"There was a little girl there they called the Inglesita, I never thought of asking her name; she could not be more than fourteen or fifteen years old. She had a snub nose, and the most beautiful large grey eyes I ever saw." "That would be her; you appear to remember her very well," said Evaña smiling; "but she must be more than fifteen, those English always look younger than their real age. Her name is Magdalen." "Magdalen! Malena, I think I heard them call her so." "That's she, without doubt. So the best thing you can do is to get strong enough to move into the sala, and then the owner of those grey eyes will amuse you better than I can." "You don't admire grey eyes, you admire black ones, like my mother's or Eliza Puyrredon's; but I can tell you gray eyes are the most beautiful of all, if a sympathetic heart shines through them." "You have studied them?" "I have seen one pair which I shall never forget." "And I also," said Evaña to himself; but he added aloud, "never mind about eyes just now, you can dream of them after you have taken your broth." When Evaña covering him carefully up, left the room, Marcelino lay back on his pillows, thinking dreamily of those gray eyes that Evaña's talk had brought back to his recollection. He had never spoken a dozen words to the Inglesita, but she had listened attentively to what he had said to others; he had looked at her, had seen his own ideas reflected in her eyes, and those eyes had haunted him ever since. Next morning at his usual hour Don Carlos Evaña was again at the Quinta de Don Alfonso. Marcelino's eyes brightened as he took his seat beside him after making enquiries about his progress. "Never mind about me," he said, "I am twice as strong to-day; but tell me your news, I am sure it is good from your face." "Good and bad, both; but I don't know whether we need think the bad bad." "Then the bad first. What is it?" "Your grandfather has resigned his seat in the Cabildo." "But this is bad, he was the only Creole those Spaniards thought worthy to sit with them." "No, it is good. The best thing for us is that there be a broad line drawn between Spaniards and the sons of the soil. The broader this line is the easier will it be for us to tell friends from enemies when the day comes." "And he resigned of his own will?" "Yes, but not till he saw that to remain was to expose himself to expulsion." "To expulsion! after all that he did for the defence of the city! If it had not been for him Liniers would never have been able to rescue the city from Beresford. And after that, who has done as much as he for the equipment of the militia?" "No one," answered Evaña smiling. "Why you are strong enough to be quite indignant." "Indignant! I should think I am." "They only tolerated him so long as he was useful to them," replied Evaña. "I think he has done very well to resign." "What became of Asneiros when my men were disbanded?"