"Forget! never!" said Gordon. "These last two years have been the happiest in my life so far. Wherever I go I shall look upon this country as my second home, and shall long for the day when I can return to it and to you."
"Then you will come back?" asked Dolores eagerly.
"That is my firm purpose. As yet I am only a subaltern and must rejoin my regiment, but when the war is over I shall come back; I shall have one great joy if the 71st has the luck to be ordered on active service, that in my next campaign I shall be fighting for you and not against you."
"Do not forget to say that in your speech at the banquet to-morrow," said Marcelino. "Are you clever at making speeches?"
"I never made one in my life," replied Gordon.
"Then if you do not prepare one you will simply say two words and sit down again, and every one will be disappointed."
"I hope I shall manage to say something more than two words, I ought to after all the kindness I have received, but of a set speech I am incapable."
"Without preparation that is very probable; but if I were to write down for you some hints, you could easily make them into a speech. You may safely say things that none of us dare to say, such as I have often heard you say in intimate conversation. You will be the only Englishman present."
"That is a fact, and I will speak out boldly as an Englishman just what I think, but in preparing my speech some hints from you might be of service to me."
"I will go and write them out for you at once," said Marcelino, and turning from them he left the room.