As the journey had made me rather excited, I took no part in the rejoicings which were kept up through the night; but after breakfast the Indians took their departure, and the noise of their cheering might have been heard at the other end of the town. "It's rather rough on you, Jack," laughed my father, coming into my room; "but now you will have a chance of a little quiet." "I am not sure of that," observed my mother, who was looking from a window: "here are two cavaliers crossing the park. By the way they ride, I should say they are Englishmen." "Is one a big, handsome man?" I asked. "Well, yes, he is certainly big!" "That is O'Brien, then; and the other most probably is the colonel." I was not mistaken. In a short time Colonel Miller and his friend were in the room, and each in turn shook me heartily by the hand. "We hardly expected to see you again so soon," said the colonel, laughing. "We thought Canterac had taken a fancy to your company. I hope there is no permanent injury to the foot?" "Oh no, colonel; only I shan't be able to do any more mountain climbing yet awhile." "There's none to do," broke in O'Brien; "we've taken to dancing instead." "I shall not be able even to join in that for some time." "No? What a pity! We are enjoying ourselves immensely, though it seems rather an odd way of carrying on a war." "The general perhaps considers that his troops require rest," suggested my mother. "Even so, staying here is a great mistake," said the colonel. "We are giving the Royalists time to recover their strength, and we shall suffer for it later on. Unfortunately the general appears to think that Lima is Peru." "Not the general only," remarked my father; "many of his officers would be sorry to exchange Lima for the mountains." "That is so," admitted O'Brien frankly. "The truth of the matter is, the citizens have treated us too well. They have made us so comfortable that we wish to stay here as long as possible." "In that case," said my mother, smiling, "we must steel our hearts against you." "And drive us into the wilderness again!" laughed O'Brien gaily. "Senora, you will not be so cruel?" "I will not begin to-day," she replied merrily, "because I hope you will stay and dine with us. To-morrow--" "Ah! let us think of to-morrow when it comes; to-day we will enjoy ourselves." "A pleasant creed," remarked my father, "though more often than not it leads to ruin. I shall begin to think you are falling a victim to our South American vice." "What is that?" "Never to do to-day what can be put off till to-morrow." "That is exactly what we are doing," remarked the colonel, "and I quite agree with you that it is not a paying game, especially in time of war. A chance once missed never presents itself again." "An excellent reason for accepting Donna Maria's gracious invitation," laughed O'Brien. "Colonel, I congratulate you on your powers of argument."