elp
saying them; and I heard Ramona ask Alessandro to sing; and when he
began, I remember I thought the Virgin had reached down and put her hand
on my head and cooled it."

On the second evening, the first after the shearers had left,
Alessandro, seeing Ramona in the veranda, went to the foot of the steps,
and said, "Senorita, would Senor Felipe like to have me play on the
violin to him tonight?"

"Why, whose violin have you got?" exclaimed Ramona, astonished.

"My own, Senorita."

"Your own! I thought you said you did not bring it."

"Yes, Senorita, that is true; but I sent for it last night, and it is
here."

"Sent to Temecula and back already!" cried Ramona.

"Yes, Senorita. Our ponies are swift and strong. They can go a hundred
miles in a day, and not suffer. It was Jose brought it, and he is at the
Ortega's by this time."

Ramona's eyes glistened. "I wish I could have thanked him," she said.
"You should have let me know. He ought to have been paid for going."

"I paid him, Senorita; he went for me," said Alessandro, with a shade of
wounded pride in the tone, which Ramona should have perceived, but did
not, and went on hurting the lover's heart still more.

"But it was for us that you sent for it, Alessandro; the Senora would
rather pay the messenger herself."

"It is paid, Senorita. It is nothing. If the Senor Felipe wishes to hear
the violin, I will play;" and Alessandro walked slowly away.

Ramona gazed after him. For the first time, she looked at him with no
thought of his being an Indian,--a thought there had surely been no need
of her having, since his skin was not a shade darker than Felipe's;
but so strong was the race feeling, that never till that moment had she
forgotten it.

"What a superb head, and what a walk!" she thought. Then, looking more
observantly, she said: "He walks as if he were offended. He did not
like my offering to pay for the messenger. He wanted to do it for dear
Felipe. I will tell Felipe, and we will give him some present when he
goes away."

"Isn't he splendid, Senorita?" came in a light laughing tone from
Margarita's lips close to her ear, in the fond freedom of their
relation. "Isn't he splendid? And oh, Senorita, you can't think how he
dances! Last year I danced with him every night; he has wings on his
feet, for all he is so tall and big."

There was a coquettish consciousness in the girl's tone, that was
suddenly, for some unexplained reason, exceedingly displ