"You're the only person that hasn't, then," rejoined Owen. "Why, what can the garrison think, after the way you smuggled her in; what can she herself think, after all your attentions?" "Attentions, my dear boy;--the merest civility." "Oh,--ah! 'twas civility, I suppose, to squeeze her hand in the inn at Algeciras, in the way she told Juana of--and heaven knows what else you may have done during the flight. Juana is outrageous against you--actually called you a vile deceiver; but Carlota's feeling is more of sorrow than of anger. She is persuaded that nothing but your ignorance of Spanish has prevented your tongue from confirming what your looks have so faithfully promised. I was really quite affected to-day at the appealing look she cast on me after you left the room; she evidently expected me to communicate her destiny." My grandfather smoked hard. "Lots of fellows would give their ears for such a wife," pursued the Ensign. "Lovelace, the Governor's aide-de-camp, bribed the waiter of the hotel to lend him his apron to-day, at dinner, that he might come in and look at her--swears she's a splendid woman, and that he'd run away with such another to-morrow." Still my grandfather smoked hard, but said nothing, though there was a slight gleam of pride in his countenance. "Poor thing!" sighed Garry. "All her prospects blighted for ever. Swears she never can love another." At this my grandfather's eyes grew moist, and he coughed as if he had swallowed some tobacco-smoke. "And as for me, to have Juana at my lips, as it were, and yet not mine--for she's as inflexible as if she'd been born a Mede or Persian--to know that you are coming between me and happiness as surely as if you were an inexorable father or a cruel guardian--worse, indeed; for those might be evaded. Major, major, have you no compassion!--two days of this will drive me crazy." The Major changed his pipe from his right hand to his left, and, stretching the former across the table, sympathetically pressed that of the Ensign. "Do, Major," quoth Garry, changing his flank movement for a direct attack--"do consent to make yourself and me happy; do empower me to negotiate for our all going to church to-morrow." (My grandfather gave a little jump in his chair at this, as if he were sitting on a pin.) "I'll manage it all, you shan't have the least trouble in the matter." My grandfather spoke not. "Silence gives consent," said the Ensign, rising. "Come, now, if you don't forbid me, I'll depart on my embassy at once; you needn't speak, I'll spare your blushes. I see this delay has only been from modesty, or perhaps a little ruse on your part. Once, twice, thrice,--I go." And he vanished.