The Crusade of the Excelsior

randing of her young life on that unknown shore had not drawn her towards her fellow-exiles, and the circumstances which afterwards separated her from daily contact with them completed the

rustfulness, which she knew was hopeless. As the months passed, on the few occasions that she still met the Excelsior's passengers she was surprised to find how they had faded from her memory, and to discover in them the existence of qualities that made her wonder how she could have ever been familiar with them. She reproached herself with this fickleness; she wondered if she

on at last affected Mrs. Markham, whose own idleness had been beguiled by writing to her husband an exhaustive account of her captivity, which had finally swelled to a volume on Todos Santos, its resources, inhabitants, and customs. "Good heavens!" she said, "you must do something, child, to occupy your mind-if it is only a flirtation with that conceited Secretary." But this terrible alternative was happily not required. The Comandante had still retained as part of the old patriarchal government of the Mission the Presidio school, for the primary i

n they met, she did not know, but she generally avoided his society. This was not difficult, as he himself had shown no desire to intrude his confidences upon her; and even in her shyness she could not help thinking that if he had treated the situation

e had once said, "undeceive them, if you can, and I will assist you. And don't let that affair of Captain B

sacrificing the poor Secretary, who must ha

d the subject. At their next meet

of their folly. I know that the Padre is; and I know that he thinks you've earned a right to the gratitude o

t all," said Miss Keene coolly. "I t

e ecclesiastical archives of the church, and in suggesting some improvement in codifying the ordin

said Miss Keene carelessly, but glanci

id coldly,

e woman was at the root of his trouble, and responsible for it. With an instinctive distrust of her own sex, she was satisfied that it must be either a misplaced or unworthy attachment, and that the unknown woman was to blame. This second phase-which hovered between compassion and resentment-suddenly changed to the latter-the third phase of her feelings. Miss Keene became convinced that Mr. Hurlstone had a settled aversion to HERSELF. Why and wherefore, she did not attempt to reason, yet she was satisfied that from the first he disliked her. His studious reserve on the Excelsior, compared with the attentions of the others, ought then to have convinced her of the fact; and there was no doubt now that his present discontent could be traced to the unfortunate circumstances that brought them together. Having given herself up to that idea, she vacillated between a strong impulse to infor

ly gone before to create it, and as if it-and it alone-were a sufficient reason for her being there. A day full of gentle intimations, laughing suggestions, childlike surprises and awakenings; a day delicious for the very incompl

os-a collection of adobe huts and rudely cultivated fields. Padre Esteban and Mr. Hurlstone were awaiting them in the palm-thatched veranda of a more pretentious cabin, that served as a school-room. "This is Don Diego's design," said the Padre, beaming with a certain paternal pride on Hurlstone, "built by himself and helped by the heathen; but look you: my gentleman is not satisfied with it, and wishes now to bring his flock to the Mission school, and have them mingle with the pure-blooded races on an equality. Tha

of the quiet, unselfish work that this gloomy misanthrope had been doing while his companions had been engaged in lower aims and listless pleasures, and while she herself had been aimlessly fretting and divertin

Chubb interest themselves greatly

n on Hurlstone's face lightened in

bonnets retrimmed, flannel petticoats, some old novels and books of poetry-of which the Padre makes an auto-da-fe-and their own patronizing presence on fete days. Pro

the Padre to let ME help you,

are bringing up as swans, by the way," said Hurlstone mis

yer manner was giving her. "But, really, I've been thinking that the Presidio children are altogether too pretty a

ssed him before-through her reserve and independence-as older, and more matured in character. He did not know how la

, and her friendships up to the moment of her first step into the great world that was so strangely arrested at Todos Santos. He was touched with the almost pathetic blankness of this virgin page. Encouraged by his a

you know. They can always distract themselves with something. Although," she continued hesitatingly, "I've sometimes thought YOU would have been happier if you had had somebo

was the first time that the habitual morbid intensity of his thoughts on that one subject had ever been disturbed by reaction; it was the first time that a clear ray of reason had pierced the gloom in which he had enwrapped it. Seeing him smile, the young girl smiled too. Then they smiled together vaguely and sympathetically, as over some unspoken confidence. But, unknown and unsuspected by himself, that

ing. Hurlstone did not return Miss Keene's confidences-not because he wished to deceive her, but that he preferred to entertain her; while she did not care to know his secret now th

rs, bearing a pale lilac blossom that exhaled a mingled odor of sea and shore. Hurlstone pointed out the cross as one of the earliest outposts of the Church on the edge of the unclaimed hea

chapel for certain heathenish reasons of their own. I am quite sure that they still hold some obscure rites here under the good

," said Miss

o shocked as she, in her belief of his reli

e is much frequented by the children-especially the youn

ure of each other's company. She thought him very handsome in the dark, half official Mexican dress that necessity alone had obliged him to assume, and much more distinguished-looking than his companions in their

ng girl seemed to exhale some subtle perfume of her own freshness that half took away his breath. She had scraped up a handful of sand, and was allowin

e?-I beg y

?-Excuse me, y

at each other. Hurlstone gallantly insisted upon the precedenc

he began-"you won't

dedly

ou had an idea of

hy

won't be angry-because I

urlstone, with a faint smile, "and y

was never spoiled by some w

he gazed intent

old yo

on

this simple girl, without comment, without reserve, without horror! And there had been no scene, no convulsion of Nature, no tragedy; he had not thrown himself into yonder sea; she had not fled from him shrinking, but was sitting there opposite to him in gentle

self suddenly

t were all tru

you, and glad it were all

rned her head hastily towards the village. To her relief she discerned that a number of Indian children had approached them from behin

rlstone, in answer to her inquiring look; "but

tting her previous orthodox protest; "let u

of the whole body, and before she comprehended what they were doing they had pressed the whole of their

pretty surprise for visito

answered, with frank amazement; "it's quite sp

s he laughingly addressed them in their own dialect, they ran off a few paces, and remained standing, as if gravely contempla

g a step forward, suddenly staggered, and was obliged to clasp one of the a

urriedly. "You are quite

ssed her co

y giddy; everything

y. "Their heavy perfume in this close air aff

r heart as she leaned for a moment,

t. But the children were frightened, and thei

t have been sympathy with her, for he was conscious of a slight vertigo himself.

hin upon her hand. "I wonder if that could have frightened those dear little midgets?" The tid

grave eyes, but a vo

d we'll go up the hill towards the Miss

, he might have yielded more completely to the pleasure of that innocent contact and have drawn her closer towards him; yet they moved steadily on, he contenting himself from time to time with a hurried glance at the downcast fringes of the eyes beside him. Presently he stopp

e said you were on the seashore, and I fly for you as a bird. Tell to me quick," she whispered, hasti

ng to effect a diversion, as she laughed an

niac-ever! I would that I have him no more. You will to me presently give yo

utching her fan, against her low bodice, as if alre

said Miss Keene, laughing; "but wa

o but one thing all the time? Ah!" she said quickly, unfolding her fan and mo

stone, interposing to relieve his

t something was a temblor! An earthqua

ddenly returned in a turbulence of foam and billows that wa

ly behind her fan, but this time dragging with her other arm Miss

one!-you two n