initial commit of ebook 18660HEADmain

9 files changed, 5004 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/18660-8.txt b/18660-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2e72ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18660-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,1624 @@
+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria, by Charles A.
+Gunnison
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria
+
+
+Author: Charles A. Gunnison
+
+
+
+Release Date: June 23, 2006  [eBook #18660]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA***
+
+
+E-text prepared by the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)
+
+
+
+THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA
+
+by
+
+CHARLES A. GUNNISON.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Press of Commercial Publishing Co.
+34 California St., S. F.
+
+
+
+
+
+    To----
+
+    _Madame Emma Baudouin of Luebeck, this little story of Californian
+    life is given in token of her unmerited kindness to the writer, and
+    in admiration of one who makes the world happier by her every word
+    and act._
+
+    _CHARLES A. GUNNISON,
+    Xmas, 1894.
+    In the Embarcadero, Palo Alto,
+    Santa Clara, California_
+
+
+
+
+The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria.
+
+
+
+
+I.
+
+
+Have you seen the magnificent slope of our beloved Tamalpais, as it
+curves from the changing colour of the bay, till touching the fleecy fog
+rolling in from the Pacific, it passes from day to rest? If you have
+not, I hope you may, for the sooner you have this glorious picture on
+your memory's walls, the brighter will be your future, and you will have
+a bit of beauty which need not be forgotten even in heaven itself.
+
+There is one who, though passing his life beneath its shadow, enjoying
+the scented wind from its forests and the music of its birds and
+waterfalls and sighing madroņos, does not see it, yet calls it his God,
+and believes it to be the Giver of all good, as we who have never seen
+our God feel that One who bestows blessings so bountiful must be
+beautiful beyond words.
+
+Many walks, miles in extent, have my Quito and I taken. I say my Quito,
+for he is my son, my only son; and beneath the thick shade of laurels,
+beside the roadside troughs, we have rested and spoken, he to me of the
+unheard, I to him of the unseen.
+
+Come back with me to the days of my youth, those merry days of
+California before the gold was about her dear form like prisoner's
+chains; before the greed of the States and England had forced us into
+the weary drudgery of the earth, and made us the slaves of misbegotten
+progress.
+
+We had our church then and dear old Padre Andreas at San Anselmo, and,
+my dear friends from the States, we also had cockles from Tomales, which
+were eaten with relish on the beach at Sausalito, just where George the
+Greek's is now, though then there was only a little hut kept by a man
+whom we called Victor--and we had feasts and fasts so well arranged,
+that dyspepsia was unknown.
+
+One day when I had been on a long tramp through the woods, gathering
+mushrooms, I came home tired and hungry, and found our old housekeeper,
+Catalina, smiling complacently, as she sat on the stepping block by the
+kitchen door, rolling tamales for supper. "Oh! Master Carlos," she
+cried, "we have had much to worry us to-day. Look at those poor, little
+ducks all dead and the mother hen also."
+
+"Who killed them, Catalina?" I asked in astonishment, as I saw my pet
+brood of ducks and their over careful mother lying dead in the grass.
+
+"I did," she replied, "and it was time that something was done. Madre
+Moreno has been busy again. The cows gave bloody milk last Friday, and
+to-day, while I was sorting some herbs, the hen and her brood began to
+act mysteriously, to tumble about as Victor might, after too much wine.
+All at once I saw the cause, Madre Moreno had bewitched them, and in
+three minutes I had cut all their throats and have given the wicked
+woman a lesson."
+
+"Catalina! Catalina!" I cried, "how can you be so cruel and
+superstitious?" Her face lighted up with supreme contempt for me, but
+she said nothing more. On the ground about her were bits of leaves which
+I recognized as nightshade and henbane, which could well account for the
+actions of the late hen and ducklings.
+
+"What are these?" I asked.
+
+"Little Pablo brought them for dinner; he thought they were mustard, but
+they were not, so I threw them away."
+
+"Poor ducks and poor Catalina," was all that I could say, and went
+laughing into the house, while she muttered to herself about the
+ignorance of the new generation.
+
+My home was, and is a beautiful one, low and long, with all the rooms
+opening on the broad veranda; it is part of adobe and part of wood, the
+sides being covered with a network of fuchsia, heliotrope and jasmine
+reaching to the eaves of the brown tile roof; a broad, branching fig
+tree is in the little court before it, and a clump of yuccas and fan
+palms to the right, while down to the road and along the front stretches
+a broken hedge of Castilian roses, which we Californians love as the
+gift of old Spain, our first good nurse, we must always have a nurse it
+seems, England, Spain, Mexico and our present, very dry one--but let us
+be content, our majority will come. There is a pretty stream from the
+mountains, brought through hollow logs, and two good wells to water the
+place, which is green in the hottest summer when all the hills and
+meadows are yellow and brown from drought; before it rise slopes of
+manzanita, and higher hills covered with redwoods, and then the sharply
+cut peak of Tamalpais, from which on clear days we not only may see the
+good St. Helena, but alas, as in all the world, Diablo, himself, is in
+view, black and barren, though we do sometimes call him San Diablo, as
+the old Greeks did the Eumenides, in propitiatory compliment.
+
+Madre Moreno was indeed a strange woman, and feared by the country
+people, before whom she lost no opportunity of playing her role of
+witch, and she was known by all for her remarkable skill in extracting
+the virtues of herbs, and brewing such efficacious drinks that even
+Pedirpozzo, the famous physician of the Alameda side, had been willing
+to consult with her.
+
+I was about twenty years old at this time and had but recently returned
+from the City of Mexico, where I had been graduated in the law, having
+also made a thorough study of botany, and was happily and lucratively
+employed in collecting specimens of the Californian flora for the old
+college, as well as for one in the States, and two in Europe. This
+pleasurable employment gave me an income, more than supplying the few
+wants of the primitive life at the little rancho, the herds of which
+were alone a good source of revenue.
+
+Just beyond my home, to the west, over the first hill, was a ruined
+adobe, surrounded by a great number of fig and olive trees; there had
+never been any windows in the house, but the arches for the doors were
+still standing, where ivy, poison oak and wild honey-suckle hung in
+profusion; the cellar, which was quite filled with stones, was overgrown
+with Solomon's seal, eschscholtzia and yerba santa, while a white rose
+and a shapeless clump of half wild artichokes grew where the garden had
+once been, also many flowers, hardly distinguishable from the weeds,
+having lost all they had ever gained by cultivation; a winding bed of
+ranunculus, or little frog, as Linnaeus wittily calls these water
+lovers, marked the course of a narrow stream which had long ago broken
+away from its former wooden trough. Among the stones and decaying beams
+were enormous bushes of nightshade, which seemed to poison the plants
+about them, all of which had a sickly green wherever they grew under its
+shadow.
+
+This place, with its surrounding acres, was my property, and had been
+before the fire which had destroyed the adobe house, one of the
+prettiest spots in the country.
+
+There had long been a spirited contest between my grandfather and the
+father of Madre Moreno over this bit of property, a strife which had
+caused much bad feeling in both families, and when it was at last
+settled in favour of our side, old Juan Moreno lost all control of his
+feelings, and in a fit of anger dropped dead at the very door of the
+court. Though the anger and chagrin at the loss of his case hastened his
+death, he had always been subject to a trouble of the heart which was
+liable to prove fatal at any moment under undue excitement. Ambrosia
+Moreno, who was called Madre, when she grew older, held our family to
+blame for this affliction, and made a vow that every generation of the
+Sotos should suffer through this plot of ground as long as she lived.
+
+This curse was first felt in the time of Ignacio de Soto, my
+grandfather, when the fig trees failed to put forth fruit and the olives
+were all blighted. By this, Ambrosia Moreno established her reputation
+in the country as a witch, and was never omitted from a christening or
+wedding or from any auspicious event where her ill will might, in any
+possible way, cause misfortune.
+
+In time Madre Moreno grew proud of this distinction awarded to her,
+dressing and acting so as to lead the people to believe her to have
+supernatural assistance, and when in the time of the next generation,
+the night of the marriage of my father with Neves Arguello, (to which
+celebration Madre Moreno was uninvited), the adobe house in the grove of
+figs, which had stood untenanted for years, was burned to the ground,
+her reputation as a witch was firmly established throughout the country;
+many a good woman after that event, when the wind carried off the
+clothes drying on the hedges, or the soot fell down the chimney into the
+kitchen at night, knew that the Madre was about, playing her mischievous
+pranks.
+
+One day Mercedes Dana, a girl whom we rather felt sorry for, (her
+mother, who was a de los Santos, having married an American from
+Boston), having less faith in Madre Moreno's power than the rest of her
+neighbours had tried that never-failing test for witchcraft, and placed
+a piece of steel under the chair where the Madre was sitting, but she,
+too, was at once converted from her skepticism, for when the Madre
+wanted to leave she was unable to move until the bit of steel was taken
+away.
+
+It was considered a dangerous experiment, and even Mercedes' little
+spark of Yankee "devil-may-care" burned very low after it, although the
+only thing that went wrong at the Dana's that year was that the hens
+laid soft-shelled eggs, which trouble was soon remedied by mixing a
+powder with their feed, which powder Madre Moreno herself supplied, and
+I strongly suspect that it was made of burned cockle shells.
+
+Madre Moreno dressed peculiarly; she wore when I first remember her, a
+short black skirt and waist; a little cape of red woolen cloth hung over
+her shoulders, about her neck was a white ruff which set off her peaked
+face and made it look even more withered and yellow; her hair was short,
+and over a silk skull cap was drawn a black reboso, the ends of which
+were embroidered in colour with odd designs. Her whole person was the
+perfection of neatness, and she was welcome from Bolinas to San Rafael
+for the good she did, as her knowledge of herb and even mineral
+medicines was extensive.
+
+At my christening it was thought that the curse would be removed, as
+Madre Moreno was invited to the ceremonies, and from that time was a
+constant visitor at the rancho for some years, always received with a
+welcome, mingled, perhaps, with a little fear, by all save Catalina,
+who, despite her dread of the queer woman, never could conceal her
+hatred for her, and when the sudden death of my father was closely
+followed by that of my mother, she forbade Madre Moreno the house. To
+this I could say nothing, as I have always a reverence for the woman who
+rules at home, and Catalina now was my housekeeper, in charge of broom
+and wash tub, and grand almoner of my dinners and luncheons.
+
+
+
+
+II.
+
+
+Madre Moreno never came again to my house, but always seemed to take an
+interest in me, who, when I reached an age when I could be trusted away
+from the garden, would wander with her through the woods while she was
+gathering her herbs, and from her I learned much that was of great
+benefit to me in after years. After my return from Mexico, we greeted in
+friendly manner, and she seemed to take great pleasure in my company.
+
+I never approached the ruin without a strange foreboding of something
+terrible about to happen, which always disappeared after I had been
+there a while and the charming beauty of the quiet spot had turned my
+thoughts into pleasanter channels; perhaps the feeling of fear was
+attributable to the stories I had heard during childhood, and had never
+outgrown.
+
+One day I saw Madre Moreno's red cloak showing out brightly from behind
+the rank growths of nightshade, the tenderer leaves of which she seemed
+to be carefully gathering. She was muttering to herself words
+unintelligible to me, and did not seem to notice me, although I stood
+for a long time very near where she was at work.
+
+"Good morning, Madre; you are very busy to-day," I said, after a while.
+She looked up, nodding in a friendly way, but not answering, while she
+continued her jargon as she carefully laid in the basket the
+oval-shaped, pointed leaves. As I drew nearer I noticed for the first
+time that it was not the common nightshade, which grew wild about the
+country, but was the atropa, a plant not indigenous to California. It
+was in flower; the bell-shaped blossoms, of a dead, violet-brown colour,
+with the green leaves about them, made a disagreeable combination seldom
+seen in any of nature's pictures.
+
+When she had completely filled her basket she turned to me and spoke: "I
+am glad to see thee, Carlos, for it has been long since we have met, and
+I began to think that thou hadst forgotten thy old friend, or, perhaps,
+hadst learned all about flowers and herbs, so that she could teach thee
+no more."
+
+"No, Madre; I shall never know so much about them as you do. I can learn
+their names and values only, while you put them all to so many good
+uses," I answered. "What do you do with the leaves you have just
+gathered? They are very poisonous, and you should wash your hands well
+after touching them, and especially after getting the juice on your
+fingers!"
+
+"But thou knowest poison makes little difference with one like me, who
+hath a charmed life," replied Madre Moreno, as she handed me the basket
+to carry while she nimbly stepped from stone to stone and climbed out of
+the hollow, here and there startling a snake or lizard that lay in the
+sunshine.
+
+"It is well done!" she abruptly said, and looking at me, burst into a
+fit of laughter which was so spontaneous and hearty that I joined with
+her, though I knew not at what I was laughing. My own laugh sounded
+strangely, however, and seemed to me to echo with another tone from the
+vine-covered walls as if some one were there, and like Madre Moreno,
+were also laughing at me. I stopped suddenly, and I felt my face change
+colour, and the same awe which I so often felt when about the ruined
+house came upon me with a force I had never known before; I trembled as
+I stood there beside this strange woman, who laughed louder and louder,
+striking her little hands together in seeming ecstacy, while the sounds
+echoed and re-echoed among the fig trees and heaps of stones, yet
+seeming all the time less like echoes than like the voices of
+innumerable, invisible creatures darting everywhere about the grove. The
+place grew darker, for clouds just then obscured the sun and covered the
+hills beyond Tamalpais. Madre Moreno came nearer to me and touched my
+forehead. . . . . . . . . Suddenly the sun shown bright as ever upon the
+fig and olive trees and gleamed from thousands of silver drops hanging
+from every leaf; the snakes and lizards lay quietly upon the steaming
+rocks and half burnt beams, while the rank vegetation sent forth a sweet
+scent of green life.
+
+"Why do you laugh at me, Madre?" I asked.
+
+"Only, Carlos," she answered, "because it is so odd to see thee carrying
+the old witch's basket with all the charms and thou knowing nothing
+about it all; oh it is very odd!" and the Madre laughed again. "The
+storm has gone over," she continued, "I feared it would last long, but
+winter is almost gone, and it passed without much rain falling here."
+
+"What storm?" I asked.
+
+"The storm which has just passed, hast thou not noted it?"
+
+"I saw no storm, you must be dreaming Madre, or trying some of your
+spells upon me. There has been no storm for the sun has been shining
+brightly, except when that cloud passed for a moment," I answered as I
+handed her the basket.
+
+"Whence came the drops of water which lie upon the leaves, Seņor Carlos,
+if not from the clouds which thou canst still see passing over the hills
+toward San Anselmo? Thou knowest not all the power Ambrosia Moreno, thy
+little madre, hath. So thou hast held the basket with the flat green
+leaves."
+
+"Oh! Madre Moreno, I can never understand you, but you must be careful
+of the leaves you have just gathered, for they contain a most powerful
+poison. I am more afraid, since the plant is rare or even unknown in the
+Californias, that you do not know its power; you surely can never have
+found it before, and how it came to be growing here is incomprehensible
+to me."
+
+The witch bent her head and looking into my face from under her
+overhanging reboso, raised her finger and shook it before me saying as
+she did so, "Thou art a learned seņorito, Carlos Sotos, but although
+Ambrosia Moreno hath never been in the college, she knows more of the
+little flowers and bright leaves of this plant thou speakest of than all
+the Jesuits or thy people shall ever learn. The very plant growing here
+among these fallen stones is as old as thou art, Carlos Sotos, and that
+almost to a year. It has ever grown on, season after season, and shall
+live until its duty is performed, then let it wither when it shall no
+longer be needed here. Thou must come down and see me, Carlos," she
+continued in an altered voice, "for I have some new flowers which thou
+shalt have; come for I am lonely and like young company, though I be a
+witch as they say. Where goest thou to-day?"
+
+"Above on the divide where I hope to find some of the Indian pinks for
+my new collection."
+
+"When doest thou return, before sundown?" asked Madre Moreno as she
+prepared to go.
+
+"Before that, surely," I answered, "I shall be back here at the ruin by
+four o'clock, though I had no idea that the time had gone so fast, it is
+almost noon; I must hurry or I shall have Catalina very hot waiting with
+a cold supper. By the way Madre, she sent her best respects to you and
+hopes that you will not bewitch any more of her poultry, for if you do,
+they will be a headless lot in a short time."
+
+Madre Moreno nodded knowingly, and closed one eye slyly as she answered,
+"Thou art the cleverest seņorito in these parts, but little as thou
+believest in my influence with el bueno Diablo, as the old women call
+him, I could disclose to thee many strange events which shall come after
+this day, and from this meeting thou shall date thy future." She started
+but turned and said, "My son, I have learned to love thee, yet I have a
+duty beyond love; say that thou believest that my sainted father was
+unjustly treated, and thy life shall be blessed."
+
+"I cannot, Madre Moreno, I am sorry for the sad result of the case at
+court, but as you know, it was only justice."
+
+She said no more, but with a laugh, half broken by a sigh, the little
+woman walked briskly under the olives and down over the brow of the
+hill.
+
+The grass and trees were all wet, the great laurels by the path shown as
+if varnished, the huge madroņo leaves each held a jewel on its tip; all
+evidences of a heavy rain were about me, yet I had not been aware of it
+falling. In a short time I was deep in the redwood forest, away from the
+world in companionship with God.
+
+
+
+
+III.
+
+
+It was nearly five o'clock when I approached the ruin on my return; the
+sun was now low enough to throw long shadows over the place, and made an
+effect of gloom which formed a good setting for the wall, with its green
+drapery standing out shining and warm in a glorious flood of golden
+sunshine.
+
+As I sat down to enjoy the picture, I became aware of some one walking
+behind the great clumps of nightshade, and presently a young woman
+stepped from behind the atropa where Madre Moreno had that morning been
+picking the poisonous leaves, and walked across the hollow, stepping
+gracefully from stone to stone till she came to the bright spot where
+the sun was shining, and seating herself at the foot of the wall, opened
+a book and began to read aloud. Beautiful as the scene had been before,
+it was now enhanced, and I did not stir, lest I should dispel the lovely
+vision.
+
+For fully half an hour I must have remained there before she became
+aware of my presence; when she saw me, she started a little, but
+regaining her composure quickly, closed her book, and rose to leave the
+place. In crossing the hollow she stumbled and fell, uttering a sharp
+cry of pain; I ran immediately to her assistance. Supporting the
+fainting girl, I helped, or rather carried, her to the bank where I had
+been sitting. By the time I reached the place, she had recovered
+consciousness, and in answer to my inquiry said that her ankle had been
+sprained by the fall, and that the pain was severe. As she spoke the
+tears came to her eyes, and she gave a cry when she tried to rise.
+
+"Do you live near here?" I asked, for she was a stranger to me, though I
+knew all the people for many miles around.
+
+"I should not call it far, under usual circumstances," she answered,
+"but now it is a long way. I live with my aunt, Ambrosia Moreno. Oh, I
+can never get there."
+
+"You must bathe the ankle here; there is a pool, and the rock beside it
+makes a good seat," and gently lifting her, I placed her beside the
+stream, which ran clear and cold from under the broad leaves. Without
+any show of false modesty, she did as I directed, and having saturated
+my 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 us
+Carlos," she said, when she had enough recovered from her fit of
+laughter to speak, "or perhaps thou art afraid of the old witch."
+
+In as few words as possible the accident was explained to Madre Moreno,
+and I again lifted her niece and placed her on a lounge in the house.
+"The Madre can bring you out all right, if anyone can," I said as I left
+the room, "I will take the liberty of inquiring for you in the morning."
+
+As I walked down the path to the gate, I spoke aloud, "What beautiful,
+beautiful eyes!"
+
+"Yes, that they are, Master Carlos!" said a voice seemingly beside me. I
+turned, the voice sounded like that of the Madre, but no one was to be
+seen, however, the large black cat which had followed me, put up her
+back to be stroked and purred and rubbed against my leg. As I closed the
+gate the same voice sounded again but more faintly. "Beautiful eyes hath
+Ysidria; beautiful eyes!"
+
+
+
+
+IV.
+
+
+When I returned home, Catalina had a hot supper ready, and I sat down,
+forgetting, for the moment, the events of the day, in the odour of the
+good things on the table.
