ed outside all of her childhood's
immaturities. She became a woman. She accepted with joyful tears a
woman's lot of love and sorrow. She said to Antonia:

"Luis was in my heart before; now, I have put him in my soul. My soul
will never die. So I shall never forget him--never cease to love him."

Rachela faithfully kept her agreement. For one hour she was asleep to
all her charge did, and Isabel was in her own room when the precious
sixty minutes were over. Happy? So happy that her soul seemed to have
pushed her body aside, as a thing not to be taken into account. She
sang like a bird for very gladsomeness. It was impossible for her to
be still, and as she went about her room with little dancing, balancing
movements of her hands and feet, Antonia knew that they were keeping
their happy rhythmic motion to the melody love sang in her heart.

And she rejoiced with her little sister, though she was not free from
a certain regret for her concession, for it is the after-reckoning with
conscience that is so disagreeably strict and uncomfortable. And yet,
why make an element of anger and suspicion between Isabel and her mother
when there appeared to be no cause to do so? Don Luis was going away. He
was in disgrace with his family--almost disinherited; the country was on
the point of war, and its fortunes might give him some opportunities no
one now foresaw. But if Isabel's mother had once declared that she would
"never sanction the marriage," Antonia knew that, however she might
afterwards regret her haste and prejudice, she would stand passionately
by her decision. Was it not better, then, to prevent words being said
which might cause sorrow and regret in the future?

But as regarded Isabel's father, no such reason existed. The happiness
of his children was to him a more sacred thing than his own prejudices.
He liked Don Luis, and his friendship with his mother, the Senora
Alveda, was a long and tried one. The youth's political partialities,
though bringing him at present into disgrace, were such as he himself
had largely helped to form. Antonia was sure that her father would
sympathize with Isabel, and excuse in her the lapse of duty which had
given his little girl so much happiness. Yes, it would be right to tell
him every thing, and she did not fear but Isabel would agree in her
decision.

At this moment Rachela entered. The Senora wished her daughters to
call upon the American manteau-maker for her, and the ride in the