hose, and he exerted himself as he had not done for some time. He was
rewarded by a rapt attention, a humble and profound admiration that
would have flattered a demi-god. And in truth he was a demi-god to this
girl, with her experience of elderly old-fashioned men and an occasional
callow youth encountered on a verandah in summer.

They followed the driveway that curved between one of the two larger
lawns and the deer park. The lawn was set thickly along its edge and
sparsely on its sweep with fragrant trees and shrubs. Beyond the deer
park was the black mass of the woods. The air was sweet with the mingled
breath of June roses, orange blossoms, and the pepper-tree. After a time
their way lay through a dark avenue of immense oaks, and the perfumes
came from the Mariposa lilies in the fields beyond.

If Trennahan had been with Ila, he would have conducted himself as his
surroundings and his companion demanded: he would have made love. But he
was a man who rarely made a mistake; he talked to Magdalena of the
difference between California and the many other countries he had
visited, and answered her eager questions about life in the great
capitals. As they were returning, he said to her,--

"You say you ride before breakfast. Do you think I might join you
to-morrow? Your father has been kind enough to place his stable at my
disposal."

"Oh--I--I don't know. My father is very--Spanish, although he doesn't
like you to call it that."

"May I ask him?"

"Oh, yes, you could ask him."

When they reached the house he sought his host in the billiard-room. The
game was over, and Don Roberto, Mr. Polk, and Mr. Washington were seated
in front of the mantel-piece with their feet on the shelf. It was Don
Roberto's favourite attitude; he felt that it completed the structure of
his Americanism. He could only reach the tip of the shelf with the
points of his little elegant feet, but he was just as comfortable as Mr.
Polk, whose feet, large and booted, were planted against the wall. Mr.
Washington, who was a most correct gentleman, with the illustrious
forbears his name suggested, had never lifted his feet to one of his own
mantels in his life; but Don Roberto's guests always humoured this
little hobby, among many others.

"Ay, the Mr. Trennahan," said Don Roberto, graciously. "We make room for
you."

The others moved along, and Trennahan, seeing what was expected of him,
brought a chair and elevated his feet among the Chinese b