rified, with the brown eyes gazing intensely at Pedro, who also
stood transfixed returning the gaze with compound interest.

"Mariquita!" he murmured, holding out both hands.

"Yes," said the delighted colonel, "I felt quite sure she was your
child, but said nothing about--"

"Father!" burst from the girl, as, with a cry of joy, she bounded into
Pedro's arms.

"Just so," continued the colonel, "I didn't like to mention my
suspicions for fear of raising false hopes, and thought the surest way
would be to bring them face to face. Wasn't it so, Manuela?"

Lawrence turned as if he had received an electric shock. He had been so
absorbed in the scene we have just described, that he had not looked at
the girl who leaned on the colonel's other arm. He now turned and
beheld--not the Indian girl of his travels, but a fair-skinned,
dark-eyed senhorina. Yet as he gazed, the blood seemed to rush to his
brain, for these were the eyes of Manuela, and the slightly open little
mouth was hers--the straight Grecian nose, and the graceful figure. It
seemed as if his wildest dream were realised, and that Manuela had
become white!

He clasped his hands and gazed, as Pedro had just done, with such
intensity that the sportsman, observing the rudeness, said to his
friend--

"Aw--don't you think it would be as well to--aw--kick the fellow out of
the room?"

"Hallo! what's this?" exclaimed the old colonel, turning sharply on
Lawrence with a magnificent frown.

It was quite evident that _he_, as well as Pedro and our hero, had also
received a most unexpected surprise, for, not only did the youth
continue to stand gazing, with clasped hands, but the young lady did not
seem in the least offended. On the contrary, she looked up at the
colonel with an incomprehensible expression and a bewitching smile, as
she said, in excellent English--

"He is not rude, father, only astonished. Let me introduce my friend
and preserver, Mr Lawrence Armstrong."

But Lawrence heard not, and cared nothing for the introduction.

"It _is_ Manuela!" he exclaimed, with a hesitating step forward, and a
look of unbelief still lingering in his eyes.

She held out her little _white_ hand!

He grasped it. The _same_ hand certainly! There could be no doubt
about that.

"'Pon my honour--aw--the most interesting _tableau vivant_ I ever--aw--
saw!"

"Come, come," cried the colonel, whose pleased smile had given place to
unimaginable astonishment. "You