"Compared to me she really is, but compared to my sister Alicia she is not," returned Eleanor laughing. "I suppose one might call her rather slender, and she has pretty little hands and feet."
"Thank you, Miss Eleanor, I think I can see her in my mind's eye quite plainly."
"I hope you will see her with your actual eyes before long," said Eleanor, heartily, and then she left the young man more puzzled than ever. Try as he would he could not disassociate his idea of Anita Beltrán from his remembrance of Nancy Loomis. The resemblance must go beyond the mere matter of voice and manner of speech. Her features, the color of her eyes, not the hair though; that was different. It was distracting, yet at last he came to the conclusion that it must be one of those coincidences which often do lead persons astray in cases of mistaken identity.
Anita arrived at home tingling with excitement. Her mother was taking one of her days of much needed rest and Anita flew to her room, appearing radiant, with eyes like stars and lips glowing. She flung herself upon her mother in a transport of happiness. "Oh, madre, madre," she cried, "I have discovered why he went to the war. It is wonderful, wonderful. I never dreamed it could be so. Oh, I am so happy."
"Who is he and why are you happy?" asked her mother, smiling.
"Terrence, you know; it is because of Terrence. He told me to-day all about it. He was so unhappy and he didn't care what became of him, at least that was part of the reason. He had lost his mother, poor darling, and he had lost me and so he was ready to do anything reckless, but he did go on principle, too."
"And does he know you to be the Nancy he used to know?" Mrs. Beltrán asked, rather anxiously.
"Oh, no. I don't want him to know at once. Somehow I do not, for he is too honorable to offer himself to anyone while he is uncertain about his sight, yet I know, I know that he has not forgotten, and I shall marry him, eyes or no eyes."
"But, my dear, my dear, that is too serious a matter for you to decide. How could you support him with your small income, even granting that it would be a wise thing to do?"
"Oh, he has enough. Did I never tell you that he has quite a nice little income, not a great one, but enough? How could he have stayed over here all this time without? I have never thought much about that part, for I don't believe I am mercenary."