I'd never told
anyone before and I didn't much suppose I ever would. There's a reason,
though, why I'm particularly interested in this legend, too, a reason
just as good as you've got. I'm - well, I'm one of Wildenai's great,
great grandsons!"
And then, because she sat quite silent there in the shadows, and
motionless except for fingering something white that lay in her lap, he
waited uneasily. Was she angry again, he wondered, or perhaps she was
only laughing!
She was the first to break the silence.
"Are you trying to be funny?" Her voice was very cold.
"Not at all," he answered hotly. "It must be all of ten generations back
or even more, and of course it wasn't all Spanish afterward, but, just
the same, I'm as much a descendant of the princess as you are of the
duke, - always have been! I'm just as proud of it, too. Possibly you
will remember that the Spanish beat the English to it, at least in
California. Anyway," he finished bitterly, "what difference does it
make? So far as I can see, it only gives us one more good subject to
quarrel about!"
Then out of the dimness came a queer little sound, whether of tears or
of laughter it was impossible to know. For the least part of a second a
hand brushed his own.
"Oh, no!" she whispered, "Let's not do that.
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