desirable, she could not but look with great satisfaction at the easy unsuspicious tone of Mrs. Frost’s letter, which, after mentioning with much affection and gratitude all Oliver’s attempts to make her happy, in spite of the many sad changes around, ended by saying that poor Clara felt the separation from her brother so much, that without dear Louis she did not know how she would have gone through the festivities.  ’You can guess how he is everything to us all,’ said Aunt Kitty, ’and I brightened up his looks with giving him your last letter to read.  I dare say, Miss Mary, you would like to scold me.’

Aunt Kitty!  Aunt Kitty! you dearly loved a little kindly mischief!  Let that be as it might, Mr. Ponsonby thought that Mr. Dynevor’s letter had certainly not had much effect, for Mary was more lively and cheerful than he had seen her since her first arrival.  Mary’s cheerfulness was becoming the more necessary to him, since he was beginning a little to weary of the childish charms of his young Limenian wife.  Rosita had neither education nor conversation; and when all her pretty ways had been tried on him in succession, they began to grow tedious.  Moreover, the playful submission which she had brought from her convent was beginning to turn into wilfulness.  Her extravagances in dress were appalling.  She refused to wear the same dresses twice, and cried, stamped her graceful foot, and pouted when he remonstrated.  She managed to spend every evening in amusement, either at the Opera, or at evening parties, where her splendid eyes, and scraps of broken English, made great havoc among young lieutenants and midshipmen visiting Lima.  Mr. Ponsonby was growing tired of these constant gaieties, and generally remained at home, sending Mary in his stead, as a sort of guard over her; and Mary, always the same in her white muslin, followed Rosita through all the salas of Lima—­listened to the confidences of Limenian beauties—­talked of England to little naval cadets, more homesick than they would have chosen to avow—­and felt sure of some pleasure and interest for the evening, when Mr. Ward came to stand by her chair.

One afternoon, as Mary sat in her window reading, a gay voice exclaimed, ‘Beso las manos a Usted;’ and looking up, she saw one of the prettiest figures imaginable.  A full dark purple satin skirt just revealed the point of a dainty white satin shoe.  It was plaited low on the hips, and girded loosely with a brightly striped scarf.  The head and upper part of the person were shrouded in a close hood of elastic black silk webbing, fastened behind at the waist, and held over the face by the hand, which just allowed one be-ringed finger and one glancing dark eye to appear, while the other hand held a fan and a laced pocket-handkerchief.  So perfectly did the costume suit the air and shape of the lady, that, as she stood among Mary’s orange trees, it was like an illusion, of the fancy, but consternation took away all the charm from Mary’s eyes.  ’Tapada, she cried; ’you surely are not going out, tapada?’