“With despatches, perhaps?” I remarked, with the same tone of indifference.
“No, Señhor; she came to convey Don Lopez y Geloso, the Spanish ambassador, back to Madrid.”
“And is he on board of her now?” screamed I, in a perfect paroxysm of terror. “Is she too?”
“He embarked about an hour ago, with his bride and suite,” said the astonished banker, who evidently was not quite sure of his guest's sanity.
Overwhelmed by these tidings, which gave at once the death-blow to all my plans, I could not speak, but sat down upon a seat, my gaze fixed upon the vessel which carried all my dearest hopes.
“You probably desired to see his Excellency before he sailed?” said the banker, timidly, after waiting a long time in the expectation that I would speak.
“Most anxiously did I desire it,” said I, shrouding my sorrow under an affectation of important state solicitude.
“What a misfortune,” exclaimed he, “that you should have missed him! In all likelihood, had you seen him, he would have agreed to our terms.”
“You are right,” said I, shaking my head sententiously, and neither guessing nor caring what he alluded to.
“So that he would have accepted the guarantee,” exclaimed the banker, with increased excitement.