Again he hesitated.
"Then," he said, in a choking voice, "I shall have a question to ask you, and a request to make."
The maiden blushed, but recovered herself directly.
"You will find me ready to answer both," she murmured, in a low and inarticulate voice.
"Do you mean it?" he asked, joyfully.
"I swear it to you."
A flash of happiness lit up the young man's face like a sunbeam.
"My good Carmela," he said, in a deep voice, "when the moment arrives, I shall remind you of your promise."
She bowed her head in dumb assent.
There was a moment of silence. The maiden attended to her household duties with that bird-like lissomness and activity peculiar to women; the Jaguar walked up and down the room with a preoccupied air; after a few moments he went to the door and looked out.