of the Moreno blood; is no relation of
theirs."

"Yes," said Alessandro; "Margarita has said to me that the Senorita
Ramona was only the foster-child of the Senora Moreno."

"Foster-child!" repeated Juan Can, contemptuously, "there is something
to the tale I know not, nor ever could find out; for when I was in
Monterey the Ortegna house was shut, and I could not get speech of any
of their people. But this much I know, that it was the Senora Ortegna
that had the girl first in keeping; and there was a scandalous tale
about her birth."

If Juan Can's eyes had not been purblind with old age, he would have
seen that in Alessandro's face which would have made him choose his
words more carefully. But he went on: "It was after the Senora Ortegna
was buried, that our Senora returned, bringing this child with her; and
I do assure you, lad, I have seen the Senora look at her many a time as
if she wished her dead. And it is a shame, for she was always as fair
and good a child as the saints ever saw. But a stain on the blood, a
stain on the blood, lad, is a bitter thing in a house. This much I know,
her mother was an Indian. Once when I was in the chapel, behind the big
Saint Joseph there, I overheard the Senora say as much. She was talking
to Father Salvierderra, and she said, 'If the child had only the one
blood in her veins, it would be different. I like not these crosses with
Indians.'"

If Alessandro had been civilized, he would at this word "Indian" have
bounded to his feet. Being Alessandro, he stood if possible stiller than
before, and said in a low voice, "How know you it was the mother that
was the Indian?"

Juan laughed again, maliciously: "Ha, it is the Ortegna face she has;
and that Ortegna, why, he was the scandal byword of the whole coast.
There was not a decent woman would have spoken to him, except for his
wife's sake."

"But did you not say that it was in the Senora Ortegna's keeping that
the child was?" asked Alessandro, breathing harder and faster each
moment now; stupid old Juan Can so absorbed in relish of his gossip,
that he noticed nothing.

"Ay, ay. So I said," he went on; "and so it was. There be such saints,
you know; though the Lord knows if she had been minded to give shelter
to all her husband's bastards, she might have taken lease of a church to
hold them. But there was a story about a man's coming with this infant
and leaving it in the Senora's room; and she, poor lady, never having
had a ch