Felipe saw. In the next second, the eyes of the two young men met. Alessandro's fell before Felipe's. Felipe gazed on, steadily, at Alessandro.
“Ah!” he said; and as he said it, he closed his eyes, and let his head sink back into the pillow.
“Is that comfortable? Is that right?” asked the Señora, who had seen nothing.
“The first comfortable moment I have had, mother,” said Felipe. “Stay, Alessandro, I want to speak to you as soon as I am rested. This move has shaken me up a good deal. Wait.”
“Yes, Señor,” replied Alessandro, and seated himself on the veranda steps.
“If you are to stay, Alessandro,” said the Señora, “I will go and look after some matters that need my attention. I feel always at ease about Señor Felipe when you are with him. You will stay till I come back?”
“Yes, Señora,” said Alessandro, in a tone cold as the Señora's own had been to Ramona. He was no longer in heart the Señora Moreno's servant. In fact, he was at that very moment revolving confusedly in his mind whether there could be any possibility of his getting away before the expiration of the time for which he had agreed to stay.
It was a long time before Felipe opened his eyes. Alessandro thought he was asleep.
At last Felipe spoke. He had been watching Alessandro's face for some minutes. “Alessandro,” he said.
Alessandro sprang to his feet, and walked swiftly to the bedside. He did not know what the next word might be. He felt that the Señor Felipe had seen straight into his heart in that one moment's look, and Alessandro was preparing for anything.
“Alessandro,” said Felipe, “my mother has been speaking to me about your remaining with us perma-
