is not improving."

Very pleasantly passed the remainder of the journey, through a country
beautiful and fertile. Everywhere we saw traces of vineyards and
cultivated lands. Here and there oxen were ploughing. Often we saw them
thrashing out the rice. Many an old and picturesque well stood out
surrounded by trellis-work covered with vine-leaves. But the vines were
not festooned after the picturesque manner of North Italy, where you
walk under the trellis and pluck the grapes that hang in rich clusters.
Here the vines are trained on sticks or grow like currant bushes, and as
in Germany, lose their beauty.

A single field will produce at the same time fruit-trees, almond or
olive, corn and grapes, all mingling their beauty and perfume. We passed
a multitude of orange and lemon groves with all their deep, rich, sheeny
verdure. Nuts and olives, almonds and carobs abounded. Many a palm-tree
added its Oriental grace to the landscape. The whole country seemed to
revel in sunshine and blue skies. At Saguntum, that town of the
ancients, the heights were crowned by walls, fortresses and castles,
imperishable outlines grey with the lapse of centuries.

As it chanced we were all bound for Valencia. Our interesting bride and
bridegroom were staying there one night and continuing their journey the
next day. The priest was to spend a week there.

"I have a proposal to make," said de la Torre, as we neared the capital.
"We telegraphed for rooms and ordered dinner in our sitting-room. You
three gentlemen must join us. It will only be adding three covers--an
effort the chef will be equal to."

"Let me add my persuasions," added Countess de la Torre graciously and
gracefully. "Remember we have been united a whole week and are quite an
old married couple. You would give us great pleasure."

But this, strongly supported by de Nevada the priest, we felt bound to
decline. It would have been cruel to intrude so long upon a tete-a-tete
which just now must form the delight of their existence.

"I must be obdurate," said the priest. "In the first place your delicate
paradise food--which no doubt consists of crystallised fruits and
butterflies' wings--would be wasted upon three hungry travellers
dwelling without the enchanted gates. But let us compromise. We are all
staying at the same hotel. We three unappropriated blessings will dine
together, and after that we will come and take our coffee and Chartreuse
with you, remaining exactly one