he lower river were
ideal to southern-born persons like my companions, though the fervid
sunrays on the water darkened Don Pedro's aristocratic face to a coffee
brown, and burned my ruddy complexion until it presented one unvaried
expanse of brick red.

When not at work, Chita was accustomed to doze, uncovered, in the full
blaze, mumbling in answer to my repeated warnings, that it would take a
lifetime of basking to draw the fog and wet of England and my country
from her bones. But she took great care that her mistress should never
venture out into the sun-glare unmasked. Though the senorita could
endure the heat as well as herself, there was always the senorita's
complexion to be considered.

CHAPTER XI

GENERAL WILKINSON

By tacit agreement, throughout our long voyage no mention had been made
of its purpose since the evening of our visit with the Blennerhassets.
Intimate as had been my relations with Alisanda and her uncle, it was
not the part of an honorable man to receive confidences bearing on Don
Pedro's plans, until I had seen General Wilkinson and learned whether
Colonel Burr's test of influence would stand. Unless committed to the
furtherance of the far-reaching projects which the Colonel had outlined
to me, I felt that I had no right to share the secrets of the scheme.

In compliance with my wish, Don Pedro had refrained from all allusion to
the subject, going so far as seldom to mention his home and country. In
consequence, this being Alisanda's first voyage to New Spain, I learned
so little of their plans that when we landed at Natchez I knew only that
they expected to sail from New Orleans to Vera Cruz, and from there to
travel either by _diligencia_ or private coach to a town named
Chihuahua, in the desert interior, where the don was possessed of a
great estate. Even of the nature and customs of the country I had
gathered few facts to add to the vague information acquired in past
years from the Spanish Creoles.

But with our approach to Natchez, that which had been least in my
thoughts became the uppermost. General Wilkinson was at Natchez, and the
nature of his response to my letters from Colonel Burr was a matter of
vital importance to me. A few days after our arrival would bring about
my inevitable parting from Alisanda. If that parting took place without
the knitting of new ties for the future, what hope had I of ever again
looking into the depths of her dark eyes?

But should the Comm