The young man turned just about that time, and there was no mistaking the ardent glance he directed toward the fair Peruvian. I fancied that her face softened a bit, too.
She resumed her normal composure as she said to Lockwood, "You will excuse me, I know. Father is tired of the music. I think I will take him for a turn down the boardwalk. If you can join us in our rooms in an hour or so, may we see you!" she asked, with another significant glance at Kennedy.
Craig had barely time to reply that we should be delighted before she was gone. Evidently she did not dare let her father get very far out of her sight.
We sat for a few moments smoking and chatting with Lockwood.
"What is the curse of Mansiche?" asked Kennedy at length.
"Oh, I don't know," returned Lockwood, impatiently flicking the ashes from his cigar, as though such stories had no interest for the practical mind of an engineer. "Some old superstition. I don't know much about the story; but I do know that there is treasure in that great old Chimu mound near Truxillo, and that Don Luis has got us the government concession to bore into it, if we can only raise the capital to carry it out."
Kennedy showed no disposition to leave the academic and become interested in the thing from the financial standpoint, and the conversation dragged.
"I beg pardon," apologized Lockwood at length, "but I have some very important letters that I must get off before the mail closes. I'll see you, I presume, when the Señorita and Don Luis come back?"
Kennedy nodded. In fact, I think he was rather glad of the opportunity to look things over unhampered.