They applauded the song and the singer, Jack looking across to Philip as much as to say, "Isn't she an angel?" If Philip thought so, he did not say so, being busy with Eulalia. They were talking Chinese metaphysics, a pleasant subject to discuss with a pretty girl well up in the intricacies thereof. As to Jack and his angel! "Querida!" murmured Dolores, slipping her hand into that of her lover's under cover of the darkness; "how lonely has my heart been without thee." "Angelito," replied Jack, who was an adept at saying pretty things in Spanish; "I left behind my heart when I departed, and it has drawn me back to your side." "Alas! How long will we be together, Juan? I am afraid of this war; should Don Hypolito conquer!" Here she paused and slightly shuddered. "He shall not conquer, cara. What can he do with a few adherents against the power of the Government?" "Still, the Indians----" "You are afraid they will join with him. To what end? Xuarez cannot restore the worship of the Chalchuih Tlatonac." "Juan!" said Dolores, anxiously, "it is not of Xuarez I am so much afraid as of the Indians. If there is a war, they may carry me off." "Carry you off!" repeated Jack, in a puzzled tone of voice. "Why, how could they do that? and for what reason?" "They could do it easily by some subtle device; bolts and bars and walled towns are nothing to them when they set their hearts on anything. And they would carry me away because I am the guardian of the Chalchuih Tlatonac." "Who told you all this?" "Cocom." "But he does not worship the opal or the old gods. He is a devout Catholic." "So says Padre Ignatius; but I think he is one of those who go to the forest sanctuary. He knows much." "And says nothing. It is death for him to betray the secrets of that Aztec worship." "Listen, Juan, alma de mi alma. The life of Cocom was saved by my uncle Miguel, and with him gratitude is more powerful than religion. He told me while you were away, that the opal has prophesied war, and on that account the Indians are alarmed for me. Should there be no guardian of the opal, Huitzilopochtli will be angry, and lest I should be killed in the war as soon as the revolt takes place, the Indians will carry me for safety into the heart of the country--into those trackless forest depths more profound than the sea." "They shall never do so while I am at hand," said Jack, fiercely; "but I don't believe this story of Cocom's. You cannot be in such danger." "I am afraid it is true; besides, that is not the only danger--Don Hypolito!" "What of him?" "He wishes to marry me, Juan." Duval laughed softly, and pressed the little hand, that lay within his own. "You talk ancient history, querida; I thought we settled that I was to be the favoured one." "It is true! ah, yes, thee alone do I love," whispered Dolores, tenderly; "but when you departed, Juan, he came to me, this Don Hypolito, and spoke of love." "Confound his impudence!" muttered Jack, in English.