ild of her own, did warm to it at first sight, and kept it with
her to the last; and I wager me, a hard time she had to get our Senora
to take the child when she died; except that it was to spite Ortegna, I
think our Senora would as soon the child had been dead."

"Has she not treated her kindly?" asked Alessandro, in a husky voice.

Juan Can's pride resented this question. "Do you suppose the Senora
Moreno would do an unkindness to one under her roof?" he asked loftily.
"The Senorita has been always, in all things, like Senor Felipe himself.
It was so that she promised the Senora Ortegna, I have heard."

"Does the Senorita know all this?" asked Alessandro.

Juan Can crossed himself. "Saints save us, no!" he exclaimed. "I'll not
forget, to my longest day, what it cost me, once I spoke in her hearing,
when she was yet small. I did not know she heard; but she went to the
Senora, asking who was her mother. And she said I had said her mother
was no good, which in faith I did, and no wonder. And the Senora came to
me, and said she, 'Juan Canito, you have been a long time in our house;
but if ever I hear of your mentioning aught concerning the Senorita
Ramona, on this estate or anywhere else in the country, that day you
leave my service!'--And you'd not do me the ill-turn to speak of it,
Alessandro, now?" said the old man, anxiously. "My tongue runs away with
me, lying here on this cursed bed, with nothing to do,--an active man
like me."

"No, I'll not speak of it, you may be assured," said Alessandro, walking
away slowly.

"Here! Here!" called Juan. "What about that plan you had for making a
bed for Senor Felipe on the verandah Was it of raw-hide you meant?"

"Ah, I had forgotten," said Alessandro, returning. "Yes, that was it.
There is great virtue in a raw-hide, tight stretched; my father says
that it is the only bed the Fathers would ever sleep on, in the Mission
days. I myself like the ground even better; but my father sleeps always
on the rawhide. He says it keeps him well. Do you think I might speak of
it to the Senora?"

"Speak of it to Senor Felipe himself," said Juan. "It will be as he
says. He rules this place now, from beginning to end; and it is but
yesterday I held him on my knee. It is soon that the old are pushed to
the wall, Alessandro."

"Nay, Juan Canito," replied Alessandro, kindly. "It is not so. My father
is many years older than you are, and he rules our people to-day as
firmly as ever. I myse