eaves a short web!" growled
Alejandro, with a masculine distrust of his sister's friendly
assumptions.

"Lola knows if I speak truth," returned Ana, tranquilly.

Lola maintained an impassive front, but she was hurt. The little tricks
and taunts of her schoolfellows tormented her deeply. She had lately
relapsed into the stolid indifference native to her blood, and this was
her best shield, had she only known it, although it, too, for a time
left her open to attack. For when she encased herself in cold silence,
and stalked home with lifted head and unseeing eyes, often a little
throng of Mexican children would walk behind her, imitating her stately
gait and calling mockingly, "_Ea! ea!_ See the _madamisela_! See the
princess! She is sister to the king--that one! _Vah! vah! vah!_"

And mingling their voices they would sing, "_Infanta! Infanta Lolita!_"
until Lola, stung to rage, turned upon them wildly; whereat their
delighted cries served to send her flying homeward.

"I guess not even Squire Baca's girls nor Edith May Jonas had better
things than you," said Jane, unaware of all this. Her own garments
remained things of the baldest utility, but the village seamstress was
kept busy feather-stitching and beribboning articles for Lola's wear.

In these things Jane developed a most prodigal pride, freely expending
upon them the little patrimony which had been put in the Trinidad bank
against her old age. Her usual good judgment quite failed her; and she
who, patternless and guideless, slashed brown denim fearlessly into
uncouth vestures for herself, now had a pulse of trepidation at laying
the tissue-paper model of some childish garment for Lola upon a length
of dainty wool.

"Maybe," said Lola, "the others would like me better if my father
didn't get me so many things."

Jane's eyes shone with a fierce light.

"Don't they like you?" she demanded, harshly.

"Didn't you hear them calling 'infanta' after me just now?"

"Infanta--is it anything _bad_?" Jane's voice was so wroth that Lola
laughed.

"It means princess."

"Oh!" said Jane, mollified. "If it'd been anything _else_, I'd have
gone straight down to see the marshal!" Lola flushed a little. She
thought, "How kind she is! If I could only forget--about that letter!"

The dislike of the Mexican children abated with time. They even came to
admire Lola's quickness. She went above them in class--yes! but also
she went above the Americans! The little Mexicans, aw