Lilith laughed, and answered:
“I suppose because he married my mother.”
The luncheon bell rang, and the baroness requested Señor Zuniga to give his arm to Mrs. Downie.
At this moment Monsieur Le Grange joined the group and was informally introduced to the Señor Zuniga.
The whole party then moved to the small salon, where the luncheon table was spread, and where Madame Von Bruyin’s liveried servants were in attendance.
The light meal passed off very pleasantly—the señor being more than usually brilliant in sparkling wit and anecdote.
Soon after their return to the drawing-room Zuniga took leave, pleading that he had to run down to Calais that night to catch the earliest boat to Dover, but that he hoped to be in Paris again within a few days.
As soon as he was gone the baroness was eloquent in his praise. She commended his dark beauty, grace, elegance of person, his brilliancy in conversation and so forth.
CHAPTER XX
UNEXPECTED MEETING AT A WEDDING
Within a week from the day of his departure the Señor Zuniga returned to Paris.