[Sml-list] able state of excitement at

[Caselden <rum...@et...>]

 away. Now, however, he turned to his guest and said, with an air of
apology: "Senor Singleton, I must pray you to me pardon if I have silent
been during--the--meal--of dinner, but I have not much of English, as
you have doubtless noticed. Have you the Spanish?" Jack laughed as he
replied in that language: "What I have, Senor, I owe entirely to Carlos
here. He may perhaps have told you that we two used to amuse ourselves
by teaching each other our respective tongues. But I am afraid I was
rather a dull scholar; and if my Spanish is only half as good as
Carlos's English I shall be more than satisfied." "I am afraid I am
unable to judge the quality of Carlos's English," answered Don Hermoso,
"but I beg to assure you, Senor, that your Spanish is excellent; far
better, indeed, than that spoken by many of my own countrymen. If it be
not too tedious to you, Senor, I would beg you to do me the favour of
speaking Spanish for the remainder of the evening, as I find it
exceedingly difficult to make myself quite clearly understood in
English." Jack having expressed his perfect readiness to fall in with
this suggestion, Don Hermoso continued: "Carlos has been telling me what
passed between you and him to-day, Senor Singleton, and although I was
naturally somewhat disinclined to give an unqualified assent to his
suggestion before I had seen you, permit me to say that now, having
seen, watched, and conversed with you, nothing will give me greater
pleasure than to endorse his proposal, unless it be to hear that you
agree to it." "To be perfectly candid, Do