r, that the servant of Don Mariano also brought a letter for you."

"Ah! why did you not tell me so at first?"

"I began at the beginning, your Honour," replied the phlegmatic Julian.
"Here is the letter."

The messenger drew from the pocket of his _jaqueta_ a small packet done
up in a leaf of maize, inside which he had prudently concealed the
letter. Unfolding the leaf, he handed the note to Don Rafael, whose
hand visibly trembled on taking it.

In vain did he attempt to dissemble his emotion under the studied air of
coolness with which he received the letter, which he permitted to remain
unopened.

This letter, thought he, should be from Gertrudis; and he dwelt on the
voluptuous pleasure he was about to enjoy while reading it alone.

"Well, Julian," said he, after a pause, "anything else have you to tell
me of?"

"Yes, your Honour; the most important of all. Arroyo, Bocardo, and
their bandits have returned to the neighbourhood; and Lieutenant
Veraegui has charged me to say to you--"

"Arroyo! Bocardo!" interrupted Don Rafael, all at once re-awaking from
his sweet dreams to thoughts of vengeance. "Tell Lieutenant Veraegui to
give double rations to his horses, and get them ready for a campaign.
Say that in two or three days I shall be with him, and we shall enter
upon it. The last assault upon Huajapam is to be made this very day,
and the place must either fall, or we raise the siege. I shall then
obtain leave from the Commander-in-chief, and by the Virgin! I shall
capture these two ruffians, or set the whole province on fire. _Vaya,
Julian_!"

Julian was about to depart, when Don Rafael's eye, once more alighting
upon the little billet which promised to yield him a moment of sweet
happiness, called the messenger back to him.

"Stay a moment!" said he, looking around for his purse, "you have been
the bearer of good news, Julian. Here!"

And, as he said this, he placed in the hands of the messenger an _onza_
of gold.

Julian accepted the douceur with eagerness--not without profound
astonishment at being so generously recompensed for reporting the
re-appearance of Arroyo and his band! Nevertheless, his satisfaction at
the perquisite far exceeded his surprise.

As soon as he had gone out of the tent, Don Rafael took the letter from
the table--where he had for the moment deposited it--and held it for
some seconds in his hand without daring to open it. His heart rose and
fell in violent pulsations