+
+"What success, Don Carlos, have you found the flowers you were searching
+for?"
+
+"Yes, Catalina, I found the plants just where I expected to find them,
+and I also found at the old adobe what I did not look for." I then gave
+an account of the day, however, making as modest enumeration of the
+charms of Madre Moreno's niece, as I was able, for fear of exciting
+Catalina's suspicions.
+
+I began to feel that I was much interested in the beautiful Ysidria, and
+hated to have old Catalina discover it, for the girls relationship to
+the Madre would, I knew, be the cause of much disquiet to the good
+woman.
+
+I sat before the door long after supper, building air castles, in all of
+which the fair stranger held a place. Her brilliant eyes were always
+before my mind, as I had first seen them that afternoon, sometimes of a
+deep blue colour, and then in a moment black as jet, when the dilated
+pupil covered the iris, and then her pretty smile and graceful form each
+had a great and wonderful charm for me.
+
+The only thing that troubled me, and I tried to laugh it out of my
+thoughts, was the connection with the reputed witch, but foolish as I
+knew such notions to be, I was, however, unable to banish them, and I
+often wished that the beautiful Ysidria was any one in the world but the
+niece of Ambrosia Moreno. Not that I had any dislike for the Madre, or
+that I bore her any ill will for the various misfortunes which had come
+to my family through her agency, as the country people believed, but it
+was unpleasant to me to think of this young creature living under the
+same roof with and under the influence of such a woman as I knew the
+Moreno to be, aside from her connection with el bueno Diablo, at which I
+could only laugh, and a story which I knew to be encouraged by the Madre
+herself, simply for the notoriety it gave her, and the power she was
+enabled through this belief to exercise over the people.
+
+Ysidria, I had already learned, was as skeptical as myself in regard to
+Madre Moreno's spells, for the laughing manner in which she had spoken
+of her aunt's charms and witcheries, when we were on the hill and even
+in the presence of the Madre herself, convinced me of her intelligence
+and education. It was not this that troubled me concerning Ysidria, but
+knowing Madre Moreno as I did, and what an unscrupulous, scheming and
+heartless woman she was, I felt that she had brought this lovely niece
+to her home for some purpose known only to herself. Of what that purpose
+could be I had not the faintest idea, but I knew the Madre never did
+anything without an object.
+
+I laughed at myself for the great interest I so suddenly felt in a
+person whom I had never seen before, and then only for a few hours. But
+laugh as I would, I had to own that I was something more than interested
+in the stranger, and the pleasure with which I looked forward to the
+promised call in the morning, and my anxiety for her recovery, plainly
+showed me that my heart was fast being lost, if indeed it were not
+already gone from me.
+
+Catalina sat at the door with me after her work was done, but I was so
+deep in my own thoughts, and often did not hear her remarks, that she
+left me and went to her room.
+
+I did not notice when she left, and not until the clock in the veranda
+struck eleven did I become aware of the length of time I had been
+dreaming awake.
+
+The moon was shining clear and full in the blue, cloudless sky, so
+bright that scarcely a star could be seen, illuminating the whole
+country so that everything not in shadow could be distinguished as well
+as if it were noontime.
+
+I walked out from the garden down by the Castilian hedge and along the
+road where the shadows of the oaks, with their twisted and
+mistletoe-covered branches, made grotesque forms. I was very fond of
+these solitary walks on moonlight nights, often going as far as the
+divide, from which Bolinas and the great ocean can be seen, and where
+Larsen's wayside inn now stands, but to-night there was a new sensation
+of loneliness which I had never felt before, and I longed for some one
+to be with me; then I began to wonder whom I would prefer for a
+companion, and thought of all my friends, even to old Madre Moreno, but
+none of them seemed to be the one to break the new and undefinable
+loneliness. Suddenly the form of the fair stranger, with her bright eyes
+and expressive face, came up before my fancy, and I exclaimed, "Yes, it
+is she; it is she alone!"
+
+"Alone!" sounded back upon my ear like a human voice, which startled me
+from my reverie, and I saw that I was standing beside the old adobe,
+whither I had wandered without knowing. Close at my feet lay a bit of
+white cloth which attracted my attention, and I picked it up. It was a
+handkerchief of fine cambric, in one corner of which was embroidered a
+name, which I could easily read in the moonlight, "Ysidria."
+
+I read the name aloud, and the great wall with its ivy glistening silver
+in the light echoed back the name. At the time I was not surprised to
+hear the the three syllables so fully pronounced by the echo. I enjoyed
+the sound of the name, and called it again and again. "Ysidria!
+Ysidria!" each time called back the ruined wall, and at last I had to
+laugh as I thought of the ludicrous appearance I presented, calling
+aloud a name and like a child being pleased with the voice of the unseen
+spirit, but as I laughed, that too, reverberated, but the sound seemed
+changed, and it made me involuntarily shudder as I remembered the scene
+of that very morning, when my laugh had produced the same strange
+feeling, half of awe and half of anger. I looked around as if I expected
+to find some one at my side. I started at every sound, and the long,
+creeping shadows made me tremble. I was certainly strong, and had often
+shown myself courageous in time of danger, but the mysterious awe which
+fell upon me here completely unnerved me, and a cold perspiration
+started, when from the wall I heard a whisper, distinctly audible, which
+pronounced the words, "Ysidria hath beautiful eyes!"
+
+I could not move, it seemed to me as if my heart ceased beating; I
+listened and strained my ears in agonizing suspense, but the voice did
+not come again, and the moon dropping suddenly behind the fig trees,
+cast the whole place into profound darkness.
+
+I felt free again, and pressing the handkerchief to my lips, imprinted a
+kiss upon it and then at the same moment called myself a fool for so
+suddenly becoming infatuated with the stranger in whom I had not the
+slightest reason for taking more than a passing interest at most, no
+more than common politeness required.
+
+Again I laughed aloud and again the same fearful, hollow echo came back
+to me from the ruined wall. I could stand it no longer, and turning, ran
+from the grove, over the brow of the hill to the road, fearing every
+moment lest the strange spell, from which I had just recovered, should
+seize me again.
+
+As I ascended the second hill, I saw, as I looked behind me, a female
+figure slowly walking down to the road from the grove of figs. I knew at
+once who it was from the odd manner of wearing her reboso, and by the
+lameness of her gait; it was Madre Moreno, the witch.
+
+The thought suddenly came to me that she must have been hidden in the
+ruin, and have heard me when I called the name of Ysidria, and I
+mentally cursed the old hag. Then I thought of the whispered sentence,
+and of the three syllabled echo; and knew they must have come from her.
+
+"What can the awful woman have in hand?" I asked myself, "What, but some
+wickedness. I wish she did not follow me so closely. Worse than all, she
+may tell the fair Ysidria what a fool I made of myself over her
+handkerchief; I almost wish with Catalina that the good old days were
+here again." I walked home more slowly, and entering the house quietly,
+reached my room just as the clock struck two.
+
+
+
+
+V.
+
+
+The winter went, and the hot summer passed pleasantly.
+
+It was about the beginning of October, when one morning, I walked down
+to Madre Moreno's house. I had become a constant visitor at the witch's
+cottage, and often dined there. The accident which had so oddly
+introduced Ysidria to me was not serious, and in a few days she was
+completely recovered. Ysidria served at the simple meals of Madre
+Moreno, and no one ever mixed my wine more to my taste than she did, and
+no one could make better cordial than Ysidria did with the sweet leaves
+of the yerba buena steeped in the sauternes which I made from my
+vineyard, and with which I supplied the Madre.
+
+Ysidria grew apparently more beautiful every day, and the brilliancy of
+her eyes, which had attracted my notice at first, became even more
+marked.
+
+I had begun reading aloud to her on afternoons, as we sat in the Moreno
+veranda, for Ysidria's eyes, though strong and of great power for
+distant vision, often entirely failed her when reading or looking at any
+near object, so I found great pleasure in my visits, and as the Madre
+was seldom present to annoy me, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment, as
+Ysidria had become a necessity to my happiness, and I loved her.
+
+On the morning of which I have spoken, I went to keep a walking
+engagement, and found Ysidria waiting for me in the garden. As I
+approached, I noticed that she held her reboso in her hand and was
+laughing immoderately, while she tripped from one end of the path to the
+other, singing snatches of songs or impromptu rhymes. As I stood by the
+gate she did not see me, though she came very near, near enough to have
+touched me.
+
+I felt a chill pass over me as I looked at the beautiful creature; there
+was something so unnatural, so weird about her actions, that I felt as
+if I were gazing upon a being from another world. Her eyes were brighter
+than ever before, but in them was no sight for what was near her; they
+seemed fixed upon objects far away. I could not speak, for when I tried
+to utter her name my voice refused to come, so I turned and went
+sorrowful and puzzled back to my home.
+
+The suspense I endured was almost unbearable. By the afternoon I went
+again to the Madre's house, and with strange forebodings knocked at the
+door, which was answered by Ysidria; she seemed to be completely
+recovered from her late mysterious attack, nor did she allude to
+anything having occurred during the morning out of the usual course,
+excepting that she twitted me for not keeping my engagement with her.
+She laughed as she took her reboso from the table, saying that she was
+out of patience, and that I must take the walk with her as punishment.
+
+I, of course said nothing of my morning visit, or what I had witnessed,
+but it troubled me greatly all the afternoon.
+
+We walked and talked, and now my good friends thank me for not reporting
+that conversation; it was fascinating, and even now I think there were
+glintings of common sense in it, but really not enough to warrant the
+extra type setting, (for which my publishers charge outrageously),
+required to give it. It was the same sort of thing you talked last
+summer with Guadaloupe at Catalina Island, Morris, and the same you
+talked with Vinnie in the Sierras, George, and the same you talked with
+all the girls in the States last year, Dickey. You don't want to hear it
+again, and I must cut expenses somewhere.
+
+It is enough to say, that though nothing was said, both Ysidria and I
+knew that we loved, and we knew whom. When we reached Madre Moreno's
+house, she came out and invited me to supper; there was a smile, a
+disagreeable, malicious smile on her face as she spoke, and not caring
+to alloy the pleasure of my afternoon with Ysidria by enduring the
+Madre's company, I refused, and walked over to my house.
+
+
+
+
+VI.
+
+
+"Vengeance is mine and I will repay;" such was the text of Padre
+Arguello's discourse that hot October day, before his little
+congregation in Bolinas. The good father became as fervid as the day,
+and mopped his benevolent face many times before his panting audience
+was allowed to walk out in the open and catch a glimpse of the white
+ocean gleaming as a mass of melted silver till it met the dull, white
+horizon. A dozen fig trees before the door gave the only shade about the
+place excepting where the half ruined walls of the old church sheltered
+the Father's little garden. The congregation was soon dispersed, most of
+them riding to their homes in the foothills, while a few, who lived in
+the neighbourhood of the village, walked quietly down toward the sea,
+and the bright, cultivated gardens, which were kept green by the
+ever-flowing arroyo which here spread its rich alluvial deposits over
+the land in the winter time.
+
+I had ridden over the night before with all my household, and as many
+from the neighbouring ranchos had joined us on the way, there was as
+large a cavalcade as the little village had seen since Viscaino's pilot,
+Francisco Bolanos, christened the spot in 1602.
+
+It was Padre Arguello's farewell, as he was to sail for Acapulco in a
+few days, and the country people had come for many miles to do him
+honour. All had been much surprised when old Ambrosia Moreno entered the
+church and, with Ysidria, knelt through the service. Madre Moreno had
+not been to service or confession since her father's death, indeed I had
+heard her once make a blasphemous jest about the most holy Mass, and
+good Padre Andreas at San Anselmo, in whose flock she was the blackest
+sheep, gave her up as lost here and hereafter; so there was much
+surprise at the Madre's action. Catalina was simply indignant at this
+desecration, as she called it, and wondered that the beads had not
+burned her fingers.
+
+The sermon was long and dull, but I did not mind these defects, or
+rather thought them virtues, for my mind was not interrupted in the
+contemplation of Ysidria.
+
+I felt like laughing with delight all the day, and wore far from what is
+called now-a-days, a "Sunday face."
+
+There was a bull and bear fight in the afternoon, but Ysidria and I
+preferred a walk on the bluffs; of course, Madre Moreno went with us,
+but she considerately, or by chance, kept by herself. Madre Moreno had
+allowed her niece and myself a freedom of intercourse not at all in
+keeping with Californian customs, but she took upon her the duties of
+dueņa at Bolinas, so that the many visitors should find no chance for
+wonder or remark. Catalina and the others of my household, went to the
+fight.
+
+There were not many at vespers, and Madre Moreno and Ysidria had started
+early for home with the Danas, so I had to myself the pleasure of
+kneeling in the spot where Ysidria had worshipped in the forenoon.
+
+Catalina and the servants were very gay, and her mind was so full of the
+entertainment, that she never spoke of the morning's wonder, but talked
+during all the moonlight homeward ride, about the tactics of the bull,
+which it seemed had been the victor.
+
+Catalina must have noticed a change in me, but she could not discover
+the cause, as she did not know where I had spent most of my time,
+thinking, that I as formerly, went out in the woods botanizing, though
+she must have wondered at the scarcity of my collections.
+
+Thus the wet season began and all the country grew green and the streams
+were filled, and the plants which had died or withered in the heat of
+summer, began to show new leaves, and the nightshade shot up tender
+green sprigs before the old growth had fairly died.
+
+Mercedes Dana, who never having had a love episode of her own, spent
+most of her time in ferreting out those of others and spreading the news
+with such exaggerations and embellishments as she thought needed,
+informed Catalina of the state of affairs which had already become the
+talk of the country.
+
+Catalina was astonished, for her thoughts were so occupied within the
+little circle of the rancho that she noted little of outside
+occurrences. She felt hurt, but, as she afterwards told me, she plainly
+saw why it was that I had never spoken to her on the subject, and she
+was grateful for the thoughtfulness which had so long kept from her the
+annoyance which the knowledge would have caused. She was grieved only at
+the relationship existing between Madre Moreno and Ysidria, and felt
+that in some way it was part of the curse. She said nothing to me of her
+discovery, acting as usual, only speaking often of the old family
+trouble between the Morenos and the Sotos, saying that she hoped the
+curse might pass over one generation, if not depart forever.
+
+
+
+
+VII.
+
+
+The green December hills, with flaming spots of toyones, had long been
+inviting me to make a stroll among them to renew old acquaintanceship,
+and many a day I felt like starting out from the rancho and throwing
+myself into their great arms. The care of the flocks needed much of my
+attention in winter, and I had been greatly alarmed at the news of the
+terrible influx of "Yankees," as well as of the plots of the English,
+and the future of my beloved California was dark enough to cast my life
+in shadow.
+
+One day, however, I broke away. Gentle breezes from the purple canoņs
+floated by me laden with the scent of redwoods, and by the roadside the
+clumps of laurel gave out their vigourous perfume as their branches were
+stirred; then in the quietness of the air between these breaths, the
+steaming earth yielded to my grateful sense its own peculiar and rich
+odour. Few wild flowers were out, but on the gay manzanitas hung
+millions of little pink and white bells, so delicate that they seemed
+more like the bloom of some rare exotic than the winter gift of so hardy
+and rugged a shrub.
+
+I did not stop to rest until I had reached a high point of the path
+where a sudden turn along the edge of a precipice threw open the whole
+view of the valley. It was yet early morning, and I watched the floating
+bits of mist drifting above the dark canoņs, canoņs so narrow that the
+sun never reached their beds. Through clumps of leafless oaks the noisy
+arroyo could be seen hidden here and there by the thick foliage of some
+glistening madroņo, with its red branches, or by dark, lustrous laurels.
+Bunches of mistletoe upon the dry branches of the oaks smiled fresh and
+green from their stolen perches like little oases in a desert of gray.
+Sometimes an early bee flew by me with hungry humming, and the sharp
+call of the jay would rise from the depths to mingle with the steady
+sighing of the wind through the giant redwoods. I had taken my favourite
+little mare, who never needed the bridle, being guided by my voice or
+slightest motion, and as I sat with arms akimbo under my poncho I felt
+as I were free again from all the trouble of life and could not but
+halloa for very exuberance of joy. Presently there came an answer from
+the cliffs above, and looking up I beheld Ysidria, mounted on the black
+horse I had some months before given to Madre Moreno, to be used by her
+niece, who was not so strong as she had been, and unable to walk so much
+as formerly.
+
+"Wait, and I will come down," she called and disappeared among the
+shrubs.
+
+Ysidria was much changed, she had grown thin and nervous during the
+year; yet, failing as she did in body, her eyes seemed every day to
+become more beautiful, as if they absorbed all her life. With the
+growing brilliancy of her eyes, increased also their defective sight,
+and she was quite unable to read, yet her power of extended vision was
+wonderful.
+
+Lately, I had cherished the thought of having Ysidria go to Santa Clara,
+or even to Mexico, to be under the care of some experienced occulist,
+and the fear of her becoming blind, when it might be too late to have
+anything done, made me very anxious, and Pedirpozza, whom I might have
+called, had gone for a time to the Colorado country.
+
+The day before this, on which I met Ysidria in the mountains, I had
+spoken to Madre Moreno of the subject nearest my heart. I had spoken but
+a few words when she said:
+
+"Thou needst not go any further, Seņor Carlos, I know thy thoughts and
+have read them for a long time. Thou hast no one to ask for Ysidria but
+herself and the old witch, who is her only relative. I give my consent."
+
+I was so delighted that I could only express myself by kissing the
+forehead of Madre Moreno.
+
+"Be careful my Seņorito!" she cried starting back and then laughing, "be
+careful how thou kissest the love of el bueno Diablo, or he may be
+jealous and play thee a bad trick."
+
+I always hated the Madre when she laughed, and I hurried away.
+
+In about ten minutes Ysidria reached the path where I was waiting, it
+having been necessary for her to come by a circuitous trail.
+
+"You are out early," I exclaimed.
+
+"Yes, Aunt Ambrosia's kindness often seems unbearable, and I fly from
+it; it is curious for one to run from kindness."
+
+"Your aunt is a strange creature, I can never understand her; sometimes
+I love her much, and then, without any apparent cause, I shun her as if
+she bore a plague."
+
+"I too feel so toward her, and scarcely know whether she loves me
+devotedly or hates me; her laugh though is unbearable, to me, there
+seems to be wickedness in it," replied Ysidria, "though I should not
+talk ill of her, for she is very kind, making me many little sweets and
+pasties, and there is one sweet drop of which she is very choice, never
+giving me more than one at a time. I have nearly grown into the habit of
+taking them each morning before breakfast, and I feel very wretched if I
+miss one. You must try them, and shall, if I can persuade Aunt Ambrosia
+for an extra drop; I think she will for you though."
+
+"We have been talking, Madre Moreno and I, and I have proposed that you
+shall go to Mexico or Santa Clara to have an oculist examine your eyes,
+for indeed I fear there is something which should be looked to at once.
+We would all hate to have your beautiful eyes, Ysidria, never reflect
+our faces more."
+
+We had by this time reached the old ruin, and turned, as if of one
+accord, toward the spot.
+
+"Yes, Seņor Carlos," said Ysidria, as we dismounted, "every word of
+praise I hear about my eyes, seems like mockery to me; I, myself, am
+frightened at their strange changes, and fear that I shall soon be
+blind."
+
+"Then why not go at once to Santa Clara? It is your only hope. Why not
+go to-morrow?" I asked, as I took her hand in mine.
+
+"That cannot be; I am not able, nor is Aunt Ambrosia, to allow of the
+expense. I must be content to see while I may, and then live on with the
+remembrance of your kind faces ever before me."
+
+"Ysidria, do not despond; let me help you; it has been my dream for the
+past year. Will you be my wife?"
+
+I caught her in my arms, for she seemed as if about to fall.
+
+"Ah, Carlos, I am too happy," she murmured. "I love you, but I cannot be
+your wife with my infirmity. No, I cannot be so selfish; I will not put
+upon you a burden. I love you, but let us live as we do now, for you
+must never tire of me and still feel bound to me for life. I shall be
+blind. I love you too well."
+
+"Ysidria, I love you for your own dear self. Nor fear so for your sight.
