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Mazaro nodded, and lifted one finger for attention.

“—- sayce to me, ‘Manuel, you goin’ tell-a Senor D’Hemecourt, I fin’-a you some nigh’ an’ cut-a you’ heart ou’. An’ I sayce to heem-a, ‘Boat-a if Senor D’Hemecourt he fin’-in’ ou’ frone Pauline'”–

“Silence!” fiercely cried the old man. “My God! ‘Sieur Mazaro, neider you, neider somebody helse s’all h’use de nem of me daughter. It is nod possib’ dad you s’all spick him! I cannot pearmid thad.”

While the old man was speaking these vehement words, the Cuban was emphatically nodding approval.

“Co-rect-a, co-rect-a, Senor,” he replied. “Senor, you’ r-r-right-a; escuse-a me, Senor, escuse-a me. Senor D’Hemecourt, Mayor Shanghness’, when he talkin’ wi’ me he usin’ hore-a name o the t-thime-a!”

“My fren’,” said M. D’Hemecourt, rising and speaking with labored control, “I muz tell you good nighd. You ‘ave sooprise me a verry gred deal. I s’all investigade doze ting; an’, Manuel Mazaro, h-I am a hole man; bud I will requez you, iv dad wad you say is nod de true, my God! not to h-ever ritturn again ad de Cafe des Exiles.”

Mazaro smiled and nodded. His host opened the door into the garden, and, as the young man stepped out, noticed even then how handsome was his face and figure, and how the odor of the night jasmine was filling the air with an almost insupportable sweetness. The Cuban paused a moment, as if to speak, but checked himself, lifted his girlish face, and looked up to where the daggers of the palmetto-tree were crossed upon the face of the moon, dropped his glance, touched his Panama, and silently followed by the bare-headed old man, drew open the little garden-gate, looked cautiously out, said good-night, and stepped into the street.

As M. D’Hemecourt returned to the door through which he had come, he uttered an ejaculation of astonishment. Pauline stood before him. She spoke hurriedly in French.

“Papa, papa, it is not true.”

“No, my child,” he responded, “I am sure it is not true: I am sure it is all false; but why do I find you out of bed so late, little bird? The night is nearly gone.”

He laid his hand upon her cheek.

“Ah, papa, I cannot deceive you. I thought Manuel would tell you something of this kind, and I listened.”

The father’s face immediately betrayed a new and deeper distress.

“Pauline, my child,” he said with tremulous voice, “if Manuel’s story is all false, in the name of Heaven how could you think he was going to tell it?”

He unconsciously clasped his hands. The good child had one trait which she could not have inherited from her father; she was quick-witted and discerning; yet now she stood confounded.

“Speak, my child,” cried the alarmed old man; “speak! let me live, and not die.”

“Oh, papa,” she cried, “I do not know!”

The old man groaned.

“Papa, papa,” she cried again, “I felt it; I know not how; something told me.”

“Alas!” exclaimed the old man, “if it was your conscience!”

“No, no, no, papa,” cried Pauline, “but I was afraid of Manuel Mazaro, and I think he hates him–and I think he will hurt him in any way he can–and I know he will even try to kill him. Oh! my God!”

She struck her hands together above her head, and burst into a flood of tears. Her father looked upon her with such sad sternness as his tender nature was capable of. He laid hold of one of her arms to draw a hand from the face whither both hands had gone.

“You know something else,” he said; “you know that the Major loves you, or you think so: is it not true?”

She dropped both hands, and, lifting her streaming eyes that had nothing to hide straight to his, suddenly said:

“I would give worlds to think so!” and sunk upon the floor.

He was melted and convinced in one instant.

“Oh, my child, my child,” he cried, trying to lift her. “Oh, my poor little Pauline, your papa is not angry. Rise, my little one; so; kiss me; Heaven bless thee. Pauline, treasure, what shall I do with thee? Where shall I hide thee?”