His idea of what would be correct was that Gore should "speak to him," that he should (after due examination of his conditions) signify approval, first to Gore himself, and then to Mariquita, whereupon it would be her duty to listen encouragingly to Mr. Gore's proposals. Don Joaquin made Sarella understand that these were his notions. ("How Spanish!" she thought.) "You'll never get it done that way," she told him shortly. "Mr. Gore will not say a word to you till he thinks Mariquita would not be offended--" "Why should she be offended!" "She would be, if Mr. Gore came to you, till she had given him some cause for believing she cared at all for him. He knows that well enough. You may be sure that while she seems unaware of his taking an interest in her, he will never give you the least hint. He doesn't _want_ to marry her--yet. He won't let himself want it before she gives _some_ sign." Sarella understood her own meaning quite well, but Don Joaquin did not understand it so clearly. He took an early opportunity of saying to his daughter: "I think Mr. Gore a nice man. He is correct. I approve of him. And it is an advantage that he is a Catholic." To call it "an advantage" seemed to Mariquita a dry way of putting it, but then her father _was_ dry. "Living in the house," he continued, wishing she would say something, "he must be intimate with us. I find him suitable for that. One would not care for it in every case. Had he turned out a different sort of person, I should not have wished for any friendship between him and yourselves--Sarella and you. It might have been out of place." "I do not think there would ever be much friendship between Sarella and him," said Mariquita; "she hardly listens when he talks about things--" "But _you_ should listen. It would be not courteous to make him think you found his conversation tedious." "Tedious! I listen with interest." "No doubt. And there is nothing out of place in your showing it. He is no longer a stranger to us." "He is kind," she said. "He worked hard to help Jack in getting his shed fit for Ginger. It was he who built the partitions. Jack told me. Mr. Gore said nothing about it. Also, he was good to Ben Sturt when he hurt his knee and could not ride; he went and sat with him, chatting, and read funny books to him. He is a very kind person. I am glad you like him--I was not sure." "I waited. One wishes to know a stranger before liking him, as you call it; what is more important, I approve of him, and find him correct." Whether this helped much we cannot say. Sarella didn't think so, though Don Joaquin reported it to her with much complacence. "She must know now," he said, "that I _authorize_ him." CHAPTER XIV. Jack sounded Mr. Gore's praises loudly in Mariquita's ears, and she heard them gladly. She thought well of her fellow-creatures, and it was always pleasant to her to hear them commended.