ld advancing toward us a spare little figure with
snow-white hair and a pallid face. His small blue eyes blinked upon us
with a watery stare; his flabby cheeks were seamed with wrinkles, and
his tremulous lips twitched and writhed in the shadowy semblance of a
smile: there was naught about him to suggest either the soldier or the
man of parts.

He was attired with some pretension, in a doublet of purple velvet with
sleeves of a lighter color. His short, full trousers were garnished at
the knee with immense roses; his shrunken nether limbs were cased in
silken hose of a pale lavender hue, and silver buckles fastened the
tufted purple ribbons on his shoes. On his breast was the red cross of
St. James--patent of nobility; had it not been for that and his fine
attire he might have passed for a blear-eyed and decrepit tailor from
Haberdashery Lane.

I plucked up heart at the sight of this little manikin.

"Can this be the Governor and Captain-General of San Augustin?" I
whispered in the ear of my betrothed.

"'Tis not at the court of _our_ Charles only that kissing, or promotion,
goes by favour!" was his answer, in a quick aside. Then he met the
advancing dignitary and responded with grave punctilio to the suave
welcome that was accorded us.

Melinza's part was that of master of ceremonies on this occasion. He
appeared to have laid aside his rancour, and his handsome olive
countenance was lightened with an expression of great benignance when he
presented me to the Governor as--"_the honourable and distinguished
senorita Dona Margarita de Tudor_."

I looked up at Mr. Rivers with an involuntary smile.

"My betrothed, your Excellency," he said simply, taking me by the hand.

The blear-eyed Governor made me a compliment, with a wrinkled hand upon
his heart. I understood no word of it, and he spoke no French, so Mr.
Rivers relieved the situation with his usual ease.

This audience had been held in the courtyard of the castle, which is a
place of great strength,--being, in effect, a square fort built of
stone, covering about an acre of ground, and garrisoned by more than
three hundred men.

We stood in a little group beneath a dim lamp that hung in a carved
portico which appeared to be the entrance to a chapel. Captain Baulk and
the rest were a little aloof from us; and all around, at the open doors
of the casemates, lurked many of the swarthy soldiery.

Suddenly light footsteps sounded on the flagged pavement of the