"There are no heirs that we can find. But there is a--what do you call it?--a something or other--in possession!" "A squatter?" said Poinsett, shortly. "Yes," continued the widow, with a light laugh; "a 'squatter,' by the name of--of--my writing is so horrid--let me see, oh, yes! 'Gabriel Conroy.'" Arthur made an involuntary gesture toward the paper with his hand, but the widow mischievously skipped toward the window, and, luckily for the spectacle of his bloodless face, held the paper before her dimpled face and laughing eyes, as she did so. "Gabriel Conroy," repeated Mrs. Sepulvida, "and--and--and--his"---- "His sister?" said Arthur, with an effort. "No, sir!" responded Mrs. Sepulvida, with a slight pout, "his _wife_! Sister indeed! As if we married women are always to be ignored by you legal gentlemen!" Arthur remained silent, with his face turned toward the sea. When he did speak his voice was quite natural. "Might I change my mind regarding your offer of a moment ago, and take a glass of wine and a biscuit now?" Mrs. Sepulvida ran to the door. "Let me look over your notes while you are gone," said Arthur. "You won't laugh at my writing?" "No!" Donna Maria tossed him the envelope gaily and flew out of the room. Arthur hurried to the window with the coveted memoranda. There were the names she had given him--but nothing more! At least this was some slight relief. The suddenness of the shock, rather than any moral sentiment or fear, had upset him. Like most imaginative men, he was a trifle superstitious, and with the first mention of Devarges's name came a swift recollection of Padre Felipe's analysis of his own character, his sad, ominous reverie in the chapel, the trifling circumstance that brought him instead of his partner to San Antonio, and the remoter chance that had discovered the forgotten grant and selected him to prosecute its recovery. This conviction entertained and forgotten, all the resources of his combative nature returned. Of course he could not prosecute this claim; of course he ought to prevent others from doing it. There was every probability that the grant of Devarges was a true one--and Gabriel was in possession! Had he really become Devarges's heir, and if so, why had he not claimed the grant boldly? And where was Grace?