else was
stealing this early march on the day. She recalled Adele's sudden
eulogium of him. The first natural smile that had come to her lips since
the earthquake broke up her nervous restraint, and sent her back more
like her old self to her couch.

But she had not proceeded far towards the tent, when she heard the sound
of low voices approaching her. It was the major and his wife, who, like
herself, had evidently been unable to sleep, and were up betimes. A new
instinct of secretiveness, which she felt was partly the effect of her
artificial surrounding, checked her first natural instinct to call to
them, and she drew back deeper in the shadow to let them pass. But to
her great discomfiture the major in a conversational emphasis stopped
directly in front of her.

"You are wrong, I tell you, a thousand times wrong. The girl is simply
upset by this earthquake. It's a great pity her father didn't come
instead of telegraphing. And by Jove, rather than hear any more of
this, I'll send for him myself," said the major, in an energetic but
suppressed voice.

"And the girl won't thank you, and you'll be a fool for your pains,"
returned Mrs. Randolph, with dry persistency.

"But according to your own ideas of propriety, Mallory ought to be the
first one to be consulted--and by me, too."

"Not in this case. Of course, before any actual engagement is on, you
can speak of Emile's attentions."

"But suppose Mallory has other views. Suppose he declines the honor. The
man is no fool."

"Thank you. But for that very reason he must. Listen to me, major; if he
doesn't care to please his daughter for her own sake, he will have to
do so for the sake of decency. Yes, I tell you, she has thoroughly
compromised herself--quite enough, if it is ever known, to spoil any
other engagement her father may make. Why, ask Adele! The day of the
earthquake she ABSOLUTELY had the audacity to send him out of the room
upstairs into your study for her fan, and then follow him up there
alone. The servants knew it. I knew it, for I was in her room at the
time with Father Antonio. The earthquake made it plain to everybody.
Decline it! No. Mr. Mallory will think twice about it before he does
that. What's that? Who's there?"

There was a sudden rustle in the bushes like the passage of some
frightened animal--and then all was still again.

CHAPTER V

The sun, an hour high, but only just topping the greenish crests of the
wheat, was streaming li