epero!

Dona Jovita. Good-night, Don Alexandro. May your dreams to-night see all
your wishes fulfilled! Good-night, O Senor Commander. May she you dream
of be as happy as you!

Manuela and Concho (together). Good-night, O senores and illustrious
gentlemen! may the Blessed Fisherman watch over you! (Both parties
retreat into opposite corridors, bowing.)

MANUELA, CONCHO, MORTON, DON JOSE. JOVITA. STARBOTTLE.

SCENE 3.--The same. Stage darkened. Fog passing beyond wall outside, and
occasionally obscuring moonlit landscape beyond. Enter JOVITA softly,
from corridor L. Her face is partly hidden by Spanish mantilla.

Jovita. All quiet at last; and, thanks to much aguardiente, my warlike
admirer snores peacefully above. Yet I could swear I heard the old
Puritan's door creak as I descended! Pshaw! What matters! (Goes to
gateway, and tries gate.) Locked! Carramba! I see it now. Under the
pretext of reviving the old ceremony, Don Jose has locked the gates, and
placed me in the custody of his guest. Stay! There is a door leading to
the corral from the passage by Concho's room. Bueno! Don Jose shall see!
[Exit R.

Enter cautiously R. OLD MORTON.

Old Morton. I was not mistaken! It was the skirt of that Jezebel
daughter that whisked past my door a moment ago, and her figure that
flitted down that corridor. So! The lover driven out of the house at
four P. M., and at twelve o'clock at night the young lady trying the
gate secretly. This may be Spanish resignation and filial submission,
but it looks very like Yankee disobedience and forwardness. Perhaps it's
well that the keys are in my pocket. This fond confiding Papist may find
the heretic American father of some service. (Conceals himself behind
pillar of corridor.)

After a pause the head of JOHN OAKHURST appears over the wall of
corridor: he climbs up to roof of corridor, and descends very quietly
and deliberately to stage.

Oakhurst (dusting his clothing with his handkerchief). I never knew
before why these Spaniards covered their adobe walls with whitewash.
(Leans against pillar in shadow.)

Re-enter JOVITA, hastily.

Jovita. All is lost; the corral door is locked; the key is outside, and
Concho is gone,--gone where? Madre di Dios! to discover, perhaps to kill
him.

Oakhurst (approaching her). No.

Jovita. Juan! (Embracing him.) But how did you get here? This is
madness!

Oakhurst. As you did not come to the mission, I came to the rancho.
I found the gate l