Akin to the treatment of the troopers in hall and kitchen, but on a nobler scale, was the treatment of Lieutenant Butler and Cornet O’Rourke in the dining-room. For them a well-roasted turkey took the place of kid, and Souza went down himself to explore the cellars for a well-sunned, time-ripened Douro table wine which he vowed--and our dragoons agreed with him--would put the noblest Burgundy to shame; and then with the dessert there was a Port the like of which Mr. Butler--who was always of a nice taste in wine, and who was coming into some knowledge of Port from his residence in the country--had never dreamed existed. For four and twenty hours the dragoons abode at Mr. Bearsley’s quinta, thanking God for the discomforts that had brought them to such comfort, feasting in this land of plenty as only those can feast who have kept a rigid Lent. Nor was this all. The benign Souza was determined that the sojourn there of these representatives of his country’s deliverers should be a complete rest and holiday. Not for Mr. Butler to journey to the uplands in this matter of a herd of bullocks. Fernando Souza had at command a regiment of labourers, who were idle at this time of year, and whom his good nature would engage on behalf of his English guests. Let the lieutenant do no more than provide the necessary money for the cattle, and the rest should happen as by enchantment--and Souza himself would see to it that the price was fair and proper. The lieutenant asked no better. He had no great opinion of himself either as cattle dealer or cattle drover, nor did his ambitions beget in him any desire to excel as one or the other. So he was well content that his host should have the bullocks fetched to Regoa for him. The herd was driven in on the following afternoon, by when the rain had ceased, and our lieutenant had every reason to be pleased when he beheld the solid beasts procured. Having disbursed the amount demanded--an amount more reasonable far than he had been prepared to pay--Mr. Butler would have set out forthwith to return to Pinhel, knowing how urgent was the need of the division and with what impatience the choleric General Craufurd would be awaiting him. “Why, so you shall, so you shall,” said the priestly, soothing Souza. “But first you’ll dine. There is good dinner--ah, but what good dinner!--that I have order. And there is a wine--ah, but you shall give me news of that wine.” Lieutenant Butler hesitated. Cornet O’Rourke watched him anxiously, praying that he might succumb to the temptation, and attempted suasion in the form of a murmured blessing upon Souza’s hospitality. “Sir Robert will be impatient,” demurred the lieutenant. “But half-hour,” protested Souza. “What is half-hour? And in half-hour you will have dine.” “True,” ventured the cornet; “and it’s the devil himself knows when we may dine again.” “And the dinner is ready. It can be serve this instant. It shall,” said Souza with finality, and pulled the bell-rope.