Part 6 (1/2)
”All flowers are pretty,” I replied
”But surely, senor, some are prettier than others Perhaps you have observed a particularly pretty one growing in these parts--the white arita is the Oriental vernacular for verbena; the fragrant white variety is quite co the fellow's rather i as wooden an expression as I could, I replied, ”Yes, I have often observed the flower you speak of; it is fragrant, and to my mind surpasses in beauty the scarlet and purple varieties But you must know, my friend, that I am a botanist--that is, a student of plants--and they are all equally interesting to me”
This astonished him; and, pleased with the interest he appeared to take in the subject, I explained, in sie, the principles on which a classification of plants is founded, telling hiua franca_ by means of which all the botanists in the world of all nations are able to converse together about plants From this so one of the physiology of plants ”Now, look at this,” I continued, and with my penknife I carefully dissected the flower in ive it to Margarita without exposing myself to remarks
I then proceeded to explain to him the beautiful complex structure by means of which this campanula fertilises itself
He listened in wonder, exhausting all the Spanish and Oriental equivalents of such expressions as ”Dear me!” ”How extraordinary!”
”Lawks a mussy!” ”You don't say so!” I finished my lecture, satisfied that my superior intellect had baffled the rude creature; then, tossingaway the fragments of the flower I had sacrificed, I restored the penknife to my pocket
”These are matters we do not often hear about in the Banda Oriental,”
he said ”But the English know everything--even the secrets of a flower
They are also able to doa comedy?”
After all, I had wasted ! ”Yes, I have!” I replied rather angrily; then, suddenly reedy also”
”Is that so?” he exclaimed ”How amused the spectators hting presently, for I see the _White Flower_ co this way to tell us that breakfast is ready
Batata's roast beef will give so for our knives to do; I only e had one of his own floury namesakes to eat with it”
I sed arita came to us, looked up into her matchless face with a smile, then rose to follow her into the kitchen
CHAPTER X
After breakfast I bade a reluctant good-bye tolook at lovely Margarita, and mounted my horse Scarcely was I in the saddle before Marcos Marco, as also about to resume his journey on the fresh horse he had borrowed, reood friend; I a in that direction, and will take you the shortest way”
”The road will show me the way,” I rejoined curtly
”The road,” he said, ”is like a lawsuit; round-about, full of puddles and pitfalls, and long to travel It is only meant to be used by old half-blind men and drivers of bullock-carts”
I hesitated about accepting the guidance of this strange felloho appeared to have a ready wit under his heavy-slouching exterior The mixed conteave me an uncomfortable sensation; then his poverty-stricken appearance and his furtive glances fillednear, thinking to take my cue from the expression of his face; but it was only a stolid Oriental face that revealed nothing
An ancient rule in whist is to play trumps when in doubt; now my rule of action is, when two courses are open toon this principle, I deterether
My guide soon struck away across-country, leading h such lonely places that I at length began to suspect hiainstPresently he surprisedaway idle fears when you accepted my company Why do you let them return to trouble your peace? Men of your blood have never inflicted injuries on ain by shedding your life, or would there be any profit in changing these rags I noear for your garlish and exile, ed for brighter gar”
This speech relieved me sensibly, and I s a soldier's greasy red jacket; for I supposed that that hat his words meant Still, his ”shortest way” to Montevideo continued to puzzlenearly parallel to a range of hills, or _cuchilla,_ extending away on our left hand towards the south-east But ere gradually drawing nearer to it, and apparently going purposely out of our way only to traverse a most lonely and difficult country The few _estancia_ houses we passed, perched on the highest points of the great sweep of ht, appeared to be very far away
Where we rode there were no habitations, not even a shepherd's hovel; the dry, stony soil was thinly covered with a forest of dwarf thorn-trees, and a scanty pasturage burnt to a rust-brown colour by the suion rose the hills, their brooodless sides looking strangely gaunt and desolate in the fierce noonday sun
Pointing to the open country on our right, where the blue gleam of a river was visible, I said: ”My friend, I assure you, I fear nothing, but I cannot understand why you keep near these hills when the valley over there would have been pleasanter for ourselves, and easier for our horses”