"And what promise was that?" he asked suspiciously.
"You gave me your most positive assurance that no violence of any sort should be used towards the man who is now in your power!"
"And I am not aware that I have said that any violence would be used," he answered angrily. "What makes you think that I want to harm him? Didn't I tell you that my only desire is to keep him out of harm's way until I have once more grasped the reins of government in Equinata? Your part of the business is finished, and to-morrow I will pay you the reward I promised you. Hand me up that quinine, there's a good fellow. I've suffered agonies from this cursed fever for the last three days. It's just my luck to be struck down just at the moment when it is necessary for me to be most active!"
I helped him to a dose of the medicine.
"Where will you live during the time you are here?" he asked at last. "Ashore or on board the yacht?"
"I should prefer the yacht if——"
"If you thought you could depend on my not knocking those miserable beggars on the head in the meantime, I suppose? Come, come," he continued with a laugh, "if you go on like this, I shall begin to think that the ex-President's niece has proved herself more dangerous than I at first imagined."
Then, doubtless seeing from my face that he was venturing on dangerous ground, he made haste to appease me.
"Don't take offence at a harmless jest, my dear fellow," he said. "You know very well I don't mean it."
Then, vowing that he was too ill to talk any more just then, he bade me good-bye, promising to see me on the morrow, if I would come up. Before I went, however, I had a proposition to make to him. I did not like to leave the Señorita in his hands, so I begged that he would allow her to return to the yacht, giving as an excuse the plea that she would enjoy greater comfort there.