+The trouble is, I trust, nothing but temporary; the loss for a time of
+the accommodation; it can easily be remedied when Pedirpozzo returns. So
+do not let the fear of being a burden, which you can never be to me,
+deter you from giving me the promise I so desire. Say you will be my
+wife, Ysidria."
+
+"I will," she replied, and then I took a ring of my mother's and placed
+it on her finger.
+
+"Let us go over to the wall and sit where I first saw you, Ysidria," I
+said, "and begin the world with hope."
+
+We started to cross the hollow, passing the atropa, which was just
+sending out its early shoots. I crushed it with my foot, and ground down
+each stem till not a bit of green was left, and then I placed some
+stones upon it; some way I enjoyed this little act, and Ysidria joined
+me in trampling down the plant.
+
+"It is an ill-favoured thing," I said, "and does more harm than good,
+but Madre Moreno, I scarcely think will thank me for destroying it, for
+she always gathered its leaves for some of her medicines."
+
+"Yes, she will, Seņorito Carlos; she will thank thee," said a voice
+behind us, and turning we saw Madre Moreno.
+
+"I had come to do the same thing myself, and thou hast saved me the
+labour. Why didst thou not kill it before to-day? This is a strange day
+on which to kill the old plant!"
+
+The Madre had some chips of pine in her basket; these she placed above
+the plant and pouring a flask of turpentine over them, set it all afire;
+then piling up chunks of hard wood, she stood back to watch the blaze.
+
+"It is needed no more," she said, "so we will leave no vestige of it,
+for it must never spring up again." We looked at the witch in silence
+and wonder.
+
+"Art thou happy, Carlos Sotos, with thy love? Thank old Madre Moreno for
+it." She laughed aloud, and the wall echoed back the laugh mockingly.
+
+
+
+
+VIII.
+
+
+When I parted from Ysidria at Madre Moreno's that evening, after the
+destruction of the plant, I looked into her blue eyes, and suddenly the
+pupil spread over the entire iris.
+
+"Oh! Ysidria, your eyes are beautiful," and I pressed a kiss upon them,
+"good-bye, till we meet to-morrow. I am happy."
+
+"Good night," she answered, "I shall see you in the morning. I will rise
+as the first rays of the sun, come through my window, and my first
+thought will be of you."
+
+We parted, and I watched her graceful form as she walked up the path to
+the door; she turned and waved her hand to me as she passed from sight.
+
+"Her eyes, alas, are all the light I know!" I said aloud, and, with an
+indefinable feeling of sadness, walked briskly home.
+
+I told Catalina all, that evening, but the good woman said nothing to
+sadden me, but I could see sorrow in her face.
+
+There were clouds in the sky at sunset, and every prospect of a storm;
+the wind howled through the trees and rattled the doors of the old
+house. I sat till late watching the collecting clouds which were rolling
+on in turbulent masses, and very low, till all was dark, as the last
+rent was filled, through which the moon had been shining. It was a
+terrible storm, the worst I had ever known, and Catalina came to my door
+at about two o'clock, in great fright, saying that she had seen a figure
+like Madre Mareno, going by the house as if floating in the air, and had
+heard a loud report as if there had been thunder in the distance, coming
+from Tamalpais. I could hear the rumbling and could not tell what it
+was; but I laughed at her fears and told her that it must have been a
+shadow, for no human being even a witch, would be out in such a night,
+if they could help it.
+
+Catalina went back to her room, but was far from reassured, and sat the
+rest of the night with her beads in her hand, praying by candle light.
+
+The next morning the storm was over, though through the sky the clouds
+were driving fast, but the rising sun touched them with gold and all the
+trees looked bright and new. Early, after breakfast, I gathered some
+flowers, and, mounting my mare, rode down to Madre Moreno's cottage.
+
+The storm seemed to have been more severe here than at the rancho, for
+the garden was destroyed and the vines by the house were hanging, torn
+from the trellises.
+
+Knocking at the half open door, I waited some minutes, but receiving no
+answer, stepped into the room. Upon the table lay a sheet of paper, I
+took it up to read what was written on it, thinking it would tell where
+the Madre and Ysidria had gone.
+
+All that was upon it was my name, but under the sheet was an envelope
+addressed to me. I hurriedly broke the seal and spread the sheets before
+me; they read--
+
+     My dear Carlos:
+
+     Scarcely do I know how to begin this letter to you, whom I love so
+     much. My aunt, Ambrosia, came to me last night, soon after you left
+     me at the gate; she was smiling and very happy, and resting her
+     hand on my shoulder said:
+
+     "Ysidria thou hast done well, thou couldst not have done better had
+     I trained thee to it." I was surprised at her manner, and asked her
+     to explain. She sat down beside me and taking my hand in hers
+     began:
+
+     "I know thou art willing to do much for thy old aunt, and I have
+     made thee, unknowingly, do it, though then wilt not blame me when I
+     tell the why I have." She then related to me a tale of her father's
+     time, when he had some trouble with your grandfather, and of the
+     curse which she had pronounced upon each generation of de Sotos;
+     you know all this. I listened in surprise and disgust, for she
+     seemed to gloat over the thought of avenging the fancied wrong.
+
+     "I have had revenge upon two generations through that plot of
+     ground, and now I must have it from the present, from their child,
+     Carlos de Sotos, through that same plot and through thee."
+
+     "Do you expect me to deceive him?" I cried in horror, "I will
+     rather leave your house than that." She laughed loudly at this, and
+     said: "It is too late now, Ysidria, the deed is already done." And
+     then she related to me a story so full of scheming and horror that
+     I can but write it in outline. She planned the terrible revenge
+     many years ago, and would alas, have made you the victim.
+
+     There is a plant called the atropa belladonna, a very poisonous
+     shrub, which is rare in this country, but Ambrosia obtained one and
+     planted it beside the little stream which runs by the ruined house.
+     It was that which we destroyed. From this she extracted the juices
+     as she well knows how. Now begins the awful scheme. She sent for
+     me, who was living at the Convent de Santa Clara, to come and be
+     her companion, as she was growing old. She knew that I was
+     beautiful, and thinking to gain your love for me, tried in every
+     way to bring us together. We met, and heaven knows we truly loved.
+     Ever since my arrival she has given me a sweetmeat, of which I once
+     told you. In this confection was the smallest quantity of the
+     extract of the poisonous atropa, and some Chinese drug unknown to
+     me, the taking of which in time became a necessity of my being, but
+     not till to-night did I know the contents of these drops or the
+     awful power to which I am a slave. The extract affected my eyes,
+     causing their unnatural brilliancy and impaired vision. Having
+     fixed this terrible habit upon me, she would wed me to you, and
+     thus make your future life miserable, for in a few years the drug
+     would ruin me in soul and body, and its only substitute could be
+     found in the fatal opium. The revenge is the height of cruelty, and
+     alas, I was to be the helpless medium. She thought that I should be
+     proud of the use to which she had put me, for she said it was as
+     much my duty to avenge the death of my grandfather as for her that
+     of her father. I know not what I said, but my anger gave me words.
+     I told her of the enormity of her crime, the inhumanity she had
+     shown, and that I would do no more nor longer remain with her.
+
+     She laughed and left the room. Presently returning, she handed me a
+     packet of the confections and with a mocking smile said: "Make thy
+     husband happy while these sweets last; they are my wedding present
+     to thee." She left me. I know the terrible power this drug has over
+     me, and nothing can ever cure. Even if the habit be not indulged
+     in, I have gone so far that my existence would be worse than death.
+     I will not make your life miserable; the dread of being blind is
+     nothing to this. May the Holy Mother forgive me for all I have been
+     the cause, innocent as I am, of bringing upon you. I love you too,
+     too well, and it is thus that I destroy Ambrosia Moreno's curse. No
+     more shall misfortune come upon you or yours, for with my life I
+     have bought your freedom, I have gone to the old adobe, and this
+     wedding gift of Ambrosia shall be my means of saving you. May good
+     St. Joseph shield you and all the Saints bless you. I will meet you
+     in the morning, Carlos, as I promised. Thank you deeply, heartily,
+     for your love, and when some time you are happily wedded, think of
+     Ysidria, and teach your wife to bless her for her love for you. One
+     last request. Give whatever I have to the good sisters in the
+     convent to take care of the statue of Our Lady of Santa Clara, and
+     ask them to keep me in their prayers.
+
+     YSIDRIA.
+
+
+
+
+IX.
+
+
+I quickly mounted my mare and galloped down the road and over the hill
+to the adobe, and there, the morning sun shining full upon her face, lay
+my love, my Ysidria. By her side was a packet open and white pellets
+scattered on the grass.
+
+I bent and kissed the white face, and took the cold hand in mine,
+praying to the Blessed Virgin to give me strength to bear this killing
+trial. "Yes, Ysidria," I cried, as tears rolled down my cheeks, "we will
+meet again in the morning beneath the sunlight of God's love."
+
+My words were scarcely uttered when I noted a throb of her pulse, and
+then I felt as it were a dream, the beautiful eyes of Ysidria opened and
+gazed at me but did not seem to see me. I did not care then if it were a
+dream; swiftly I mounted my mare, bearing the light body of my love
+before me, and hurried back to the house of Madre Moreno. Near the house
+I met the frightened Catalina and, the Saints be praised, behind her my
+dear, old friend, Pedirpozzo, who had that morning returned. They had
+read Ysidria's letter which I had left on the table. Hot coffee was
+ready. The doctor took my all too light burden from me, and then for the
+first time I broke down and for a week knew nothing, waking one
+afternoon to find the ever faithful Catalina sitting at my bedside. Soon
+I learned from Pedirpozza that Ysidria was better and would recover, not
+only her normal eyesight, but also be easily cured of the craving for
+the fatal pellets. It seemed that she had fainted just as she was about
+to take the poison and my timely arrival had saved her life.
+
+Ambrosia, Madre Moreno, was never seen after the night of the great
+storm, and no one knew what became of her, though some years after, news
+came from the Rancho Laguna de la Merced, on the San Francisco side,
+that an old woman, answering to the description of the witch, had
+suddenly appeared there, and was living alone in a hut in one of the
+innumerable gullies, destitute and shunned by all. Catalina and the good
+women of the place never gave up the idea that the Evil One carried her
+off in the great storm, which left its lasting mark on the face of Mount
+Tamalpais.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A year passed, and Ysidria, under the care of the good Pedirpozzo,
+completely recovered her health, and one happy day in Easter Week we
+were wedded by Padre Andreas, at San Rafael, and we went to live at the
+rancho, with Catalina still as housekeeper, all of us feeling like
+people saved from a wreck and hoping never to suffer such sorrow again.
+
+By the next Easter there was great rejoicing at the rancho, and from all
+the country came my friends with their households to the christening of
+our son. The day was spent in games and feasting, and in the evening
+Henrico, or Quito, as we called him, was brought out to be toasted.
+There were many pretty speeches made, and Catalina carried them all to
+the happy mother.
+
+After all the guests had gone, Pedirpozzo led me aside and in his gentle
+way, so full of sympathy, he told me what his experienced eye had noted
+when little Quito was held before the company in the candle-light--he
+told me what you already know from the first of my story--Quito was
+hopelessly blind.
+
+Yet we have lived to be all happy and to bless God, and my dear wife so
+mercifully spared to me, clasps my hand in love and sympathy, when I
+think, but do not say aloud, "Our Quito has the beautiful eyes of
+Ysidria."
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA***
+
+
+******* This file should be named 18660-8.txt or 18660-8.zip *******
+
+
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/6/6/18660
+
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://www.gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit:
+http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
diff --git a/18660-8.zip b/18660-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad280a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18660-8.zip
diff --git a/18660-h.zip b/18660-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24205bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18660-h.zip
diff --git a/18660-h/18660-h.htm b/18660-h/18660-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..738d9a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18660-h/18660-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,1740 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+    "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+<html>
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" />
+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria, by Charles A. Gunnison</title>
+    <style type="text/css">
+/*<![CDATA[  XML blockout */
+<!--
+    p {  margin-top: .75em;
+         text-align: justify;
+         margin-bottom: .75em;
+         }
+    h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {
+         text-align: center; /* all headings centered */
+         clear: both;
+         }
+    hr { width: 33%;
+	 margin-top: 2em;
+	 margin-bottom: 2em;
+         margin-left: auto;
+         margin-right: auto;
+         clear: both;
+       }
+
+    table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;}
+
+    body{margin-left: 10%;
+         margin-right: 10%;
+        }
+
+    .linenum  {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */
+    .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;}
+    .pagenum  {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */
+    .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em;
+               padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em;
+               float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em;
+               font-size: smaller; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;}
+
+    .bb       {border-bottom: solid 2px;}
+    .bl       {border-left: solid 2px;}
+    .bt       {border-top: solid 2px;}
+    .br       {border-right: solid 2px;}
+    .bbox     {border: solid 2px;}
+
+    .center   {text-align: center;}
+    .smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
+    .u        {text-decoration: underline;}
+
+    .caption  {font-weight: bold;}
+
+    .figcenter   {margin: auto; text-align: center;}
+
+    .figleft     {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top:
+                 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;}
+
+    .figright    {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;
+                 margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;}
+
+    .footnotes        {border: dashed 1px;}
+    .footnote         {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;}
+    .footnote .label  {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;}
+    .fnanchor         {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;}
+
+    .poem             {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;}
+    .poem br          {display: none;}
+    .poem .stanza     {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;}
+    .poem span.i0     {display: block; margin-left: 0em;}
+    .poem span.i2     {display: block; margin-left: 2em;}
+    .poem span.i4     {display: block; margin-left: 4em;}
+    hr.full { width: 100%; }
+    pre      {font-size: 75%;}
+    // -->
+    /* XML end  ]]>*/
+    </style>
+</head>
+<body>
+<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria, by Charles A.
+Gunnison</h1>
+<pre>
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre>
+<p>Title: The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria</p>
+<p>Author: Charles A. Gunnison</p>
+<p>Release Date: June 23, 2006  [eBook #18660]</p>
+<p>Language: English</p>
+<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p>
+<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA***</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<h3>E-text prepared by<br />
+    the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br />
+    (http://www.pgdp.net/)</h3>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr class="full" />
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<h1>The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria</h1>
+
+<h2>BY CHARLES A. GUNNISON.</h2>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+
+<h4>PRESS OF<br />
+<span class="smcap">Commercial Publishing Co.</span><br />
+<span class="smcap">34 California St.</span>, S. F.</h4>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">To&mdash;&mdash;<br /></span></div>
+
+<p><i>Madame Emma Baudouin of Luebeck,
+this little story of Californian life is given
+in token of her unmerited kindness to the
+writer, and in admiration of one who
+makes the world happier by her every
+word and act.</i></p>
+
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0"><i>CHARLES A. GUNNISON,</i><br /></span>
+<span class="i0"><i>Xmas, 1894.</i><br /></span>
+<span class="i0"><i>In the Embarcadero, Palo Alto,</i><br /></span>
+<span class="i0"><i>Santa Clara, California</i><br /></span></div>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<h3>Contents</h3>
+
+<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. -->
+<div class="center">
+<table>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#I">I.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#II">II.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#III">III.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#IV">IV.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#V">V.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#VI">VI.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#VII">VII.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#VIII">VIII.</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left"><a href="#IX">IX.</a></td></tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. -->
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="The_Beautiful_Eyes_of_Ysidria" id="The_Beautiful_Eyes_of_Ysidria"></a>The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria.</h2>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="I" id="I"></a>I.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Have you seen the magnificent slope of our beloved Tamalpais, as it
+curves from the changing colour of the bay, till touching the fleecy fog
+rolling in from the Pacific, it passes from day to rest? If you have
+not, I hope you may, for the sooner you have this glorious picture on
+your memory's walls, the brighter will be your future, and you will have
+a bit of beauty which need not be forgotten even in heaven itself.</p>
+
+<p>There is one who, though passing his life beneath its shadow, enjoying
+the scented wind from its forests and the music of its birds and
+waterfalls and sighing madro&ntilde;os, does not see it, yet calls it his God,
+and believes it to be the Giver of all good, as we who have never seen
+our God feel that One who bestows blessings so bountiful must be
+beautiful beyond words.</p>
+
+<p>Many walks, miles in extent, have my Quito and I taken. I say my Quito,
+for he is my son, my only son; and beneath the thick shade of laurels,
+beside the roadside troughs, we have rested and spoken, he to me of the
+unheard, I to him of the unseen.</p>
+
+<p>Come back with me to the days of my youth, those merry days of
+California before the gold was about her dear form like prisoner's
+chains; before the greed of the States and England had forced us into
+the weary drudgery of the earth, and made us the slaves of misbegotten
+progress.</p>
+
+<p>We had our church then and dear old Padre Andreas at San Anselmo, and,
+my dear friends from the States, we also had cockles from Tomales, which
+were eaten with relish on the beach at Sausalito, just where George the
+Greek's is now, though then there was only a little hut kept by a man
+whom we called Victor&mdash;and we had feasts and fasts so well arranged,
+that dyspepsia was unknown.</p>
+
+<p>One day when I had been on a long tramp through the woods, gathering
+mushrooms, I came home tired and hungry, and found our old housekeeper,
+Catalina, smiling complacently, as she sat on the stepping block by the
+kitchen door, rolling tamales for supper. "Oh! Master Carlos," she
+cried, "we have had much to worry us to-day. Look at those poor, little
+ducks all dead and the mother hen also."</p>
+
+<p>"Who killed them, Catalina?" I asked in astonishment, as I saw my pet
+brood of ducks and their over careful mother lying dead in the grass.</p>
+
+<p>"I did," she replied, "and it was time that something was done. Madre
+Moreno has been busy again. The cows gave bloody milk last Friday, and
+to-day, while I was sorting some herbs, the hen and her brood began to
+act mysteriously, to tumble about as Victor might, after too much wine.
