Finally Gore promised that he would himself propose to Mariquita in form on the morrow, Don Joaquin being with difficulty induced to undertake on his side that he would not "prepare" her for what was coming. He gave this promise quite as reluctantly as Gore gave his. The younger man dreaded the bad effects of precipitancy; the elder, who had plenty of self-conceit behind his dry dignity, relinquished very unwillingly the advantages he counted upon from his diplomacy, and the weight of his authority being known beforehand to be on the suitor's side. If Gore were really so uncertain of success, it would be a feather in the paternal cap to have insured that success by his solemn indications of approval. But he saw that without his promise of absolute abstention from interference, Gore would not agree to make his proposal, so Don Joaquin ungraciously yielded the point perhaps chiefly because important business called him away from the morrow's dawn till late at night. CHAPTER XXVII. After breakfast next morning Sarella, not quite accidentally, found herself alone with Gore. "You gentlemen," she said, "did go to bed sometime, I suppose. But I thought you never _were_ going to stop your talk--and to tell you the truth, I wished my bedroom was farther away, or had a thicker wall. _I_ go to bed to sleep. You were at it two hours and twenty minutes." Gore duly apologized for the postponement of her sleep, and wondered _how_ thin the wooden partition might be between her room and that in which the long discussion had taken place. "These partitions of thin boarding are wretched," she informed him, "especially as they are only stained. If they were even papered it would prevent the tobacco-smoke coming through the cracks where the boards have shrunk." Gore could not help smiling. "I think," he said, "you want to let me know that our talk was not quite inaudible." "No, it wasn't. Not quite. I'll tell you how much was audible. That you were talking about Mariquita, and that you were arguing, and I think you were both angry. I am sure _he_ was." "So was I; though not so loud, I hope." "Look here, Mr. Gore. You weren't loud at all. But I knew you were angry. And so you ought to have been. Why on earth can't he keep his fingers out of the pot? You and Mariquita didn't interfere in his love affair, and he'll do no good interfering in yours." Gore laughed. "So you heard it all!" he said. "No. If you had talked as loud as he did I should. But you didn't. It was easy to hear him say that to-morrow he would go and order Mariquita to marry you. If that had been the end of it, I just believe I should have dressed myself and come in to tell him not to be silly. But it wasn't the end. Was it?" "No. To stop _that_ plan I promised I would propose to Mariquita to-day--only he was to say nothing about it to her first." "Well, then, I don't know as he has done any harm. You might do worse." "I might do better." "What better?" "Wait a bit."