with my affairs or your insolence?"

He stopped and gazed at her with a certain admiring loyalty. "Ah! so,"
he said, with a deep breath, "the senora is the niece of her uncle. She
does well not to fear HIM--a dog,"--with a slight shrug,--"who is more
than repaid by the senora's condescension. HE dare not speak!"

"Who dare not speak? Are you mad?" She stopped with a sudden terrible
instinct of apprehension. "Miguel," she said in her deepest voice,
"answer me, I command you! Do you know anything of this man?"

It was Miguel's turn to recoil from his mistress. "Ah, my God! is it
possible the senora has not suspect?"

"Suspect!" said Josephine, haughtily, albeit her proud heart was beating
quickly. "I SUSPECT nothing. I command you to tell me what you KNOW."

Miguel turned with a rapid gesture and closed the door. Then, drawing
her away from the window, he said in a hurried whisper,--

"I know that that man has not the name of Baxter! I know that he has
the name of Randolph, a young gambler, who have won a large sum at
Sacramento, and, fearing to be robbed by those he won of, have walk
to himself through the road in disguise of a miner. I know that your
brother Esteban have decoyed him here, and have fallen on him."

"Stop!" said the young girl, her eyes, which had been fixed with the
agony of conviction, suddenly flashing with the energy of despair. "And
you call yourself the servant of my uncle, and dare say this of his
nephew?"