on whom you would deceive with the rest! Ah, yes; it
was a high flight for you, Mees--Mees--Dona Fulana--a noble game for
you to bring down!"

Why did she not speak? What was she doing? If she had but uttered a
single word of protest, of angry dismissal, Paul would have flown to
her side. It could not be the paralysis of personal fear: the balcony
was wide; she could easily pass to the end; she could even see his open
window.

"Why did I do this? Because I loved you, senora--and you knew it! Ah!
you can turn your face away now; you can pretend to misunderstand me,
as you did a moment ago; you can part from me now like a mere
acquaintance--but it was not always so! No, it was YOU who brought me
here; your eyes that smiled into mine--and drove home the colonel's
request that I and my sister should accompany you. God! I was weak
then! You smile, senora; you think you have succeeded--you and your
pompous colonel and your clever governor! You think you have
compromised me, and perjured ME, because of this. You are wrong! You
think I dare not speak to this puppet of a baron, and that I have no
proofs. You are wrong!"

"And even if you can produce them, what care I?" said Yerba
unexpectedly, yet in a voice so free from excitement and passion that
the weariness which Paul had at first noticed seemed to be the only
dominant tone. "Suppose you prove that I am not an Arguello. Good! you
have yet to show that a connection with any of your race would be
anything but a disgrace."

"Ah! you defy me, little one! Caramba! Listen, then! You do not know
all! When you thought I was only helping you to fabricate your claim
to the Arguellos' name, I was finding out WHO YOU REALLY WERE! Ah! It
was not so difficult as you fondly hope, senora. We were not all
brutes and fools in the early days, though we stood aside to let your
people run their vulgar course. It was your hired bully--your
respected guardian--this dog of an espadachin, who let out a hint of
the secret--with a prick of his blade--and a scandal. One of my peon
women was a servant at the convent when you were a child, and
recognized the woman who put you there and came to see you as a friend.
She overheard the Mother Superior say it was your mother, and saw a
necklace that was left for you to wear. Ah! you begin to believe!
When I had put this and that together I found that Pepita could not
identify you with the child that she had seen. But you, senora,