"And Marcelino was bashful and dared not talk to her in English," said Dolores.
"She talks Spanish as well as you do, so why should I?" said Marcelino.
"You must ride every day while you are here," said Evaña. "When you are strong enough to ride there she will teach you English better than Gordon can."
"As soon as I am strong enough I shall have something else to do," said Marcelino; "I am going into harness. I suppose you don't know the last news. Juan Carlos is going to Spain and I am to take his place at the Consulado."
"Juan Carlos going to Spain!" said Evaña. "What is he going there for?"
"Papa arranged it all," said Dolores. "As a reward for Marcelino's bravery last year the Council of the Indies sent out to him an appointment 'for his son' to a very high post at Cadiz. Of course it was intended for Marcelino, but he won't go, so papa accepted it for Juan Carlos. We did all we could to persuade Marcelino, but it was no use, I don't think even if you had been here you could have persuaded him, and it is too late now."
"You seem very anxious to get rid of me, Lola," said Marcelino.
"You know I am not. But I can't make out what could make you refuse such an honour as that."
"I may perhaps be of some use to my own country at the Consulado, and Juan Carlos wishes to visit Europe."
"Use! you might be of more use in Spain. Papa says that in a few years you might have been in the council yourself, then you would have been one of the rulers of Spanish America, and you might have come here again as Viceroy. Juan Carlos is not as clever as you are, he will never be Viceroy."