+All at once I saw the cause, Madre Moreno had bewitched them, and in
+three minutes I had cut all their throats and have given the wicked
+woman a lesson."</p>
+
+<p>"Catalina! Catalina!" I cried, "how can you be so cruel and
+superstitious?" Her face lighted up with supreme contempt for me, but
+she said nothing more. On the ground about her were bits of leaves which
+I recognized as nightshade and henbane, which could well account for the
+actions of the late hen and ducklings.</p>
+
+<p>"What are these?" I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Little Pablo brought them for dinner; he thought they were mustard, but
+they were not, so I threw them away."</p>
+
+<p>"Poor ducks and poor Catalina," was all that I could say, and went
+laughing into the house, while she muttered to herself about the
+ignorance of the new generation.</p>
+
+<p>My home was, and is a beautiful one, low and long, with all the rooms
+opening on the broad veranda; it is part of adobe and part of wood, the
+sides being covered with a network of fuchsia, heliotrope and jasmine
+reaching to the eaves of the brown tile roof; a broad, branching fig
+tree is in the little court before it, and a clump of yuccas and fan
+palms to the right, while down to the road and along the front stretches
+a broken hedge of Castilian roses, which we Californians love as the
+gift of old Spain, our first good nurse, we must always have a nurse it
+seems, England, Spain, Mexico and our present, very dry one&mdash;but let us
+be content, our majority will come. There is a pretty stream from the
+mountains, brought through hollow logs, and two good wells to water the
+place, which is green in the hottest summer when all the hills and
+meadows are yellow and brown from drought; before it rise slopes of
+manzanita, and higher hills covered with redwoods, and then the sharply
+cut peak of Tamalpais, from which on clear days we not only may see the
+good St. Helena, but alas, as in all the world, Diablo, himself, is in
+view, black and barren, though we do sometimes call him San Diablo, as
+the old Greeks did the Eumenides, in propitiatory compliment.</p>
+
+<p>Madre Moreno was indeed a strange woman, and feared by the country
+people, before whom she lost no opportunity of playing her role of
+witch, and she was known by all for her remarkable skill in extracting
+the virtues of herbs, and brewing such efficacious drinks that even
+Pedirpozzo, the famous physician of the Alameda side, had been willing
+to consult with her.</p>
+
+<p>I was about twenty years old at this time and had but recently returned
+from the City of Mexico, where I had been graduated in the law, having
+also made a thorough study of botany, and was happily and lucratively
+employed in collecting specimens of the Californian flora for the old
+college, as well as for one in the States, and two in Europe. This
+pleasurable employment gave me an income, more than supplying the few
+wants of the primitive life at the little rancho, the herds of which
+were alone a good source of revenue.</p>
+
+<p>Just beyond my home, to the west, over the first hill, was a ruined
+adobe, surrounded by a great number of fig and olive trees; there had
+never been any windows in the house, but the arches for the doors were
+still standing, where ivy, poison oak and wild honey-suckle hung in
+profusion; the cellar, which was quite filled with stones, was overgrown
+with Solomon's seal, eschscholtzia and yerba santa, while a white rose
+and a shapeless clump of half wild artichokes grew where the garden had
+once been, also many flowers, hardly distinguishable from the weeds,
+having lost all they had ever gained by cultivation; a winding bed of
+ranunculus, or little frog, as Linnaeus wittily calls these water
+lovers, marked the course of a narrow stream which had long ago broken
+away from its former wooden trough. Among the stones and decaying beams
+were enormous bushes of nightshade, which seemed to poison the plants
+about them, all of which had a sickly green wherever they grew under its
+shadow.</p>
+
+<p>This place, with its surrounding acres, was my property, and had been
+before the fire which had destroyed the adobe house, one of the
+prettiest spots in the country.</p>
+
+<p>There had long been a spirited contest between my grandfather and the
+father of Madre Moreno over this bit of property, a strife which had
+caused much bad feeling in both families, and when it was at last
+settled in favour of our side, old Juan Moreno lost all control of his
+feelings, and in a fit of anger dropped dead at the very door of the
+court. Though the anger and chagrin at the loss of his case hastened his
+death, he had always been subject to a trouble of the heart which was
+liable to prove fatal at any moment under undue excitement. Ambrosia
+Moreno, who was called Madre, when she grew older, held our family to
+blame for this affliction, and made a vow that every generation of the
+Sotos should suffer through this plot of ground as long as she lived.</p>
+
+<p>This curse was first felt in the time of Ignacio de Soto, my
+grandfather, when the fig trees failed to put forth fruit and the olives
+were all blighted. By this, Ambrosia Moreno established her reputation
+in the country as a witch, and was never omitted from a christening or
+wedding or from any auspicious event where her ill will might, in any
+possible way, cause misfortune.</p>
+
+<p>In time Madre Moreno grew proud of this distinction awarded to her,
+dressing and acting so as to lead the people to believe her to have
+supernatural assistance, and when in the time of the next generation,
+the night of the marriage of my father with Neves Arguello, (to which
+celebration Madre Moreno was uninvited), the adobe house in the grove of
+figs, which had stood untenanted for years, was burned to the ground,
+her reputation as a witch was firmly established throughout the country;
+many a good woman after that event, when the wind carried off the
+clothes drying on the hedges, or the soot fell down the chimney into the
+kitchen at night, knew that the Madre was about, playing her mischievous
+pranks.</p>
+
+<p>One day Mercedes Dana, a girl whom we rather felt sorry for, (her
+mother, who was a de los Santos, having married an American from
+Boston), having less faith in Madre Moreno's power than the rest of her
+neighbours had tried that never-failing test for witchcraft, and placed
+a piece of steel under the chair where the Madre was sitting, but she,
+too, was at once converted from her skepticism, for when the Madre
+wanted to leave she was unable to move until the bit of steel was taken
+away.</p>
+
+<p>It was considered a dangerous experiment, and even Mercedes' little
+spark of Yankee "devil-may-care" burned very low after it, although the
+only thing that went wrong at the Dana's that year was that the hens
+laid soft-shelled eggs, which trouble was soon remedied by mixing a
+powder with their feed, which powder Madre Moreno herself supplied, and
+I strongly suspect that it was made of burned cockle shells.</p>
+
+<p>Madre Moreno dressed peculiarly; she wore when I first remember her, a
+short black skirt and waist; a little cape of red woolen cloth hung over
+her shoulders, about her neck was a white ruff which set off her peaked
+face and made it look even more withered and yellow; her hair was short,
+and over a silk skull cap was drawn a black reboso, the ends of which
+were embroidered in colour with odd designs. Her whole person was the
+perfection of neatness, and she was welcome from Bolinas to San Rafael
+for the good she did, as her knowledge of herb and even mineral
+medicines was extensive.</p>
+
+<p>At my christening it was thought that the curse would be removed, as
+Madre Moreno was invited to the ceremonies, and from that time was a
+constant visitor at the rancho for some years, always received with a
+welcome, mingled, perhaps, with a little fear, by all save Catalina,
+who, despite her dread of the queer woman, never could conceal her
+hatred for her, and when the sudden death of my father was closely
+followed by that of my mother, she forbade Madre Moreno the house. To
+this I could say nothing, as I have always a reverence for the woman who
+rules at home, and Catalina now was my housekeeper, in charge of broom
+and wash tub, and grand almoner of my dinners and luncheons.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="II" id="II"></a>II.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Madre Moreno never came again to my house, but always seemed to take an
+interest in me, who, when I reached an age when I could be trusted away
+from the garden, would wander with her through the woods while she was
+gathering her herbs, and from her I learned much that was of great
+benefit to me in after years. After my return from Mexico, we greeted in
+friendly manner, and she seemed to take great pleasure in my company.</p>
+
+<p>I never approached the ruin without a strange foreboding of something
+terrible about to happen, which always disappeared after I had been
+there a while and the charming beauty of the quiet spot had turned my
+thoughts into pleasanter channels; perhaps the feeling of fear was
+attributable to the stories I had heard during childhood, and had never
+outgrown.</p>
+
+<p>One day I saw Madre Moreno's red cloak showing out brightly from behind
+the rank growths of nightshade, the tenderer leaves of which she seemed
+to be carefully gathering. She was muttering to herself words
+unintelligible to me, and did not seem to notice me, although I stood
+for a long time very near where she was at work.</p>
+
+<p>"Good morning, Madre; you are very busy to-day," I said, after a while.
+She looked up, nodding in a friendly way, but not answering, while she
+continued her jargon as she carefully laid in the basket the
+oval-shaped, pointed leaves. As I drew nearer I noticed for the first
+time that it was not the common nightshade, which grew wild about the
+country, but was the atropa, a plant not indigenous to California. It
+was in flower; the bell-shaped blossoms, of a dead, violet-brown colour,
+with the green leaves about them, made a disagreeable combination seldom
+seen in any of nature's pictures.</p>
+
+<p>When she had completely filled her basket she turned to me and spoke: "I
+am glad to see thee, Carlos, for it has been long since we have met, and
+I began to think that thou hadst forgotten thy old friend, or, perhaps,
+hadst learned all about flowers and herbs, so that she could teach thee
+no more."</p>
+
+<p>"No, Madre; I shall never know so much about them as you do. I can learn
+their names and values only, while you put them all to so many good
+uses," I answered. "What do you do with the leaves you have just
+gathered? They are very poisonous, and you should wash your hands well
+after touching them, and especially after getting the juice on your
+fingers!"</p>
+
+<p>"But thou knowest poison makes little difference with one like me, who
+hath a charmed life," replied Madre Moreno, as she handed me the basket
+to carry while she nimbly stepped from stone to stone and climbed out of
+the hollow, here and there startling a snake or lizard that lay in the
+sunshine.</p>
+
+<p>"It is well done!" she abruptly said, and looking at me, burst into a
+fit of laughter which was so spontaneous and hearty that I joined with
+her, though I knew not at what I was laughing. My own laugh sounded
+strangely, however, and seemed to me to echo with another tone from the
+vine-covered walls as if some one were there, and like Madre Moreno,
+were also laughing at me. I stopped suddenly, and I felt my face change
+colour, and the same awe which I so often felt when about the ruined
+house came upon me with a force I had never known before; I trembled as
+I stood there beside this strange woman, who laughed louder and louder,
+striking her little hands together in seeming ecstacy, while the sounds
+echoed and re-echoed among the fig trees and heaps of stones, yet
+seeming all the time less like echoes than like the voices of
+innumerable, invisible creatures darting everywhere about the grove. The
+place grew darker, for clouds just then obscured the sun and covered the
+hills beyond Tamalpais. Madre Moreno came nearer to me and touched my
+forehead. . . . . . . . . Suddenly the sun shown bright as ever upon the
+fig and olive trees and gleamed from thousands of silver drops hanging
+from every leaf; the snakes and lizards lay quietly upon the steaming
+rocks and half burnt beams, while the rank vegetation sent forth a sweet
+scent of green life.</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you laugh at me, Madre?" I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Only, Carlos," she answered, "because it is so odd to see thee carrying
+the old witch's basket with all the charms and thou knowing nothing
+about it all; oh it is very odd!" and the Madre laughed again. "The
+storm has gone over," she continued, "I feared it would last long, but
+winter is almost gone, and it passed without much rain falling here."</p>
+
+<p>"What storm?" I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"The storm which has just passed, hast thou not noted it?"</p>
+
+<p>"I saw no storm, you must be dreaming Madre, or trying some of your
+spells upon me. There has been no storm for the sun has been shining
+brightly, except when that cloud passed for a moment," I answered as I
+handed her the basket.</p>
+
+<p>"Whence came the drops of water which lie upon the leaves, Se&ntilde;or Carlos,
+if not from the clouds which thou canst still see passing over the hills
+toward San Anselmo? Thou knowest not all the power Ambrosia Moreno, thy
+little madre, hath. So thou hast held the basket with the flat green
+leaves."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! Madre Moreno, I can never understand you, but you must be careful
+of the leaves you have just gathered, for they contain a most powerful
+poison. I am more afraid, since the plant is rare or even unknown in the
+Californias, that you do not know its power; you surely can never have
+found it before, and how it came to be growing here is incomprehensible
+to me."</p>
+
+<p>The witch bent her head and looking into my face from under her
+overhanging reboso, raised her finger and shook it before me saying as
+she did so, "Thou art a learned se&ntilde;orito, Carlos Sotos, but although
+Ambrosia Moreno hath never been in the college, she knows more of the
+little flowers and bright leaves of this plant thou speakest of than all
+the Jesuits or thy people shall ever learn. The very plant growing here
+among these fallen stones is as old as thou art, Carlos Sotos, and that
+almost to a year. It has ever grown on, season after season, and shall
+live until its duty is performed, then let it wither when it shall no
+longer be needed here. Thou must come down and see me, Carlos," she
+continued in an altered voice, "for I have some new flowers which thou
+shalt have; come for I am lonely and like young company, though I be a
+witch as they say. Where goest thou to-day?"</p>
+
+<p>"Above on the divide where I hope to find some of the Indian pinks for
+my new collection."</p>
+
+<p>"When doest thou return, before sundown?" asked Madre Moreno as she
+prepared to go.</p>
+
+<p>"Before that, surely," I answered, "I shall be back here at the ruin by
+four o'clock, though I had no idea that the time had gone so fast, it is
+almost noon; I must hurry or I shall have Catalina very hot waiting with
+a cold supper. By the way Madre, she sent her best respects to you and
+hopes that you will not bewitch any more of her poultry, for if you do,
+they will be a headless lot in a short time."</p>
+
+<p>Madre Moreno nodded knowingly, and closed one eye slyly as she answered,
+"Thou art the cleverest se&ntilde;orito in these parts, but little as thou
+believest in my influence with el bueno Diablo, as the old women call
+him, I could disclose to thee many strange events which shall come after
+this day, and from this meeting thou shall date thy future." She started
+but turned and said, "My son, I have learned to love thee, yet I have a
+duty beyond love; say that thou believest that my sainted father was
+unjustly treated, and thy life shall be blessed."</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot, Madre Moreno, I am sorry for the sad result of the case at
+court, but as you know, it was only justice."</p>
+
+<p>She said no more, but with a laugh, half broken by a sigh, the little
+woman walked briskly under the olives and down over the brow of the
+hill.</p>
+
+<p>The grass and trees were all wet, the great laurels by the path shown as
+if varnished, the huge madro&ntilde;o leaves each held a jewel on its tip; all
+evidences of a heavy rain were about me, yet I had not been aware of it
+falling. In a short time I was deep in the redwood forest, away from the
+world in companionship with God.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="III" id="III"></a>III.</h2>
+
+
+<p>It was nearly five o'clock when I approached the ruin on my return; the
+sun was now low enough to throw long shadows over the place, and made an
+effect of gloom which formed a good setting for the wall, with its green
+drapery standing out shining and warm in a glorious flood of golden
+sunshine.</p>
+
+<p>As I sat down to enjoy the picture, I became aware of some one walking
+behind the great clumps of nightshade, and presently a young woman
+stepped from behind the atropa where Madre Moreno had that morning been
+picking the poisonous leaves, and walked across the hollow, stepping
+gracefully from stone to stone till she came to the bright spot where
+the sun was shining, and seating herself at the foot of the wall, opened
+a book and began to read aloud. Beautiful as the scene had been before,
+it was now enhanced, and I did not stir, lest I should dispel the lovely
+vision.</p>
+
+<p>For fully half an hour I must have remained there before she became
+aware of my presence; when she saw me, she started a little, but
+regaining her composure quickly, closed her book, and rose to leave the
+place. In crossing the hollow she stumbled and fell, uttering a sharp
+cry of pain; I ran immediately to her assistance. Supporting the
+fainting girl, I helped, or rather carried, her to the bank where I had
+been sitting. By the time I reached the place, she had recovered
+consciousness, and in answer to my inquiry said that her ankle had been
+sprained by the fall, and that the pain was severe. As she spoke the
+tears came to her eyes, and she gave a cry when she tried to rise.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you live near here?" I asked, for she was a stranger to me, though I
+knew all the people for many miles around.</p>
+
+<p>"I should not call it far, under usual circumstances," she answered,
+"but now it is a long way. I live with my aunt, Ambrosia Moreno. Oh, I
+can never get there."</p>
+
+<p>"You must bathe the ankle here; there is a pool, and the rock beside it
+makes a good seat," and gently lifting her, I placed her beside the
+stream, which ran clear and cold from under the broad leaves. Without
+any show of false modesty, she did as I directed, and having saturated
+my 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.</p>
+
+<p>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&mdash;a rare colour among us
+Californians&mdash;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.</p>
+
+<p>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.</p>
+
+<p>"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.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorry that we have to delay so long on the way, for your aunt will
+be much worried," I replied.</p>
+
+<p>"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.</p>
+
+<p>"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."</p>
+
+<p>"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."</p>
+
+<p>"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.</p>
+
+<p>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.</p>
+
+<p>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."</p>
+
+<p>Madre Moreno seemed very anxious, and to have lost all the happy spirits
+and buoyancy she had shown in the morning.</p>
+
+<p>"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.</p>
+
+<p>"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 us
+Carlos," she said, when she had enough recovered from her fit of
+laughter to speak, "or perhaps thou art afraid of the old witch."</p>
+
+<p>In as few words as possible the accident was explained to Madre Moreno,
+and I again lifted her niece and placed her on a lounge in the house.
+"The Madre can bring you out all right, if anyone can," I said as I left
+the room, "I will take the liberty of inquiring for you in the morning."</p>
+
+<p>As I walked down the path to the gate, I spoke aloud, "What beautiful,
+beautiful eyes!"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, that they are, Master Carlos!" said a voice seemingly beside me. I
+turned, the voice sounded like that of the Madre, but no one was to be
+seen, however, the large black cat which had followed me, put up her
+back to be stroked and purred and rubbed against my leg. As I closed the
+gate the same voice sounded again but more faintly. "Beautiful eyes hath
+Ysidria; beautiful eyes!"</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>When I returned home, Catalina had a hot supper ready, and I sat down,
+forgetting, for the moment, the events of the day, in the odour of the
+good things on the table.</p>
+
+<p>"What success, Don Carlos, have you found the flowers you were searching
+for?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, Catalina, I found the plants just where I expected to find them,
+and I also found at the old adobe what I did not look for." I then gave
+an account of the day, however, making as modest enumeration of the
+charms of Madre Moreno's niece, as I was able, for fear of exciting
+Catalina's suspicions.</p>
+
+<p>I began to feel that I was much interested in the beautiful Ysidria, and
+hated to have old Catalina discover it, for the girls relationship to
+the Madre would, I knew, be the cause of much disquiet to the good
+woman.</p>
+
+<p>I sat before the door long after supper, building air castles, in all of
+which the fair stranger held a place. Her brilliant eyes were always
+before my mind, as I had first seen them that afternoon, sometimes of a
+deep blue colour, and then in a moment black as jet, when the dilated
+pupil covered the iris, and then her pretty smile and graceful form each
+had a great and wonderful charm for me.</p>
+
+<p>The only thing that troubled me, and I tried to laugh it out of my
+thoughts, was the connection with the reputed witch, but foolish as I
+knew such notions to be, I was, however, unable to banish them, and I
+often wished that the beautiful Ysidria was any one in the world but the
+niece of Ambrosia Moreno. Not that I had any dislike for the Madre, or
+that I bore her any ill will for the various misfortunes which had come
+to my family through her agency, as the country people believed, but it
+was unpleasant to me to think of this young creature living under the
+same roof with and under the influence of such a woman as I knew the
+Moreno to be, aside from her connection with el bueno Diablo, at which I
+could only laugh, and a story which I knew to be encouraged by the Madre
+herself, simply for the notoriety it gave her, and the power she was
+enabled through this belief to exercise over the people.</p>
+
+<p>Ysidria, I had already learned, was as skeptical as myself in regard to
+Madre Moreno's spells, for the laughing manner in which she had spoken
+of her aunt's charms and witcheries, when we were on the hill and even
+in the presence of the Madre herself, convinced me of her intelligence
+and education. It was not this that troubled me concerning Ysidria, but
+knowing Madre Moreno as I did, and what an unscrupulous, scheming and
+heartless woman she was, I felt that she had brought this lovely niece
+to her home for some purpose known only to herself. Of what that purpose
+could be I had not the faintest idea, but I knew the Madre never did
+anything without an object.</p>
+
+<p>I laughed at myself for the great interest I so suddenly felt in a
+person whom I had never seen before, and then only for a few hours. But
+laugh as I would, I had to own that I was something more than interested
+in the stranger, and the pleasure with which I looked forward to the
+promised call in the morning, and my anxiety for her recovery, plainly
+showed me that my heart was fast being lost, if indeed it were not
+already gone from me.</p>
+
+<p>Catalina sat at the door with me after her work was done, but I was so
+deep in my own thoughts, and often did not hear her remarks, that she
+left me and went to her room.</p>
+
+<p>I did not notice when she left, and not until the clock in the veranda
+struck eleven did I become aware of the length of time I had been
+dreaming awake.</p>
+
+<p>The moon was shining clear and full in the blue, cloudless sky, so
+bright that scarcely a star could be seen, illuminating the whole
+country so that everything not in shadow could be distinguished as well
+as if it were noontime.</p>
+
+<p>I walked out from the garden down by the Castilian hedge and along the
+road where the shadows of the oaks, with their twisted and
+mistletoe-covered branches, made grotesque forms. I was very fond of
+these solitary walks on moonlight nights, often going as far as the
+divide, from which Bolinas and the great ocean can be seen, and where
+Larsen's wayside inn now stands, but to-night there was a new sensation
+of loneliness which I had never felt before, and I longed for some one
+to be with me; then I began to wonder whom I would prefer for a
+companion, and thought of all my friends, even to old Madre Moreno, but
+none of them seemed to be the one to break the new and undefinable
+loneliness. Suddenly the form of the fair stranger, with her bright eyes
+and expressive face, came up before my fancy, and I exclaimed, "Yes, it
+is she; it is she alone!"</p>
+
+<p>"Alone!" sounded back upon my ear like a human voice, which startled me
+from my reverie, and I saw that I was standing beside the old adobe,
+whither I had wandered without knowing. Close at my feet lay a bit of
+white cloth which attracted my attention, and I picked it up. It was a
+handkerchief of fine cambric, in one corner of which was embroidered a
+name, which I could easily read in the moonlight, "Ysidria."</p>
+
+<p>I read the name aloud, and the great wall with its ivy glistening silver
+in the light echoed back the name. At the time I was not surprised to
+hear the the three syllables so fully pronounced by the echo. I enjoyed
+the sound of the name, and called it again and again. "Ysidria!
