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unconsciously feared her。 The strong man whose dominance over men
and women alike had been his salient characteristic； had begun to
feel an undefinable sense of some unrecognized quality in the woman
he loved。 He had once or twice detected it in a tone of her voice；
in a remembered and perhaps even once idolized gesture； or in the
accidental lapse of some bewildering word。 With the generosity of
a large nature he had put the thought aside； referring it to some
selfish weakness of his own； ormore fatuous than allto a
possible diminution of his own affection。
He was standing on the steps ready to receive her。 Few of her
appreciative sex could have remained indifferent to the tender and
touching significance of his silent and subdued welcome。 He had
that piteous wistfulness of eye seen in some dogs and the husbands
of many charming womenthe affection that pardons beforehand the
indifference it has learned to expect。 She approached him smiling
in her turn； meeting the sublime patience of being unloved with
the equally resigned patience of being loved； and feeling that
comforting sense of virtue which might become a bore； but never a
self…reproach。 For the rest； she was prettier than ever； her five
years of expanded life had slightly rounded the elongated oval of
her face； filled up the ascetic hollows of her temples； and freed
the repression of her mouth and chin。 A more genial climate had
quickened the circulation that North Liberty had arrested； and
suffused the transparent beauty of her skin with eloquent life。 It
seemed as if the long； protracted northern spring of her youth had
suddenly burst into a summer of womanhood under those gentle skies；
and yet enough of her puritan precision of manner； movement； and
gesture remained to temper her fuller and more exuberant life and
give it repose。 In a community of pretty women more or less given
to the license and extravagance of the epoch； she always looked
like a lady。
He took her in his arms and half…lifted her up the last step of the
veranda。 She resisted slightly with her characteristic action of
catching his wrists in both her hands and holding him off with an
awkward primness； and almost in the same tone that she had used to
Edward Blandford five years before； said：
〃There； Dick； that will do。〃
CHAPTER II
Demorest's dream of a few days' conjugal seclusion and confidences
with his wife was quickly dispelled by that lady。 〃I came down
with Rosita Pico； whose father； you know； once owned this
property；〃 she said。 〃She's gone on to her cousins at Los Osos
Rancho to…night； but comes here to…morrow for a visit。 She knows
the place well； in fact； she once had a romantic love affair here。
But she is very entertaining。 It will be a little change for us；〃
she added； naively。
Demorest kept back a sigh； without changing his gentle smile。 〃I'm
glad for your sake； dear。 But is she not a little flighty and
inclined to flirt a good deal？ I think I've heard so。〃
〃She's a young girl who has been severely tried； Richard； and
perhaps is not to blame for endeavoring to forget it in such
distraction as she can find；〃 said Mrs。 Demorest； with a slight
return of her old manner。 〃I can understand her feelings
perfectly。〃 She looked pointedly at her husband as she spoke； it
being one of her late habits to openly refer to their ante…nuptial
acquaintance as a natural reaction from the martyrdom of her first
marriage； with a quiet indifference that seemed almost an
indelicacy。 But her husband only said： 〃As you like； dear；〃
vaguely remembering Dona Rosita as the alleged heroine of a
forgotten romance with some earlier American adventurer who had
disappeared； and trying vainly to reconcile his wife's sentimental
description of her with his own recollection of the buxom； pretty；
laughing； but dangerous…eyed Spanish girl he had； however； seen but
once。
She arrived the next day； flying into a protracted embrace of Joan；
which included a smiling recognition of Demorest with an unoccupied
blue eye； and a shake of her fan over his wife's shoulder。 Then
she drew back and seemed to take in the whole veranda and garden in
another long caress of her eyes。 〃Ah…yess！ I have recog…nized it；
mooch。 It es ze same。 Of no changenot even of a leetle。 No；
she ess alwaysesso。〃 She stopped； looked unutterable things at
Joan； pressed her fan below a spray of roses on her full bodice as
if to indicate some thrilling memory beneath it； shook her head
again； suddenly caught sight of Demorest's serious face； said： 〃Ah；
that brigand of our husband laughs himself at me；〃 and then herself
broke into a charming ripple of laughter。
〃But I was not laughing； Dona Rosita；〃 said Demorest； smiling
sadly； however； in spite of himself。
She made a little grimace； and then raised her elbows； slightly
lifting her shoulders。 〃As it shall please you； Senor。 But he is
gonethees passion。 Yesswhat you shall call thees sentiment of
lofzoas he came！〃 She threw her fingers in the air as if to
illustrate the volatile and transitory passage of her affections；
and then turned again to Joan with her back towards Demorest。
〃Do please go onDona Rosita；〃 said he； 〃I never heard the real
story。 If there is any romance about my house； I'd like to know
it；〃 he added with a faint sigh。
Dona Rosita wheeled upon him with an inquiring little look。 〃Ah；
you have the sentiment； and YOU；〃 she continued； taking Joan by the
arms； 〃YOU have not。 Eet ess good so。 When athe wife；〃 she
continued boldly； hazarding an extended English abstraction； 〃he
has the sentimente and the hoosband he has nothing； eet is not
goodfor a…himze wife；〃 she concluded triumphantly。
〃But I have great appreciation and I am dying to hear it；〃 said
Demorest； trying to laugh。
〃Well； poor one； you look so。 But you shall lif till another
time；〃 said Dona Rosita； with a mock courtesy； gliding with Joan
away。
The 〃other time〃 came that evening when chocolate was served on the
veranda； where Dona Rosita； mantilla…draped against the dry； clear；
moonlit air； sat at the feet of Joan on the lowest step。 Demorest；
uneasily observant of the influence of the giddy foreigner on his
wife； and conscious of certain confidences between them from which
he was excluded； leaned against a pillar of the porch in half
abstracted resignation； Joan； under the tutelage of Rosita； lit a
cigarette； Demorest gazed at her wonderingly； trying to recall； in
her fuller and more animated face； some memory of the pale； refined
profile of the Puritan girl he had first met in the Boston train；
the faint aurora of whose cheek in that northern clime seemed to
come and go with his words。 Becoming conscious at last of the eyes
of Dona Rosita watching him from below； with an effort he recalled
his duty as her host and gallantly reminded her that moonlight and
the hour seemed expressly fitted for her promised love story。
〃Do tell it；〃 said Joan； 〃I don't mind hearing it again。〃
〃Then you know it already？〃 said Demorest； surprised。
Joan took the cigarette from her lips； laughed complacently； and
exchanged a familiar glance with Rosita。 〃She told it me a year
ago； when we first knew each other；〃 she replied。 〃Go on； dear；〃
to Rosita。
Thus encouraged； Dona Rosita began； addressing herself first in
Spanish to Demorest； who understood the language better than his
wife； and lapsing into her characteristic English as she appealed
to them both。 It was really very little to interest Don Ricardo
this story of a silly muchacha like herself and a strange
caballero。 He would go to sleep while she was talking； and to…
night he would say to his wife； 〃Mother of God！ why have you
brought here this chattering parrot who speaks but of one thing？〃
But she would go on always like the windmill； whether there was
grain to grind or no。 〃It was four years ago。 Ah！ Don Ricardo did
not remember the country thenit was when the first Americans
camenow it is different。 Then there were no coachesin truth
one travelled very little； and always on horseback； only to see
one's neighbors。 And suddenly； as if in one day； it was changed；
there were strange men on the roa