“’Patch beside patch is neighborly, but patch upon patch is beggarly!’” quoted Mrs. Jerry, at the moment forgetting that the girl could not understand.

Whereupon Teresita bethought her of her last night’s lesson, and replied slowly and solemnly:  “My dear Mrs. Seem’son, how—­do—­you—­do?”

“Mrs. Seem’son,” realizing the underlying friendliness of the carefully enunciated greeting, flushed with pleasure and for a minute forgot all about the patch problem.

“Why, honey, you’ve been learnin’ English jest so’s you can talk to me!” She leaned and kissed the girl where the red blood of youth dyed brightest the Latin duskiness of the cheek.  “I wish’t you could say some more.  Can’t you?”

Teresita could; but her further store of American words related chiefly to the diet and general well-being of one very small and very black pup, which was at that moment sleeping luxuriously in the chimney corner at home; and without the pup the words would be no more than parrot-chattering.  So the senorita shook her head and smiled, and Mrs. Jerry went back to the problem of the small patch and the large hole.

Hampered thus by having no common language between them, Teresita failed absolutely to accomplish her mission.

Mrs. Jerry, hazily guessing at the invitation without realizing any urgent need of immediate acceptance, shook her head and pointed to her pitifully few household appurtenances, and tried to make it plain that she had duties which kept her there in the little camp which she pathetically called home.

Teresita gathered that the pretty senora did not wish to leave that great, gaunt hombre who was her husband.  So, when she could no longer conceal her shiverings, and having no hope that the big senor would understand her any better when he returned with the load of logs he and the peons were after, she rose and prepared to depart.  Surely the Senor Jack, if he were going to follow, would by this time be coming, and the hope rather hastened her adieu.

“Adios, amiga mia,” she said, her eyes innocently turning from the Senora Simpson to scan stealthily the northern slope.

“Good-by, honey.  Come again and see me.  Jerry knows a few Spanish words, and I’ll make him learn ’em to me so I can talk a little of your kind, next time.  And tell your mother I’m obliged for the wine; and them dried peaches tasted fine, after being without so long.  Shan’t I hold your horse while you git on?  Seems to me he’s pretty frisky for a girl to be riding; but I guess you’re equal to him!”

Teresita smiled vaguely.  She had no idea of what the woman was saying, and she was beginning to wish that she had not tried in just this way to punish the Senor Jack; if he were here now, he could make the Senora Simpson understand that the storm would be a very dreadful one—­else Gustavo was a liar, and whom should one believe?