Suddenly he spied the señorita herself. She was standing on the steps of her father's home. Riego's heart bounded within him at sight of her. He pulled down his hat and hoped to pass unrecognized, but the sweet, familiar voice called:
"Riego!"
He did not answer.
Then she ran down the steps to him, and put her gentle hands upon him, turning him to her against his will.
"What is the matter, Riego?" she asked.
No answer.
"You didn't come to class this afternoon."
No answer.
"I'm sorry," she said, after a moment of silence in which she looked searchingly into his face, "because we had an interesting lesson to-day. It was all about what one ought to do in case one should be forced to choose between the old land and the new."
The boy gave a swift, upward glance at her, then dropped his eyes to the ground again. Miss Arden continued, and her voice was very serious now: