iry-like little creature, as light
of foot as of wit, and an accomplished flirt; who regarded men with the
eye of the philosopher. They occupied each other admirably.

Opposite, another young lawyer, Eugene Fort, was saying preternaturally
bright things to Tiny, who lifted her sweet orbs at intervals and
remarked: "How _dreadfully_ clever you are, Mr. Fort; I am _so_ afraid
of you!" or "How _sweet_ of you to think I am worth all those _real_
epigrams! You ought to keep them for a great law-book." Once she stifled
a yawn, but Mr. Fort did not see it.

Little notice was taken of Magdalena, and she felt superfluous and
miserable. Even Trennahan, who had seemed so sympathetic, had barely
glanced at her. She wondered, with a little inner laugh, if she were
growing conceited. Why should he, with one of the prettiest girls in
California beside him? Ila was very young, but she belonged by instinct
to his own world.

The dinner came to an end. The older men went to the billiard-room, the
younger men followed the girls to the parlour. Trennahan talked to Tiny
for a time, then again to Ila, who lay back in a chair with her little
red slippers on a footstool. She had carefully disposed herself in an
alcove beyond the range of Mrs. Yorba's vision.

Tiny, whose train added to the remarkable dignity of her diminutive
person, crossed the room to Magdalena, who was sitting alone on the
window-seat.

"You have done so _well_, 'Lena dear," she said, as she sat down beside
her discouraged hostess. "I feel I must tell you that _immediately_. You
are not a _bit_ shy and nervous, as I should be if I were giving my
first dinner."

Magdalena smiled gratefully. Tiny had always been the kindest of the
girls. "I am glad you think I am not so bad," she said. "But I fear that
I have bored everybody."

"_Indeed_, you have not. You are so calm and full of natural repose. The
rest of us seem _dreadfully_ American by contrast."

"You are never fussy."

"I know, but it is _quite_ different. I've been very carefully brought
up. You would be exactly as you are if you had brought yourself up. The
Spanish are the most dignified--What are they going to do, I wonder?"

Mr. Fort approached. "We are going to walk about the grounds and step on
the frogs," he said. "I don't know a line of poetry, but I can count
stars, and I'll tell you of my aspirations in life. Will you come?"

"I _so_ want to hear your aspirations, Mr. Fort," said Tiny. "I did not