or in his cheeks deepened. He turned inquiringly to Senora
Rojas.

"The son of this house," he repeated. "The gentleman expresses himself
awkwardly. What does he mean?"

Since Inez had entered the room Roddy had not once permitted himself
to look toward her. Now he heard from where she stood a quick movement
and an exclamation.

For an instant, a chill of doubt held him silent. Within the very
hour, she had told him that to keep him loyal to her father she had
traded on his interest in her. Had she, for the same purpose and in
the same way, encouraged Vega? To Roddy, she had confessed what she
had done, and that she loved him. With that he was grandly content.
But was she still hoping by her promise of marriage to Vega to hold
him in allegiance, not to herself, but to her father? Was her
exclamation one of warning? Had he, by his question, precipitated some
explanation that Inez wished to avoid? He cast toward her a glance of
anxious inquiry. To his relief, Inez reassured him with a nod, and a
smile of trust and understanding.

The exchange of glances was lost neither upon Vega nor upon Senora
Rojas. In turn, they looked at each other, their eyes filled with
angry suspicion.

What she had witnessed caused Senora Rojas to speak with added
asperity.

"Colonel Vega has my authority for what he says," she exclaimed. "He
_is_ the son of this house. He is the future husband of my daughter
Inez."

The exclamation that now came from Inez was one of such surprise and
protest that every one turned toward her.

The girl pushed from her the chair on which she had been leaning and
walked toward her mother. Her eyes were flashing, but her manner was
courteous and contained.

"Why do you say that?" she asked quietly. "Has Colonel Vega told you
that, as he has told others? Because it is not true!"

Senora Rojas, amazed and indignant, stared at her daughter as though
she doubted she had heard her.

"Inez!" she exclaimed.

"It must be set right," said the girl. "Colonel Vega presumes too far
on the services he has shown my father. I am not going to marry him. I
have told him so repeatedly. He is deceiving you in this, as he is
deceiving you in matters more important. He is neither the son of this
house nor the friend of this house. And it is time that he understood
that we know it!"

In her distress, Senora Rojas turned instinctively to Vega.

"Pino!" she exclaimed. "You _told_ me! You told me it was her secret,
that