e contrast with her father as painfully
incongruous. Mr. Ponsonby was a large man, with the jovial manner of
one never accustomed to self-restraint; good birth and breeding making
him still a gentleman, in spite of his loud voice and the traces of
self-indulgence. He was ruddy and bronzed, and his eyebrows and hair
looked as if touched by hoar frost; altogether as dissimilar a partner
as could be devised for the slender girlish being by his side.

After a little Spanish conversation, all kind on his aide, and thus
infinitely relieving Mary, they parted for the night. She laid before
him the packet of letters, which she had held all this time as the last
link to Louis, and sought his eye as she did so with a look of appeal;
but he carefully averted his glance, and she could read nothing.

Weary as she was, Mary heard again and again, through her unglazed
windows, the watchman's musical cry of 'Ave Maria purisima, las--es
temblado!' 'Viva Peru y sereno!' and chid herself for foolish
anticipations that Louis would hear and admire all the strange sounds
of the New World. The kindness of her welcome gave her a little hope;
and she went over and over again her own part of the discussion which
she expected, almost persuading herself, that Louis's own conduct and
her aunt's testimony must win the day.

She need not have spent so many hours in preparation for the morning.
She was up early, in hopes of seeing her father before he went to his
office, but he was gone for a ride. The English breakfast, which had
been established, much to his content, by her own exertions, had quite
vanished, each of the family had a cup of chocolate in private, and
there was no meeting till, late in the morning, Rosita sauntered into
her room, embraced her, made inquiries as to her rest, informed her
that she was going to the Opera that night, and begged her to accompany
her. To appear in public with Rosita was the tribute for which Mary
had come out, so she readily agreed; and thereupon the Senora digressed
into the subject of dress, and required of Mary a display of all her
robes, and an account of the newest fashions of the English ladies. It
was all with such innocent, earnest pleasure, that Mary could not be
annoyed, and good-naturedly made all her disappointing display.

The midday meal brought her father--still kind and affectionate, but
never dropping the Spanish, nor manifesting any consciousness of her
letters. She had hopes of