+Ysidria!" each time called back the ruined wall, and at last I had to
+laugh as I thought of the ludicrous appearance I presented, calling
+aloud a name and like a child being pleased with the voice of the unseen
+spirit, but as I laughed, that too, reverberated, but the sound seemed
+changed, and it made me involuntarily shudder as I remembered the scene
+of that very morning, when my laugh had produced the same strange
+feeling, half of awe and half of anger. I looked around as if I expected
+to find some one at my side. I started at every sound, and the long,
+creeping shadows made me tremble. I was certainly strong, and had often
+shown myself courageous in time of danger, but the mysterious awe which
+fell upon me here completely unnerved me, and a cold perspiration
+started, when from the wall I heard a whisper, distinctly audible, which
+pronounced the words, "Ysidria hath beautiful eyes!"</p>
+
+<p>I could not move, it seemed to me as if my heart ceased beating; I
+listened and strained my ears in agonizing suspense, but the voice did
+not come again, and the moon dropping suddenly behind the fig trees,
+cast the whole place into profound darkness.</p>
+
+<p>I felt free again, and pressing the handkerchief to my lips, imprinted a
+kiss upon it and then at the same moment called myself a fool for so
+suddenly becoming infatuated with the stranger in whom I had not the
+slightest reason for taking more than a passing interest at most, no
+more than common politeness required.</p>
+
+<p>Again I laughed aloud and again the same fearful, hollow echo came back
+to me from the ruined wall. I could stand it no longer, and turning, ran
+from the grove, over the brow of the hill to the road, fearing every
+moment lest the strange spell, from which I had just recovered, should
+seize me again.</p>
+
+<p>As I ascended the second hill, I saw, as I looked behind me, a female
+figure slowly walking down to the road from the grove of figs. I knew at
+once who it was from the odd manner of wearing her reboso, and by the
+lameness of her gait; it was Madre Moreno, the witch.</p>
+
+<p>The thought suddenly came to me that she must have been hidden in the
+ruin, and have heard me when I called the name of Ysidria, and I
+mentally cursed the old hag. Then I thought of the whispered sentence,
+and of the three syllabled echo; and knew they must have come from her.</p>
+
+<p>"What can the awful woman have in hand?" I asked myself, "What, but some
+wickedness. I wish she did not follow me so closely. Worse than all, she
+may tell the fair Ysidria what a fool I made of myself over her
+handkerchief; I almost wish with Catalina that the good old days were
+here again." I walked home more slowly, and entering the house quietly,
+reached my room just as the clock struck two.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="V" id="V"></a>V.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The winter went, and the hot summer passed pleasantly.</p>
+
+<p>It was about the beginning of October, when one morning, I walked down
+to Madre Moreno's house. I had become a constant visitor at the witch's
+cottage, and often dined there. The accident which had so oddly
+introduced Ysidria to me was not serious, and in a few days she was
+completely recovered. Ysidria served at the simple meals of Madre
+Moreno, and no one ever mixed my wine more to my taste than she did, and
+no one could make better cordial than Ysidria did with the sweet leaves
+of the yerba buena steeped in the sauternes which I made from my
+vineyard, and with which I supplied the Madre.</p>
+
+<p>Ysidria grew apparently more beautiful every day, and the brilliancy of
+her eyes, which had attracted my notice at first, became even more
+marked.</p>
+
+<p>I had begun reading aloud to her on afternoons, as we sat in the Moreno
+veranda, for Ysidria's eyes, though strong and of great power for
+distant vision, often entirely failed her when reading or looking at any
+near object, so I found great pleasure in my visits, and as the Madre
+was seldom present to annoy me, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment, as
+Ysidria had become a necessity to my happiness, and I loved her.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of which I have spoken, I went to keep a walking
+engagement, and found Ysidria waiting for me in the garden. As I
+approached, I noticed that she held her reboso in her hand and was
+laughing immoderately, while she tripped from one end of the path to the
+other, singing snatches of songs or impromptu rhymes. As I stood by the
+gate she did not see me, though she came very near, near enough to have
+touched me.</p>
+
+<p>I felt a chill pass over me as I looked at the beautiful creature; there
+was something so unnatural, so weird about her actions, that I felt as
+if I were gazing upon a being from another world. Her eyes were brighter
+than ever before, but in them was no sight for what was near her; they
+seemed fixed upon objects far away. I could not speak, for when I tried
+to utter her name my voice refused to come, so I turned and went
+sorrowful and puzzled back to my home.</p>
+
+<p>The suspense I endured was almost unbearable. By the afternoon I went
+again to the Madre's house, and with strange forebodings knocked at the
+door, which was answered by Ysidria; she seemed to be completely
+recovered from her late mysterious attack, nor did she allude to
+anything having occurred during the morning out of the usual course,
+excepting that she twitted me for not keeping my engagement with her.
+She laughed as she took her reboso from the table, saying that she was
+out of patience, and that I must take the walk with her as punishment.</p>
+
+<p>I, of course said nothing of my morning visit, or what I had witnessed,
+but it troubled me greatly all the afternoon.</p>
+
+<p>We walked and talked, and now my good friends thank me for not reporting
+that conversation; it was fascinating, and even now I think there were
+glintings of common sense in it, but really not enough to warrant the
+extra type setting, (for which my publishers charge outrageously),
+required to give it. It was the same sort of thing you talked last
+summer with Guadaloupe at Catalina Island, Morris, and the same you
+talked with Vinnie in the Sierras, George, and the same you talked with
+all the girls in the States last year, Dickey. You don't want to hear it
+again, and I must cut expenses somewhere.</p>
+
+<p>It is enough to say, that though nothing was said, both Ysidria and I
+knew that we loved, and we knew whom. When we reached Madre Moreno's
+house, she came out and invited me to supper; there was a smile, a
+disagreeable, malicious smile on her face as she spoke, and not caring
+to alloy the pleasure of my afternoon with Ysidria by enduring the
+Madre's company, I refused, and walked over to my house.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"Vengeance is mine and I will repay;" such was the text of Padre
+Arguello's discourse that hot October day, before his little
+congregation in Bolinas. The good father became as fervid as the day,
+and mopped his benevolent face many times before his panting audience
+was allowed to walk out in the open and catch a glimpse of the white
+ocean gleaming as a mass of melted silver till it met the dull, white
+horizon. A dozen fig trees before the door gave the only shade about the
+place excepting where the half ruined walls of the old church sheltered
+the Father's little garden. The congregation was soon dispersed, most of
+them riding to their homes in the foothills, while a few, who lived in
+the neighbourhood of the village, walked quietly down toward the sea,
+and the bright, cultivated gardens, which were kept green by the
+ever-flowing arroyo which here spread its rich alluvial deposits over
+the land in the winter time.</p>
+
+<p>I had ridden over the night before with all my household, and as many
+from the neighbouring ranchos had joined us on the way, there was as
+large a cavalcade as the little village had seen since Viscaino's pilot,
+Francisco Bolanos, christened the spot in 1602.</p>
+
+<p>It was Padre Arguello's farewell, as he was to sail for Acapulco in a
+few days, and the country people had come for many miles to do him
+honour. All had been much surprised when old Ambrosia Moreno entered the
+church and, with Ysidria, knelt through the service. Madre Moreno had
+not been to service or confession since her father's death, indeed I had
+heard her once make a blasphemous jest about the most holy Mass, and
+good Padre Andreas at San Anselmo, in whose flock she was the blackest
+sheep, gave her up as lost here and hereafter; so there was much
+surprise at the Madre's action. Catalina was simply indignant at this
+desecration, as she called it, and wondered that the beads had not
+burned her fingers.</p>
+
+<p>The sermon was long and dull, but I did not mind these defects, or
+rather thought them virtues, for my mind was not interrupted in the
+contemplation of Ysidria.</p>
+
+<p>I felt like laughing with delight all the day, and wore far from what is
+called now-a-days, a "Sunday face."</p>
+
+<p>There was a bull and bear fight in the afternoon, but Ysidria and I
+preferred a walk on the bluffs; of course, Madre Moreno went with us,
+but she considerately, or by chance, kept by herself. Madre Moreno had
+allowed her niece and myself a freedom of intercourse not at all in
+keeping with Californian customs, but she took upon her the duties of
+due&ntilde;a at Bolinas, so that the many visitors should find no chance for
+wonder or remark. Catalina and the others of my household, went to the
+fight.</p>
+
+<p>There were not many at vespers, and Madre Moreno and Ysidria had started
+early for home with the Danas, so I had to myself the pleasure of
+kneeling in the spot where Ysidria had worshipped in the forenoon.</p>
+
+<p>Catalina and the servants were very gay, and her mind was so full of the
+entertainment, that she never spoke of the morning's wonder, but talked
+during all the moonlight homeward ride, about the tactics of the bull,
+which it seemed had been the victor.</p>
+
+<p>Catalina must have noticed a change in me, but she could not discover
+the cause, as she did not know where I had spent most of my time,
+thinking, that I as formerly, went out in the woods botanizing, though
+she must have wondered at the scarcity of my collections.</p>
+
+<p>Thus the wet season began and all the country grew green and the streams
+were filled, and the plants which had died or withered in the heat of
+summer, began to show new leaves, and the nightshade shot up tender
+green sprigs before the old growth had fairly died.</p>
+
+<p>Mercedes Dana, who never having had a love episode of her own, spent
+most of her time in ferreting out those of others and spreading the news
+with such exaggerations and embellishments as she thought needed,
+informed Catalina of the state of affairs which had already become the
+talk of the country.</p>
+
+<p>Catalina was astonished, for her thoughts were so occupied within the
+little circle of the rancho that she noted little of outside
+occurrences. She felt hurt, but, as she afterwards told me, she plainly
+saw why it was that I had never spoken to her on the subject, and she
+was grateful for the thoughtfulness which had so long kept from her the
+annoyance which the knowledge would have caused. She was grieved only at
+the relationship existing between Madre Moreno and Ysidria, and felt
+that in some way it was part of the curse. She said nothing to me of her
+discovery, acting as usual, only speaking often of the old family
+trouble between the Morenos and the Sotos, saying that she hoped the
+curse might pass over one generation, if not depart forever.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The green December hills, with flaming spots of toyones, had long been
+inviting me to make a stroll among them to renew old acquaintanceship,
+and many a day I felt like starting out from the rancho and throwing
+myself into their great arms. The care of the flocks needed much of my
+attention in winter, and I had been greatly alarmed at the news of the
+terrible influx of "Yankees," as well as of the plots of the English,
+and the future of my beloved California was dark enough to cast my life
+in shadow.</p>
+
+<p>One day, however, I broke away. Gentle breezes from the purple cano&ntilde;s
+floated by me laden with the scent of redwoods, and by the roadside the
+clumps of laurel gave out their vigourous perfume as their branches were
+stirred; then in the quietness of the air between these breaths, the
+steaming earth yielded to my grateful sense its own peculiar and rich
+odour. Few wild flowers were out, but on the gay manzanitas hung
+millions of little pink and white bells, so delicate that they seemed
+more like the bloom of some rare exotic than the winter gift of so hardy
+and rugged a shrub.</p>
+
+<p>I did not stop to rest until I had reached a high point of the path
+where a sudden turn along the edge of a precipice threw open the whole
+view of the valley. It was yet early morning, and I watched the floating
+bits of mist drifting above the dark cano&ntilde;s, cano&ntilde;s so narrow that the
+sun never reached their beds. Through clumps of leafless oaks the noisy
+arroyo could be seen hidden here and there by the thick foliage of some
+glistening madro&ntilde;o, with its red branches, or by dark, lustrous laurels.
+Bunches of mistletoe upon the dry branches of the oaks smiled fresh and
+green from their stolen perches like little oases in a desert of gray.
+Sometimes an early bee flew by me with hungry humming, and the sharp
+call of the jay would rise from the depths to mingle with the steady
+sighing of the wind through the giant redwoods. I had taken my favourite
+little mare, who never needed the bridle, being guided by my voice or
+slightest motion, and as I sat with arms akimbo under my poncho I felt
+as I were free again from all the trouble of life and could not but
+halloa for very exuberance of joy. Presently there came an answer from
+the cliffs above, and looking up I beheld Ysidria, mounted on the black
+horse I had some months before given to Madre Moreno, to be used by her
+niece, who was not so strong as she had been, and unable to walk so much
+as formerly.</p>
+
+<p>"Wait, and I will come down," she called and disappeared among the
+shrubs.</p>
+
+<p>Ysidria was much changed, she had grown thin and nervous during the
+year; yet, failing as she did in body, her eyes seemed every day to
+become more beautiful, as if they absorbed all her life. With the
+growing brilliancy of her eyes, increased also their defective sight,
+and she was quite unable to read, yet her power of extended vision was
+wonderful.</p>
+
+<p>Lately, I had cherished the thought of having Ysidria go to Santa Clara,
+or even to Mexico, to be under the care of some experienced occulist,
+and the fear of her becoming blind, when it might be too late to have
+anything done, made me very anxious, and Pedirpozza, whom I might have
+called, had gone for a time to the Colorado country.</p>
+
+<p>The day before this, on which I met Ysidria in the mountains, I had
+spoken to Madre Moreno of the subject nearest my heart. I had spoken but
+a few words when she said:</p>
+
+<p>"Thou needst not go any further, Se&ntilde;or Carlos, I know thy thoughts and
+have read them for a long time. Thou hast no one to ask for Ysidria but
+herself and the old witch, who is her only relative. I give my consent."</p>
+
+<p>I was so delighted that I could only express myself by kissing the
+forehead of Madre Moreno.</p>
+
+<p>"Be careful my Se&ntilde;orito!" she cried starting back and then laughing, "be
+careful how thou kissest the love of el bueno Diablo, or he may be
+jealous and play thee a bad trick."</p>
+
+<p>I always hated the Madre when she laughed, and I hurried away.</p>
+
+<p>In about ten minutes Ysidria reached the path where I was waiting, it
+having been necessary for her to come by a circuitous trail.</p>
+
+<p>"You are out early," I exclaimed.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, Aunt Ambrosia's kindness often seems unbearable, and I fly from
+it; it is curious for one to run from kindness."</p>
+
+<p>"Your aunt is a strange creature, I can never understand her; sometimes
+I love her much, and then, without any apparent cause, I shun her as if
+she bore a plague."</p>
+
+<p>"I too feel so toward her, and scarcely know whether she loves me
+devotedly or hates me; her laugh though is unbearable, to me, there
+seems to be wickedness in it," replied Ysidria, "though I should not
+talk ill of her, for she is very kind, making me many little sweets and
+pasties, and there is one sweet drop of which she is very choice, never
+giving me more than one at a time. I have nearly grown into the habit of
+taking them each morning before breakfast, and I feel very wretched if I
+miss one. You must try them, and shall, if I can persuade Aunt Ambrosia
+for an extra drop; I think she will for you though."</p>
+
+<p>"We have been talking, Madre Moreno and I, and I have proposed that you
+shall go to Mexico or Santa Clara to have an oculist examine your eyes,
+for indeed I fear there is something which should be looked to at once.
+We would all hate to have your beautiful eyes, Ysidria, never reflect
+our faces more."</p>
+
+<p>We had by this time reached the old ruin, and turned, as if of one
+accord, toward the spot.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, Se&ntilde;or Carlos," said Ysidria, as we dismounted, "every word of
+praise I hear about my eyes, seems like mockery to me; I, myself, am
+frightened at their strange changes, and fear that I shall soon be
+blind."</p>
+
+<p>"Then why not go at once to Santa Clara? It is your only hope. Why not
+go to-morrow?" I asked, as I took her hand in mine.</p>
+
+<p>"That cannot be; I am not able, nor is Aunt Ambrosia, to allow of the
+expense. I must be content to see while I may, and then live on with the
+remembrance of your kind faces ever before me."</p>
+
+<p>"Ysidria, do not despond; let me help you; it has been my dream for the
+past year. Will you be my wife?"</p>
+
+<p>I caught her in my arms, for she seemed as if about to fall.</p>
+
+<p>"Ah, Carlos, I am too happy," she murmured. "I love you, but I cannot be
+your wife with my infirmity. No, I cannot be so selfish; I will not put
+upon you a burden. I love you, but let us live as we do now, for you
+must never tire of me and still feel bound to me for life. I shall be
+blind. I love you too well."</p>
+
+<p>"Ysidria, I love you for your own dear self. Nor fear so for your sight.
+The trouble is, I trust, nothing but temporary; the loss for a time of
+the accommodation; it can easily be remedied when Pedirpozzo returns. So
+do not let the fear of being a burden, which you can never be to me,
+deter you from giving me the promise I so desire. Say you will be my
+wife, Ysidria."</p>
+
+<p>"I will," she replied, and then I took a ring of my mother's and placed
+it on her finger.</p>
+
+<p>"Let us go over to the wall and sit where I first saw you, Ysidria," I
+said, "and begin the world with hope."</p>
+
+<p>We started to cross the hollow, passing the atropa, which was just
+sending out its early shoots. I crushed it with my foot, and ground down
+each stem till not a bit of green was left, and then I placed some
+stones upon it; some way I enjoyed this little act, and Ysidria joined
+me in trampling down the plant.</p>
+
+<p>"It is an ill-favoured thing," I said, "and does more harm than good,
+but Madre Moreno, I scarcely think will thank me for destroying it, for
+she always gathered its leaves for some of her medicines."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, she will, Se&ntilde;orito Carlos; she will thank thee," said a voice
+behind us, and turning we saw Madre Moreno.</p>
+
+<p>"I had come to do the same thing myself, and thou hast saved me the
+labour. Why didst thou not kill it before to-day? This is a strange day
+on which to kill the old plant!"</p>
+
+<p>The Madre had some chips of pine in her basket; these she placed above
+the plant and pouring a flask of turpentine over them, set it all afire;
+then piling up chunks of hard wood, she stood back to watch the blaze.</p>
+
+<p>"It is needed no more," she said, "so we will leave no vestige of it,
+for it must never spring up again." We looked at the witch in silence
+and wonder.</p>
+
+<p>"Art thou happy, Carlos Sotos, with thy love? Thank old Madre Moreno for
+it." She laughed aloud, and the wall echoed back the laugh mockingly.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>When I parted from Ysidria at Madre Moreno's that evening, after the
+destruction of the plant, I looked into her blue eyes, and suddenly the
+pupil spread over the entire iris.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! Ysidria, your eyes are beautiful," and I pressed a kiss upon them,
+"good-bye, till we meet to-morrow. I am happy."</p>
+
+<p>"Good night," she answered, "I shall see you in the morning. I will rise
+as the first rays of the sun, come through my window, and my first
+thought will be of you."</p>
+
+<p>We parted, and I watched her graceful form as she walked up the path to
+the door; she turned and waved her hand to me as she passed from sight.</p>
+
+<p>"Her eyes, alas, are all the light I know!" I said aloud, and, with an
+indefinable feeling of sadness, walked briskly home.</p>
+
+<p>I told Catalina all, that evening, but the good woman said nothing to
+sadden me, but I could see sorrow in her face.</p>
+
+<p>There were clouds in the sky at sunset, and every prospect of a storm;
+the wind howled through the trees and rattled the doors of the old
+house. I sat till late watching the collecting clouds which were rolling
+on in turbulent masses, and very low, till all was dark, as the last
+rent was filled, through which the moon had been shining. It was a
+terrible storm, the worst I had ever known, and Catalina came to my door
+at about two o'clock, in great fright, saying that she had seen a figure
+like Madre Mareno, going by the house as if floating in the air, and had
+heard a loud report as if there had been thunder in the distance, coming
+from Tamalpais. I could hear the rumbling and could not tell what it
+was; but I laughed at her fears and told her that it must have been a
+shadow, for no human being even a witch, would be out in such a night,
+if they could help it.</p>
+
+<p>Catalina went back to her room, but was far from reassured, and sat the
+rest of the night with her beads in her hand, praying by candle light.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the storm was over, though through the sky the clouds
+were driving fast, but the rising sun touched them with gold and all the
+trees looked bright and new. Early, after breakfast, I gathered some
+flowers, and, mounting my mare, rode down to Madre Moreno's cottage.</p>
+
+<p>The storm seemed to have been more severe here than at the rancho, for
+the garden was destroyed and the vines by the house were hanging, torn
+from the trellises.</p>
+
+<p>Knocking at the half open door, I waited some minutes, but receiving no
+answer, stepped into the room. Upon the table lay a sheet of paper, I
+took it up to read what was written on it, thinking it would tell where
+the Madre and Ysidria had gone.</p>
+
+<p>All that was upon it was my name, but under the sheet was an envelope
+addressed to me. I hurriedly broke the seal and spread the sheets before
+me; they read&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>My dear Carlos:</p>
+
+<p>Scarcely do I know how to begin this letter to you, whom I love so
+much. My aunt, Ambrosia, came to me last night, soon after you left
+me at the gate; she was smiling and very happy, and resting her
+hand on my shoulder said:</p>
+
+<p>"Ysidria thou hast done well, thou couldst not have done better had
+I trained thee to it." I was surprised at her manner, and asked her
+to explain. She sat down beside me and taking my hand in hers
+began:</p>
+
+<p>"I know thou art willing to do much for thy old aunt, and I have
+made thee, unknowingly, do it, though then wilt not blame me when I
+tell the why I have." She then related to me a tale of her father's
+time, when he had some trouble with your grandfather, and of the
+curse which she had pronounced upon each generation of de Sotos;
+you know all this. I listened in surprise and disgust, for she
+seemed to gloat over the thought of avenging the fancied wrong.</p>
+
+<p>"I have had revenge upon two generations through that plot of
+ground, and now I must have it from the present, from their child,
+Carlos de Sotos, through that same plot and through thee."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you expect me to deceive him?" I cried in horror, "I will
+rather leave your house than that." She laughed loudly at this, and
+said: "It is too late now, Ysidria, the deed is already done." And
+then she related to me a story so full of scheming and horror that
+I can but write it in outline. She planned the terrible revenge
+many years ago, and would alas, have made you the victim.</p>
+
+<p>There is a plant called the atropa belladonna, a very poisonous
+shrub, which is rare in this country, but Ambrosia obtained one and
+planted it beside the little stream which runs by the ruined house.
