'I am here--there--everywhere--but I always come back to the Casa
Barenna,' he said gallantly.

'You look tired,' said Julia quietly. 'Where are you from?'

'At the moment I am from Madrid. The city has been wrecked by a
tornado--I myself almost perished.'

He paused, shrugged his shoulders.

'What will you?' he added carelessly. 'What is life--a single life-
-in Spain to-day?'

Julia winced. It is marvellous how an intelligent woman may blind
herself into absolute belief in one man. Senora Barenna shuddered.

'Blessed Heaven!' she whispered. 'Why does not someone do
something?'

'One does one's best,' answered Larralde, with his hand at his
moustache.

'But yes!' said Madame eagerly. She had a shrewd common sense, as
many apparently foolish women have, and probably put the right value
on Senor Larralde's endeavours. Father Concha and the General were,
however, far away, and all women are time-servers.

Larralde spoke of general news, and when he at length proposed to
Julia that they should take a 'paseo' in the garden the elder lady
made no objection. For some moments Julia was quite happy. She had