Eugenia's brother.

In answer to our inquiries he informed us that he would be quite willing
to convey us to Port Royal, and to land us safely there, in
consideration of the sum of one hundred dollars, to be paid to him
within six hours of our arrival, with the proviso that we should
guarantee him against capture during the entire trip, the said sum of
one hundred dollars to cover everything, provisions included, and to
entitle us to the sole use of the felucca's cabin during the passage
across. These terms we considered exceedingly reasonable, and upon
inquiring of him when he would be ready to sail, and being informed that
he could start at any moment, we at once closed the bargain. That
matter satisfactorily settled we determined upon leaving forthwith,
since there was nothing to detain us; and it was then arranged, upon
Juan's suggestion, that instead of making our way into town and boarding
the felucca in harbour, we should avoid all risk of capture by taking
our departure from a little cove about three miles to the westward of
the castle, the felucca calling off the place about nine o'clock that
night and sending her boat ashore for us.

As may be supposed, the conclusion of these arrangements threw us all
into a state of such excitement that it was quite impossible to think
further of work. Courtenay and I therefore hastily put the workshop
into something like decent order, wrote a joint note to the commandant--
which we left conspicuously displayed on the workshop table--wherein we
expressed our most sincere thanks for all the kindness he had shown us,
and begged that he would not think too hardly of us for seizing upon an
opportunity which had presented itself for our escape.

Now I am painfully aware that--keeping in view our exceeding
youthfulness--any reference which it may be necessary for me to make to
the mutual attachment subsisting between myself and Dona Inez is liable
to be received with a certain amount of gentle ridicule and incredulity.
But in deprecating any such reception of my confidential communications
I will only say that we ourselves were thoroughly in earnest, and that
the prospect of our speedy separation reduced us both to a condition of
the keenest anguish and despair. The luncheon hour passed unheededly
by, and it was not until the deepening shadows warned us of approaching
night that we reluctantly turned our steps castleward, to complete the
very trifling preparations necessary