"You are a dear!"—she murmured, lazily—"Just a dear! A big, beautiful creature with a heart! That's the trouble—your heart! You've found a man living selfishly alone, scribbling what he perhaps thinks are the most wonderful things ever put on paper, when they are very likely nothing but rubbish, and it enters into your head that he wants mothering and loving! He doesn't want anything of the sort! And YOU want to love and mother him! Oh heavens!—have you ever thought what loving and mothering mean?"
Manella drew a quick soft breath.
"All the world, surely!" she answered, with emotion—"To love!—to possess the one we love, body and soul!—and to mother a life born of such love!—THAT must be heaven!"
The smile flitted away from Morgana's lips, and her expression became almost sorrowful.
"You are like a trusting animal!" she said—"An animal all innocent of guns and steel-traps! You poor girl! I should like you to come with me out of these mountain solitudes into the world! What is your name?"
"Manella."
"Manella—what?"
"Manella Soriso"—the girl answered—"I am Spanish by both parents,—they are dead now. I was born at Monterey."
Morgana began to hum softly—
"Under the walls of Monterey
At dawn the bugles began to play
Come forth to thy death
Victor Galbraith."