heir beds, and they could talk over the subject
without fear of interference.

"Are you sleepy, queridita?"--(little dear).

"I think I shall never go to sleep again, Antonia. If I shut my eyes I
shall find myself in the convent; and I do not want to go there even in
a dream. Do you know Mother Teresa? Well then, I could tell you things.
And she does not like me, I am sure of that; quite sure."

"My darling, I am going to make us a cup of tea. It will do us good."

"If indeed it were chocolate!"

"I cannot make chocolate now; but you shall have a great deal of sugar
in your cup, and something good to eat also. There, my darling, put
your chair close to the fire, and we will sit here until we are quite
sleepy."

With the words she went into the kitchen. Molly was nodding over her
beads, in the comfortable radius made by the blazing logs; no one else
was present but a young peon. He brought a small kettle to the parlor
fire, and lifted a table to the hearth, and then replenished the pile
of logs for burning during the night. Isabel, cuddling in a large chair,
watched Antonia, as she went softly about putting on the table such
delicacies as she could find at that hour. Tamales and cold duck, sweet
cake and the guava jelly that was Isabel's favorite dainty. There was
a little comfort in the sight of these things; and also, in the bright
silver teapot standing so cheerfully on the hearth, and diffusing
through the room a warm perfume, at once soothing and exhilarating.

"I really think I shall like that American tea to-night, Antonia, but
you must half fill my cup with those little blocks of sugar--quite half
fill it, Antonia; and have you found cream, my dear one? Then a great
deal of cream."

Antonia stood still a moment and looked at the drowsy little beauty. Her
eyes were closed, and her head nestled comfortably in a corner of the
padded chair. Then a hand upon the door-handle arrested her attention,
and Antonia turned her eyes from Isabel and watched it. Ortiz, the peon,
put his head within the room, and then disappeared; but oh, wonder and
joy! Don Luis entered swiftly after him; and before any one could say
a word, he was kneeling by Isabel kissing her hand and mingling his
exclamations of rapture with hers.

Antonia looked with amazement and delight at this apparition. How had he
come? She put her hand upon his sleeve; it was scarcely wet. His dress
was splendid; if he had been going to a tertullia of the h