as we left the houses behind and
came out into the country. "Look, aunt! look, William!"

I did look and saw on the crest of the hill we were approaching, far
away to the left, a long range of white buildings, relieved with
towers, which looked like a small castle.

It filled me with apprehension, for it was a sign of the great wealth
of her father--the wealth which I feared would be a bar to our union.

I think she was surprised at the glum look on my face for the rest of
the little journey.

"Are you sorry to go and see my father?" she asked plaintively, with a
sweet look in her blue eyes. "I am sure he will be very glad to see
_you_ and to thank you for saving me. He is a very kind man is my
father," she added solemnly, "very kind to me, and very kind to his
reptiles."

Before them all--Mrs. Darbyshire was now quite resigned--I took her
hand and pressed it.

"It is a very easy thing to be kind to _you_, Dolores," I said. "I
should find the difficulty in being kind to the reptiles."

"But you will humour my father, won't you?" she asked, and then dropped
her voice, "for both our sakes?"

The amount of interest dear old Sir Rupert Frampton took in distant
scenery during this drive, and the many objects of interest he pointed
out to Mrs. Darbyshire to divert her attention from us, made me his
willing slave for life. For, indeed, I was agitated at the prospect of
the interview which was to come in a few minutes with old Don Juan
d'Alta, not only for our sake, but for the sake of the dear old lady at
Bath, who I doubted not was now dead, and the packet she had confided
to my care.

It was a comfort to sit with Dolores' little hand in mine. My other
clasped the precious packet in my trousers pocket.

At last we drove into a great avenue filled with the most luxuriant
tropical vegetation, very carefully tended, for there were men at work
everywhere.

The escort wheeled away into line as we swept under a great
glass-roofed portiere, and came to a halt at a fine flight of marble
steps, where Sir Rupert left us and drove away with the soldiers
clattering around him.

Yes, the home of my Dolores was like a modern palace.

Overcome with seeing it again, I think she forgot even me for the
moment. She ran gaily up the steps, trilling with laughter.

"Where is father?" she cried.

That gentleman answered her question in person.

At the head of the steps appeared an old man dressed in black with an
abun