nd, senor. I caught and am holding it for a
ransom," she answered, with the same elaborate and formal courtesy.

He shrugged his shoulders disdainfully. "It is not worthy a ransom,
senorita. I beg you, if you will pardon my presumption in offering so
beggarly a gift, to deign to keep it."

"Senor, you overwhelm me. It is I who am unworthy to receive so priceless
a token, and only upon one condition can I do so, and that condition is,
that you will in return accept mine."

They both laughed like children at play, and Hayden again threw himself
in the easy chair and took one of the cigarettes Ydo pushed toward him.

"Well, gallant knight, who have found Eldorado," she said, "I have a
disappointment in store for you. One of the rightful heirs has suddenly
been called away on business and will not be in town for ten days or so,
but he will communicate with me immediately upon his return and I shall
wave my wand, in other words, take down the telephone receiver and summon
you to a conference."

"He!" Hayden felt a sharp sense of disappointment. Then, after all,
Marcia was not the sole owner, even if she were one at all. He wondered
impatiently why he clung so tenaciously to that idea. Her father had
probably never bought the property, or if he had, it had, no doubt,
passed entirely out of her hands.

"Senorita," he implored, "do tell me who these owners are; how many of
them are there--something, at least, about them. It is only fair to me,
do you not think so? What possible reasons are there for secrecy and
mystery?"

"He asks me, a professional fortune-teller, to discard secrecy and
mystery!" cried the Mariposa. "Who ever heard the like? No. I have my own
reasons for conducting this affair in my own particular and peculiar way,
and, as far as I can see, senor, there is nothing for you to do but
acquiesce. But listen! 'Tis the professional voice of Mademoiselle
Mariposa which you hear now. Do not fear. You may set your house in order
and do your wooing with an easy mind. It is all over. Poor brother of the
road, you have found Eldorado and won Cinderella. Ah, the cruel gods!"
She lifted her eyes to the ceiling.

"Won Cinderella!" He wondered sharply how much she knew, if anything, and
decided she was probably speaking on the authority of recent rumor
gleaned from Horace Penfield.

"You seem to imply that the gods are offering me nectar in a hemlock
cup."

She nodded several times, each nod becoming more emphatic