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The spot in which he had established himself was distant only some ten miles, as the crow flies, from the hacienda Montijo; and he had no sooner made himself comfortable in his new quarters than he surprised and slightly discomposed the inhabitants of the casa by paying them a flying visit.
The first favor the empress asked of her husband was the pardon of more than four thousand unfortunate persons still exiled or imprisoned for their share in the risings that succeeded the coup d'état. When Washington Irving heard of the marriage, he wrote: "Louis Napoleon and Eugénie de Montijo, Emperor and Empress of France!
"To be both explicit and brief, then, I have called upon you this morning for the purpose of demanding the hand of your daughter, Senorita Isolda, in marriage." "To demand the hand of my daughter in marriage?" gasped Don Hermoso in amazement. "Certainly, Senor Montijo," retorted Alvaros haughtily. "Surely there is nothing so very extraordinary in making such a demand, is there?"
"Surely, Senor Montijo, it ought not to be very difficult for you to see how highly advantageous it would be for you and yours to be allied in marriage to an officer of some distinction if I may be permitted to say so in the Spanish Army!" exclaimed Alvaros, in tones of haughty surprise.
There was a drive of about sixteen miles farther inland and toward the Organ Mountains before them ere they could arrive at the hacienda Montijo, and although the road was abominable, and the heat intense, Jack declared that he had never so thoroughly enjoyed a drive in his life.
"There is only one way that the Pater and I can see out of it," answered Montijo, "and that is to get somebody who is not likely to incur Spanish suspicion to accept the nominal ownership of the yacht, under the pretence of using her simply for his own pleasure." "Phew!" whistled Singleton. "That may be all right for the other fellow, but how will it be for you?
"My dear fellow, `enjoy' is not the word, I should simply revel in it; all the more because my sympathies are wholly with the Cubans, while I or rather my firm, have an old grudge against the Spaniards, who once played us a very dirty trick, of which, however, I need say nothing just now. No, it is not that; it is " "Well, what is it?" demanded Montijo, seeing that Jack paused hesitatingly.
Beyond this circle, again, there was a miscellaneous zone, where dwelt politicians ranging from John Bright to Arthur Balfour; poets and men of letters, such as Tennyson and Browning, Thackeray and Motley and Laurance Oliphant; Paxton the gardener-architect and Hudson the railway-king; stars of the musical world, such as Mario and Grisi and Rachel; blue-stockings like Lady Eastlake and Madame Mohl; Mademoiselle de Montijo, who captivated an Emperor, and Lola Montez, who ruled a kingdom.
The next two days he devoted to the task of putting all his affairs in order, lest anything serious should happen to him during the progress of his adventure; and on the third day Nisbett presented himself, with his consulting naval architect, to witness the final trials of the yacht before accepting her, on behalf of Senor Montijo, from the builders.
"Well, no; it is scarcely so bad as that," answered Montijo, laughing: "but it is of such a nature that I would prefer not to speak of it, if you don't mind, until we are somewhere in the Park where we can converse freely without the fear of being overheard.
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