Clarence was very angry, of course. He reflected in silence for a few moments, then said to Gabriel:

"I think if Don Mariano would make now, to-day, a deed of sale of _all_ his cattle and horses to me, they would have a better chance of being spared. Not that Mathews, or Gasbang, or Miller like me any better, but they are not so anxious to annoy me."

"I think Clarence's idea is a good one," George said.

"I think so, too, and have thought so for some time," Gabriel replied.

"We are going to drive off the last lot to-day. Father and Tano are down in the valley. I'll tell him what you say as soon as I go down. I think we will return by to-morrow night, and he can draw up the deed then."

"Tell him that I shall consider that the cattle are mine _now_, and will let our friends, the settlers, know it, so that they can have the satisfaction of killing _my cattle_."

"Do you really mean it?" Dona Josefa asked.

"Certainly. Don Mariano can buy all the cattle he wants to restock his rancho after he gets rid of the two-legged animals," Clarence replied.

"That is, if he wants to restock it. He was talking with George and me last night, and he said if the Texas Pacific is built, he will have all his land surveyed to sell it in farming lots, and will not put cattle in it. But if the railroad is not built, then the best use he can make of the rancho will be to make it a cattle rancho again, after the squatters go away," Gabriel said, adding that he must be going to join his father.

He then went into the hall to go to the court-yard, where his saddled horse and his _vaquero_ waited for him. Clarence and George followed to bid him good-by. Clarence said:

"I wrote to Hubert about procuring for you a place at a bank, to get broken into the banking business, and he replied that he can, and will get you a place. Would you like to try it, now that you will have less to do here, when there will be no cattle at the rancho? I am going to write and telegraph to Hubert to-day-or he might be down in to-morrow's steamer-so that I can tell him about what time you might go up."

"I think you had better go about the time Clarence and Mercedes get married, as they will immediately go to their house in San Francisco,"

George suggested.

"Yes, I think that will be the best time," Gabriel said.

"Very well; I'll write to Hubert that we will be up by the 20th of this month," Clarence said.

"Gabriel can take his place on the 1st of October. That will do splendidly, as Lizzie and Mercedes will be together," George said.

"But we must live in the hope that we will all come down to make our homes here," Gabriel added.

"Of course. That is understood," Clarence replied.

"Though at times I feel discouraged, still, I can't well see how the Texas Pacific is to be defeated permanently. That would be too outrageous. Let us hope that by next year our banking scheme will be carried out," George said.

"I hope so, and as I have made more money than I had when we first talked about it we can put in more capital. We can, if you advise it, put in a whole million now," Clarence said.

"So much the better," George said, and both shook hands with Gabriel, who quickly jumped on his horse and was off at a gallop, followed by his _vaquero_.

It was the hour when the babies got their morning bath. George had great pleasure in seeing his boy enjoy the sensation of floating in the water; so he let Clarence return to the porch where Mercedes was now alone, and he went to watch the bathing of his boy.

Clarence sat close to Mercedes and said: "Does the sweetest thing that God created realize that this day is the first day of September?"

"If you mean me, though you make me feel very foolish with your exaggerated praise, I must say that I do realize that to-day is the first of September," she replied, smiling.

"And does the loveliest rosebud and the prettiest hummingbird remember that in two weeks more she is to be mine, mine forever?"

"Hush, Clarence, some one might hear you," she said, putting her hand over his lips, blushing and looking around, alarmed. He took that hand and kissed the palm of it, then turned it over and kissed the back of it most ardently, and held it in his own, saying:

"I have a piece of information that is going to make your dear heart glad. What will you give for it?"

"What is it? Do tell me. Is it about papa?"

"No, but it is about Gabriel and Lizzie."

"What?"

"That Gabriel will get a place at a San Francisco bank to learn the banking business, and they will live with us, so you and Lizzie will be together."

"Oh! Clarence, is that so? Oh! you make me so glad! How can I ever thank you?"

"Haven't you said that you love me? Haven't you promised to marry me, and thus make me the happiest man upon the entire face of all this earth? That is enough for thanks. But for telling you the news I want to be paid _extra_."

Mercedes blushed crimson.

"I am going to town now, to be away a long time; won't you give me one single kiss to say good-by?"

"Must you go? Why don't you write your letters or telegrams and send them from here?"

"Because I may have to answer some dispatches immediately. Or it is possible that Hubert might have run down to see me for a few hours.

To-morrow is steamer day."

"Then this will be a good chance to send up your photograph I want to have enlarged and painted."

"Yes; give it to me; I'll send it up."

"I'll bring it," she said, going to the parlor. He followed her. He closed the door, saying:

"Now, one sweet kiss to give me good luck and bring me back all safe.

P-l-e-a-s-e don't refuse it."

"Oh, Clarence! Mamma don't approve of such things, and I don't either.

You are not my husband yet," she pleaded, but in vain, for he had put his arm around her and was holding her close to his heart.

"I am not your husband yet? Yes I am. In intention I have been ever since January, 1872. More than two years, and, in fact, I shall be in two weeks. So you see how cruel it is to be so distant."

"Do you call this distant, holding me so close?" For sole answer he looked into her eyes, kissed her forehead and blushing cheeks, then he kissed the heavily fringed eyelids, kept partly closed, afraid to meet the radiant gaze of his expressive eyes. Then he put his lips to hers and held them there in a long kiss of the purest, truest love. "My darling! My wife! My own for ever! The sweetest, loveliest angel of my soul!"

No doubt he would have been willing to hold her thus close to his heart for hours, but she disengaged herself from his embrace with gentle firmness. Such warm caresses she intuitively felt must be improper in the highest degree, even on the eve of marriage. No lady could allow them without surrendering her dignity. That was the effect of Dona Josefa's doctrines, which she had carefully inculcated into the minds of her daughters.

"Well, I hope that at last you have kissed me enough," said Mercedes, rather resentfully.

"Never enough, but I hope sufficiently to give me good luck," answered the happy Clarence.

"Oh, Clarence, that reminds me of my horrible dream of last night. I dreamed that papa went to look for you in the midst of a snow storm and never came back. You returned, but he never did."

"You must not believe in dreams, dearest."

"I do not, but this seemed prophetic to me."