+It was that which we destroyed. From this she extracted the juices
+as she well knows how. Now begins the awful scheme. She sent for
+me, who was living at the Convent de Santa Clara, to come and be
+her companion, as she was growing old. She knew that I was
+beautiful, and thinking to gain your love for me, tried in every
+way to bring us together. We met, and heaven knows we truly loved.
+Ever since my arrival she has given me a sweetmeat, of which I once
+told you. In this confection was the smallest quantity of the
+extract of the poisonous atropa, and some Chinese drug unknown to
+me, the taking of which in time became a necessity of my being, but
+not till to-night did I know the contents of these drops or the
+awful power to which I am a slave. The extract affected my eyes,
+causing their unnatural brilliancy and impaired vision. Having
+fixed this terrible habit upon me, she would wed me to you, and
+thus make your future life miserable, for in a few years the drug
+would ruin me in soul and body, and its only substitute could be
+found in the fatal opium. The revenge is the height of cruelty, and
+alas, I was to be the helpless medium. She thought that I should be
+proud of the use to which she had put me, for she said it was as
+much my duty to avenge the death of my grandfather as for her that
+of her father. I know not what I said, but my anger gave me words.
+I told her of the enormity of her crime, the inhumanity she had
+shown, and that I would do no more nor longer remain with her.</p>
+
+<p>She laughed and left the room. Presently returning, she handed me a
+packet of the confections and with a mocking smile said: "Make thy
+husband happy while these sweets last; they are my wedding present
+to thee." She left me. I know the terrible power this drug has over
+me, and nothing can ever cure. Even if the habit be not indulged
+in, I have gone so far that my existence would be worse than death.
+I will not make your life miserable; the dread of being blind is
+nothing to this. May the Holy Mother forgive me for all I have been
+the cause, innocent as I am, of bringing upon you. I love you too,
+too well, and it is thus that I destroy Ambrosia Moreno's curse. No
+more shall misfortune come upon you or yours, for with my life I
+have bought your freedom, I have gone to the old adobe, and this
+wedding gift of Ambrosia shall be my means of saving you. May good
+St. Joseph shield you and all the Saints bless you. I will meet you
+in the morning, Carlos, as I promised. Thank you deeply, heartily,
+for your love, and when some time you are happily wedded, think of
+Ysidria, and teach your wife to bless her for her love for you. One
+last request. Give whatever I have to the good sisters in the
+convent to take care of the statue of Our Lady of Santa Clara, and
+ask them to keep me in their prayers.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Ysidria</span>.</p></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I quickly mounted my mare and galloped down the road and over the hill
+to the adobe, and there, the morning sun shining full upon her face, lay
+my love, my Ysidria. By her side was a packet open and white pellets
+scattered on the grass.</p>
+
+<p>I bent and kissed the white face, and took the cold hand in mine,
+praying to the Blessed Virgin to give me strength to bear this killing
+trial. "Yes, Ysidria," I cried, as tears rolled down my cheeks, "we will
+meet again in the morning beneath the sunlight of God's love."</p>
+
+<p>My words were scarcely uttered when I noted a throb of her pulse, and
+then I felt as it were a dream, the beautiful eyes of Ysidria opened and
+gazed at me but did not seem to see me. I did not care then if it were a
+dream; swiftly I mounted my mare, bearing the light body of my love
+before me, and hurried back to the house of Madre Moreno. Near the house
+I met the frightened Catalina and, the Saints be praised, behind her my
+dear, old friend, Pedirpozzo, who had that morning returned. They had
+read Ysidria's letter which I had left on the table. Hot coffee was
+ready. The doctor took my all too light burden from me, and then for the
+first time I broke down and for a week knew nothing, waking one
+afternoon to find the ever faithful Catalina sitting at my bedside. Soon
+I learned from Pedirpozza that Ysidria was better and would recover, not
+only her normal eyesight, but also be easily cured of the craving for
+the fatal pellets. It seemed that she had fainted just as she was about
+to take the poison and my timely arrival had saved her life.</p>
+
+<p>Ambrosia, Madre Moreno, was never seen after the night of the great
+storm, and no one knew what became of her, though some years after, news
+came from the Rancho Laguna de la Merced, on the San Francisco side,
+that an old woman, answering to the description of the witch, had
+suddenly appeared there, and was living alone in a hut in one of the
+innumerable gullies, destitute and shunned by all. Catalina and the good
+women of the place never gave up the idea that the Evil One carried her
+off in the great storm, which left its lasting mark on the face of Mount
+Tamalpais.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A year passed, and Ysidria, under the care of the good Pedirpozzo,
+completely recovered her health, and one happy day in Easter Week we
+were wedded by Padre Andreas, at San Rafael, and we went to live at the
+rancho, with Catalina still as housekeeper, all of us feeling like
+people saved from a wreck and hoping never to suffer such sorrow again.</p>
+
+<p>By the next Easter there was great rejoicing at the rancho, and from all
+the country came my friends with their households to the christening of
+our son. The day was spent in games and feasting, and in the evening
+Henrico, or Quito, as we called him, was brought out to be toasted.
+There were many pretty speeches made, and Catalina carried them all to
+the happy mother.</p>
+
+<p>After all the guests had gone, Pedirpozzo led me aside and in his gentle
+way, so full of sympathy, he told me what his experienced eye had noted
+when little Quito was held before the company in the candle-light&mdash;he
+told me what you already know from the first of my story&mdash;Quito was
+hopelessly blind.</p>
+
+<p>Yet we have lived to be all happy and to bless God, and my dear wife so
+mercifully spared to me, clasps my hand in love and sympathy, when I
+think, but do not say aloud, "Our Quito has the beautiful eyes of
+Ysidria."</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr class="full" />
+<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA***</p>
+<p>******* This file should be named 18660-h.txt or 18660-h.zip *******</p>
+<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br />
+<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/6/6/18660">http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/6/6/18660</a></p>
+<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.</p>
+
+<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.</p>
+
+
+
+<pre>
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license)</a>.
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS,' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's
+eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII,
+compressed (zipped), HTML and others.
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over
+the old filename and etext number.  The replaced older file is renamed.
+VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving
+new filenames and etext numbers.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org">http://www.gutenberg.org</a>
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000,
+are filed in directories based on their release date.  If you want to
+download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular
+search system you may utilize the following addresses and just
+download by the etext year.
+
+<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/">http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/</a>
+
+    (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99,
+     98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90)
+
+EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are
+filed in a different way.  The year of a release date is no longer part
+of the directory path.  The path is based on the etext number (which is
+identical to the filename).  The path to the file is made up of single
+digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename.  For
+example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at:
+
+http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/0/2/3/10234
+
+or filename 24689 would be found at:
+http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/6/8/24689
+
+An alternative method of locating eBooks:
+<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL">http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL</a>
+
+*** END: FULL LICENSE ***
+</pre>
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/18660.txt b/18660.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7726f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18660.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,1624 @@
+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria, by Charles A.
+Gunnison
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria
+
+
+Author: Charles A. Gunnison
+
+
+
+Release Date: June 23, 2006  [eBook #18660]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA***
+
+
+E-text prepared by the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)
+
+
+
+THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA
+
+by
+
+CHARLES A. GUNNISON.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Press of Commercial Publishing Co.
+34 California St., S. F.
+
+
+
+
+
+    To----
+
+    _Madame Emma Baudouin of Luebeck, this little story of Californian
+    life is given in token of her unmerited kindness to the writer, and
+    in admiration of one who makes the world happier by her every word
+    and act._
+
+    _CHARLES A. GUNNISON,
+    Xmas, 1894.
+    In the Embarcadero, Palo Alto,
+    Santa Clara, California_
+
+
+
+
+The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria.
+
+
+
+
+I.
+
+
+Have you seen the magnificent slope of our beloved Tamalpais, as it
+curves from the changing colour of the bay, till touching the fleecy fog
+rolling in from the Pacific, it passes from day to rest? If you have
+not, I hope you may, for the sooner you have this glorious picture on
+your memory's walls, the brighter will be your future, and you will have
+a bit of beauty which need not be forgotten even in heaven itself.
+
+There is one who, though passing his life beneath its shadow, enjoying
+the scented wind from its forests and the music of its birds and
+waterfalls and sighing madronos, does not see it, yet calls it his God,
+and believes it to be the Giver of all good, as we who have never seen
+our God feel that One who bestows blessings so bountiful must be
+beautiful beyond words.
+
+Many walks, miles in extent, have my Quito and I taken. I say my Quito,
+for he is my son, my only son; and beneath the thick shade of laurels,
+beside the roadside troughs, we have rested and spoken, he to me of the
+unheard, I to him of the unseen.
+
+Come back with me to the days of my youth, those merry days of
+California before the gold was about her dear form like prisoner's
+chains; before the greed of the States and England had forced us into
+the weary drudgery of the earth, and made us the slaves of misbegotten
+progress.
+
+We had our church then and dear old Padre Andreas at San Anselmo, and,
+my dear friends from the States, we also had cockles from Tomales, which
+were eaten with relish on the beach at Sausalito, just where George the
+Greek's is now, though then there was only a little hut kept by a man
+whom we called Victor--and we had feasts and fasts so well arranged,
+that dyspepsia was unknown.
+
+One day when I had been on a long tramp through the woods, gathering
+mushrooms, I came home tired and hungry, and found our old housekeeper,
+Catalina, smiling complacently, as she sat on the stepping block by the
+kitchen door, rolling tamales for supper. "Oh! Master Carlos," she
+cried, "we have had much to worry us to-day. Look at those poor, little
+ducks all dead and the mother hen also."
+
+"Who killed them, Catalina?" I asked in astonishment, as I saw my pet
+brood of ducks and their over careful mother lying dead in the grass.
+
+"I did," she replied, "and it was time that something was done. Madre
+Moreno has been busy again. The cows gave bloody milk last Friday, and
+to-day, while I was sorting some herbs, the hen and her brood began to
+act mysteriously, to tumble about as Victor might, after too much wine.
+All at once I saw the cause, Madre Moreno had bewitched them, and in
+three minutes I had cut all their throats and have given the wicked
+woman a lesson."
+
+"Catalina! Catalina!" I cried, "how can you be so cruel and
+superstitious?" Her face lighted up with supreme contempt for me, but
+she said nothing more. On the ground about her were bits of leaves which
+I recognized as nightshade and henbane, which could well account for the
+actions of the late hen and ducklings.
+
+"What are these?" I asked.
+
+"Little Pablo brought them for dinner; he thought they were mustard, but
+they were not, so I threw them away."
+
+"Poor ducks and poor Catalina," was all that I could say, and went
+laughing into the house, while she muttered to herself about the
+ignorance of the new generation.
+
+My home was, and is a beautiful one, low and long, with all the rooms
+opening on the broad veranda; it is part of adobe and part of wood, the
+sides being covered with a network of fuchsia, heliotrope and jasmine
+reaching to the eaves of the brown tile roof; a broad, branching fig
+tree is in the little court before it, and a clump of yuccas and fan
+palms to the right, while down to the road and along the front stretches
+a broken hedge of Castilian roses, which we Californians love as the
+gift of old Spain, our first good nurse, we must always have a nurse it
+seems, England, Spain, Mexico and our present, very dry one--but let us
+be content, our majority will come. There is a pretty stream from the
+mountains, brought through hollow logs, and two good wells to water the
+place, which is green in the hottest summer when all the hills and
+meadows are yellow and brown from drought; before it rise slopes of
+manzanita, and higher hills covered with redwoods, and then the sharply
+cut peak of Tamalpais, from which on clear days we not only may see the
+good St. Helena, but alas, as in all the world, Diablo, himself, is in
+view, black and barren, though we do sometimes call him San Diablo, as
+the old Greeks did the Eumenides, in propitiatory compliment.
+
+Madre Moreno was indeed a strange woman, and feared by the country
+people, before whom she lost no opportunity of playing her role of
+witch, and she was known by all for her remarkable skill in extracting
+the virtues of herbs, and brewing such efficacious drinks that even
+Pedirpozzo, the famous physician of the Alameda side, had been willing
+to consult with her.
+
+I was about twenty years old at this time and had but recently returned
+from the City of Mexico, where I had been graduated in the law, having
+also made a thorough study of botany, and was happily and lucratively
+employed in collecting specimens of the Californian flora for the old
+college, as well as for one in the States, and two in Europe. This
+pleasurable employment gave me an income, more than supplying the few
+wants of the primitive life at the little rancho, the herds of which
+were alone a good source of revenue.
+
+Just beyond my home, to the west, over the first hill, was a ruined
+adobe, surrounded by a great number of fig and olive trees; there had
+never been any windows in the house, but the arches for the doors were
+still standing, where ivy, poison oak and wild honey-suckle hung in
+profusion; the cellar, which was quite filled with stones, was overgrown
+with Solomon's seal, eschscholtzia and yerba santa, while a white rose
+and a shapeless clump of half wild artichokes grew where the garden had
+once been, also many flowers, hardly distinguishable from the weeds,
+having lost all they had ever gained by cultivation; a winding bed of
+ranunculus, or little frog, as Linnaeus wittily calls these water
+lovers, marked the course of a narrow stream which had long ago broken
+away from its former wooden trough. Among the stones and decaying beams
+were enormous bushes of nightshade, which seemed to poison the plants
+about them, all of which had a sickly green wherever they grew under its
+shadow.
+
+This place, with its surrounding acres, was my property, and had been
+before the fire which had destroyed the adobe house, one of the
+prettiest spots in the country.
+
+There had long been a spirited contest between my grandfather and the
+father of Madre Moreno over this bit of property, a strife which had
+caused much bad feeling in both families, and when it was at last
+settled in favour of our side, old Juan Moreno lost all control of his
+feelings, and in a fit of anger dropped dead at the very door of the
+court. Though the anger and chagrin at the loss of his case hastened his
+death, he had always been subject to a trouble of the heart which was
+liable to prove fatal at any moment under undue excitement. Ambrosia
+Moreno, who was called Madre, when she grew older, held our family to
+blame for this affliction, and made a vow that every generation of the
+Sotos should suffer through this plot of ground as long as she lived.
+
+This curse was first felt in the time of Ignacio de Soto, my
+grandfather, when the fig trees failed to put forth fruit and the olives
+were all blighted. By this, Ambrosia Moreno established her reputation
+in the country as a witch, and was never omitted from a christening or
+wedding or from any auspicious event where her ill will might, in any
+possible way, cause misfortune.
+
+In time Madre Moreno grew proud of this distinction awarded to her,
+dressing and acting so as to lead the people to believe her to have
+supernatural assistance, and when in the time of the next generation,
+the night of the marriage of my father with Neves Arguello, (to which
+celebration Madre Moreno was uninvited), the adobe house in the grove of
+figs, which had stood untenanted for years, was burned to the ground,
+her reputation as a witch was firmly established throughout the country;
+many a good woman after that event, when the wind carried off the
+clothes drying on the hedges, or the soot fell down the chimney into the
+kitchen at night, knew that the Madre was about, playing her mischievous
+pranks.
+
+One day Mercedes Dana, a girl whom we rather felt sorry for, (her
+mother, who was a de los Santos, having married an American from
+Boston), having less faith in Madre Moreno's power than the rest of her
+neighbours had tried that never-failing test for witchcraft, and placed
+a piece of steel under the chair where the Madre was sitting, but she,
+too, was at once converted from her skepticism, for when the Madre
+wanted to leave she was unable to move until the bit of steel was taken
+away.
+
+It was considered a dangerous experiment, and even Mercedes' little
+spark of Yankee "devil-may-care" burned very low after it, although the
+only thing that went wrong at the Dana's that year was that the hens
+laid soft-shelled eggs, which trouble was soon remedied by mixing a
+powder with their feed, which powder Madre Moreno herself supplied, and
+I strongly suspect that it was made of burned cockle shells.
+
+Madre Moreno dressed peculiarly; she wore when I first remember her, a
+short black skirt and waist; a little cape of red woolen cloth hung over
+her shoulders, about her neck was a white ruff which set off her peaked
+face and made it look even more withered and yellow; her hair was short,
+and over a silk skull cap was drawn a black reboso, the ends of which
+were embroidered in colour with odd designs. Her whole person was the
+perfection of neatness, and she was welcome from Bolinas to San Rafael
+for the good she did, as her knowledge of herb and even mineral
+medicines was extensive.
+
+At my christening it was thought that the curse would be removed, as
+Madre Moreno was invited to the ceremonies, and from that time was a
+constant visitor at the rancho for some years, always received with a
+welcome, mingled, perhaps, with a little fear, by all save Catalina,
+who, despite her dread of the queer woman, never could conceal her
+hatred for her, and when the sudden death of my father was closely
+followed by that of my mother, she forbade Madre Moreno the house. To
+this I could say nothing, as I have always a reverence for the woman who
+rules at home, and Catalina now was my housekeeper, in charge of broom
+and wash tub, and grand almoner of my dinners and luncheons.
+
+
+
+
+II.
+
+
+Madre Moreno never came again to my house, but always seemed to take an
+interest in me, who, when I reached an age when I could be trusted away
+from the garden, would wander with her through the woods while she was
+gathering her herbs, and from her I learned much that was of great
+benefit to me in after years. After my return from Mexico, we greeted in
+friendly manner, and she seemed to take great pleasure in my company.
+
+I never approached the ruin without a strange foreboding of something
+terrible about to happen, which always disappeared after I had been
+there a while and the charming beauty of the quiet spot had turned my
+thoughts into pleasanter channels; perhaps the feeling of fear was
+attributable to the stories I had heard during childhood, and had never
+outgrown.
+
+One day I saw Madre Moreno's red cloak showing out brightly from behind
+the rank growths of nightshade, the tenderer leaves of which she seemed
+to be carefully gathering. She was muttering to herself words
+unintelligible to me, and did not seem to notice me, although I stood
+for a long time very near where she was at work.
+
+"Good morning, Madre; you are very busy to-day," I said, after a while.
+She looked up, nodding in a friendly way, but not answering, while she
+continued her jargon as she carefully laid in the basket the
+oval-shaped, pointed leaves. As I drew nearer I noticed for the first
+time that it was not the common nightshade, which grew wild about the
+country, but was the atropa, a plant not indigenous to California. It
+was in flower; the bell-shaped blossoms, of a dead, violet-brown colour,
+with the green leaves about them, made a disagreeable combination seldom
+seen in any of nature's pictures.
