g half-fascinated, conscious of the
spell of his personality, thrilled by the passionate tones of his deep,
musical voice, but she broke the spell and recovered herself in an
instant.

"Quite an effective piece of play-acting!" she remarked, forcing a
laugh. "You really should be on the stage, Don Carlos, or acting for
the movies. I feel sure you would be a success as a film actor, and
all the flappers would lose their hearts to you. Will you have some
tea?"

"Myra, I am not acting," Don Carlos protested, at last showing signs of
chagrin. "I am in deadly earnest. I love you and want you, and the
Devil himself will not prevent me from making you my own."

"His Satanic Majesty need not concern himself with the affair at all,
at all," retorted Myra, regarding him coldly. "Let me save him the
trouble by assuring you that your eloquent and melodramatic
protestations of love leave me cold, and your boast that no woman has
ever been able to resist you inspired me only with contempt for your
conceit. Let me remind you again, also, that I am engaged to be
married to Mr. Antony Standish, and assure you I have not the slightest
intention of transferring my affections from an English gentleman to a
Spaniard who evidently prides himself on being a sort of modern Don
Juan."

Don Carlos's face went white beneath the tan as he listened to the
scathing words, and a gleam of anger flashed into his dark eyes.

"You do me an injustice, and I think you are doing your own heart an
injustice, Myra," he said, in a curiously quiet voice, after a
momentary pause. "If----"

"I object to your calling me by my Christian name," Myra interposed
abruptly, intent on snubbing him. "May I remind you we met for the
first time yesterday. I can hardly imagine that in your own country
you would dare to call a girl 'Myra' a few hours after meeting her for
the first time."

"My dear Miss Rostrevor, I can lay my hand on my heart and assure you
on my word of honour that never in Spain have I ever called a girl
'Myra,' either within a few hours or a few years of our first meeting,"
said Don Carlos, his eyes beginning to twinkle again. "That may be
explained by the fact that I have never heard the name before. But I
think it is a charming name, which somehow fits you. Incidentally,
senorita, may I venture to point out that you have been addressing me
as 'Don Carlos,' instead of as 'Senor de Ruiz'? You have been calling
me by my Christian na