dressed for the ball that evening. It was true that
excitement had reigned throughout the Presidio all
day, for never had a ball been so hastily planned.
Don Luis had demurred when Concha proposed it
at breakfast; officially to entertain strangers not yet
officially received exceeded his authority. Concha,
waxing stubborn with opposition, vowed that she
would give the ball herself if he did not. Business
immediately afterward took the Commandante ad.
in. down to the Battery at Yerba Buena. Before
he left he gave orders that the large hall in the bar-
racks, where balls usually were held, should be
locked and the key given up to no one but himself.
He returned in the afternoon to find that Concha
had outwitted him. The sala of the Commandante's
house was very large. The furniture had been re-
moved and the walls hung with flags, those of
Spain on three sides, the Russian, borrowed by San-
tiago from the ship, at the head of the room. Con-
cha laughed gaily as Luis stormed about the sala
rasping his spurs on the bare floor.

"Whitewashed walls for guests from St. Peters-
burg!" she jeered, as Luis menaced the flags. "We
have little enough to offer. Besides--what more
wise than to flaunt our flag in the face of the Rus-
sian bear? Their flag, of course, is a mere idle
compliment. Let me tell you two things, Luis mio:
this morning I invited the Russians to dance to-
night, and told Padre Abella to ask all our neigh-