“Oh, you think so? Women are not so—how do you say—? so blind,” laughed the Señora. “But you have not asked me why I am here, Señor.”
“No,” answered Stephen rather bluntly. In the light of his reveries of the past hour he felt rather ashamed of the little flirtation that he had carried on after dinner with the Señora.
“You need not be embarrassed,” she went on, laughing at his stiffness. “It was not to see the gallant Señor that I came, though no doubt there are many who—”
Loring silenced her with an imploring gesture.
“No, I came to see if all were well. I was afraid that I heard noises,” she confessed.
“All right, so far,” said Stephen. “I do not think that we shall have any trouble.”
“Then I will again go down,” she said.
Stephen walked with her over to the ladder, and bowing low over her hand, whispered a low “Buenas noches!” As he helped her to the ladder, he looked into her eyes rather curiously. He could not understand their expression.
When she had her foot upon the uppermost rung, she said good night to him. Then, as he turned, she said, half shyly: “The letter, Señor; you will watch the carta of the Señorita well?”
Laughing softly, yet not altogether gaily, she ran down the ladder.