the path which
led up to the house.

The building was by this time lighted up, and as I approached I heard
voices, among which that of Don Luis was easily distinguishable. Then,
as I ascended the steps which led up to the gallery running round the
house, I heard Dona Inez speak, and the next moment she stepped out
through the drawing-room window, and caught sight of me.

For a moment she stopped dead, with a startled look in her eyes; then,
with a little scream of delight she darted forward, seized my hands, and
impulsively kissed me on both cheeks in the Spanish fashion, much to my
embarrassment.

"Luis--Luis," she cried, still holding my hands, "come hither quickly,
_caro mio_, and see the most welcome sight that you have seen for many a
day!"

"Why, yes, of course I will," responded Don Luis. And the next moment
he too stepped out on to the gallery, straight up to me, and, like his
wife, kissed me!

"Welcome! a thousand welcomes, my dear Don Ricardo!" he exclaimed,
snatching my hands from his wife's clasp. "But where on earth have you
sprung from?"

"From yonder," I answered, pointing to seaward where the lantern at the
_Berwick Castle's_ gaff-end shone like a star through the darkness.

"Well, you are just in time for dinner," he exclaimed, "so come in.
There are others here who will rejoice to once more see you whom we
thought dead long ago." And as these two dear, warm-hearted, impulsive
friends dragged me in through the open window I became aware that the
entire Mendouca family were in the drawing-room; and by them, too, I was
very cordially welcomed, though, naturally, with a little more restraint
than that displayed by Don Luis and his wife.

Oh! what a dinner that was, and how genuinely delighted they all were to
see me--not excepting Mama Elisa and Teresita, both of whom insisted
upon seeing me when they learned that I was in the house. Of course I
had to relate to them in detail everything that had happened to me, from
the moment when I went forth to reconnoitre on the memorable day of the
attack on Bella Vista by the blacks, and many and loud were the
ejaculations of amazement as I reached the most telling points of my
story. It appeared that they had waited anxiously for my return, and
had only finally given up hope at nightfall, by which time they had
arrived at the conclusion that the blacks had got me and carried me away
into the mountains to torture me to death. They told me that they