+
+When she had completely filled her basket she turned to me and spoke: "I
+am glad to see thee, Carlos, for it has been long since we have met, and
+I began to think that thou hadst forgotten thy old friend, or, perhaps,
+hadst learned all about flowers and herbs, so that she could teach thee
+no more."
+
+"No, Madre; I shall never know so much about them as you do. I can learn
+their names and values only, while you put them all to so many good
+uses," I answered. "What do you do with the leaves you have just
+gathered? They are very poisonous, and you should wash your hands well
+after touching them, and especially after getting the juice on your
+fingers!"
+
+"But thou knowest poison makes little difference with one like me, who
+hath a charmed life," replied Madre Moreno, as she handed me the basket
+to carry while she nimbly stepped from stone to stone and climbed out of
+the hollow, here and there startling a snake or lizard that lay in the
+sunshine.
+
+"It is well done!" she abruptly said, and looking at me, burst into a
+fit of laughter which was so spontaneous and hearty that I joined with
+her, though I knew not at what I was laughing. My own laugh sounded
+strangely, however, and seemed to me to echo with another tone from the
+vine-covered walls as if some one were there, and like Madre Moreno,
+were also laughing at me. I stopped suddenly, and I felt my face change
+colour, and the same awe which I so often felt when about the ruined
+house came upon me with a force I had never known before; I trembled as
+I stood there beside this strange woman, who laughed louder and louder,
+striking her little hands together in seeming ecstacy, while the sounds
+echoed and re-echoed among the fig trees and heaps of stones, yet
+seeming all the time less like echoes than like the voices of
+innumerable, invisible creatures darting everywhere about the grove. The
+place grew darker, for clouds just then obscured the sun and covered the
+hills beyond Tamalpais. Madre Moreno came nearer to me and touched my
+forehead. . . . . . . . . Suddenly the sun shown bright as ever upon the
+fig and olive trees and gleamed from thousands of silver drops hanging
+from every leaf; the snakes and lizards lay quietly upon the steaming
+rocks and half burnt beams, while the rank vegetation sent forth a sweet
+scent of green life.
+
+"Why do you laugh at me, Madre?" I asked.
+
+"Only, Carlos," she answered, "because it is so odd to see thee carrying
+the old witch's basket with all the charms and thou knowing nothing
+about it all; oh it is very odd!" and the Madre laughed again. "The
+storm has gone over," she continued, "I feared it would last long, but
+winter is almost gone, and it passed without much rain falling here."
+
+"What storm?" I asked.
+
+"The storm which has just passed, hast thou not noted it?"
+
+"I saw no storm, you must be dreaming Madre, or trying some of your
+spells upon me. There has been no storm for the sun has been shining
+brightly, except when that cloud passed for a moment," I answered as I
+handed her the basket.
+
+"Whence came the drops of water which lie upon the leaves, Senor Carlos,
+if not from the clouds which thou canst still see passing over the hills
+toward San Anselmo? Thou knowest not all the power Ambrosia Moreno, thy
+little madre, hath. So thou hast held the basket with the flat green
+leaves."
+
+"Oh! Madre Moreno, I can never understand you, but you must be careful
+of the leaves you have just gathered, for they contain a most powerful
+poison. I am more afraid, since the plant is rare or even unknown in the
+Californias, that you do not know its power; you surely can never have
+found it before, and how it came to be growing here is incomprehensible
+to me."
+
+The witch bent her head and looking into my face from under her
+overhanging reboso, raised her finger and shook it before me saying as
+she did so, "Thou art a learned senorito, Carlos Sotos, but although
+Ambrosia Moreno hath never been in the college, she knows more of the
+little flowers and bright leaves of this plant thou speakest of than all
+the Jesuits or thy people shall ever learn. The very plant growing here
+among these fallen stones is as old as thou art, Carlos Sotos, and that
+almost to a year. It has ever grown on, season after season, and shall
+live until its duty is performed, then let it wither when it shall no
+longer be needed here. Thou must come down and see me, Carlos," she
+continued in an altered voice, "for I have some new flowers which thou
+shalt have; come for I am lonely and like young company, though I be a
+witch as they say. Where goest thou to-day?"
+
+"Above on the divide where I hope to find some of the Indian pinks for
+my new collection."
+
+"When doest thou return, before sundown?" asked Madre Moreno as she
+prepared to go.
+
+"Before that, surely," I answered, "I shall be back here at the ruin by
+four o'clock, though I had no idea that the time had gone so fast, it is
+almost noon; I must hurry or I shall have Catalina very hot waiting with
+a cold supper. By the way Madre, she sent her best respects to you and
+hopes that you will not bewitch any more of her poultry, for if you do,
+they will be a headless lot in a short time."
+
+Madre Moreno nodded knowingly, and closed one eye slyly as she answered,
+"Thou art the cleverest senorito in these parts, but little as thou
+believest in my influence with el bueno Diablo, as the old women call
+him, I could disclose to thee many strange events which shall come after
+this day, and from this meeting thou shall date thy future." She started
+but turned and said, "My son, I have learned to love thee, yet I have a
+duty beyond love; say that thou believest that my sainted father was
+unjustly treated, and thy life shall be blessed."
+
+"I cannot, Madre Moreno, I am sorry for the sad result of the case at
+court, but as you know, it was only justice."
+
+She said no more, but with a laugh, half broken by a sigh, the little
+woman walked briskly under the olives and down over the brow of the
+hill.
+
+The grass and trees were all wet, the great laurels by the path shown as
+if varnished, the huge madrono leaves each held a jewel on its tip; all
+evidences of a heavy rain were about me, yet I had not been aware of it
+falling. In a short time I was deep in the redwood forest, away from the
+world in companionship with God.
+
+
+
+
+III.
+
+
+It was nearly five o'clock when I approached the ruin on my return; the
+sun was now low enough to throw long shadows over the place, and made an
+effect of gloom which formed a good setting for the wall, with its green
+drapery standing out shining and warm in a glorious flood of golden
+sunshine.
+
+As I sat down to enjoy the picture, I became aware of some one walking
+behind the great clumps of nightshade, and presently a young woman
+stepped from behind the atropa where Madre Moreno had that morning been
+picking the poisonous leaves, and walked across the hollow, stepping
+gracefully from stone to stone till she came to the bright spot where
+the sun was shining, and seating herself at the foot of the wall, opened
+a book and began to read aloud. Beautiful as the scene had been before,
+it was now enhanced, and I did not stir, lest I should dispel the lovely
+vision.
+
+For fully half an hour I must have remained there before she became
+aware of my presence; when she saw me, she started a little, but
+regaining her composure quickly, closed her book, and rose to leave the
+place. In crossing the hollow she stumbled and fell, uttering a sharp
+cry of pain; I ran immediately to her assistance. Supporting the
+fainting girl, I helped, or rather carried, her to the bank where I had
+been sitting. By the time I reached the place, she had recovered
+consciousness, and in answer to my inquiry said that her ankle had been
+sprained by the fall, and that the pain was severe. As she spoke the
+tears came to her eyes, and she gave a cry when she tried to rise.
+
+"Do you live near here?" I asked, for she was a stranger to me, though I
+knew all the people for many miles around.
+
+"I should not call it far, under usual circumstances," she answered,
+"but now it is a long way. I live with my aunt, Ambrosia Moreno. Oh, I
+can never get there."
+
+"You must bathe the ankle here; there is a pool, and the rock beside it
+makes a good seat," and gently lifting her, I placed her beside the
+stream, which ran clear and cold from under the broad leaves. Without
+any show of false modesty, she did as I directed, and having saturated
+my 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 us
+Carlos," she said, when she had enough recovered from her fit of
+laughter to speak, "or perhaps thou art afraid of the old witch."
+
+In as few words as possible the accident was explained to Madre Moreno,
+and I again lifted her niece and placed her on a lounge in the house.
+"The Madre can bring you out all right, if anyone can," I said as I left
+the room, "I will take the liberty of inquiring for you in the morning."
+
+As I walked down the path to the gate, I spoke aloud, "What beautiful,
+beautiful eyes!"
+
+"Yes, that they are, Master Carlos!" said a voice seemingly beside me. I
+turned, the voice sounded like that of the Madre, but no one was to be
+seen, however, the large black cat which had followed me, put up her
+back to be stroked and purred and rubbed against my leg. As I closed the
+gate the same voice sounded again but more faintly. "Beautiful eyes hath
+Ysidria; beautiful eyes!"
+
+
+
+
+IV.
+
+
+When I returned home, Catalina had a hot supper ready, and I sat down,
+forgetting, for the moment, the events of the day, in the odour of the
+good things on the table.
+
+"What success, Don Carlos, have you found the flowers you were searching
+for?"
+
+"Yes, Catalina, I found the plants just where I expected to find them,
+and I also found at the old adobe what I did not look for." I then gave
+an account of the day, however, making as modest enumeration of the
+charms of Madre Moreno's niece, as I was able, for fear of exciting
+Catalina's suspicions.
+
+I began to feel that I was much interested in the beautiful Ysidria, and
+hated to have old Catalina discover it, for the girls relationship to
+the Madre would, I knew, be the cause of much disquiet to the good
+woman.
+
+I sat before the door long after supper, building air castles, in all of
+which the fair stranger held a place. Her brilliant eyes were always
+before my mind, as I had first seen them that afternoon, sometimes of a
+deep blue colour, and then in a moment black as jet, when the dilated
+pupil covered the iris, and then her pretty smile and graceful form each
+had a great and wonderful charm for me.
+
+The only thing that troubled me, and I tried to laugh it out of my
+thoughts, was the connection with the reputed witch, but foolish as I
+knew such notions to be, I was, however, unable to banish them, and I
+often wished that the beautiful Ysidria was any one in the world but the
+niece of Ambrosia Moreno. Not that I had any dislike for the Madre, or
+that I bore her any ill will for the various misfortunes which had come
+to my family through her agency, as the country people believed, but it
+was unpleasant to me to think of this young creature living under the
+same roof with and under the influence of such a woman as I knew the
+Moreno to be, aside from her connection with el bueno Diablo, at which I
+could only laugh, and a story which I knew to be encouraged by the Madre
+herself, simply for the notoriety it gave her, and the power she was
+enabled through this belief to exercise over the people.
+
+Ysidria, I had already learned, was as skeptical as myself in regard to
+Madre Moreno's spells, for the laughing manner in which she had spoken
+of her aunt's charms and witcheries, when we were on the hill and even
+in the presence of the Madre herself, convinced me of her intelligence
+and education. It was not this that troubled me concerning Ysidria, but
+knowing Madre Moreno as I did, and what an unscrupulous, scheming and
+heartless woman she was, I felt that she had brought this lovely niece
+to her home for some purpose known only to herself. Of what that purpose
+could be I had not the faintest idea, but I knew the Madre never did
+anything without an object.
+
+I laughed at myself for the great interest I so suddenly felt in a
+person whom I had never seen before, and then only for a few hours. But
+laugh as I would, I had to own that I was something more than interested
+in the stranger, and the pleasure with which I looked forward to the
+promised call in the morning, and my anxiety for her recovery, plainly
+showed me that my heart was fast being lost, if indeed it were not
+already gone from me.
+
+Catalina sat at the door with me after her work was done, but I was so
+deep in my own thoughts, and often did not hear her remarks, that she
+left me and went to her room.
+
+I did not notice when she left, and not until the clock in the veranda
+struck eleven did I become aware of the length of time I had been
+dreaming awake.
+
+The moon was shining clear and full in the blue, cloudless sky, so
+bright that scarcely a star could be seen, illuminating the whole
+country so that everything not in shadow could be distinguished as well
+as if it were noontime.
+
+I walked out from the garden down by the Castilian hedge and along the
+road where the shadows of the oaks, with their twisted and
+mistletoe-covered branches, made grotesque forms. I was very fond of
+these solitary walks on moonlight nights, often going as far as the
+divide, from which Bolinas and the great ocean can be seen, and where
+Larsen's wayside inn now stands, but to-night there was a new sensation
+of loneliness which I had never felt before, and I longed for some one
+to be with me; then I began to wonder whom I would prefer for a
+companion, and thought of all my friends, even to old Madre Moreno, but
+none of them seemed to be the one to break the new and undefinable
+loneliness. Suddenly the form of the fair stranger, with her bright eyes
+and expressive face, came up before my fancy, and I exclaimed, "Yes, it
+is she; it is she alone!"
+
+"Alone!" sounded back upon my ear like a human voice, which startled me
+from my reverie, and I saw that I was standing beside the old adobe,
+whither I had wandered without knowing. Close at my feet lay a bit of
+white cloth which attracted my attention, and I picked it up. It was a
+handkerchief of fine cambric, in one corner of which was embroidered a
+name, which I could easily read in the moonlight, "Ysidria."
+
+I read the name aloud, and the great wall with its ivy glistening silver
+in the light echoed back the name. At the time I was not surprised to
+hear the the three syllables so fully pronounced by the echo. I enjoyed
+the sound of the name, and called it again and again. "Ysidria!
+Ysidria!" each time called back the ruined wall, and at last I had to
+laugh as I thought of the ludicrous appearance I presented, calling
+aloud a name and like a child being pleased with the voice of the unseen
+spirit, but as I laughed, that too, reverberated, but the sound seemed
+changed, and it made me involuntarily shudder as I remembered the scene
+of that very morning, when my laugh had produced the same strange
+feeling, half of awe and half of anger. I looked around as if I expected
+to find some one at my side. I started at every sound, and the long,
+creeping shadows made me tremble. I was certainly strong, and had often
+shown myself courageous in time of danger, but the mysterious awe which
+fell upon me here completely unnerved me, and a cold perspiration
+started, when from the wall I heard a whisper, distinctly audible, which
+pronounced the words, "Ysidria hath beautiful eyes!"
+
+I could not move, it seemed to me as if my heart ceased beating; I
+listened and strained my ears in agonizing suspense, but the voice did
+not come again, and the moon dropping suddenly behind the fig trees,
+cast the whole place into profound darkness.
+
+I felt free again, and pressing the handkerchief to my lips, imprinted a
+kiss upon it and then at the same moment called myself a fool for so
+suddenly becoming infatuated with the stranger in whom I had not the
+slightest reason for taking more than a passing interest at most, no
+more than common politeness required.
+
+Again I laughed aloud and again the same fearful, hollow echo came back
+to me from the ruined wall. I could stand it no longer, and turning, ran
+from the grove, over the brow of the hill to the road, fearing every
+moment lest the strange spell, from which I had just recovered, should
+seize me again.
+
+As I ascended the second hill, I saw, as I looked behind me, a female
+figure slowly walking down to the road from the grove of figs. I knew at
+once who it was from the odd manner of wearing her reboso, and by the
+lameness of her gait; it was Madre Moreno, the witch.
+
+The thought suddenly came to me that she must have been hidden in the
+ruin, and have heard me when I called the name of Ysidria, and I
+mentally cursed the old hag. Then I thought of the whispered sentence,
+and of the three syllabled echo; and knew they must have come from her.
+
+"What can the awful woman have in hand?" I asked myself, "What, but some
+wickedness. I wish she did not follow me so closely. Worse than all, she
+may tell the fair Ysidria what a fool I made of myself over her
+handkerchief; I almost wish with Catalina that the good old days were
+here again." I walked home more slowly, and entering the house quietly,
+reached my room just as the clock struck two.
+
+
+
+
+V.
+
+
+The winter went, and the hot summer passed pleasantly.
+
+It was about the beginning of October, when one morning, I walked down
+to Madre Moreno's house. I had become a constant visitor at the witch's
+cottage, and often dined there. The accident which had so oddly
+introduced Ysidria to me was not serious, and in a few days she was
+completely recovered. Ysidria served at the simple meals of Madre
+Moreno, and no one ever mixed my wine more to my taste than she did, and
+no one could make better cordial than Ysidria did with the sweet leaves
+of the yerba buena steeped in the sauternes which I made from my
+vineyard, and with which I supplied the Madre.
+
+Ysidria grew apparently more beautiful every day, and the brilliancy of
+her eyes, which had attracted my notice at first, became even more
+marked.
+
+I had begun reading aloud to her on afternoons, as we sat in the Moreno
+veranda, for Ysidria's eyes, though strong and of great power for
+distant vision, often entirely failed her when reading or looking at any
+near object, so I found great pleasure in my visits, and as the Madre
+was seldom present to annoy me, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment, as
+Ysidria had become a necessity to my happiness, and I loved her.
+
+On the morning of which I have spoken, I went to keep a walking
+engagement, and found Ysidria waiting for me in the garden. As I
+approached, I noticed that she held her reboso in her hand and was
+laughing immoderately, while she tripped from one end of the path to the
+other, singing snatches of songs or impromptu rhymes. As I stood by the
+gate she did not see me, though she came very near, near enough to have
+touched me.
+
+I felt a chill pass over me as I looked at the beautiful creature; there
+was something so unnatural, so weird about her actions, that I felt as
+if I were gazing upon a being from another world. Her eyes were brighter
+than ever before, but in them was no sight for what was near her; they
+seemed fixed upon objects far away. I could not speak, for when I tried
+to utter her name my voice refused to come, so I turned and went
+sorrowful and puzzled back to my home.
+
+The suspense I endured was almost unbearable. By the afternoon I went
+again to the Madre's house, and with strange forebodings knocked at the
+door, which was answered by Ysidria; she seemed to be completely
+recovered from her late mysterious attack, nor did she allude to
+anything having occurred during the morning out of the usual course,
+excepting that she twitted me for not keeping my engagement with her.
+She laughed as she took her reboso from the table, saying that she was
+out of patience, and that I must take the walk with her as punishment.
+
+I, of course said nothing of my morning visit, or what I had witnessed,
+but it troubled me greatly all the afternoon.
+
+We walked and talked, and now my good friends thank me for not reporting
+that conversation; it was fascinating, and even now I think there were
+glintings of common sense in it, but really not enough to warrant the
+extra type setting, (for which my publishers charge outrageously),
+required to give it. It was the same sort of thing you talked last
+summer with Guadaloupe at Catalina Island, Morris, and the same you
+talked with Vinnie in the Sierras, George, and the same you talked with
+all the girls in the States last year, Dickey. You don't want to hear it
+again, and I must cut expenses somewhere.
+
+It is enough to say, that though nothing was said, both Ysidria and I
+knew that we loved, and we knew whom. When we reached Madre Moreno's
+house, she came out and invited me to supper; there was a smile, a
+disagreeable, malicious smile on her face as she spoke, and not caring
+to alloy the pleasure of my afternoon with Ysidria by enduring the
+Madre's company, I refused, and walked over to my house.
+
+
+
+
+VI.
+
+
+"Vengeance is mine and I will repay;" such was the text of Padre
+Arguello's discourse that hot October day, before his little
+congregation in Bolinas. The good father became as fervid as the day,
+and mopped his benevolent face many times before his panting audience
+was allowed to walk out in the open and catch a glimpse of the white
+ocean gleaming as a mass of melted silver till it met the dull, white
+horizon. A dozen fig trees before the door gave the only shade about the
+place excepting where the half ruined walls of the old church sheltered
+the Father's little garden. The congregation was soon dispersed, most of
+them riding to their homes in the foothills, while a few, who lived in
+the neighbourhood of the village, walked quietly down toward the sea,
+and the bright, cultivated gardens, which were kept green by the
+ever-flowing arroyo which here spread its rich alluvial deposits over
+the land in the winter time.
+
+I had ridden over the night before with all my household, and as many
+from the neighbouring ranchos had joined us on the way, there was as
+large a cavalcade as the little village had seen since Viscaino's pilot,
+Francisco Bolanos, christened the spot in 1602.
+
+It was Padre Arguello's farewell, as he was to sail for Acapulco in a
+few days, and the country people had come for many miles to do him
+honour. All had been much surprised when old Ambrosia Moreno entered the
+church and, with Ysidria, knelt through the service. Madre Moreno had
+not been to service or confession since her father's death, indeed I had
+heard her once make a blasphemous jest about the most holy Mass, and
+good Padre Andreas at San Anselmo, in whose flock she was the blackest
+sheep, gave her up as lost here and hereafter; so there was much
+surprise at the Madre's action. Catalina was simply indignant at this
+desecration, as she called it, and wondered that the beads had not
+burned her fingers.
