"Say to the gentleman I shall be down immediately," Clarence said to the servant; and then to George, "This is the expert I want to send to Arizona. It is lucky for me to find him in town."

"I'll go down with you," George said. "One of the clerks promised to get me a box at the opera, or if that can't be had, to get the four best seats he could find disengaged. Do you think you will have finished with your expert in half an hour? I want the girls to see the opera bouffe; they have never seen it."

"I shall be with you in fifteen minutes," was the reply.

George was talking with the clerk about the seats at the opera, when he felt a hand laid softly on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw his friend, Charles Gunther, of New York, standing by him, and behind him the four gentlemen who had dined at the next table. After shaking hands most cordially, and congratulating him on being a married man, Gunther presented to George his four friends, and his brother Robert, who now came in; then he said:

"I heard you say you wanted a box at the opera, and that there are ladies with you. Permit me to offer you our box, we can take seats anywhere else. I shall be glad if you will accept."

"But there are no seats that you can have that I would offer you in exchange," was George's reply.

"Those I got for you are good seats for gentlemen," the clerk suggested, "and I think you can get two more."

Gunther was so urgent that George, only by being very rude, could have declined making the exchange. There was nothing else to do but accept, order a carriage for eight o'clock, and then go up stairs to tell the ladies that they were to get ready for the opera.

"The opera! Why didn't you tell us before?" was Elvira's exclamation.

"Because I was not sure I could get seats," was George's reply; and he then explained how he obtained their box by casually meeting Gunther, adding: "By the by, he introduced me to his brother Robert and those four admirers of yours, Mercedes, who dined at the next table. They are all of the same party. The young fellow of the little saffron whiskers, who stared at you so persistently, making Clarence's ears red, is a Mr.

Selden, of New York; he and Robert Gunther have been in Europe several years. His father I know is a millionaire, and he is the only son. So he considers himself a good catch, I suppose, Senorita Mercedes."

"Bah!" ejaculated Mercedes; "who cares!"

"Be ready with your hats and cloaks on at five minutes to eight.

Clarence and I will come for you. I am going to look for him now, and see Gunther for a few moments," George said, leaving the two sisters to go to their bedrooms to delve for their opera cloaks and white hats in the deep recesses of their Saratoga trunks.

"It is a lucky thing for me that Lizzie's aunt sent this pretty cloak and bonnet to her. Poor Lizzie! I am to _splurge_ in her fine Parisian things, while she remains at the _rancho_, buried alive," said Mercedes.

"She is perfectly willing to have that sort of burial as long as she has Gabriel near her."

Mrs. Lawrence Mechlin had sent to Elvira and Lizzie their wedding trousseau, which she ordered from Paris. To do this was a pleasure to Mrs. Mechlin, which she could well afford, being rich, and which she delighted in, being devoted to her sister's children.

The theatre was filled to its utmost capacity when our four _San Dieguinos_ arrived and occupied their proscenium box, which was on the left of the auditorium, very roomy and elegantly furnished. Elvira's seat faced the stage, and Mercedes' faced the audience, so that the perfect contour of her features was clearly seen when she looked at the actors. Between the sisters sat their cavaliers. The curtain rose as they took their seats, so that not one of them gave a thought to the audience, until the curtain fell on the first act.

Then they all looked at the house which was filled with a brilliant audience. Immediately in front, in the first row of orchestra chairs, were Mr. Gunther and the party of New Yorkers. They were all looking at their box. Mercedes blushed when she met the steady gaze of Mr. Selden, and his face reproduced the blush, while his heart beat with wild throbs of delight. Clarence's face also flushed, and then turned pale. He had seen the two blush, and a cold feeling of undefinable fear and savageness seized him-a desire to go and choke Mr. Selden where he was-right there in his orchestra chair.

George by this time was exchanging bows with the New Yorkers. They spoke among themselves, and soon after all arose and left their seats.

"I think Gunther is bringing his brother and friends to present them to you, ladies," said George.

"Being your friends, we shall be pleased to see them," Elvira answered.

"I hope those gentlemen will cease to stare when they are acquainted.

That young man of the red whiskers made me blush by looking at me so steadily. I hope that that is not the custom of New Yorkers," said Mercedes.

"I am afraid it is. You had better try to get used to it, and don't mind it," George replied.

Mr. Gunther now presented himself at the door, followed by his brother and the four others, already well known by sight, the ceremony of introduction being performed by George, with the ease and grace of one used to those society duties. All took seats, there being room enough for a dozen people in the spacious box.

George and Clarence had left their seats to receive the guests, so very naturally Mr. Selden slipped by and sat next to Mercedes.

CHAPTER XIV.-_Of Miscellaneous Incidents._

"What do you think of the opera-are you enjoying it much?" asked Mr.

Selden, by way of opening conversation, having turned his chair to face Mercedes.

"I am enjoying the novelty of the thing, but I don't know what I shall think of the opera. I suppose I shall like it better when I understand it. Thus far it is to me only a very puzzling maze of hastily uttered French, imperfectly heard and mixed with music, all of which is rather unintelligible to me, so unprepared to judge of it as I am," said Mercedes, smiling, watching to see the effect that her candid avowal of ignorance would have upon such a "_muscadin_" and well traveled young man.

"Ah! you never saw the opera before to-night!"

"Not the French opera. I was at two matinees of the Italian opera about five years ago, when I left my San Francisco school. Mamma thought I was too young to go out at night, and since then I have been living at the _rancho_."

"Yes, yes; Mr. Mechlin said you had not been in San Francisco since you were twelve months old."

"Twelve months?"

A laugh immediately behind him, made Mr. Selden turn quickly around. He met the eyes of Mr. Robert Gunther, who had taken the chair next to him, and made no secret of being amused at Mr. Selden's mistake.

"What are you laughing at?" Mr. Selden asked, sharply.

"I suppose Mr. Gunther thinks that girls must grow very quickly in California if I was twelve months old five years ago."

Mr. Selden could not escape now the raillery of his friends. Each one had something to say on the subject of Mr. Selden's ideas of the wonders of California, until the bell rung for the curtain to rise for the second act.

They all arose to go. George said: "Will not some of you remain? there is room for two or three more."

"If I am not going to crowd you, I shall accept your kind invitation and hide about here," said Robert Gunther, taking a chair behind Elvira.

"Bob Gunther is always such a good boy that I always like to follow his example; so, with your kind permission, Mr. Darrell, I shall sit here behind you. Keep your chair," said Mr. Selden, refusing to change seats with Clarence.

But Mercedes saw that this arrangement was not as satisfactory as might be, so she moved her chair, and making room for Clarence on her left, told Mr. Selden to push his chair further to the front, on her right.

This was a more desirable distribution, and it pleased Clarence better, for she would turn her face to him on looking at the stage. Still, there was that odious little fellow with his red mutton chops sitting so near her, that he wanted to pitch him out of the box. Mercedes watched for an opportunity to say to him:

"You look unhappy; have I done anything to displease you?"

"No, never!" he quickly answered, but did not dare to look at her.

Presently he added: "It is too painful to think that only for one day more I can see you, then we must part, and-and others will be with you."

"Could you not go with us as far as the Yosemite?"

Clarence turned quickly to look at her, and her eyes had that sweet, loving expression which, to him, was always irresistible, entrancing. He had never seen it in any other eyes, and in hers only very seldom.

"Oh! if you will only let me."

"Let you! Your pleasure is the only thing to consult."