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Neither Mr. Selden nor Mr. Gunther could sleep that night. Those little golden curls over the blue eyes floated in a hazy mist and music in tantalizing recurrence until dawn.
“Did you make a satisfactory bargain?” George asked Clarence next morning, when the ladies had gone to church.
“Yes, as far as we can see at present. I am to send an expert to look at the mines to-morrow, and on his report will decide what to do. But I am in a quandary now about one thing. Have you positively decided to leave to-morrow at seven A.M.?”
“If we don't oversleep ourselves,” was George's reply. “But that depends. Why do you ask? If by waiting a few days we can have your company further on, we will wait, of course. The girls are enjoying themselves very much, and will be glad to wait for you.”
“Thanks, thanks,” said Clarence, warmly. “Yes, I would like to go as far as the Yosemite with you; but as I would like to have one final talk with the miners to-morrow before I pay them any money, I would be much obliged if you could wait until Tuesday morning.”
“Most willingly, my dear fellow, particularly as these señoritas are not in a hurry to leave fascinating San Francisco.”
“We have not driven anywhere around the city, and Miss Mercedes wishes to see more of San Francisco,” said Clarence, “as she has not seen it since she was twelve months old.”
“Poor Selden; those fellows will never cease laughing at his mistake,” George said.
After mass, our travelers went immediately to luncheon. At their table were already seated the six New Yorkers, but four chairs were carefully turned, in token of being reserved. Clarence sat next to Mercedes, but Selden was opposite, and anxiously expected the moment when she would lift her veil. He dreaded to be disenchanted by finding her to be less beautiful in daylight, but such was not the case. She appeared to him even prettier, seeing better the lovely dark blue of her eyes. He looked at her in silence, saying to himself mentally: “She is exquisite; am I going to love her hopelessly!” And he looked at Clarence with a pang of jealousy, for he could not deny to himself that he was handsome, yes, beautiful as an Apollo, and very manly.