They would look upon the face of him who hides it," continued Wachita,
dubiously. "They would that Wachita should bring them nearer to where my
lord is, that they might see him when he knew it not."

Elijah glanced moodily at his wife, with the half suspicion with which
he still regarded her alien character. "Then let Wachita go back to
the squaws and old women, and let her hide herself with them until the
wangee strangers are gone," he said curtly. "I have spoken. Go!"

Accustomed to these abrupt dismissals, which did not necessarily
indicate displeasure, Wachita disappeared without a word. Elijah, who
had risen, remained for a few moments leaning against the tent-poles,
gazing abstractedly toward the sea. The bees droned uninterruptedly in
his ears, the far-off roll of the breakers came to him distinctly; but
suddenly, with greater distinctness, came the murmur of a woman's voice.

"He don't look savage a bit! Why, he's real handsome."

"Hush! you--" said a second voice, in a frightened whisper.

"But if he DID hear he couldn't understand," returned the first voice. A
suppressed giggle followed.

Luckily, Elijah's natural and acquired habits of repression suited the
emergency. He did not move, although he felt the quick blood fly to his
face, and the voice of the first speaker had suffused him with a strange
and delicious anticipation. He restrained himself, though the words she
had naively dropped were filling him with new and tremulous suggestion.
He was motionless, even while he felt that the vague longing and
yearning which had possessed him hitherto was now mysteriously taking