curvetted beneath him, to his most evident discomfort; but Melinza's
seat was superb. It was a dappled gray he rode, with flowing mane and
tail of silvery white; a crimson rosette was fastened to its crimped
forelock, and the long saddle-cloth was richly embroidered.

As the little company swept round the square, the two horsemen saluted
our pavilion. Don Pedro lifted his plumed hat high, and I saw that his
face was pale from his recent wound, but the bold black eyes were as
bright as ever they had been before.

I drew back hastily from the front of the pavilion and made no pretence
of returning his salute. Then, for the first time since I had taken my
seat beside her, Dona Orosia spoke to me.

"Why such scant courtesy?" she asked, with lifted brows.

"Madame," I answered, "had my betrothed been here at my side, an
honoured guest, I would have had more graciousness at my command."

"What!" she exclaimed, "have you not yet had time to forget your
quarrelsome cavalier?"

"I will forget him, madame, when I cease to remember the treachery of
those who called themselves his entertainers."

She flushed angrily. "Your tongue has more of spirit than your face. I
wonder that you have the courage to say this to me."

"I dare, because I have nothing more to lose, madame!"

"Say you so? Would you rather I gave you into Melinza's keeping?"

"Nay!" I cried, "you could not--such unfaith would surpass the limits of
even Spanish treachery! And you would not--it would please you better
_if he never set eyes upon my face again_! I only wonder that you should
have brought me here to-day!"

She opened her lips to speak; but the blare of the trumpets drowned the
words, and she turned away from me.

The troops were drawn in line across the square: on the right, the
Spanish regulars of the garrison; on the left, the militia companies,
which had come up while we were speaking. These last were made up, for
the most part, of mulattoes and half-breed Indians,--a swarthy-faced,
ill-looking band that appeared fitter for savage warfare of stealth and
ambuscade and poisoned arrows than for valorous exploits and honest
sword-play.

The various man[oe]uvres of the troops, under the skilled leadership of
Don Pedro, occupied our attention for upward of an hour, during all
which time my companion appeared quite unconscious of my presence. She
sat motionless save for the swaying of her fan. Only once did her face
express aught but fixed att