"Ay! ay! 'Rita!" cried Francisco, coming suddenly upon them, "why did you run away?"
The child looked at the pedlar, who was visibly perturbed. "I found her over there alone," he explained to Francisco, "so I brought her here. I would have taken her back in the wagon, though it would have lost me time. I was going when I had finished my pipe."
The child looked at him in astonishment.
"And not to go to Veronica?" she asked.
"Why to Veronica? Of course not," he replied quickly.
"But you said——" began the child.
"It does not matter what he said," interrupted Francisco. "Come, now; we must go home. I believe you are a rogue, Hernando," he continued turning to the pedlar. "I believe you are a great rogue——"
Hernando laughed. "Well, if I am," he said, "I am not the only one in the world. You cannot prove anything of that which you are thinking."
"If you were not guilty, Hernando," answered Francisco, "you would not so quickly understand my meaning."
The man rose to his feet and busied himself with the ponies.