am here, Senorita," he whispered. "Do you want anything?"

"Has he slept all night like this?" she whispered back.

"Yes, Senorita. He has not once moved."

"How good!" said Ramona. "How good!"

Then she stood still; she wanted to speak again to Alessandro, to hear
him speak again, but she could think of no more to say. Because she
could not, she gave a little sigh.

Alessandro took one swift step towards the window. "May the saints bless
you, Senorita," he whispered fervently.

"Thank you, Alessandro," murmured Ramona, and glided back to her bed,
but not to sleep. It lacked not much of dawn; as the first faint light
filtered through the darkness, Ramona heard the Senora's window open.

"Surely she will not strike up the hymn and wake Felipe," thought
Ramona; and she sprang again to the window to listen. A few low words
between the Senora and Alessandro, and then the Senora's window closed
again, and all was still.

"I thought she would not have the heart to wake him," said Ramona to
herself. "The Virgin would have had no pleasure in our song, I am sure;
but I will say a prayer to her instead;" and she sank on her knees at
the head of her bed, and began saying a whispered prayer. The footfall
of a spider in Ramona's room had not been light enough to escape the
ear of that watching lover outside. Again Alessandro's tall figure arose
from the floor, turning towards Ramona's window; and now the darkness
was so far softened to dusk, that the outline of his form could be seen.
Ramona felt it rather than saw it, and stopped praying. Alessandro was
sure he had heard her voice.

"Did the Senorita speak?" he whispered, his face close at the curtain.
Ramona, startled, dropped her rosary, which rattled as it fell on the
wooden floor.

"No, no, Alessandro," she said, "I did not speak." And she trembled,
she knew not why. The sound of the beads on the floor explained to
Alessandro what had been the whispered words he heard.

"She was at her prayers," he thought, ashamed and sorry. "Forgive me,"
he whispered, "I thought you called;" and he stepped back to the outer
edge of the veranda, and seated himself on the railing. He would lie
down no more. Ramona remained on her knees, gazing at the window.
Through the transparent muslin curtain the dawning light came slowly,
steadily, till at last she could see Alessandro distinctly. Forgetful
of all else, she knelt gazing at him. The rosary lay on the floor,
forgotten. Ramona wo