“Who in the name of all the saints can she be?” he wonders.
At his audacious toast the lady draws herself away quite hurriedly, with a subdued ejaculation, partly of surprise, partly of hauteur. A moment after she laughs the laugh of youth, enchanting, bewitching; and remarks: “Such toasts will draw upon you the wrath of my duenna.”
“Your duenna! She is not here!”
“Oh, yes. She has been present during our whole journey. My awful duenna lies on the seat immediately in front of you. The smell of powder always makes the Countess de Pariza faint. She always becomes insensible when her ward is in greatest danger. At the first fire by the Beggars of the Sea she fainted comfortably away, and has been insensible ever since. When we arrive at Antwerp she will probably have her sharp eyes open.”
“Then before they do open tell me about yourself,” whispers Guy gallantly, for he can now devote a little of his time to the lady, into whose face he would look with admiring eyes did the darkness permit.
“First tell me about yourself,” she answers a little hurriedly, a tone of interest in her voice that pleases [[24]]the young gentleman. “The more I know about you the better I can aid you to become a colonel. What is your name?”
“Call me Captain Guido,” murmurs Chester in his tenderest voice.
“No other name?”
“I cannot give you my other name. I am absent from my regiment without leave.”
“Then it will be very difficult to promote you,” laughs the lady. Next she says: “But since you will not trust me with your name, tell me something about your former life.”