Angela was almost as keenly interested in Carmen as Carmen was in her; and though Mrs. Gaylor was not at her best, she was excited; her eyes shone, and dusk softened her hard look of fatigue.  Angela thought Nick’s old friend one of the handsomest women she had ever seen.  Also, she was jealous, more sharply and consciously jealous than when Theo Dene had gossiped about Mrs. Gaylor and Nick Hilliard, on the way back from Santa Barbara Mission.  Angela had never before known the sting of jealousy; had never thought, till that day, that she could feel so mean a passion; yet now she suffered as Nick once had suffered, and was ashamed to suffer.

A few minutes ago she had been sure that Hilliard loved her, and she had keyed herself to tell him nobly why he must forget her, why she must forget him.  But, having seen, Carmen, she began to wonder if Nick did care, and whether after all, he had meant to speak of his love, here in the forest.  Perhaps she had been conceited, and mistaken about his feelings.  Maybe Nick had merely been chivalrous and kind, like all California men, and wanted nothing of her except friendship.  Maybe if he had meant to tell her anything, it had been about this beautiful Mrs. Gaylor.

Nick introduced them to each other, rather shyly and formally, and they were both extremely polite, even complimentary.  Carmen said that she hoped Mrs. May wouldn’t think it very queer of her, hurrying out to meet Mr. Hilliard the moment she heard he was near.  Of course, she might have waited for him to come back to Wawona, they said he would be back by ten.  But she was so impulsive!  And she had wished to see the redwoods by sunset and moonrise.  She knew Mr. Hilliard wouldn’t want to bother about bringing her here next day, after he had just seen the trees himself, and for the second time, too.  This had been too good a chance to lose.  The trees were wonderful, weren’t they?  Would Mrs. May and Nick mind stopping a little longer now that she had come, and letting her see the moon rise?  There was a sort of quiver over the sky as if it would appear soon.

All three sat down, but not in the place where Nick and Angela had sat together.  He could not have endured that.  While Carmen talked and the others answered—­when they must—­the moon-dawn came; and never would the Princess di Sereno forget the drift of stars behind the trees, and the fleecy moon-surf that beat on the high branches.  Yet the music of the forest was silent for her, and the charm was broken.

“What are you going to do to-morrow?” Carmen asked.  And Angela answered before Nick could speak:  “Oh, my trip is over.  There’s nothing more to do but to go back—­by a different way, of course.  I have still to see Inspiration Point, of which I’ve heard so much.  I’m looking forward to that.”

“When you say ‘go back,’ do you mean San Francisco or the East?” Carmen tried to make her voice sound indifferent, though polite.