through it. Useless
capers! He ropes the dog, he ropes the rose-bushes, he ropes fat
Victoria, the cook, carrying a huge bowl of hot water to scald the
ants' nest. Victoria's stomach is boiled red altogether, and so painful
that when she comes near the stove she curses in a way to chill your
blood. What does he do this morning but fling his wicked loop over a
calf's head and break off one of its little horns. It was terrible; but
Senor Austin only laughed and told him he was a fine vaquero."

"Has Mr. Austin been here all the time?"

"Yes."

"Has he--drunk much?"

"Um-m. No more than common. He is on the gallery now with his
cocktails."

"He knows I am at home?"

"I told him."

Alaire went on dressing. After a little she asked: "Has Benito finished
branding the calves in the south pasture?"

"He finished yesterday and sent the remuda to the Six Mile. Jose
Sanchez will have completed the rodeo by this afternoon. Benito rode in
last night to see you."

"By the way, you know Jose's cousin, Panfilo?"

"Si."

"Why did he leave Las Palmas?"

Dolores hesitated so long that her mistress turned upon her with a look
of sharp inquiry.

"He went to La Feria, senora." Then, in a lowered tone: "Mr. Austin
ordered it. Suddenly, without warning, he sent him away, though Panfilo
did not wish to go, Benito told me all about it."

"Wh