"Yes, I hope so; in fact, I feel pretty sure that, more or less warmly, all of my brothers and sisters will agree with me, especially Everett and Alice. Another fact, also, is in my favor, that my father promised to Don Mariano, when he first took up the land, that he would pay for it if the Courts decided against the settlers. That promise, I think, will have a good effect, for he always keeps his word. When the appeal is dismissed I shall remind him of it. In the meantime I shall watch my opportunities to conciliate him, for I feel sure he will resent my having paid for the land without his consent."

"That is a pity. I am very sorry for that."

"It is unpleasant that he should take so decided a view of so clear a subject, but I feel perfectly justified in acting as I did. What I do regret sincerely is that you and-and Miss Mercedes should not have known the truth sooner," said Clarence, reddening to the roots of his hair, for he felt that he was touching on most delicate ground; with anxious, beating heart he waited for her reply.

Her face flushed a little. Was it pride, or was it because the heart of woman must always flutter when in her presence the subject of love is approached, in which ever direction it may be, and no matter if the snows of eighty winters rest placidly on her brow? Love is woman's special province-she has, or has had, or will have, power there. Man might take, and absolutely appropriate, monopolize and exclude her from money-making, from politics and from many other pursuits, made difficult to her by man's tyranny, man's hindrances, man's objections-but in the realms of love he is not the absolute dictator, not the master. He must sue, he must wait, he must be patient. Yes, the lord of creation often has to take snubbing quite meekly, for he can't help it.

Clarence knew all this, but he saw Dona Josefa smile, and grew brave.

"Yes; Mercedes, poor child, was very unhappy, and it went to my heart like a knife to send her away, but I deemed it to be my duty-I hoped it would be for the best."

"And so it was. You did right."

"Yes, but it did not enter into my calculations that you were to jump on board the steamer," said she, laughing.

Clarence's face and ears became crimson.

"I hope you have forgiven me for it," he stammered.

"I suppose I must," said she, still laughing.

"I assure you I had no idea of doing such a thing, but when I saw her going I didn't care what I did."

"And as you received some dispatches, you thought it was best to dispatch other matters as well."

"But, after all, she left everything for _you_ to dispatch. My fate is in your hands."

It was now Dona Josefa's turn to blush.

"I thought that George and Mariano had decided that."

"No, indeed. It is all left to you. Please be merciful," he pleaded, feeling very nervous, for he heard steps and voices approaching from through the hall.

"What shall I say?"

"Say _yes_."

"Yes," she said, smiling, with a kind look in her beautiful eyes.

He glanced quickly toward the front door, and seeing no one in sight, dropped on his knees, and seizing her hand, covered it with hurried and vehement kisses, saying:

"Thanks! thanks!"

And all before she knew what he was about.

"Impetuous boy! is that the way you rushed and assaulted my poor little Mercedes?" said she, laughing.

"You have said yes-God bless you for it."

"But, yes to what?"

"Ah! your heart will tell you."

"What is that? What about the heart?" asked Don Mariano, standing in the door. "This looks like love-making. I am interested. Let me hear a little of it," said he, pulling after him a chair, to sit between Clarence and his wife.

"It is love-making, only it is by proxy, and I am to guess at things without being told," said she, still laughing.

Clarence was greatly embarrassed. He knew he had not formally asked for the hand of Mercedes in the serious manner that the subject merited, but he had been carried away by his fears, then by his hopes, and the matter was launched before he could scarcely say how. When for months past he had thought, time and again, of a probable interview with Dona Josefa, he had imagined himself talking to that queenly lady in his most stately Spanish. But now he had taken hold of Cervantes' language-I may say, jumped into it, just as he had jumped on the steamer's deck, thinking of no difficulties in the way, except that they must be overcome in order to reach Mercedes.

He gave a most appealing look to Don Mariano, whose kind heart immediately responded by saying to his wife:

"If it is love-making, and you are to guess at it, there won't be much delay, for no woman was ever slow to guess such matters. I know _you_ understood me very quickly."

"Hear him! but please do not learn such frightful lessons in vanity and conceit," said she, laughing again, but blushing also.

"I know she understood what I meant, when I would ride eighty miles on horseback for the pleasure of serenading her. To do that, or jump aboard the steamer after it is under way, means about the same thing, I think."

Don Mariano kept talking in that strain until Clarence recovered his composure.

He then said: "I have been your ambassador before this queen, and her majesty has granted your petition. So you have nothing more to do now than to fall on your knees and kiss her hands."

Whereupon, down went Clarence again on his knees, and seizing her hand, kissed it warmly and repeatedly, in spite of Dona Josefa's protestations, saying:

"That will do. Once is enough-once is enough. Reserve your kisses for younger hands."

"I'll warrant he has plenty more in reserve," Don Mariano said, laughing.

And it was true, for Clarence was so happy that he could have kissed the entire Alamar family-all, all-irrespective of age or sex.

The days now passed pleasantly and peacefully enough at the Alamar rancho.

Don Mariano knew that he would have to go through many disagreeable scenes with the squatters when the appeal should be dismissed, but as the law would be on his side _finally_, he confidently hoped to see the end of his troubles, intending to allow the squatters to keep their homes, provided only that they would fence their crops and pay their own taxes.

Clarence reconciled himself to wait until the fall to take that ring which Mercedes had told him to bring himself. This would be the most judicious plan, as he would thus take the necessary time to have the mines prospected and to decide about their purchase, before going to New York. In the meanwhile he worked in the garden, fenced and prepared ground for planting grapevines and fruit trees. He read and wrote love letters, and passed nearly all of his evenings at the Alamar house, holding Milord, who always came to be held by him as soon as he arrived.

The telegram from Fred Haverly came in due time, a few words only, but how exhilarating they were to Clarence, making his pulse beat high.

It read thus:

"Prospect splendid. Far better than described. Have written to-day.

Hurrah!"

Like the telegram, Fred's letter came promptly in the early part of August.

The ledge was so wide, Fred said, that the miners had sunk their prospect shaft in the center of the vein, and consequently all the rock taken out was a high-grade ore. That he was going to run two drifts, and would then have a more correct idea of the character of the mine, its volume, formation, etc. Only a small portion of the hanging wall was visible at the entrance, as the shaft went immediately into the very heart of the broad vein.

"But," Fred added, "If the mine proves to be one-tenth as good as it seems, 'there are millions in it,' literally."