Part 16 (2/2)

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

THE PLAY OF EYES

The cere the foundation-stone had been brief and it was yet only an early hour of the afternoon when the procession passed back along the Calle de Plateros The scavengers were still at work, and it is scarcely necessary to say that two of their nue Sorry plight as they were in, neither felt ashaain under those eyes, after the expression they had observed in thelances with the Condesa, hestill further to instruct him; while Kearney, not so confident about his interpretation of those given to hi of them

Nor was he disappointed The procession returned sooner than they expected, the looked-for carriage still holding its place in the line; the ladies in it, but now no officer of Hussars, nor any other, riding alongside Santander, an aide-de-camp as known, had likely been ordered off on some official errand, and likely, too, his chief did not relish seeing hie Whatever the cause, his absence gave gratification to the two ht now be exchanged--even gestures

And both were The look Kearney had given to hiht and timid, for it could not well be otherwise under the circu him of respect undi and true as ever If he read pity in them too, it was not such as he would now spurn

To Rivas were accorded signs of a very different sort He had theers They seee passed out of sight, he turned to the other and said in a cheerful whisper:

”Keep up heart, _camarado_! I perceive you're not unknown to a friend of overnor taunt me about a certain Condesa?”

”I did”

”Well; that's the lady, alongside her who's just beeneyes at you An old acquaintance of yours, I see; and I think I could say where it was coh for you to know that if friendshi+p can get us out of this fix, with gold to back it, we -bail to the turnkeys of the Acordada”

Their dialogue was teruez, who, te _pulquerias_, now returned to the superintendence of his charge, and roughly commanded them to resume their work

For nearly another hour the ent on, though not so regularly as before The streahtseers still lined the foot-walks,a visit to _pulquerias_ too, and more than once Some stopped to fraternise with the soldiers, and would have done likeith the _forzados_, if per converse with the for hospitality to the away from his post after the proffered and coveted toothful Nor was Do his visit to the draers licence of speech, with soreeable task And in the interval, while they were thus idling, the young Irishman noticed that the eyes of his chain companion were kept continuously on the foot-walks, now on one side now the other, his face towards the Plaza Grande--as though he expected to see so the people who ca--but only from curiosity--when his attention was more particularly drawn to one who had coirl of rather diminutive stature, dressed in the ordinary fashi+on of the common people, short-skirted petticoat, sleeveless _camisa_, arms, ankles, and feet bare; but the head, breast, and shoulders all under one covering-- the _reboso_ Even her face was hidden by this, for she earing it ”tapado,” one eye only visible, through a little loop in the folded scarf, which was kept open by the hand that held it The girl had drawn up in front of a jeweller's , as though to feast that eye on the pretty things therein displayed And thus Kearney would not have noticed her, anyto and fro But, just as his eye happened to light upon her, he saw that hers--literally a single one--was fixed upon hiether different froer Her attitude, too, was odd Though facing nearly square to the shop , and pretending to look into it, her head was slightly turned, and the eye surely on him

At first he was puzzled tosuch an interest in hiht have come easier to the comprehension of it But a little brown-skinned, barefooted _muchacha_, in a petticoat of common stuff, and cheap scarf over her shoulders, he could think of no reason why she should have aught to do with him

Only for a few seconds, however, was he thus in the dark Then all beca hih his veins--pleasant withal For the girl, seeing she had caught his attention, relaxed her clasp upon the scarf, partially exposing her face, and the other eye

Kearney needed not seeing the whole of it for recognition now Well remembered he those features--pretty in spite of the dark skin--he had often seen wreathed with pleasant smiles, as their owner used to open the door for him in the Casa de Calvo

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

A LETTER DEXTEROUSLY DELIVERED

Pepita it was, though in a different style of dress to what he had been accustomed to see her in; as at New Orleans she had not kept to her national costume Besides, there was a _soupcon_ of shabbiness about her present attire, and then the shoeless feet!

”Disirl!”

He would not have so pityingly reflected, had he seen her as she was but a short half-hour before, in a pretty s, and blue satin slippers Since then she had e in her toilet under direction and by help of the Condesa, who had attired her in a waythe task intended

Kearney, in full belief of her being a discharged servant, re her many little kindnesses to himself in the Casa de Calvo, was about to call her up, and speak a word of syuez was still absent, and the nearest sentry engaged in a chaffing encounter with soht tremor of her head, and with a sudden movement of the hand which seemed to say, ”No, don't speak to e, so well understood in her country