He looked at her with a vague smile; his five years of childish
resentment, albeit carried on the shoulders of a man mentally and
morally her superior, melted away. He drew her towards him, yet at the
same moment a quick suspicion returned.
"Well, and what are you doing here? Has this man who has followed you
any right, any claim upon you?"
"None but what you in your folly have forced upon him! You have made him
father's ally. I don't know why he came here. I only know why I did--to
find YOU!"
"You suspected then?"
"I KNEW! Hush!"
The returning voices of Grant and of Mrs. Ramirez were heard in the
courtyard. Clementina made a warning yet girlishly mirthful gesture,
again caught his hand, drew him quickly to the French window, and
slipped through it with him into the garden, where they were quickly
lost in the shadows of a ceanothus hedge.
"They have probably met Don Jose in the orchard, and as he and Don Diego
have business together, Dona Clementina has without doubt gone to her
room and left them. For you are not very entertaining to the ladies
to-day,--you two caballeros! You have much politics together, eh?--or
you have discussed and disagreed, eh? I will look for the Senorita, and
let you go, Don Distraido!"
It is to be feared that Grant's apologies and attempts to detain her
were equally feeble,--as it seemed to him that this was the only chance
he might have of seeing Clementina except in company with Fletcher.
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