ajor ate his first guana steak.

"Gentlemen, here is an ortolan pie. I can recommend it--the birds are
in season."

"Reed-birds, by Jove!" said the major, recognising his favourite dish.

An incredible number of these creatures disappeared in an incredibly
short time.

The dinner dishes were at length removed, and dessert followed: cakes
and creams, and jellies of various kinds, and blancmange, and a
profusion of the most luxurious fruits. The golden orange, the ripe
pine, the pale-green lime, the juicy grape, the custard-like cherimolla,
the zapote, the granadilla, the pitahaya, the tuna, the mamay; with
dates, figs, almonds, plantains, bananas, and a dozen other species of
fruits, piled upon salvers of silver, were set before us: in fact, every
product of the tropical clime that could excite a new nerve of the sense
of taste. We were fairly astonished at the profusion of luxuries that
came from no one knew where.

"Come, gentlemen, try a glass of curacoa. Senor Coronel, allow me the
pleasure."

"Sir, your very good health."

"Senor Coronel, would you prefer a glass of Majorca?"

"Thank you."

"Or perhaps you would choose _Pedro Ximenes_. I have some very old
_Pedro Ximenes_."

"Either, my dear Don Cosme--either."

"Bring both, Ramon; and bring a couple of bottles of the Madeira--_sello
verde_," (green seal).

"As I am a Christian, the old gentleman's a conjuror!" muttered the
major, now in the best humour possible.

"I wish he would conjure up something else than his infernal wine
bottles," thought I, becoming impatient at the non-appearance of the
ladies.

"_Cafe_, Senores?" A servant entered.

Coffee was handed round in cups of Sevres china.

"You smoke, gentlemen? Would you prefer a Havanna? Here are some sent
me from Cuba by a friend. I believe they are good; or, if you would
amuse yourself with a cigaritto, here are Campeacheanos. These are the
country cigars--_puros_, as we call them. I would not recommend them."

"A Havanna for me," said the major, helping himself at the same time to
a fine-looking "regalia."

I had fallen into a somewhat painful reverie.

I began to fear that, with all his hospitality, the Mexican would allow
us to depart without an introduction to his family; and I had conceived
a strong desire to speak with the two lovely beings whom I had already
seen, but more particularly with the brunette, whose looks and actions
had deeply impressed me. So strange i