By this time Dona Maria was able to speak for herself; and Scott thought she had a very musical voice, though, as she spoke in Portuguese, he could not understand a word she said. The gallop in that uncomfortable position must have jarred her frame considerably. The grooms came up, and took charge of the horses.
“Young gentleman, I owe you very great thanks for the service you have rendered to my daughter and to me,” said Don Roderigue, extending his hand to the lieutenant.
“Don’t mention it, sir,” exclaimed Scott, laughing at the earnestness of the grateful father. “We were on the top of that pico, and I saw this road leading down to the stable. When the horse started, I thought it likely, as he turned the first corner, that he would make for the place where he got his oats; and I took a short cut over here. I happened to be just in the nick of time for business.”
Scott jabbered this off as fast as he could, while he blushed like a red rose, apparently to interrupt the flow of grateful expressions to which the gentleman was disposed to give utterance. When he had finished his explanation of the manner in which he had happened to save the young lady from a greater disaster, she walked up to him, with a sweet smile on her face, and extended her hand to him. He could not do less than take it, though he felt and looked very sheepish about it. Almost any of the officers of the squadron who had passed the age of sixteen would have been delighted to take such a little hand as that; but there was not one in the whole crowd who was so little of a lady’s man as Scott. When he took the pretty hand, Maria spoke to him in Portuguese, and shook his great paw.
“Those are my sentiments exactly; and I couldn’t have said it half as well myself,” he replied, with a broad grin on his face.
“Speak to him in English, Maria: he does not understand you,” interposed Don Roderigue.
“I shall thank you very much for what you have did for me,” said she laughing, perhaps because Scott did, or perhaps at the quality of her own English.
Scott bowed, touched his cap, and turned red again. He was very anxious to have the subject changed, and insisted that Madeira was a fine country.
“I say I shall tank you ver much for what you have did for me,” repeated she, evidently a little vexed.
“Don’t mention it. This is a delightful climate you have here in Madeira,” stammered Scott.