Dona Isabel recoiled sharply. "Admit! Are you mad? Deeds! What are
you talking about?" Her eyes met his bravely enough, but she could
feel her lips trembling loosely.

Casting aside all pretense, the overseer exclaimed: "Por el amor
de Dios! An end to this! I know why you sent for me. You think I
have been robbing you. Well, to be honest, so I have. Why should I
toil as I do while you and those twins live here in luxury and
idleness, squandering money to which you have no right?"

"Have I lost my reason?" gasped the widow. "No right?"

"At least no better right than I. Don't you understand? You have
no title to those plantations! They are mine, for I have paid the
taxes out of my own pockets now these many years."

"Taxes! What do you mean?"

"I paid them. The receipts are in my name."

"God! Such perfidy! And you who knew him!"

"The deeds have been lost for so long that the property would have
reverted to the crown had it not been for me. You doubt that, eh?
Well, appeal to the court and you will find that it is true. For
that matter, the officials make new laws to fit each case, and
should they learn that Esteban Varona died intestate they would
arrange somehow to seize all his property and leave you without a
roof over your head. Fortunately I can prevent that, for I have a