Part 31 (1/2)
I was amused, too, at the way he spoke to Jill.
”I'm awfully obliged to you, Greenie,” he said, ”for dancing so much with my Dulzura. It was kind and considerate. I knew _you_ wouldn't make love and talk nonsense to her as some of the officers tried to do.”
”Oh no,” said Jill, with his quiet smile, ”we talked nothing but politics, I a.s.sure you, and discussed the future prospects of the South Sea Islanders.”
”Do you like her, Greenie?”
”a.s.suredly.”
”Love, of course, is out of the question?”
”Certainly.”
”Well, you'll be glad to know that she and I get on famously together.
The worst of it is that she can't talk much English, and I don't know much Spanish. But she is going to teach me. About a fortnight will make me perfect.”
”About a fortnight, Peter,” I said in some surprise. ”Why the boat for Monte Video comes round the day after to-morrow.”
”Ah! yes, but I'm not going in her. Neither are you nor Greenie here.
That's what I came to speak about.”
”Well, heave round. I'll be glad to hear what you have to say.”
”It's very simple. Senor Castizo has taken an inordinate fancy for me.
Dear Dulzura goes home with her maid to Valparaiso in about three weeks time, but her father stops. He is going into the wilds of Patagonia, where he has been before, and knows the lay of the land well. And he asked me to stay too, and accompany him.”
”Yes, and what did you say?”
”I said I'd do so like a shot, if I got you and Greenie to come with us.”
Jill's eyes sparkled with delight.
”It would be simply glorious,” he said. ”And I'm sure mother wouldn't mind, nor aunt either.”
”But we haven't much money to rig up,” I said.
”Oh, we've enough, I a.s.sure you. It's a cheap country to live in.
Castizo says about all a man wants is a guanaco robe and a gun, with a horse or two, and there you are.”
I confess I was quite as struck with the notion of having a few wild adventures in the Land of the Giants as Jill was; but, being the elder, I was of course bound to prudence and discretion.
”We'd have to write a very long letter home,” I said.
”Well, you're capable of doing that, I believe.”
”And state that there is little danger, and that it will recruit Jill's health.”
”Capital phrase!” cried Peter. ”Jack, you're quite a diplomatist.”