He scarcely
knew whether he was more pleased or annoyed at what had just happened:
for, on the one hand, he was at last rid of a distinctly uncongenial
acquaintance, which had been almost thrust upon him in the first
instance, and which had proved ever more uncongenial and unwelcome with
the lapse of time; while, on the other hand, he fully recognised that he
had made for himself a vindictive and implacable enemy who, although not
very formidable or dangerous just then, might at any moment become so.
For although Senor Montijo was one of the most important and influential
persons in the island, he was a Cuban; and, as such, he was well aware
that, thanks to the corruption which was then rampant among the Spanish
officials of the Government, there could be no hope of justice for him
if he were brought into collision with any of these officials, of whom,
of course, Alvaros was one. The word of a Cuban, however important his
position might be, was of absolutely no weight whatever; and Don Hermoso
was fully aware that it would be no very difficult matter for Alvaros to
absolutely ruin him if he chose. Yet even ruin would be preferable to
seeing his beloved daughter the wife and slave of such a man as Alvaros
had proved himself to be; and, for the rest, should it come to be war to
the knife between them--well, he must take his chance with the rest of
the Cubans, and trust to the coming revolution to enable him to hold his
own.

His reverie was interrupted by the arrival of Milsom, who, having taken
the _Thetis_ into Havana harbour and snugly berthed her there, and
further made every possible provision for her safety, had turned her
over to the capable care of Perkins, her chief mate, and had now come on
by train as far as Pinar del Rio, and from thence by Don Hermoso's
carriage, to pay his promised visit to the hacienda Montijo. He was
full of glee at the unconcealed uneasiness with which the Spanish
officials regarded the presence of the yacht in the harbour; and their
evident belief that, despite the strict search of the vessel by the
commander and lieutenant of the _Tiburon_, she carried, hidden away in
some cleverly-contrived place of concealment, the contraband of which
they had been informed by their spies on the other side of the Atlantic.

"They have put on board us no less than four custom-house officers--
empleados de la aduana, as they call them--to see that nothing is
surreptitiously landed from the ship," he