ught,
unfortunately, by Paolina, as she was on the point of tendering him her
thanks in her impetuous way for what she heard he had done for her
brother. She stopped short in surprise, and evidently repressed a
vehemently resentful impulse, while a look unpleasant for him came into
her eyes. She went over then and took him by the hand in the same way
she had seen him take her own on his arrival, and spoke coldly enough a
few words which were meant to convey her thanks. She didn't look at him
again, not even when she presently said good-night to him, after having
woke up the old mulatto woman who, with herself and her mother, were the
only other inhabitants of the house, and told her to make up a couple of
mat beds in the adjoining room. Federigo had before that gone in to his
mother, and they could be heard in eager conversation.

In Salve's mind a new impulse had been unexpectedly given to thoughts
from which the novelty of his situation should have afforded him at
least a temporary relief; and he lay long awake, thinking drearily about
Elizabeth. When he did fall asleep at last, he dreamed that he had come
into a serpent's nest, and that he was engaged in a life and death
conflict with a huge snake, that was thrusting its forked tongue at him
from walls, from roof, from every side; and in the gleam of its
vindictive eyes, he seemed all at once to recognise Paolina.

CHAPTER XIV.

With a view to bring himself into harmony with his surroundings, he
appeared next day in his suit of fine blue cloth, which he had brought
with him in his bundle, together with sundry other articles, and what
money he had still remaining from the pay which he had received at Monte
Video. That he looked well in his handsome sailor dress was evident
enough, from the surprised look with which he was greeted by Federigo's
mother, when he was presented to her. She had evidently expected to see
in her son's friend something in the style of the raw Brazilian sailor,
a class of men who down there were generally drawn from the lowest dregs
of the populace.

She herself was a withered old woman, yellow as parchment, with a mass
of thick grey hair gathered in a single knot at the back of her head.
She wore heavy rings on her fingers, and large earrings; her small
piercing eyes had a look of burnt-out passion; and her countenance wore
in a stronger degree the furtive, ratlike expression which her son's
occasionally displayed.

As regards he