"That was the name, father."

"And is this Lieutenant Bezan?" asked Don Gonzales, addressing the
officer.

"At your service," replied he, bowing respectfully.

"Senor," continued the father, most earnestly, and extending at the
same time his hand to the blushing soldier, "permit me and my
daughter to thank you sincerely for the extraordinary service you
rendered to us and our dear Ruez last evening."

"Senor, the pleasure of having served you richly compensated for any
personal inconvenience or risk I may have experienced," answered
Lieutenant Bezan; saying which, he bowed low and looked once into
the lovely eyes of the beautiful Senorita Isabella, when at a word
to the calesaro, the volante again passed on in the circular drive.

But the young officer had not been unwatched during the brief
moments of conversation that had passed between him and the
occupants of the vehicle. Scarcely had he left the side of the
volante, when he once more met General Harero, who seemed this time
to take some pains to confront him, as he remarked:

"What business may Lieutenant Bezan have with Don Gonzales and his
fair daughter, that he stops their volante in the public walks of
the Paseo?"

"The lady dropped her fan, general, and I picked it up and returned
it to her," was the gentlemanly and submissive reply of the young