Upon which assurance Mrs Courtney returned to her own room, to promise her daughter that she should never again be subjected to her cast-off lover’s appeals or reproaches; and the following morning De Courcelles watched their palanquins leaving Beauregard, from the shelter of the oleander thicket. A few hours after, he walked as usual into the presence of his employer. When the day’s business had been disposed of, the overseer rose to go, but Mr Courtney detained him. ‘Take a chair for a few minutes, De Courcelles, I have something of importance to say to you. You may remember a brief conversation that took place between us a few weeks back, on the occasion of Miss Courtney’s illness. I warned you that it would be wise to keep your admiration of her within bounds, and you assured me that you had done so. My wife tells me a different story. She says that Maraquita is both distressed and annoyed by your evident predilection for her, and I cannot have my daughter annoyed. Therefore I think it is best that we should part.’ Mr Courtney was an honest man by nature, unused to _finesse_ or intrigue of any kind, and he had quite forgotten his wife’s caution with respect to introducing Quita’s name as a reason for the overseer’s dismissal. He had gone straight at his fences, and the leap was over. Henri de Courcelles flushed dark crimson as the subject was thus openly mentioned to him. ‘I am quite unaware how I can have annoyed Miss Courtney,’ he replied. ‘I have not even seen her since her recovery.’ ‘Is that the case?’ demanded the planter. ‘Then perhaps it was before. But anyway, as she is so shortly to be married to the Governor of San Diego, you must see the propriety of discontinuing any false hopes you may have entertained concerning her.’ ‘Miss Courtney’s engagement is, then, a settled thing?’ said De Courcelles bitterly. ‘Certainly, and the wedding-day is fixed for the fourteenth of next month. My daughter will soon rank as the highest lady in the island, and any kindness which, as a young and thoughtless girl, she may have shown you (or any other friend) in the past, must not form any pretension for claiming to be on familiar terms with the Governor’s wife, or Sir Russell Johnstone might resent it as an insult.’ ‘I understand you perfectly, sir, and Lady Johnstone need fear no recognition of any claims I may have had upon Miss Courtney, from me.’ ‘_Claims!_ I do not understand the term, De Courcelles. What _claims_ could you possibly have upon my daughter? You are forgetting yourself. Miss Courtney can never have been anything to you but a gracious young mistress and friend.’ ‘That is how it may be, sir. Miss Courtney knows her own secrets best, and doubtless she has chosen wisely in electing to become the wife of the Governor. Rank and position cover a multitude of sins.’