“No; he didn’t collect them. Nor is he one of the President’s men. I don’t quite understand it.”

“Who did gather them?”

“All that he will say is, ‘the master.’”

“Oh!” said Miss Brewster, and retired into a thoughtful silence.

“They’re very beautiful, aren’t they?” continued the Caracuñan. “And they carry a pretty sentiment.”

“Tell me,” commanded the girl, emerging from her reverie.

“The mountaineers say that their fragrance casts a spell which carries the thought back to the giver.”

“Is that the language of science?” she queried absently, with a thought far away.

“But no, señorita, assuredly not,” said the young Caracufian. “It is the language—permit that I say it better in French—c’est le langage d’amour.”

III.
THE BETTER PART OF VALOR