The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria | Page 6

handkerchief, I bound it about the sprain, and wrapping her long
cloak of wool around her, put her shoe and stocking in my pocket, and
then lifting her to my shoulder, started down the road to Madre
Moreno's cottage.
In appearance, the young woman was of small figure, delicately formed
and graceful; her face full of life, with finely marked eyebrows of the
same brown shade as her hair; her eyes were blue--a rare colour among
us Californians--unusually full and brilliant, and to-day suffused with
tears. I noticed that the pupils were remarkably large, sometimes
covering the greater part, if not all, of the iris.

Small and light as she was, I had to rest often, for the distance was
nearly a mile, and the surface of the road was much broken. When
reaching the top of the last rise of the road before arriving at Madre
Moreno's I rested for the last time.
"I am very sorry that this accident has occurred, and I can never thank
you sufficiently for the kindness you have shown me; had you not
come to the ruin I could never have reached home, and the thought of
spending a night there makes me shudder even now," she said as she sat
by the roadside.
"I am sorry that we have to delay so long on the way, for your aunt will
be much worried," I replied.
"Aunt Ambrosia ought surely to make some use of her power and come
out and carry me home on her broomstick steed," she answered,
looking up at me with a smile.
"I was much surprised to see you at the ruins this afternoon, and indeed
almost thought that you were some spirit of the place, for I have never
seen any woman but Madre Moreno there, as they are so afraid of the
snakes and lizards which abound, and they also say that there is a curse
upon the spot which is liable to affect any one who may stop there long
enough. How did you find the ruin? It is so hidden from view by the
trees that a stranger could scarcely have found it except by the merest
chance."
"Aunt Ambrosia told me of it, and said that the sun effects were
beautiful there in the afternoon, and that I had better go to-day between
four and five, as it was at the best then, when half of the ruin would be
in shadow and the one standing wall receive the full sunlight. I was
pleased with the picture, but had I known of the snakes this accident
never could have happened. You were looking so intently at me when I
discovered your presence that I was startled and even thought of Aunt
Ambrosia's skill in the black art, and that you might be some
supernatural friend of hers, hence my hasty retreat and consequent
disaster."

"It is a pity that I should have been the cause of the mishap," I
answered; though truthfully I was much pleased at our novel meeting,
and I knew the sprain was but slight. I again took her in my arms and
started off at a brisk walk down the hill. It was dusk when we
approached the house, and passed along the narrow path, and knocked
at the open door of Madre Moreno's little house.
I placed my fair burden in an arm chair, which stood on the veranda
and, while waiting for an answer to my knock, looked into her beautiful
face which was turned partly away from me, but even in the shadow
where she was sitting, the wonderful brilliancy of her eyes was
noticeable and seemed to illumine her whole face.
Madre Moreno came to the door; she held a lighted candle, and as she
recognized me, looked surprised and said, "Hast thou seen no one on
the road Carlos? I have been waiting long for my niece, she went to the
ruin this afternoon and has not yet returned; she must have lost her way,
for she surely would not stay so late otherwise. I shall go out to search
for her; I hope she has met with no accident. Help me search, Carlos."
Madre Moreno seemed very anxious, and to have lost all the happy
spirits and buoyancy she had shown in the morning.
"I am here, Aunt Ambrosia, and thanks to this gentleman or I should
still be out on the hill, in the moonlight with all the lizards and snakes,
and perhaps some of your good friends also," spoke out the girl in a
laughing voice.
"That is good, good, good!" exclaimed Madre Moreno. "How didst
thou, Ysidria, come to find our friend Carlos de Soto and he to take
thee home?" and the Madre began to laugh boisterously. "Stay to sup
with