“Oh no!  I am quite certain.”

“Suppose I should show you a family tree that you couldn’t throw a stone over?”

“It would not do at all.  I am so extravagant.”

“I fully intend to be rich, some time.”

“But you are not handsome, senor.”  Her eyes travelled over him with a mischievous twinkle.  “You are too beeg.”

“I’m very durable; I’d last a long time.”

She shook her dark head decisively, and he saw the lights that rippled in her profuse crown of hair.

“You are too different, you disregard our customs, you are bold.  You continue to come here against my wishes, which no Spanish gentleman would dare to do.”

“Oh, I’m no Spanish gentleman.  I’m just an emotional blond; but I’m bound to marry you.”

“If one of my countrymen found me so indiscreet as to talk with him alone like this, he would go away and never come back.  I am amazed at you, senor.  Have you no pride?”

“Not a bit; and now that I have met all your objections, let’s arrange the details.  Shall it be a church wedding?”

She laughed deliciously.  “What a nice game it is we have played!  But now I must talk seriously.”

“You witch!” he breathed.  “Do you think I could ever give you up?”

She checked him gravely.  “Truly, it was just a game—­and yet it was not altogether so, either.  But here is what I came to say.  The strangest thing has happened-not until last night after the opera did I even dream of it, and-even now I cannot believe.  Oh, I am so proud!”

“More bad news for me, I suppose.”

“Yes.  But such good news for me that I am sure you will be glad.”  Timidly he reached out and touched a fold of her white dress.  She seemed to be slipping from him.  “Coming home from the theatre my father told me-oh, the most wonderful thing!  He said-but how shall I speak of such a secret?”

“Evidently you don’t intend to.”

“I promised very faithfully not to tell, so-he is to be the next President of Panama.”

“Pres—­” Anthony stared at her in frank amazement.  “Why, I thought old man Alfarez—­”

“It seems your country does not like him because he hates Americans-see?  This is the work of that Mr. Cortlandt.  Think!  Is it not wonderful?  Now that you know the truth, you must see at once that by no means could I marry to a person like you.”

“Why not?”

“Ohe!  Don’t you understand?  I shall be the finest lady in the Republic.  All men will adore me.  I will have suitors-not one or two as now, but many.  I will be ‘the beautiful Senorita Garavel,’ for all the great people are beautiful.  I shall be proud, also, and I shall not even speak to Yankees any more.  My father will be the most famous man of all the Republic-perhaps in the whole world, I don’t know.”

“I don’t think it will make any difference with him when he knows who I am.”

“Then you also are a great man, eh?” She hitched herself about, to face him more squarely.  “That is truly interesting.  He would scarcely wish a railroad conductor to address the daughter of President Garavel.”