Part 2 (1/2)

He had no right to call the young lady to an account During all his intercourse with Don Ignacio, he had seen the daughter scarce half a score ti out and in--to or from his lessons

Now and then a few snatches of conversation had occurred between them upon any chance the (hoished _she_ had been his teacher), and the peculiarities of the New Orleans life, to which they were both strangers And only once had she appeared to take more than an ordinary interest in his speech This, when he talked of Mexico, and having come from his own far land, ”Irlandesa,” with an enthusiastic desire to visit hers, telling her of his intention to do so On this occasion he had ventured to speak of what he had heard about Mexican banditti; stillthat he would no doubt be in less danger of losing his life than his heart

To this he thought she had listened, or see pensive as she made reply

”Yes, Don Florencio! you will see ratification 'Tis true, indeed, thattheet--”

Kearney's heart beat wildly, hoping he would hear the monosyllable ”me”

But the as not spoken In its place the phrase ”us poor exiles,”

hich so Mexican concluded her speech

And still there was so it, whichin her tone that touched a chord already ive him surety of her love, it, for the ti of it

All this had occurred at an interview he had with her only the day before; and, since, sweet thoughts and hopes were his But on the sa they were shattered--crushed out by the spectacle he had witnessed, and the interpretation of those whispered words he had failed to hear It had chased all hope out of his heart, and sent hiht fraht by that call which had attracted his eyes on the poster--

”Volunteers for Texas” And just so had he been caught; and, as described, entered a band to be chosen its chief

To the young Irishes of a kaleidoscope;upon it all, he thus interrogated hiain, or not? Why not? If she's lost, she cannot be worse lost byanother intervieith her Nor could I feel worse than I do now Ah! with this laurel fresh placed upon my brow!

What if I tell her of it--tell her I am about to enter her native land as an invader? If she care for her country, that would spite her; and if I find she cares not for ive me pleasure”

It was not an a a visit to his sweetheart Still, natural enough under the circuer, turned his steps towards that part of the city where dwelt Don Ignacio Valverde

CHAPTER FIVE

A STUDIED INSULT

In a small house of the third Municipality, in the street called Casa Calvo, dwelt Don Ignacio Valverde It was a wooden structure--a fra of but a single story, with casement s that opened on a verandah, in the Southern States ter but little elevated above the level of the outside street Besides Don Ignacio and his daughter, but one other individual occupied the house--their only servant, a young girl of Mexican nativity and mixed blood, half white, half Indian--in short, a _mestiza_ The straitened circumstances of the exile forbade a nia within were not those of pinched poverty The sitting-roo other chattels speaking of refineuitar, with accos of these instruments Luisa Valverde kne to touch with the skill of a professional, both being coht, when the election of the filibustering officers was being held in Poydras Street, her father, alone with her in the sa-roo

Seating herself to the instru one of those _roe of Cervantes is so rich It was, in fact, the old song ”El Travador,” from which has been filched the music set to Mrs Norton's beautiful lay, ”Love not” But on this night the spirit of the Mexican senorita was not with her song Soon as it was finished, and her father had becoed, she stepped out of the rooh the trellised lattice-work that screened it from the street She evidently expected some one to come that way And as her father had invited Florence Kearney to supper, and she knew of it, it would look as if he were the expected one

If so, she was disappointed for a tih a visitor made his appearance The door bell, pulled from the outside, soon after summoned Pepita, the Mexican servant, to the front, and presently a heavy footfall on the wooden steps of the porch, told of alady had returned within the rooed caseh it the rin, caht disclosed to her view the dark visage of Carlos Santander

”_Pasa V adientro, Senor Don Carlos_,” said her father also recognising their visitor through the casement; and in aa chair for hinacio, ”we did not expect to have the honour of your co, you are alelco this polite speech, there was a certain constraint or hesitancy in the way it was spoken, that told of soht at least Don Carlos' host looked upon hiht of an intruder Evidence of the same was still nacio's daughter

Instead of a s like a frown sat upon her beautiful brohile every now and then a half-angry flash froht have told hiht but welco the sah its lattice-work