Christmas had been a quiet, sedate feast in the nature of a Sunday. We left just as the premonitory signs of the rainy season were making themselves apparent.
St. Nivel's friends, the American attachés, told him that we were well out of it, as the rains were torrential.
Dolores and I commenced the journey with much satisfaction; up to the last we had feared that Don Juan might have altered his mind and left his daughter at home, but I think the old gentleman began to understand, if he thought about it at all, that if he left Dolores behind, he would also have to leave me too.
Our departure was on the morrow of a great banquet, given by Don Juan to many of the notabilities of Valoro in our honour.
It was one of the grandest dinners I was ever present at, and the display of ladies' dresses and jewels would have done credit to a court function at home. But I think the sweet simple beauty of Dolores and my cousin Ethel took the palm. On this occasion I took in to dinner a grave and important donna with a distinct beard and moustache. I was told that she was a model of piety and that all—or nearly all—pious old ladies in Aquazilia had beards and moustaches!
Dolores sat opposite me on this occasion, and the way in which a young military attaché of Brazil paid her attention under my very nose, stamped him at once in my estimation, with his curled-up moustache, as a mere puppy!
I am sure Dolores thought so too, although she did listen to his trashy conversation, because when we were saying "good-night"—hastily under one of the big palms on the terrace—oh! if he could have seen us—she told me with her two dear arms round my neck that she only loved me, and I was not to look so jealous another time at a dinner-party, but talk to my partner whether she had a beard and moustache or not. Just as if I could look jealous and of such a man!
And so we left Aquazilia behind with its sunshine and lavish hospitality, and took ship again—the dear old Oceana—for our own foggy island, which I did not much relish returning to in February.
But Dolores was with me and she made sunshine everywhere.
We had been a fortnight on our return voyage, when an incident occurred which filled me with surprise and concern.