tion, and absolutely indispensable in every household having the
slightest pretensions to be considered as belonging to polite society.
They related, _in extenso_, the result of their visit to Havana, at
which no one was surprised, since everything had happened precisely as
had been expected; but all were agreed that, after the very strong
representations made by the English Consul, Jack need have very little
apprehension of further annoyance from Alvaros. Then Singleton
mentioned their impromptu visit to the yacht, and expressed to Milsom
his great satisfaction at the state in which he had found both the
vessel and her crew; and this, in turn, led to a further discussion of
Jack's proposal that the entire family should indulge in a cruise,
instead of allowing the craft to remain idle in harbour, fouling her
bottom with weed, and impairing the efficiency of her crew. It now
appeared that the original suggestion had very powerfully appealed to
the imagination of the ladies, who had kept it pretty persistently
before Don Hermoso, until he, worthy man, finding nothing very
convincing to advance against it, had been gradually brought into a
frame of mind that needed very little further persuasion to induce him
to give it his willing assent. Accordingly, before the evening was
over, the matter had been gone into in earnest, and arrangements
completed for a start in about a week's time; with the result that
Milsom set out for Havana immediately after first breakfast on the
following morning, for the purpose of making preparations.

The week passed, and the arrangements of the family had so far advanced
that their heavy baggage, dispatched in advance, was actually on its way
to Havana, for shipment on board the yacht, and was to be followed by
the family and Jack on the following day, when toward the end of the
afternoon a horseman dashed up to the door of the house, his clothing
thick with dust and his horse reeking with sweat, and demanded instant
audience with Senor Montijo on business of the utmost importance; and
his demand was enforced by the utterance of a password which secured his
prompt admission, Don Hermoso being at the moment engaged in his office,
where he was completing with his overseer the final arrangements to be
observed in his absence.

Ten minutes later Don Hermoso sent a servant in search of Jack and
Carlos, who, with Dona Isolda, had gone for a stroll up the ravine; and
when the two young men, having