n
expressing the gratitude of the two Spanish noblemen, and their
families. Bull, Macwitty, and Herrara received, in addition, heavy
gold chains. Ryan received a splendid horse, with saddle, holsters,
and a brace of finely-finished pistols; and a similar present was
made to Terence.

On the day when he went to say goodbye, he found the ladies of both
families assembled at the Count de Montego's. His host said:

"You must consider the horses and equipment as a special present
from myself and the marquis, Colonel O'Connor; but the ladies of
our two families wish to give you a little memorial of their
gratitude."

"They are memorials only," his wife said, "and are feeble
testimonies, indeed, of what we feel. These are the joint presents
of the marquise and her daughter, and of myself and my girls," and
she gave him a small case containing a superb diamond ring, of
great value; and then a large case containing a magnificent parure
of diamonds and emeralds.

"This, senor, is for your future wife. She will value it, I am
sure, not so much for what it may be worth; but as a testimony of
the gratitude, of six Spanish ladies, for the inestimable services
that you rendered them. Perhaps they will have a special value in
her eyes, inasmuch as the stones all formed a small part of the
jewels of the two families that you saved from plunder. We have, of
course, had them reset; and there was no difficulty in getting this
done, for at present ours are, I believe, the only jewels in
Ciudad."

"My dear countess," Terence said, much moved, "I do not like taking
so valuable a present."

"What is it, in comparison to what you have done for us, senor? And
please do not suppose that we have seriously diminished our store.
Nowhere, I believe, have ladies such jewels as they have in Spain;
and few families can boast of finer ones than those of the marquise
and myself. And I can assure you that we shall value our jewels all
the more, when we think that some of their companions will be worn
by the wife of the gentleman who has preserved more than our
lives."

"That is a royal gift, indeed," Herrara said, when Terence showed
him the jewels. "I should be afraid to say what they are worth.
Many of the old Spanish families possess marvellous jewels, relics
of the day when the Spaniards owned the wealth of the Indies and
the spoils of half Europe; and I should imagine that these must
have been among the finest stones in the possession of b