+
+The sermon was long and dull, but I did not mind these defects, or
+rather thought them virtues, for my mind was not interrupted in the
+contemplation of Ysidria.
+
+I felt like laughing with delight all the day, and wore far from what is
+called now-a-days, a "Sunday face."
+
+There was a bull and bear fight in the afternoon, but Ysidria and I
+preferred a walk on the bluffs; of course, Madre Moreno went with us,
+but she considerately, or by chance, kept by herself. Madre Moreno had
+allowed her niece and myself a freedom of intercourse not at all in
+keeping with Californian customs, but she took upon her the duties of
+duena at Bolinas, so that the many visitors should find no chance for
+wonder or remark. Catalina and the others of my household, went to the
+fight.
+
+There were not many at vespers, and Madre Moreno and Ysidria had started
+early for home with the Danas, so I had to myself the pleasure of
+kneeling in the spot where Ysidria had worshipped in the forenoon.
+
+Catalina and the servants were very gay, and her mind was so full of the
+entertainment, that she never spoke of the morning's wonder, but talked
+during all the moonlight homeward ride, about the tactics of the bull,
+which it seemed had been the victor.
+
+Catalina must have noticed a change in me, but she could not discover
+the cause, as she did not know where I had spent most of my time,
+thinking, that I as formerly, went out in the woods botanizing, though
+she must have wondered at the scarcity of my collections.
+
+Thus the wet season began and all the country grew green and the streams
+were filled, and the plants which had died or withered in the heat of
+summer, began to show new leaves, and the nightshade shot up tender
+green sprigs before the old growth had fairly died.
+
+Mercedes Dana, who never having had a love episode of her own, spent
+most of her time in ferreting out those of others and spreading the news
+with such exaggerations and embellishments as she thought needed,
+informed Catalina of the state of affairs which had already become the
+talk of the country.
+
+Catalina was astonished, for her thoughts were so occupied within the
+little circle of the rancho that she noted little of outside
+occurrences. She felt hurt, but, as she afterwards told me, she plainly
+saw why it was that I had never spoken to her on the subject, and she
+was grateful for the thoughtfulness which had so long kept from her the
+annoyance which the knowledge would have caused. She was grieved only at
+the relationship existing between Madre Moreno and Ysidria, and felt
+that in some way it was part of the curse. She said nothing to me of her
+discovery, acting as usual, only speaking often of the old family
+trouble between the Morenos and the Sotos, saying that she hoped the
+curse might pass over one generation, if not depart forever.
+
+
+
+
+VII.
+
+
+The green December hills, with flaming spots of toyones, had long been
+inviting me to make a stroll among them to renew old acquaintanceship,
+and many a day I felt like starting out from the rancho and throwing
+myself into their great arms. The care of the flocks needed much of my
+attention in winter, and I had been greatly alarmed at the news of the
+terrible influx of "Yankees," as well as of the plots of the English,
+and the future of my beloved California was dark enough to cast my life
+in shadow.
+
+One day, however, I broke away. Gentle breezes from the purple canons
+floated by me laden with the scent of redwoods, and by the roadside the
+clumps of laurel gave out their vigourous perfume as their branches were
+stirred; then in the quietness of the air between these breaths, the
+steaming earth yielded to my grateful sense its own peculiar and rich
+odour. Few wild flowers were out, but on the gay manzanitas hung
+millions of little pink and white bells, so delicate that they seemed
+more like the bloom of some rare exotic than the winter gift of so hardy
+and rugged a shrub.
+
+I did not stop to rest until I had reached a high point of the path
+where a sudden turn along the edge of a precipice threw open the whole
+view of the valley. It was yet early morning, and I watched the floating
+bits of mist drifting above the dark canons, canons so narrow that the
+sun never reached their beds. Through clumps of leafless oaks the noisy
+arroyo could be seen hidden here and there by the thick foliage of some
+glistening madrono, with its red branches, or by dark, lustrous laurels.
+Bunches of mistletoe upon the dry branches of the oaks smiled fresh and
+green from their stolen perches like little oases in a desert of gray.
+Sometimes an early bee flew by me with hungry humming, and the sharp
+call of the jay would rise from the depths to mingle with the steady
+sighing of the wind through the giant redwoods. I had taken my favourite
+little mare, who never needed the bridle, being guided by my voice or
+slightest motion, and as I sat with arms akimbo under my poncho I felt
+as I were free again from all the trouble of life and could not but
+halloa for very exuberance of joy. Presently there came an answer from
+the cliffs above, and looking up I beheld Ysidria, mounted on the black
+horse I had some months before given to Madre Moreno, to be used by her
+niece, who was not so strong as she had been, and unable to walk so much
+as formerly.
+
+"Wait, and I will come down," she called and disappeared among the
+shrubs.
+
+Ysidria was much changed, she had grown thin and nervous during the
+year; yet, failing as she did in body, her eyes seemed every day to
+become more beautiful, as if they absorbed all her life. With the
+growing brilliancy of her eyes, increased also their defective sight,
+and she was quite unable to read, yet her power of extended vision was
+wonderful.
+
+Lately, I had cherished the thought of having Ysidria go to Santa Clara,
+or even to Mexico, to be under the care of some experienced occulist,
+and the fear of her becoming blind, when it might be too late to have
+anything done, made me very anxious, and Pedirpozza, whom I might have
+called, had gone for a time to the Colorado country.
+
+The day before this, on which I met Ysidria in the mountains, I had
+spoken to Madre Moreno of the subject nearest my heart. I had spoken but
+a few words when she said:
+
+"Thou needst not go any further, Senor Carlos, I know thy thoughts and
+have read them for a long time. Thou hast no one to ask for Ysidria but
+herself and the old witch, who is her only relative. I give my consent."
+
+I was so delighted that I could only express myself by kissing the
+forehead of Madre Moreno.
+
+"Be careful my Senorito!" she cried starting back and then laughing, "be
+careful how thou kissest the love of el bueno Diablo, or he may be
+jealous and play thee a bad trick."
+
+I always hated the Madre when she laughed, and I hurried away.
+
+In about ten minutes Ysidria reached the path where I was waiting, it
+having been necessary for her to come by a circuitous trail.
+
+"You are out early," I exclaimed.
+
+"Yes, Aunt Ambrosia's kindness often seems unbearable, and I fly from
+it; it is curious for one to run from kindness."
+
+"Your aunt is a strange creature, I can never understand her; sometimes
+I love her much, and then, without any apparent cause, I shun her as if
+she bore a plague."
+
+"I too feel so toward her, and scarcely know whether she loves me
+devotedly or hates me; her laugh though is unbearable, to me, there
+seems to be wickedness in it," replied Ysidria, "though I should not
+talk ill of her, for she is very kind, making me many little sweets and
+pasties, and there is one sweet drop of which she is very choice, never
+giving me more than one at a time. I have nearly grown into the habit of
+taking them each morning before breakfast, and I feel very wretched if I
+miss one. You must try them, and shall, if I can persuade Aunt Ambrosia
+for an extra drop; I think she will for you though."
+
+"We have been talking, Madre Moreno and I, and I have proposed that you
+shall go to Mexico or Santa Clara to have an oculist examine your eyes,
+for indeed I fear there is something which should be looked to at once.
+We would all hate to have your beautiful eyes, Ysidria, never reflect
+our faces more."
+
+We had by this time reached the old ruin, and turned, as if of one
+accord, toward the spot.
+
+"Yes, Senor Carlos," said Ysidria, as we dismounted, "every word of
+praise I hear about my eyes, seems like mockery to me; I, myself, am
+frightened at their strange changes, and fear that I shall soon be
+blind."
+
+"Then why not go at once to Santa Clara? It is your only hope. Why not
+go to-morrow?" I asked, as I took her hand in mine.
+
+"That cannot be; I am not able, nor is Aunt Ambrosia, to allow of the
+expense. I must be content to see while I may, and then live on with the
+remembrance of your kind faces ever before me."
+
+"Ysidria, do not despond; let me help you; it has been my dream for the
+past year. Will you be my wife?"
+
+I caught her in my arms, for she seemed as if about to fall.
+
+"Ah, Carlos, I am too happy," she murmured. "I love you, but I cannot be
+your wife with my infirmity. No, I cannot be so selfish; I will not put
+upon you a burden. I love you, but let us live as we do now, for you
+must never tire of me and still feel bound to me for life. I shall be
+blind. I love you too well."
+
+"Ysidria, I love you for your own dear self. Nor fear so for your sight.
+The trouble is, I trust, nothing but temporary; the loss for a time of
+the accommodation; it can easily be remedied when Pedirpozzo returns. So
+do not let the fear of being a burden, which you can never be to me,
+deter you from giving me the promise I so desire. Say you will be my
+wife, Ysidria."
+
+"I will," she replied, and then I took a ring of my mother's and placed
+it on her finger.
+
+"Let us go over to the wall and sit where I first saw you, Ysidria," I
+said, "and begin the world with hope."
+
+We started to cross the hollow, passing the atropa, which was just
+sending out its early shoots. I crushed it with my foot, and ground down
+each stem till not a bit of green was left, and then I placed some
+stones upon it; some way I enjoyed this little act, and Ysidria joined
+me in trampling down the plant.
+
+"It is an ill-favoured thing," I said, "and does more harm than good,
+but Madre Moreno, I scarcely think will thank me for destroying it, for
+she always gathered its leaves for some of her medicines."
+
+"Yes, she will, Senorito Carlos; she will thank thee," said a voice
+behind us, and turning we saw Madre Moreno.
+
+"I had come to do the same thing myself, and thou hast saved me the
+labour. Why didst thou not kill it before to-day? This is a strange day
+on which to kill the old plant!"
+
+The Madre had some chips of pine in her basket; these she placed above
+the plant and pouring a flask of turpentine over them, set it all afire;
+then piling up chunks of hard wood, she stood back to watch the blaze.
+
+"It is needed no more," she said, "so we will leave no vestige of it,
+for it must never spring up again." We looked at the witch in silence
+and wonder.
+
+"Art thou happy, Carlos Sotos, with thy love? Thank old Madre Moreno for
+it." She laughed aloud, and the wall echoed back the laugh mockingly.
+
+
+
+
+VIII.
+
+
+When I parted from Ysidria at Madre Moreno's that evening, after the
+destruction of the plant, I looked into her blue eyes, and suddenly the
+pupil spread over the entire iris.
+
+"Oh! Ysidria, your eyes are beautiful," and I pressed a kiss upon them,
+"good-bye, till we meet to-morrow. I am happy."
+
+"Good night," she answered, "I shall see you in the morning. I will rise
+as the first rays of the sun, come through my window, and my first
+thought will be of you."
+
+We parted, and I watched her graceful form as she walked up the path to
+the door; she turned and waved her hand to me as she passed from sight.
+
+"Her eyes, alas, are all the light I know!" I said aloud, and, with an
+indefinable feeling of sadness, walked briskly home.
+
+I told Catalina all, that evening, but the good woman said nothing to
+sadden me, but I could see sorrow in her face.
+
+There were clouds in the sky at sunset, and every prospect of a storm;
+the wind howled through the trees and rattled the doors of the old
+house. I sat till late watching the collecting clouds which were rolling
+on in turbulent masses, and very low, till all was dark, as the last
+rent was filled, through which the moon had been shining. It was a
+terrible storm, the worst I had ever known, and Catalina came to my door
+at about two o'clock, in great fright, saying that she had seen a figure
+like Madre Mareno, going by the house as if floating in the air, and had
+heard a loud report as if there had been thunder in the distance, coming
+from Tamalpais. I could hear the rumbling and could not tell what it
+was; but I laughed at her fears and told her that it must have been a
+shadow, for no human being even a witch, would be out in such a night,
+if they could help it.
+
+Catalina went back to her room, but was far from reassured, and sat the
+rest of the night with her beads in her hand, praying by candle light.
+
+The next morning the storm was over, though through the sky the clouds
+were driving fast, but the rising sun touched them with gold and all the
+trees looked bright and new. Early, after breakfast, I gathered some
+flowers, and, mounting my mare, rode down to Madre Moreno's cottage.
+
+The storm seemed to have been more severe here than at the rancho, for
+the garden was destroyed and the vines by the house were hanging, torn
+from the trellises.
+
+Knocking at the half open door, I waited some minutes, but receiving no
+answer, stepped into the room. Upon the table lay a sheet of paper, I
+took it up to read what was written on it, thinking it would tell where
+the Madre and Ysidria had gone.
+
+All that was upon it was my name, but under the sheet was an envelope
+addressed to me. I hurriedly broke the seal and spread the sheets before
+me; they read--
+
+     My dear Carlos:
+
+     Scarcely do I know how to begin this letter to you, whom I love so
+     much. My aunt, Ambrosia, came to me last night, soon after you left
+     me at the gate; she was smiling and very happy, and resting her
+     hand on my shoulder said:
+
+     "Ysidria thou hast done well, thou couldst not have done better had
+     I trained thee to it." I was surprised at her manner, and asked her
+     to explain. She sat down beside me and taking my hand in hers
+     began:
+
+     "I know thou art willing to do much for thy old aunt, and I have
+     made thee, unknowingly, do it, though then wilt not blame me when I
+     tell the why I have." She then related to me a tale of her father's
+     time, when he had some trouble with your grandfather, and of the
+     curse which she had pronounced upon each generation of de Sotos;
+     you know all this. I listened in surprise and disgust, for she
+     seemed to gloat over the thought of avenging the fancied wrong.
+
+     "I have had revenge upon two generations through that plot of
+     ground, and now I must have it from the present, from their child,
+     Carlos de Sotos, through that same plot and through thee."
+
+     "Do you expect me to deceive him?" I cried in horror, "I will
+     rather leave your house than that." She laughed loudly at this, and
+     said: "It is too late now, Ysidria, the deed is already done." And
+     then she related to me a story so full of scheming and horror that
+     I can but write it in outline. She planned the terrible revenge
+     many years ago, and would alas, have made you the victim.
+
+     There is a plant called the atropa belladonna, a very poisonous
+     shrub, which is rare in this country, but Ambrosia obtained one and
+     planted it beside the little stream which runs by the ruined house.
+     It was that which we destroyed. From this she extracted the juices
+     as she well knows how. Now begins the awful scheme. She sent for
+     me, who was living at the Convent de Santa Clara, to come and be
+     her companion, as she was growing old. She knew that I was
+     beautiful, and thinking to gain your love for me, tried in every
+     way to bring us together. We met, and heaven knows we truly loved.
+     Ever since my arrival she has given me a sweetmeat, of which I once
+     told you. In this confection was the smallest quantity of the
+     extract of the poisonous atropa, and some Chinese drug unknown to
+     me, the taking of which in time became a necessity of my being, but
+     not till to-night did I know the contents of these drops or the
+     awful power to which I am a slave. The extract affected my eyes,
+     causing their unnatural brilliancy and impaired vision. Having
+     fixed this terrible habit upon me, she would wed me to you, and
+     thus make your future life miserable, for in a few years the drug
+     would ruin me in soul and body, and its only substitute could be
+     found in the fatal opium. The revenge is the height of cruelty, and
+     alas, I was to be the helpless medium. She thought that I should be
+     proud of the use to which she had put me, for she said it was as
+     much my duty to avenge the death of my grandfather as for her that
+     of her father. I know not what I said, but my anger gave me words.
+     I told her of the enormity of her crime, the inhumanity she had
+     shown, and that I would do no more nor longer remain with her.
+
+     She laughed and left the room. Presently returning, she handed me a
+     packet of the confections and with a mocking smile said: "Make thy
+     husband happy while these sweets last; they are my wedding present
+     to thee." She left me. I know the terrible power this drug has over
+     me, and nothing can ever cure. Even if the habit be not indulged
+     in, I have gone so far that my existence would be worse than death.
+     I will not make your life miserable; the dread of being blind is
+     nothing to this. May the Holy Mother forgive me for all I have been
+     the cause, innocent as I am, of bringing upon you. I love you too,
+     too well, and it is thus that I destroy Ambrosia Moreno's curse. No
+     more shall misfortune come upon you or yours, for with my life I
+     have bought your freedom, I have gone to the old adobe, and this
+     wedding gift of Ambrosia shall be my means of saving you. May good
+     St. Joseph shield you and all the Saints bless you. I will meet you
+     in the morning, Carlos, as I promised. Thank you deeply, heartily,
+     for your love, and when some time you are happily wedded, think of
+     Ysidria, and teach your wife to bless her for her love for you. One
+     last request. Give whatever I have to the good sisters in the
+     convent to take care of the statue of Our Lady of Santa Clara, and
+     ask them to keep me in their prayers.
+
+     YSIDRIA.
+
+
+
+
+IX.
+
+
+I quickly mounted my mare and galloped down the road and over the hill
+to the adobe, and there, the morning sun shining full upon her face, lay
+my love, my Ysidria. By her side was a packet open and white pellets
+scattered on the grass.
+
+I bent and kissed the white face, and took the cold hand in mine,
+praying to the Blessed Virgin to give me strength to bear this killing
+trial. "Yes, Ysidria," I cried, as tears rolled down my cheeks, "we will
+meet again in the morning beneath the sunlight of God's love."
+
+My words were scarcely uttered when I noted a throb of her pulse, and
+then I felt as it were a dream, the beautiful eyes of Ysidria opened and
+gazed at me but did not seem to see me. I did not care then if it were a
+dream; swiftly I mounted my mare, bearing the light body of my love
+before me, and hurried back to the house of Madre Moreno. Near the house
+I met the frightened Catalina and, the Saints be praised, behind her my
+dear, old friend, Pedirpozzo, who had that morning returned. They had
+read Ysidria's letter which I had left on the table. Hot coffee was
+ready. The doctor took my all too light burden from me, and then for the
+first time I broke down and for a week knew nothing, waking one
+afternoon to find the ever faithful Catalina sitting at my bedside. Soon
+I learned from Pedirpozza that Ysidria was better and would recover, not
+only her normal eyesight, but also be easily cured of the craving for
+the fatal pellets. It seemed that she had fainted just as she was about
+to take the poison and my timely arrival had saved her life.
+
+Ambrosia, Madre Moreno, was never seen after the night of the great
+storm, and no one knew what became of her, though some years after, news
+came from the Rancho Laguna de la Merced, on the San Francisco side,
+that an old woman, answering to the description of the witch, had
+suddenly appeared there, and was living alone in a hut in one of the
+innumerable gullies, destitute and shunned by all. Catalina and the good
+women of the place never gave up the idea that the Evil One carried her
+off in the great storm, which left its lasting mark on the face of Mount
+Tamalpais.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A year passed, and Ysidria, under the care of the good Pedirpozzo,
+completely recovered her health, and one happy day in Easter Week we
+were wedded by Padre Andreas, at San Rafael, and we went to live at the
+rancho, with Catalina still as housekeeper, all of us feeling like
+people saved from a wreck and hoping never to suffer such sorrow again.
+
+By the next Easter there was great rejoicing at the rancho, and from all
+the country came my friends with their households to the christening of
+our son. The day was spent in games and feasting, and in the evening
+Henrico, or Quito, as we called him, was brought out to be toasted.
+There were many pretty speeches made, and Catalina carried them all to
+the happy mother.
+
+After all the guests had gone, Pedirpozzo led me aside and in his gentle
+way, so full of sympathy, he told me what his experienced eye had noted
+when little Quito was held before the company in the candle-light--he
+told me what you already know from the first of my story--Quito was
+hopelessly blind.
+
+Yet we have lived to be all happy and to bless God, and my dear wife so
+mercifully spared to me, clasps my hand in love and sympathy, when I
+think, but do not say aloud, "Our Quito has the beautiful eyes of
+Ysidria."
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BEAUTIFUL EYES OF YSIDRIA***
+
+
+******* This file should be named 18660.txt or 18660.zip *******
+
+
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/6/6/18660
+
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://www.gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit:
+http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
diff --git a/18660.zip b/18660.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f69f2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18660.zip
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6276511
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #18660 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18660)