My father comes and goes as the whim takes him." The Spanish gentleman looked thoughtfully into the fire.
"I shall be glad to see the Professor when he returns," he said in his excellent, slow-sounding English.

"My concern about this mummy is deep." "Dear me," remarked Mrs.Jasher, shielding her fair cheek with the unnecessary fan, and venturing on a joke, "is the mummy a relative ?" "Yes, madame," replied Don Pedro, gravely and unexpectedly.
At this every one, very naturally, looked astonished--that is, all save Donna Inez, who still preserved her fixed smile.

Mrs.Jasher took a mental note of the same, and decided that the young lady was not very intelligent.

Meanwhile Don Pedro continued his speech after a glance round the circle.
"I have the blood of the royal Inca race in my veins," he said with pride.
"Ha!" murmured the widow to herself, "then that accounts for your love of color, which is so un-English;" then she raised her voice.

"Tell us all about it, Don Pedro," she entreated; "we are usually so dull here that a romantic story excites us dreadfully." "I do not know that it is very romantic," said Don Pedro with a polite smile, "and if you will not find it dull--" "Oh, no!" said Archie, who was as anxious as Mrs.Jasher to hear what was to be said about the mummy.