hatted some distance beyond the town.

"Yes, Quash,--very beautiful."

"Lots ob nice shady trees an' bushes, and flowers, an' fruits, an' sweet
smells ob oranges, an'--"

He waved his arms around, as if to indicate a profusion of delights
which his tongue could not adequately describe.

"Quite true, Quash," replied Lawrence, who was content to play second
violin in the duet.

"Is you gwine," inquired Quashy, after a brief pause, "to de gubner's
ball to-night?"

"No. I did not know there was a governor, or that he intended to give a
ball."

The negro opened his eyes in astonishment.

"You not know ob it!" he exclaimed; "why eberybody knows ob it, an'
a'most eberybody's agwine--all de 'spectable peepil, I mean, an' some ob
dem what's not zactly as 'spectable as dey should be. But dey's all
agwine. He's a liberal gubner, you see, an' he's gwine to gib de ball
in de inn at de lan'lord's expense."

"Indeed; that's a curiously liberal arrangement."

"Yes, an' a bery clebber 'rangement for de lan'lord. He's a cute man de
lan'lord. I s'pose you's agwine?"

"_No_, I am not going. I have received no invitation; besides, I have
no evening dress."

"Bless you, massa, you don't need no invitation, nor evenin' dress
needer! You just go as you are, an' it's all right."

"But I have no wish to go. I would rather prepare for an early start
to-morrow."

"Das a prutty house we's a-comin' to, massa," said Quashy, not hearing,
or ignoring, the last remark.

Lawrence looked up with a start. Unwittingly, quite unwittingly, he had
rambled in the direction of the villa with the rustic porch!

"An' dere's de missis ob de villa, I suppose," said Quashy. "No, she's
on'y a redskin. Why, massa!" he continued, opening his eyes to their
widest, "it's Manuela--or her ghost!"

It was indeed our little Indian heroine, walking alone in the shrubbery.
She had not observed her late companions, who were partly concealed by
bushes.

"Quashy," said Lawrence, impressively, laying his hand on the negro's
shoulder, "get out of the way. I want to speak to her alone,--to say
good-bye, you know, for we start early to-morrow."

The negro promptly threw himself on the ground and nodded his head.

"You go ahead, massa. All right. When you comes dis way agin, you'll
find dis nigger am vanisht like a wreaf ob smoke."

A few seconds more, and Lawrence suddenly appeared before Manuela. She
met him without surprise, but with an emb