ica!" cried Madame, starting to her
feet and sounding frenzied.

Ciccio got up quickly and took his mandoline from its case.

"A--A--Ai--Aii--eee--ya--" began Madame, with a long, faint wail.
And on the wailing mandoline the music started. She began to dance a
slight but intense dance. Then she waved for a partner, and set up a
tarantella wail. Louis threw off his coat and sprang to tarantella
attention, Ciccio rang out the peculiar tarantella, and Madame and
Louis danced in the tight space.

"Brava--Brava!" cried the others, when Madame sank into her place.
And they crowded forward to kiss her hand. One after the other, they
kissed her fingers, whilst she laid her left hand languidly on the
head of one man after another, as she sat slightly panting. Ciccio
however did not come up, but sat faintly twanging the mandoline. Nor
did Alvina leave her place.

"Pacohuila!" cried Madame, with an imperious gesture. "Allaye!
Come--"

Ciccio laid down his mandoline and went to kiss the fingers of
Kishwegin. Alvina also went forward. Madame held out her hand.
Alvina kissed it. Madame laid her hand on the head of Alvina.

"This is the squaw Allaye, this is the daughter of Kishwegin," she
said, in her Tawara manner.

"And where is the _brave_ of Allaye, where is the arm that upholds
the daughter of Kishwegin, which of the Swallows spreads his wings
over the gentle head of the new one!"

"Pacohuila!" said Louis.

"Pacohuila! Pacohuila! Pacohuila!" said the others.

"Spread soft wings, spread dark-roofed wings, Pacohuila," said
Kishwegin, and Ciccio, in his shirt-sleeves solemnly spread his
arms.

"Stoop, stoop, Allaye, beneath the wings of Pacohuila," said
Kishwegin, faintly pressing Alvina on the shoulder.

Alvina stooped and crouched under the right arm of Pacohuila.

"Has the bird flown home?" chanted Kishwegin, to one of the strains
of their music.

"The bird is home--" chanted the men.

"Is the nest warm?" chanted Kishwegin.

"The nest is warm."

"Does the he-bird stoop--?"

"He stoops."

"Who takes Allaye?"

"Pacohuila."

Ciccio gently stooped and raised Alvina to her feet.

"C'est ca!" said Madame, kissing her. "And now, children, unless the
Sheffield policeman will knock at our door, we must retire to our
wigwams all--"

Ciccio was watching Alvina. Madame made him a secret, imperative
gesture that he should accompany the young woman.

"You have your key, Allaye?" she said.

"Did I have a ke