“I’m awfully obliged to you, Greenie,” he said, “for dancing so much with my Dulzura. It was kind and considerate. I knew you wouldn’t make love and talk nonsense to her as some of the officers tried to do.”
“Oh no,” said Jill, with his quiet smile, “we talked nothing but politics, I assure you, and discussed the future prospects of the South Sea Islanders.”
“Do you like her, Greenie?”
“Assuredly.”
“Love, of course, is out of the question?”
“Certainly.”
“Well, you’ll be glad to know that she and I get on famously together. The worst of it is that she can’t talk much English, and I don’t know much Spanish. But she is going to teach me. About a fortnight will make me perfect.”
“About a fortnight, Peter,” I said in some surprise. “Why the boat for Monte Video comes round the day after to-morrow.”
“Ah! yes, but I’m not going in her. Neither are you nor Greenie here. That’s what I came to speak about.”
“Well, heave round. I’ll be glad to hear what you have to say.”