"Now," Valentine said gaily, to change the conversation, "let us talk about business."
"Business!"
"By Jove!" the hunter said with a laugh, "it seems to me that, for the moment, what we have on hand is sufficiently important for us to trouble ourselves about it."
"That is true," Louis answered; "but can we, in the presence of this lady——"
"That is true: I did not think of that. I am so little accustomed to society, I trust the lady will pardon me."
"Permit me, gentlemen," she said with a smile: "a woman is often a good counsellor, and under present circumstances I believe I can be of some use to you."
"I do not doubt it," the hunter said politely; "but——"
"But you do not believe a word of it," she laughingly interrupted, her petulant character gaining the upper hand again. "However, you shall judge for yourselves."
"We are listening," the count said.
"My father is at this moment making great preparations: his object is to crush you before you are prepared to undertake a campaign. All the Indios Mansos capable of bearing arms are called out, and an extraordinary levy of troops is ordered through the whole of Sonora."