"I will wait for them here."

"Will you not go to Mrs. Mechlin's?"

"No, please. I'll stay home."

"Take my advice, and don't see Clarence yet," Carlota said.

"Why not, pray?"

"Because, after what his father did and said, the least you have to do with the Darrells the more it will be to your honor," Rosario said, sententiously.

"And must I give up Clarence because-because his father gets mad, and-and-"

"And insults your father, and insults you," Carlota said.

"But that would be awful," said she, looking at George, who full of sympathy for his favorite sister-in-law, said:

"Do not worry about that now-you have suffered enough. No doubt, Clarence will make it all right, if we only give him time. All will be explained."

"I doubt that," Carlota said.

"I don't think Mercedes knows all that Darrell said. I think Clarence himself will see the impossibility of his marrying Mercedes as things are now," Dona Josefa said.

"What are we to do?" Mercedes exclaimed, in low, tremulous tones, that revealed all the desolation she felt.

"Try to be courageous, little sister," Carlota said.

"What to do? Clarence himself ought to know-to separate for the present.

Will you marry the son of a man who said of you and your father such horrible things?" Dona Josefa asked.

"But Clarence is innocent, and so am I," pleaded Mercedes, with white lips.

"My daughter, do you not see that I _must_ withdraw my permission to your marriage now?"

"Will you tell that to Clarence?" asked Mercedes, frightened.

"Certainly, as soon as I see him."

"And break our engagement?" she asked, with a voice scarcely audible.

"Certainly. What else, my daughter?"

"I want to go to my room," she said, slowly turning to go back, walking as if in a dream.

George put his arm around her shoulder, and walked with her.

"Don't be discouraged, my dear _humanita_. Dona Josefa is justly indignant now, but her anger will pass off, and she will see how absurd it will be to punish you and Clarence for the sins of his ill-tempered, foolish father. The only thing now is to drop the matter. 'Least said, sooner mended,' applies to this case exactly."

"I wish papa were here. He don't think as mamma does. If mamma sees Clarence first, she will send him away. Oh! that will be awful to me."

"We will keep your mamma at our house until Don Mariano returns. Tano will see Clarence first."

When George left, Mercedes hurried to her bedside to pray. In all the sad tribulations of her mind, her heart turned to her Redeemer and the Blessed Virgin Mary. To them she told all her grief, all her trials, and after begging to be strengthened, she always arose from her bended knees comforted.

This time, however, her convulsive sobs only became more uncontrollable, as she poured out her great sorrow and terrible fears before the pitying Mother of suffering humanity.

When her sobs were almost a paroxysm, Madame Halier, who had come to the door to listen, went, and much excited, told Dona Josefa that Mercita would certainly be ill if some one didn't show a little humanity to her.

Dona Josefa hurried to Mercedes' room, and found her still at her bedside sobbing and praying. Gently the mother lifted her child and pressed her to her heart.

"Mercedes, darling, have courage. Your father and Clarence will talk this matter over, and determine what is best to do. Perhaps it might all be arranged."

"You will not tell Clarence to-that-to go away?"

"Certainly not. But there must be some other arrangement about the wedding. It will be postponed, perhaps. Darrell could not be expected to be present, or he might wish the engagement broken off."

Carlota and Rosario came in to see how Mercedes felt, as Madam Halier seemed to be so anxious and indignant with everybody for their cruelty to Mercedes.

"If old Darrell wants the engagement broken off, then my dear sister you must break it-else he will have a good reason to say that papa wants to sell you, or to entrap Clarence, for his money, into marrying you,"

Rosario said.

"Did Mr. Darrell say that?" Mercedes asked, blushing, so that her pale face became suffused to the roots of her hair.

"He said worse-but you had better hear no more."

"That is awful!" the poor child exclaimed, clasping her hands in eloquent protestation; then adding: "Mamma, I will try to have courage.

I don't know what I am to do. But if my father has been so grossly insulted, I must feel for him. I must not be selfish. I don't know what I'll do," and the unhappy girl pressed her hands to her forehead, as if to keep together her distracted thoughts.

"I think the best thing for you to do is to go to bed. To-morrow your father will see Clarence. That is George's advice, and I think it is good," said her mother, as she kissed and embraced her, adding: "the sweet, blued-eyed baby is too young to get married, any way, and can well wait four years, and then be only twenty-two years old." But seeing the blank despair in those expressive eyes, Dona Josefa hastened to add: "I don't say that you will wait that long, but that you are young enough to do so."

When Mercedes was again alone, she tried to think it was her duty to her father to break her engagement. Her mind utterly refused to see the matter in that light, but as her older sisters had said her engagement ought to be broken off, and her mother spoke of the wedding being postponed, it was clear that she could not be married on the 16th. Would Clarence be willing to wait? and these thoughts revolved around her mind in a circle of coils, worse than the one which so enraged and hurt Darrell.

Madam Halier and Victoriano ate their dinner alone-with Milord for sole company. Poor Tano, though he had laughed heartily at Darrell's plight, was scarcely less distressed than Mercedes, and anxiously looked for Clarence's return.

In the meantime this young gentleman was traveling at the rate of twelve miles per hour, and would have come faster had the road been better. He had been obliged to delay, because Hubert had telegraphed that if he waited two hours he would give him a definite answer about Gabriel's business. The answer came, and it was all that could be desired. Gabriel could go at any time, or wait until the first of October to take his place at the bank. Clarence was delighted to have this good news to carry to Mercedes, with the addition that Fred said that the mines developed richer ores every day. He had an offer of two million dollars for his mines-but both Hubert and Fred advised him not to sell.

With these cheerful thoughts, he was getting into his phaeton, when the notary, who had made the entry of Don Mariano's conveyance, came close to him, and said in a low voice, and looking mysteriously around:

"Look here, it may be nothing, but those two fellows are so tricky and slippery that I always imagine they are up to something, and both have been twice to look in my books at the entry of the land conveyance which Senor Alamar made to you. They might mean mischief, though I don't see how."

"Of whom are you speaking?" Clarence asked.

"Of Roper and Gasbang. Why should they wish to know about that conveyance?"

"I don't know; but I am sure it is for no good. When did they look at the entry?"

"About two days ago, the last time. When they first looked at it I was not at home. My wife was at my office when Roper came and asked permission to see the date of a conveyance which he himself had made.

This was only a ruse. Two days after he came and told me that one of his clients wanted to buy land from Darrell, and wished to see what sort of a title he had. I, of course, let him see it. Gasbang came after, and that made me suspicious."