I saw the face of my travelling companion
and--fell in love with it. I had seen it before without any such idea
entering my mind; then it had been to me only the face of a rather
piquante and pretty girl, but with this strange and inconvenient result,
the sight of the dawn breaking upon Orizaba seemed to have worked some
change in me. At least, if only for an instant, it had pierced the
barrier that day by day we build within us to protect ourselves from the
attack of the impulses of nature.

In that moment at any rate there was a look upon this girl's countenance
and a light shining in her eyes which overcame my caution and swept
me out of myself, for I think that she too was under the shadow of the
glory which broke upon the crest of Orizaba. In vain did I try to save
myself and to struggle back to common-sense, since hitherto the prospect
of domestic love had played no part in my scheme of life. It was
useless, so I gave it up, and our eyes met.

Neither of us said anything, but from that time forward we knew that we
did not wish to be parted any more.

After a while, to relieve a tension of mind which neither of us cared to
reveal, we drifted into desultory and indifferent conversation. In the
course of our talk Emma told me that her aunt had written to her that if
she could leave the coach at Orizaba she would be within fifty miles of
the _hacienda_ of La Concepcion, whereas when she reached Mexico City
she would still be eighty miles from it. Her aunt had added, however,
that this was not practicable at present, why she did not say, and that
she must go on to Mexico where some friends would take charge of her
until her uncle was able to fetch her.

Presently Emma seemed to fall asleep, at least she shut her eyes. But I
could not sleep, and sat there listening to the snores of the fat priest
and the strange interminable oaths of the drivers as they thrashed the
mules. Opposite to me, tied to the roof of the coach immediately above
Emma's head, was a cheap looking-glass, provided, I suppose, for the
convenience of passengers when making the toilette of travel. In it I
could see myself reflected, so, having nothing better to do, in view of
contingencies which of a sudden had become possible, I amused myself by
taking count of my personal appearance. On the whole in those days it
was not unsatisfactory. In build, I was tall and slight, with thin,
nervous hands. My colouring and hair were dark, and I had soft and