“You are aware that she has done me the honour to promise to be my wife?”
“Oh yes. She herself told me. But——”
He interrupted with a wave of the hand. “One moment. It has been suggested to me to-night that your present visit is in some respects a result of that meeting?”
I smiled. “Considering that I have been only two days in the city there appears to be a tremendous amount of interest in my movements and actions.”
“You have proposed that we should see something of each other in a friendly way, Mr. Donnington, and I should be glad of your assurance that there is no truth in the suggestion?”
“Really, really!” I protested laughing again.
“Pardon my frankness, but I wish to know where we stand.”
“You are not serious, of course?”
“Indeed I am. And I must press the point.”
“Well, really, I can’t take such a thing seriously at all, Major Sampayo. You are naturally at liberty to entertain any ideas you wish as to my presence in Lisbon. But I am greatly astonished that you should have even broached such a subject.”