Their entertainment was not lavish. The Governor of Caraccas was too wily a fellow to make a parade of his wealth before so dangerous an envoy. But the society was certainly urbane and pleasing after that of shipboard and the buccaneers; and the old Spaniard, from behind his studied courtesies, saw plainly enough what was going on, and was content to leave Donna Clotilde to do battle with the invader on his behalf. The visitor was clearly infatuated.
Still, what Prince Rupert, a man of the utmost daring, could have seen in such a little doll of a woman, it was hard to discover. And, astonishing to relate, Donna Clotilde made no attempt to set herself right in his eyes. She openly quaked when a door was slammed, and ingenuously confessed that the sight of drawn steel would make her faint; and yet the poor secretary, who watched from afar with heart afire, could have sworn the Prince loved her, and was forced to hear his rhapsodies when they were alone, and (more cruel still) was made many times the porter of presents and the bearer of love messages.
But a fine revenge was in store, and the secretary can gloat over it to this day, though at the time it was like to have cost the pair of them their necks. The secretary in his misery had gone out into the gardens of the palace, and had lain down behind some shrubs to be alone with grief. It was night, and the place was dark but for the stars and the faint flashings of the fireflies; and presently who should come up but these two lovers, and seat themselves within earshot, and be talking before the listener could move!
"But they tell me," quoth the lady, "that your country is a place of fogs, Don Tomaso, and that the sun never shines there."
"It would be perpetual sunshine for me, querida, if you came to England," said the Prince.
"And the people fight. The mere talk of war gives me the megrims."
"Were you in England, the fighting would end. Let them but see you once, and they never would do aught to cause you pain."
"The good people, it is said, too, wear mighty uncomely clothes."
"For this many a year they have been wearying for you to come and lead their taste."
"La! Don Tomaso," said the lady, "you do flatter me. I wonder if all buccaneers are as pretty of tongue?"