Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. III.djvu/211

Rh perfetto, infinitely polite in tone and manner; he allowed me the use of his volante and his calashero to convey me to Madame C.'s; breakfasted with me; arranged everything as I wished, and when I was about to set off, and inquired for my bill at the posada, it was already paid by La Miranda! It would have been no use protesting against it; neither would it have been becoming; I treated it therefore as unimportant, and thanked him with a compliment on the politeness of the Spaniards. This politeness is really great towards ladies and foreigners, and must be founded on a certain national pride, which, at the bottom, is noble and beautiful.

I drove to the residence of Madame C., the Caffatal la Concordia, in Don Ildephonso's volante and in a tropical hot wind, which raised all the red dust on the road in a whirlwind; and in that flying career, and through the cloud of red dust, I could merely see, in passing, the beautiful palms and the brilliant flowers of the Caffatals, gleaming above the stone walls which bounded either side of the way.

Madame C. was not at home on her plantation; she was away at the sea on the southern side of the island for the sake of bathing, together with her sons and grandchildren; and it was not until this morning that she would be able to receive mine and her son's letters. But the steward on the plantation, Don Felix, a polite, elderly gentleman, received me with Spanish courtesy, and said:

“''Toute la maison est à votre disposition! Vous êtes'' ''chez vous. Desposez de tout. La maison est à vous. Ce'' n'est pas un compliment!”

We dined together; the polite old gentleman and myself. Don Felix spoke of Madame C. with an expression of worship.

“Oh, c'est une dame, une dame, comme il y en a peu!”

Trinidad, a kind, negro woman with lovely eyes, and who speaks a little French, is my femme de chambre, and I