Giron immediately agreed that it was nothing, nothing.

"Look out, my aunt, as we start; that will be compensation," said
Adolfo.

Madam Giron not only looked out, but she came down to the landing. She
was a handsome woman still, though portly; she had dark eyes of a
charming expression, and shining black hair elaborately braided. When
she was dressed for a visit she had a waist. On ordinary occasions it
lapped over the band more or less. She was good-nature itself, and now
stood on the bank smiling, wearing a gown of rather shapeless aspect,
which was, however, short enough to show a pair of very pretty Spanish
feet incased in neat little black slippers. She had already forgotten
the idle fields in her pride at the fine appearance of the rowers. "A
good voyage!" she said.

The boat, with the eight negroes sitting close together, was low in the
water as it started off. The stern seemed higher; any place where Torres
sat always seemed higher.

Reaching Gracias, he landed at the water-steps of the plaza, and leaving
the boat waiting below, went to the residence of the Kirbys--an old
white house in a large garden. Dr. Reginald, for the moment, was out.
Torres signified that he would return, and making his way with his stiff
gait to one of the side streets, he walked up and down for twenty
minutes, beguiling the time (as all his phrases for the interview were
definitely arranged, and he did not wish to disturb them) by trying to
translate a sign which was nailed on a low coquina house near.

CHRISTOBAL REY,

TONSORIAL ARTIST.

N.B.--CLEAN TOWELS. SATISFACTION
GUARANTEED.

Having thus employed the interval (and still at "Tonsorial" in his
attempted translation), he returned to the Kirby homestead.

The Doctor was now in, and received him courteously. Torres, standing in
the centre of the room, hat in hand, his feet drawn together at the
heels, made (after several opening sentences of ceremony which he had
constructed with care at home) his formal demand.

The Doctor had always got on very well with Torres by replying to him in
English; any chance remark would do. Torres listened to the remark with
respect, understanding no more of it than the Doctor had understood of
the Spanish sentence which had preceded it. Then, after due pause, the
Cuban would say something more in his own tongue. And the Doctor would
again reply in English. In this way they had had, when they happened to
meet,