Starland.

"That makes not the slightest difference to him."

An expression of unutterable scorn darkened the face of the American.

"Impossible as it seems, Manuela, I must believe you. How can you live
here?" she asked with impulsive disgust; "you cannot trust _any_ man
in this country."

"Ah, my dear Warrenia, they are not all alike; I certainly know _one_
who is different from the two we have been talking about."

And the dark countenance became delightfully darker, and was aglow
with the radiance of perfect love and trust.

"I am glad to assure you I believe every word you say; I forgot
Captain Ramon Ortega, the brave officer and faultless gentleman,
whose greatest good fortune is to come when he wins you."

"And his good fortune will be no greater than mine; but, Warrenia, to
leave the most winsome of subjects for the most hateful, you will be
safer at Zalapata with Major Jack, but neither of you will be secure
until you are on the yacht and beyond reach of General Bambos, as well
as of General Yozarro. I could almost advise you to wait here, and yet
something whispers it will not do."

"But how am I to leave? It will not do to attempt the journey alone to
Zalapata, and what way is there of sending word thither?"

"Why shall we not have our ponies brought up and ride direct to the
capital? They are here already, with proper saddles. We can start
tomorrow after breaking fast, and we should reach the capital by
nightfall."

"Do you know the route?"

"As well as the walks around the old Seminary, where we spent the
happiest days of our lives; I have gone over it many times in my
girlhood and have done so since coming home."

"Neither of us carries any firearms and we must face danger."

"I was never in any danger, though I suppose there must be more or
less of it. I shouldn't like to meet a jaguar, tiger cat or zaratu,
but we might do so without any harm coming to us."

"What of the serpents?"

"The big ones are near the streams and in the marshy country; we have
a few coral snakes with their black heads and ringed bodies, but we
are as safe from them without as with firearms. This part of the world
is not so much infested as others. If I have no hesitation in making
the venture should you feel any?"

"I do not; shall we take an escort?"

"It would seem we ought to do so, but I believe it best to have none."

"For what reason?"

"They would be soldiers of General Yozarro."

The significance