g the brilliant, soaring flame of the pine logs Pearl could
not have told, when suddenly the stillness of the night was broken by
the sound of someone whistling along the road. It seemed a long way off
at first, but gradually came nearer and nearer, tuneful and clear as the
song of a bobolink.

"Saint Harry, by all the saints or devils!" cried Jose with a burst of
his shrill laughter. "Ah, Francisco, the devil is a shrewd fellow; when
he can't manage a job himself, he always gets a woman to help him." His
glancing, twinkling eyes sought Pearl, who had barely turned her head as
her father rose to open the door for the newcomer, exclaiming with some
show of cordiality:

"Ah, Seagreave, come in, come in."

"Thanks," said an agreeable voice. "I got home late and found that Jose
had made preparations to lighten my loneliness. Then I saw the light in
your window and thought I would come down. You see I suspected pleasant
company."

He advanced into the room and then, seeing Pearl, who had twisted about
in her chair and was gazing at him with the first show of interest she
had yet exhibited, he paused and looked rather hesitatingly at Gallito.

"We have a guest," said Jose softly and in Spanish.

"My daughter has returned with me," said Gallito. "Pearl, this is Mr.
Seagreave."

"Saint Harry," said Jose more softly still.

Mr. Seagreave bowed, although one who knew him well might have seen that
his astonishment increased rather than abated at the sight of Pearl. As
for her, she merely nodded and let her lashes lie the more wearily and
indifferently upon her cheek.

"Really, I wouldn't have intruded," said Seagreave in his pleasant
English voice. "I had an idea from your telegram, Gallito, that Hughie
was coming with you. Sha'n't I go?"

For answer Gallito pushed forward a chair and threw another log upon the
fire. "My daughter is tired," he said. "She will soon retire; but when a
man has been from home for a fortnight, and in the desert!" he raised
his brows expressively, "Pah! He wishes to hear of everything which has
happened during his absence and particularly, Mr. Seagreave, do I wish
to talk to you about that lower drift. Jose tells me that you have
examined it."

Thus urged, Seagreave sat down. He was tall and slight and fair, so very
fair that his age was difficult to guess. His hair, with a silvery sheen
on it, swept in a wing across his forehead, and he had a habit of
pushing it back from his brow; his ey