"She is his niece, and a very beautiful woman."
"If you were to ask me, I should say that I was more afraid of her than of him. Stand by and keep your eye open for squalls, would be my motto if I had to deal with her."
"You may be very sure that I will do that," I replied. "I think I know the length of her ladyship's foot."
I thought of the time we had spent together in the balcony of the Opera House, and how strangely her seriousness had affected me. It was difficult to believe that it had all been a mere piece of acting.
Half-an-hour or so later, when I had left the bridge and had walked aft, Fernandez made his appearance on deck.
"Good-morning, señor," I said, with a bow to him. "In compliment to you we are favoured with a delightful morning."
"Delightful indeed," he replied, throwing a glance over the stern. "We are well on our way, I suppose, and steering due north, I observe. Let me see, if I am not mistaken, that should be in the direction of——" Here he looked at me interrogatively, as if he expected me to answer his question.
"In the direction of New York, shall we say?" I answered. "If we continue as we are going long enough, I have no doubt we shall see the Goddess of Liberty holding her torch aloft."
"The illustration is scarcely a pleasing one," he returned, "since I am a prisoner. The Goddess of Liberty has not done very much for me. But there, nothing is to be gained by repining! I have been in worse positions than this before to-day, and have always managed to get out of them with some sort of credit to myself."
"I hope you may do so in this instance," I answered, "but not while I have the charge of you."