noise of an opening door and footsteps in the passage, "and are now
able to locate without difficulty the scene of the disturbance."

Briones apparently understood his meaning and the success of his
stratagem. "You think you have saved HER from disgrace," he said, with
a livid smile, in a lower tone and a desperate attempt to imitate
Paul's coolness. "For the present--ah--yees! perhaps in this hotel and
this evening. But you have not stop my mouth for--a--to-morrow--and
the whole world, Mr. Hathaway."

"Well," said Paul, looking at him critically, "I don't know about that.
Of course, there's the equal chance that you may kill me--but that's a
question for to-morrow, too."

The Mexican cast a quick glance at the door and window. Paul, as if
carelessly, changed the key of the former from one pocket to the other,
and stepped before the window.

"So this is a plot to murder me! Have a care! You are not in your own
brigand California!"

"If you think so, alarm the house. They will find us quarreling, and
you will only precipitate matters by receiving the insult that will
make you fight--before them."

"I am r-ready, sir, when and where you will," said Briones, with a
swaggering air but a shifting, furtive eye. "Open--a--the door."

"Pardon me. We will leave this room TOGETHER in an hour for the
station. We will board the night express that will take us in three
hours beyond the frontier, where we can each find a friend."

"But my affairs here--my sister--I must see her."

"You shall write a note to her at that table, saying that important
business--a dispatch--has called you away, and we will leave it with
the porter to be delivered IN THE MORNING. Or--I do not restrict
you--you can say what you like, provided she don't get it until we have
left."

"And you make of me a prisoner, sir?"

"No; a visitor, Don Caesar--a visitor whose conversation is so
interesting that I am forced to detain him to hear more. You can pass
the time pleasantly by finishing the story I was obliged to interrupt a
moment ago. Do you know this mother of Miss Yerba, of whom you spoke?"

"That's m--my affair."

"That means you don't know her. If you did, you'd have had her within
call. And, as she is the only person who is able to say that Miss
Yerba is NOT an Arguello, you have been very remiss."

"Ah, bah! I am not one of your--a--lawyers."

"No; or you would know that, with no better evidence than you have, you
might