“We will leave that to you,” replied Sheridan. “You know the ropes in this ship, and we don’t.”
“I think we will go first to the royal palace; and we had better take a berlina, as they call it here.”
“A berlina? Is it a pill?” asked Murray.
“No; it is a carriage,” laughed the doctor. “Do you see that one with a tin sign on the corner, with ‘se alquila’ painted on it? That means that the vehicle is not engaged.”
The berlina was called, and the party were driven down the Calla del Arenal to the palace. It is a magnificent building, one of the finest in Europe, towering far above every thing else in the city. It is the most sightly structure in Madrid. In front of it is the Plaza del Oriente, and in the rear are extensive gardens, reaching down to the Manzanares. On the right of it are the royal stables, and on the left is the royal armory.
“When I was in Madrid, in the time of the late queen, no one was admitted to the palace because some vandal tourists had damaged the frescos and marbles,” said Dr. Winstock. “But for the last year it has been opened. Your uniform and my passport will open the doors to us.”
“What has the uniform to do with it?” asked Murray.
“A uniform is generally respected in Europe; for it indicates that those who wear it hold some naval or military office.”
“We don’t hold any such office,” added Sheridan.
“But you are officers of a very respectable institution.”