And she would stick to it, too, until she was close up to the solid rock, and then would renew the transforming miracle five or ten miles further on.

During this long and marvellous journey Coronado renewed his courtship.  He was cautious, however; he made a confidant of his friend Aunt Maria; begged her favorable intercession.

“Clara,” said Mrs. Stanley, as the two women jolted along in one of the lumbering wagons, “there is one thing in your life which perhaps you don’t suspect.”

The girl, who wanted to hear about Thurstane all the time, and expected to hear about him, asked eagerly, “What is it?”

“You have made Mr. Coronado fall in love with you,” said Aunt Maria, thinking it wise to be clear and straightforward, as men are reputed to be.

The young lady, instantly revolting from the subject, made no reply.

“I think, Clara, that if you take a husband—­and most women do—­he would be just the person for you.”

Clara, once the gentlest of the gentle, was perfectly angelic no longer.  She gave her relative a stare which was partly intense misery, but which had much the look of pure anger, as indeed it was in a measure.

The expressions of violent emotion are alarming to most people.  Aunt Maria, beholding this tortured soul glaring at her out of its prison windows, recoiled in surprise and awe.  There was not another word spoken at the time concerning the obnoxious match-making.  A single stare of Marius had put to flight the executioner.

In one way and another Clara continued to baffle her suitor and her advocate.  The days dragged on; the expedition steadily traversed the desert; the Santa Anna region was crossed, and the Bernalillo trail reached; one hundred, two hundred, three hundred miles and more were left behind; and still Coronado, though without a rival, was not accepted.

Then came an adventure which partly helped and partly hindered his plans.  The train was overtaken by a detachment of the Fifth United States Cavalry, commanded by Major John Robinson, pushing for California.  Of course Sergeant Meyer reported himself and Kelly to the Major, and of course the Major ordered them to join his party as far as Fort Yuma.  This deprived Clara of her trusted protectors; but on the other hand, she threatened to take advantage of the escort of Robinson for the rest of her journey; and the mere mention of this at once brought Coronado on his soul’s marrow-bones.  He swore by the heaven above, by all the saints and angels, by the throne of the Virgin Mary, by every sacred object he could think of, that not another word of love should pass his lips during the journey, that he would live the life of a dead man, etc.  Overcome by his pleadings, and by the remonstrances of Aunt Maria, who did not want to have her favorite driven to commit suicide, Clara agreed to continue with the train.