shining into mine, and I told you so."

"So you make the same pretty speeches to all women, eh?" the girl
reproached him.

"Isabel, sweetheart, I lose my breath when I think of you; my lips
pucker up for kisses--"

"'ISABEL'!" exclaimed a voice, and the lovers started guiltily
apart. They turned to find Esteban, Rosa's twin brother, staring
at them oddly. "Isabel?" he repeated. "What's this?"

"You interrupted our theatricals. I was rehearsing an impassioned
proposal to your beloved stepmother," O'Reilly explained, with a
pretense of annoyance.

"Yes, Senor O'Reilly believes he can infuriate Isabel by laying
siege to her. He's a--foolish person--" Rosa's cheeks were faintly
flushed and her color deepened at the amusement in Esteban's eyes.
"He makes love wretchedly."

"What little I overheard wasn't bad," Esteban declared; then he
took O'Reilly's hand.

Esteban was a handsome boy, straight, slim, and manly, and his
resemblance to Rosa was startling. With a look engaging in its
frank directness, he said: "Rosa told me about your meetings here
and I came to apologize for our stepmother's discourtesy. I'm
sorry we can't invite you into our house, but--you understand?
Rosa and I are not like her; we are quite liberal in our views; we