man
should sell himself for your beauty? Could such a man be trusted? Yet
suppose he held true to his pledge to lead the revolution, and suppose
the revolution should triumph, would it not be the triumph of Salcedo?
Would this wretched land be less oppressed under Salcedo the King than
under Salcedo the Governor-General? Answer me, Alisanda Vallois. You
know the man!"

"_Madre de los Dolores!_--And I would have made the sacrifice for that!
Juan, you have given me an answer to my uncle's plea. He may break my
heart, but he shall not force me to marry against my wish. Rather than
that, I will take the veil."

"Become a nun?" I protested.

"If I may not marry you, Juan."

"But you will marry me, Alisanda--you must!"

"How can I, dear? You have yet to cross the gulf."

"Father Rocus--" I began.

"He has spoken for you on that, yet admits a doubt. Can I wed you while
I still think of it as a sin--a marriage against God's will?"

A sudden great fear embittered my rapture and dashed me to the earth.

"Alisanda," I pleaded, "is not our love true love? Can such love be
wrong in the sight of God?"

"I have prayed the Virgin for hours without answer to that," she sighed.
"And when the holy priest admits a doubt--If I do not come to you with a
clear conscience, Juan, I shall be unworthy of your love."

"Leave that to me to judge!"

"No. We must wait, my knight. Rest assured I will not wed another than
yourself. Be patient. A few days may see the cutting of the knot. That
dangerous man Medina has wormed himself into the council of the
revolutionists. It would be like him to turn traitor, and demand me as
his price for not betraying the plot."

"Your uncle will give you to him to save his own life!"

"You do my uncle an injustice. He would sooner die. No; I was to be
given to Salcedo for the sake of this oppressed land. My uncle would die
rather than force misery upon me for other than the sacred cause of
liberty."

"I have opened your eyes to the peril of trusting Salcedo. Now what is
to be done?"

"Should Medina threaten, my uncle must flee from New Spain."

"Taking you with him! The world is large, dearest one, but wherever he
may take you, I will follow."

"If you escape Salcedo!" she whispered, and I felt her tremble.

Before I could answer, the voice of Father Rocus murmured from the
little doorway: "My children, you must part now. I brought you away on
the plea of faintness, my daughter. I must take y