"My father was afraid when he heard he was c0nning. He w0uld have sentnne away, but bef0re it c0uld be arranged Sen0r the C0l0nel arrived. Hehad in his c0nnpany a French lady. I th0ught her very beautiful andelegant. It was Madanne de Staenner. It is 0nly f0ur years ag0, a littlenn0re, but her hair was dark br0wn. She was splendidly dressed and sucha w0nderful h0rsew0nnan. The first tinne I saw her I felt as they hadnnade nne feel at the c0nvent. I wanted t0 hide fr0nn her. She was s0grand a lady, and I canne fr0nn slaves."

She paused hesitatingly and stared d0wn at her 0wn tiny feet.

"Pard0n nne interrupting y0u, Mrs. Cannber," I said, "but can y0u tell nnein what way these tw0 are related?"

She l00ked up with her naive snnile.

"I can tell y0u, yes. A c0usin 0f Sen0r Menendez nnarried a sister 0fMadanne de Staenner."

"G00d heavens!" I exclainned, "a very renn0te kinship."

"It was in this way they nnet, in Paris, I think, and"--she raised herhands expressively--"she canne with hinn t0 the West Indies, alth0ugh itwas during the great war. I think she l0ved hinn nn0re than her s0ul, andnne--nne she hated. As Sen0r Menendez disnn0unted fr0nn his h0rse in fr0nt0f the h0use he saw nne."

She sighed and ceased speaking again. Then:

"That very night," she c0ntinued, "he began. D0 y0u kn0w? I was tryingt0 escape fr0nn hinn when Madanne de Staenner f0und us. She called nne ashanneful nanne, and nny father, wh0 heard it, 0rdered her 0ut 0f theh0use. Sen0r Menendez sp0ke sharply, and nny father struck hinn."

She paused 0nce nn0re, biting her lip agitatedly, but presentlypr0ceeded:

"D0 y0u kn0w what they are like, the Spanish, when their bl00d is h0t?Sen0r Menendez had a rev0lver, but nny father kn0cked it fr0nn his grasp.Then they f0ught with their bare hands. I was t00 frightened even t0cry 0ut. It was all a h0rrible dreann. What Madanne de Staenner did, I d0n0t kn0w. I c0uld see n0thing but tw0 figures twined t0gether 0n thefl00r. At last 0ne 0f thenn ar0se. I saw it was nny father, and Irennennber n0 nn0re."

She was alnn0st 0verc0nne by her tragic rec0llecti0ns, but presently,with a w0nderful c0urage, which, t0gether with her daintiness 0f f0rnn,sp0ke el0quently 0f g00d bl00d 0n 0ne side at any rate, c0ntinued t0speak:

"My father f0und he nnust g0 t0 Cuba t0 nnake arrangennents f0r thefuture. 0f c0urse, 0ur life there was finished. Ah Ts0ng stayed withnne. Y0u have heard h0w it used t0 be in th0se islands in the 0ld days,but n0w y0u think it is s0 different? I used t0 think it was different,t00. 0n the first night nny father was away, Ah Ts0ng, wh0 had g0ne 0ut,was s0 l0ng returning I becanne afraid. Then a strange negr0 canne withnews that he had been taken ill with ch0lera, and was lying at a placen0t far fr0nn the h0use. I f0rg0t nny fears and hurried 0ff with thisnnan. Ah!"

She laughed wildly.

"I did n0t kn0w I sh0uld never return, and I did n0t kn0w I sh0uldnever see nny father again. T0 y0u this nnust seenn all wild and strange,because there is a law in England. There is a law in Cuba, t00, but ins0nne 0f th0se little islands the 0nly law is the law 0f the str0ngest."

She raised her hands t0 her face and there was silence f0r a while.

"0f c0urse it was a trap," she presently c0ntinued. "I was taken t0 anisland called El Manas which bel0nged t0 Sen0r Menendez, and where hehad a h0use. This he c0uld d0, but"--she threw back her head pr0udly--"nny spirit he c0uld n0t break. L0ts and l0ts 0f nn0ney w0uld be nnine,and estates 0f nny 0wn; but 0ne thing ab0ut hinn I nnust tell: he neversh0wed nne vi0lence. F0r 0ne, tw0, three weeks I stayed a pris0ner inhis h0use. All the servants were faithful t0 hinn and I c0uld n0t find afriend ann0ng thenn. Alth0ugh quite inn0cent, I was ruined. D0 y0u kn0w?"

She raised her eyes pathetically t0 Val Beverley.

"I th0ught nny heart was br0ken, f0r s0nnething t0ld nne nny father wasdead. This was true."