landing up to the mansion-house.
You will find a few of these old avenues in this neighborhood; but far
finer ones--the finest in the world--at the old places on the Ashley
and Cooper rivers, near the city of Charleston."

"But there are no trees near the house," said Winthrop; "I noticed that
particularly."

"The road goes to the door, the trees stop at the edge of the open
space; that space was left, as you have probably divined, as a
protection against surprises by Indians."

The younger man laughed. "I confess I was thinking more of the
traditional Spanish jealousy than of Indians. You are right, of course;
I must not allow my fancies, which are, after all, rather operatic in
their origin, to lead me astray down here."

"You will find, I think, very little that is operatic among us," said
Kirby, a trace of sombreness making itself felt for the first time
through the courteous optimism of his tone. Truly there had been little
that was operatic in their life at the South for some years past.

"I don't know," said Winthrop. "Isn't that rather an operatic personage
who has just stopped Miss Thorne? The Tenor himself, I should say."

The spectacles were safely in their case, and back in the Doctor's
pocket. But he now made haste to take them out a second time, he knew of
no Tenors in Gracias. When he had adjusted them, "It's only Manuel
Ruiz," he said, with both relief and vexation in his tone. He was
relieved that it was only Manuel, but vexed that he should have been
led, even for a moment, to suppose that it might be some one else, some
one who was objectionable (as though objectionable persons could
penetrate into their society!); and he asked himself inwardly what the
deuce this northerner meant by calling their arrangement of their land
"operatic," and their young gentlemen "Tenors." "Manuel Ruiz is the son
of an old friend of ours; their place is on Patricio, opposite," he
said, frigidly. "The Ruiz family were almost as well known here in the
old Spanish days as the Dueros."

He had no time for more, for, as Garda had stopped, they now came up
with the little party in front.

Manuel Ruiz was older than Torres. Manuel was twenty-one. He was a tall,
graceful youth, with a mobile face, eloquent dark eyes, and a manner
adorned with much gesture and animation. He undoubtedly cherished an
excellent opinion of Manuel Ruiz; but undoubtedly also there was good
ground for that opinion, Manuel Ruiz being a remarkabl