In pursuance of this new resolution, she determined to accept an invitation from Mrs.Markham to accompany her and the Commander to a reception at the Alcalde's house--the happy Secretary being of the party.Mrs.Markham, who was under promise to the Comandante not to reveal his plan for the escape of herself and Miss Keene until the arrival of the expected transport, had paid little attention to the late vagaries of her friend, and had contented herself by once saying, with a marked emphasis, that the more free they kept themselves from any entanglements with other people, the more prepared they would be for A CHANGE.
"Perhaps it's just as well not to be too free, even with those Jesuits over at the Mission.Your brother, you know, might not like it.""THOSE JESUITS!" repeated Miss Keene indignantly."Father Esteban, to begin with, is a Franciscan, and Mr.Hurlstone is as orthodox as you or I.""Don't be too sure of that, my dear," returned Mrs.Markham sententiously."Heaven only knows what disguises they assume.
Why, Hurlstone and the priest are already as thick as two peas; and you can't make me believe they didn't know of each other before we came here.He was the first one ashore, you remember, before the mutiny; and where did he turn up?--at the Mission, of course! And have you forgotten that sleepwalking affair--all Jesuitical! Why, poor dear Markham used to say we were surrounded by ramifications of that society--everywhere.The very waiter at your hotel table might belong to the Order."The hour of the siesta was just past, and the corridor and gardens of the Alcalde's house were grouped with friends and acquaintances as the party from the Presidio entered.Mrs.Brimmer, who had apparently effected a temporary compromise with her late instincts of propriety, was still doing the honors of the Alcalde's house, and had once more assumed the Mexican dishabille, even to the slight exposure of her small feet, stockingless, in white satin slippers.The presence of the Comandante and his Secretary guaranteed the two ladies of their party a reception at least faultless in form and respect, whatever may have been the secret feelings of the hostess and her friends.The Alcalde received Mrs.
Markham and Miss Keene with unruffled courtesy, and conducted them to the place of honor beside him.
As Eleanor Keene, slightly flushed and beautiful in her unwonted nervous excitement, took her seat, a flutter went around the corridor, and, with the single exception of Dona Isabel, an almost imperceptible drawing together of the other ladies, in offensive alliance.Miss Keene had never abandoned her own style of dress;and that afternoon her delicate and closely-fitting white muslin, gathered in at the waist with a broad blue belt of ribbon, seemed to accentuate somewhat unflatteringly the tropical neglige of Mrs.
Brimmer and Miss Chubb.Brace, who was in attendance, with Crosby, on the two Ramirez girls, could not help being uneasily conscious of this, in addition to the awkwardness of meeting Miss Keene after the transfer of his affections elsewhere.Nor was his embarrassment relieved by Crosby's confidences to him, in a half audible whisper,--"I say, old man, after all, the regular straight-out American style lays over all their foreign flops and fandoodles.I wonder what old Brimmer would say to his wife's full-dress nightgown--eh?"But at this moment the long-drawn, slightly stridulous utterances of Mrs.Brimmer rose through the other greetings like a lazy east wind.