n a duel with
swords) which had cut into the breast?

"That is a very blood-thirsty young man; his style of conversation is
really extraordinary," said the clergyman to Dr. Kirby, when Torres,
having exhausted all his topics, and not having understood one word of
the rector's Spanish in reply, returned gravely to his place on the
other side of the room.

"He is blood-thirsty because he is forced to be so dumb," answered the
Doctor, with one of his sudden little grins--grins which came and went
so quickly that, were it not for a distinct remembrance of about sixteen
very white little teeth which he had seen, the gazer would scarcely have
realized that it had been there at all. "No one here (besides yourself
and Manuel) can talk Spanish with him but Garda, and Mr. Winthrop has
kept Garda talking English every moment since he came; I don't wonder
the youth is blood-thirsty, I'm afraid that at his age I should have
called the northerner out."

But now Winthrop and Garda joined the others. Winthrop was addressed by
Mrs. Thorne.

"I have been begging Mrs. Rutherford and Mrs. Harold to pay us a visit
at East Angels some day this week; I hope, Mr. Winthrop, that you will
accompany them."

Winthrop expressed his thanks; he put forward the hope in return that
she would join them for an afternoon sail, before long, down the
Espiritu. Mrs. Thorne was sure that that would be extremely delightful,
she was sure that his yacht (she brought out the word with much
clearness; no one had ventured to call it a yacht until now) was also
delightful; and its name--_Emperadora_--was so charming!

She was perched, by some fatality, on a high-seated chair, so high that
(Winthrop suspected) her little feet did not touch the floor. She did
not look like a person who could enjoy sailing, one who would be able to
undulate easily, yield to the motion of the boat, or find readily
accessible in her storehouse of feelings that mood of serene
indifference to arriving anywhere at any particular time, which is a
necessary accompaniment of the aquatic amusement when pursued in the
lovely Florida waters. But "I enjoy sailing of all things," this brave
little matron was declaring.

"I am afraid there will be little novelty in it for you. You must know
all these waters well," observed Winthrop.

"Even if I do know them well, it will be a pleasure to visit them again
in such intelligent society," replied Mrs. Thorne. "We have lived
somewhat isolated,