supernatural friend of hers, hence my hasty retreat and consequent
disaster."

"It is a pity that I should have been the cause of the mishap," I
answered; though truthfully I was much pleased at our novel meeting, and
I knew the sprain was but slight. I again took her in my arms and
started off at a brisk walk down the hill. It was dusk when we
approached the house, and passed along the narrow path, and knocked at
the open door of Madre Moreno's little house.

I placed my fair burden in an arm chair, which stood on the veranda and,
while waiting for an answer to my knock, looked into her beautiful face
which was turned partly away from me, but even in the shadow where she
was sitting, the wonderful brilliancy of her eyes was noticeable and
seemed to illumine her whole face.

Madre Moreno came to the door; she held a lighted candle, and as she
recognized me, looked surprised and said, "Hast thou seen no one on the
road Carlos? I have been waiting long for my niece, she went to the ruin
this afternoon and has not yet returned; she must have lost her way, for
she surely would not stay so late otherwise. I shall go out to search
for her; I hope she has met with no accident. Help me search, Carlos."

Madre Moreno seemed very anxious, and to have lost all the happy spirits
and buoyancy she had shown in the morning.

"I am here, Aunt Ambrosia, and thanks to this gentleman or I should
still be out on the hill, in the moonlight with all the lizards and
snakes, and perhaps some of your good friends also," spoke out the girl
in a laughing voice.