ncheon time to ask after you; and then they have a bit of tender
discourse with the senhora herself. Oh, devil a bit need ye fear them,
she's true blue; and it isn't the major's fault,--upon my conscience it
isn't,--for he does be coming the blarney over her in beautiful style."

"Does Miss Dashwood ever visit here?" said I, with a voice faltering and
uncertain enough to have awakened suspicion in a more practised observer.

"Never once; and that's what I call unnatural behavior, after you saving
her life; and if she wasn't--"

"Be silent, I say."

"Well, well, there, I won't say any more; and sure it's time for me to be
putting on my beard again. I'm going to the Casino with Catrina, and sure
it's with real ladies I might be going av it wasn't for Major Power, that
told them I wasn't a officer; but it's all right again. I gave them a great
history of the Frees from the time of Cuilla na Toole, that was one of the
family and a cousin of Moses, I believe; and they behave well to one that
comes from an ould stock."

"Don Miguel! Don Miguel!" said a voice from the garden.

"I'm coming, my angel! I'm coming, my turtle-dove!" said Mike, arranging
his mustaches and beard with amazing dexterity. "Ah, but it would do your
heart good av you could take a peep at us about twelve o'clock, dancing
'Dirty James' for a bolero, and just see Miss Catrina, the lady's maid,
doing 'cover the buckle' as neat as Nature. There now, there's the lemonade
near your hand, and I'll leave you the lamp, and you may go asleep as soon
as you please, for Miss Inez won't come in to-night to play the guitar, for
the doctor said it might do you harm now."

So saying, and before I could summon presence of mind to ask another
question, Don Miguel wrapped himself in the broad folds of his Spanish
cloak, and strode from the room with the air of an hidalgo.

I slept but little that night; the full tide of memory, rushing in upon me,
brought back the hour of my return to Lisbon and the wreck of all my hopes,
which from the narrative of my servant I now perceived to be complete. I
dare not venture upon recording how many plans suggested themselves to my
troubled spirit, and were in turn rejected. To meet Lucy Dashwood; to make
a full and candid declaration; to acknowledge that flirtation alone with
Donna Inez (a mere passing, boyish flirtation) had given the coloring to
my innocent passion, and that in heart and soul I was hers, and hers
only,--this was m