During his convalescence the Child of Kings came to see him several times, or to be accurate, if my memory serves me right, every afternoon.

Of course, her visits were those of ceremony--that is to say, she was always accompanied by several of her ladies, that thorn in my flesh, the old doctor, and one or two secretaries and officers-in-waiting.
But as Oliver was now moved by day into a huge reception room, and these people of the court were expected to stop at one end of it while she conversed with him at the other, to all intents and purposes, save for the presence of myself and Quick, her calls were of a private nature.
Nor were we always present, since, now that my patient was out of danger the Sergeant and I went out riding a good deal--investigating Mur and its surroundings.
It may be asked what they talked about on these occasions.

I can only answer that, so far as I heard, the general subject was the politics of Mur and its perpetual war with the Fung.

Still, there must have been other topics which I did not hear, since incidently I discovered that Orme was acquainted with many of Maqueda's private affairs whereof he could only have learned from her lips.
Thus when I ventured to remark that perhaps it was not altogether wise for a young man in his position to become so intimate with the hereditary ruler of an exclusive tribe like the Abati, he replied cheerfully that this did not in the least matter, as, of course, according to their ancient laws, she could only marry with one of her own family, a fact which made all complications impossible.

I inquired which of her cousins, of whom I knew she had several, was the happy man.
He replied: "None of them.