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ajor ate his first guana steak. "Gentlemen, here is an ortolan pie. I can recommend it--the birds are in season." "Reed-birds, by Jove!" said the major, recognising his favourite dish. An incredible number of these creatures disappeared in an incredibly short time. The dinner dishes were at length removed, and dessert followed: cakes and creams, and jellies of various kinds, and blancmange, and a profusion of the most luxurious fruits. The golden orange, the ripe pine, the pale-green lime, the juicy grape, the custard-like cherimolla, the zapote, the granadilla, the pitahaya, the tuna, the mamay; with dates, figs, almonds, plantains, bananas, and a dozen other species of fruits, piled upon salvers of silver, were set before us: in fact, every product of the tropical clime that could excite a new nerve of the sense of taste. We were fairly astonished at the profusion of luxuries that came from no one knew where. "Come, gentlemen, try a glass of curacoa. Senor Coronel, allow me the pleasure." "Sir, your very good health." "Senor Coronel, would you prefer a glass of Majorca?" "Thank you." "Or perhaps you would choose _Pedro Ximenes_. I have some very old _Pedro Ximenes_." "Either, my dear Don Cosme--either." "Bring both, Ramon; and bring a couple of bottles of the Madeira--_sello verde_," (green seal). "As I am a Christian, the old gentleman's a conjuror!" muttered the major, now in the best humour possible. "I wish he would conjure up something else than his infernal wine bottles," thought I, becoming impatient at the non-appearance of the ladies. "_Cafe_, Senores?" A servant entered. Coffee was handed round in cups of Sevres china. "You smoke, gentlemen? Would you prefer a Havanna? Here are some sent me from Cuba by a friend. I believe they are good; or, if you would amuse yourself with a cigaritto, here are Campeacheanos. These are the country cigars--_puros_, as we call them. I would not recommend them." "A Havanna for me," said the major, helping himself at the same time to a fine-looking "regalia." I had fallen into a somewhat painful reverie. I began to fear that, with all his hospitality, the Mexican would allow us to depart without an introduction to his family; and I had conceived a strong desire to speak with the two lovely beings whom I had already seen, but more particularly with the brunette, whose looks and actions had deeply impressed me. So strange i
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