es a week, and makes himself as much at home
as though the place belonged to him, although he has never received the
slightest encouragement either from Mamma or from me. And then he bores
me with his unwelcome attentions."

"Ah!" ejaculated Carlos through his clenched teeth; "somehow I feared as
much. The fellow must be choked off by some means. The question is,
how to do it without giving offence. You see," he continued, turning to
Jack, "we Cubans are in an exceedingly awkward position, and are obliged
to walk most circumspectly. We are compelled to submit to many things
that are utterly distasteful to us, for if we did not we should at once
be suspected of harbouring designs inimical to the Government; and, once
regarded with suspicion, our liberty, our property, ay, even our lives,
would be imperilled."

"A confoundedly unpleasant state of things, in truth," said Jack; "but
surely it does not extend so far that you dare not give a man a hint
that his visits to your house are distasteful?"

"Indeed it does, though," answered Carlos. "Suppose, for example, that
my father were to hint to this fellow Alvaros that he is not wanted
here, and that his visits must cease, the probability is that the man--
who, I may mention, is captain of a regiment of infantry--would at once
proceed to hint to his superiors that all is not right with us, when
there is no knowing what dreadful thing might happen. The fact is, that
the pride of these fellows is so intense and so sensitive, and they are
withal so destitute of principle, that if a man dares to offend one of
them he at once makes every Spaniard in the island his enemy."

"How would it be if I were to pick a quarrel with him?" suggested Jack.
"They would not dare to interfere with me."

"I am by no means so sure of that," answered Carlos. "They could do
nothing to you openly, of course; but open, honest, daylight methods are
not regarded here with very much respect just at present, and you might
perhaps mysteriously disappear. Oh, no, it would never do for you to
attempt to interfere, Jack! On the contrary, you must most studiously
refrain from anything and everything that would be in the least likely
to breed ill blood between you and the Spaniards, because--who knows?--
we may need your help ere long. And that you could only effectively
give by maintaining good relations with the Government and its
representatives."

Conversing thus, they at length turned thei