"Oh heavens!"

"Till then he is in the greatest possible peril; till then he is only
safe by the most violent exercise of arbitrary authority on my part. Some
of my followers are intensely excited: all are mutinous: they clamor for
his death. They look at me with sinister faces and low muttered
execrations. With these fierce, implacable spirits how can he be safe? I
am not safe myself. The moment I set him free I dare not remain behind. I
cannot go--I will not go--without you. His life depends on you. My men
cannot be long restrained. I myself have had to tell them that it is only
for twenty-four hours."

"Oh heavens!" cried Katie, in even deeper anguish.

"Before that time is up he must go--yes, long before--so as to be well on
his journey, out of reach of these fierce enemies. I must go soon after
he does. I cannot go alone--I cannot give up everything. If I give up
ambition for your sake, it is only fair that I should satisfy my love."

"Love!" cried Katie. "Oh! Love! How can you talk of love!"

"_Love_!" said Lopez, bitterly. "No one ever felt it so painfully as I."

Katie was silent. She turned away, wringing her hands.

"Do you wish his life?"

"His life? Oh heavens! am I not ready to lay down my life for him?"

"Lay down your life?" repeated Lopez. "That is not wanted. No! You have
yet a long life to live in love and happiness."

"Never!" said Katie, vehemently. "There is no love or happiness in life
now for me. I love him--I love him, and him only! Oh, how I love him!"

Lopez gave a sneering laugh.

"Pardon me, you are too facile in your loves, senorita, to talk in that
strain. You love so easily that you will probably have many love-affairs
in your happy future. You loved Ashby, and in a day or two you declare
yourself ready to die for Rivers!"

This was a bitter taunt, but Katie's distress was so deep that she did
not feel it.

"Oh, I never knew love before!" said she. "I thought I loved Mr. Ashby;
but I was mistaken--I never loved him. It was nothing; I was
inexperienced. I didn't understand--I didn't know. But I know now. Oh, I
know all now--all!"

Lopez felt rather pleased at Katie's declaration about Ashby. He did not
believe her altogether. He believed that she had loved him, but had
forgotten him while flirting with another. If she had forgotten Ashby so
readily, she would also forget Rivers with equal readiness, and say quite
as boldly that she had never loved Rivers. This passion wa