"Who served and adored their ladies!" I added. She glanced about at her uncle, who was entering through the middle room. "_Madre de los Dolores!_" she called. "These physicians! Pray, reassure him, my uncle. He is convinced I shall suffer a chill." "Not after the precautions I have taken," I rejoined with professional gravity as I rose. "The wonder is that Senorita Vallois has so long survived the sudden changes of our seaboard climate. I know little of temperatures abroad, but on this side of the Atlantic these thin Empire gowns are sheer murder." "Granted," replied the senor. "Yet as a physician you have doubtless long since learned the futility of arguing the cut or material of a gown with a woman." "Only too well, senor! Fortunately every day will now carry us both nearer a milder climate and nearer the Summer. Your chests are all aboard?" "All. And yours, senor?" "Mine will be waiting on the wharf at Pittsburg. We will put in for it as we drift past." "It is well," he replied. I moved toward the outer door. "A moment, if you please, doctor. We voyage together many leagues. Among my friends I am addressed as Don Pedro." "And I as Alisanda," added the senorita gayly. Her uncle raised his brows, but said nothing. She called toward the inner door, "Chita!--Chita!" The woman appeared, and at a sign from her mistress, crossed toward me. "Dr. Robinson, you have not before met my faithful Chita, because she was ill and had to be left in Philadelphia when we went to Washington. Chita, this is he of whom I spoke." The woman courtesied with a grace which belied her stout figure, her beady eyes riveted upon my face. When she straightened I ventured to surmise from the half smile which hovered about her hard mouth that if she was not already well-disposed toward me, she was at least not an enemy. "It is well," said Don Pedro. "All well--and ready to cast off," I added. "If the senorita--" "Alisanda!" she corrected, with a flashing glance. "If--Alisanda is quite warm, she may wish to witness the event." "I will join you immediately," she responded. With that I led Don Pedro out to the steer-oar and showed him how to hold it to aid in bringing us about. As our craft lay in a slow eddy, I had no difficulty in casting off. The townfolk and shipyard workers were far too busy with the rush of the Spring shipping to give heed to so common an event as the departure of a flat. But it was enough to call out all my skill and strength that I thrust off under the eyes of Alisanda. A side shove from the prow, and a rear thrust from the inner corner of the stern as the prow swung out, cleared us from the wharf and sent us gliding out aslant the eddy. The river was in such full flood that the bottom, even alongside the wharf, was beyond poling depth. But I called Don Pedro to aid me with the sweeps, and a few long strokes carried us out into the swirling current of midstream.