A plate was laid for myself opposite His Excellency's, and we sat down in civilized fashion to a meal which would have graced the table of the richest Spanish creole in all Louisiana. There were trout from the neighboring streams, a variety of meats and fowl, good wheaten bread altogether unlike the unappetizing corn tortillas of the commonfolk, chocolate and dulces, fine raisins from the Paso del Norte, and a bottle or two of most excellent wine.
Throughout our repast His Excellency addressed himself to me as one gentleman to another, so that I found myself continually in a stress of excitement between apprehension and hope. Our conversation was for the most part directed to European topics, dwelling much, as must every discussion of transatlantic affairs, upon the career of that most marvellous of men, the Emperor of the French.
But with the wine and the cigarros, His Excellency seemed to recollect for the first time the small but none the less important affairs of our own personal concern.
"I begin to be convinced, señor physician, that you are indeed a man of genteel breeding," he said. "If, however, you will pardon the remark, I have grave doubt whether a Frenchman of your education would commit so many errors in the use of his native language."
I smiled. "Mon Dieu! Your Excellency, we of St. Louis have not the facilities for visiting la belle France possessed by our fellow creoles of New Orleans. It is a century or more since my ancestors came to the New World."
"And you have dwelt much among the Anglo-Americans," he insinuated.
"It is true," I replied with candor. "I obtained my diploma as a physician from the college of Columbia in the city of New York."
He stiffened with a sudden return of austerity. "Señor, I no longer doubt that you are a caballero—a gentleman. I will not press you to confess your ulterior motive in coming into the domains of His Most Catholic Majesty. Yet, if you carry secret documents (I am disinclined to have you searched), I ask you to give me your word whether or not you carry such despatches."
"Your Excellency," I answered, "I give you my word that I do not. The documents I handed over into Your Excellency's keeping were all I brought with me."
"Satanas!" he cried, his face flushing with sudden violent anger. "Such duplicity! Such treachery!"