BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE (continued 10)

"By my faith, Señorita, yours is a story of which every soldier, British or Spanish, may be proud. I honour your countrymen and countrywomen for their glorious defence of Saragossa—there is nothing finer that I know in all history. And we British officers are proud to think that one of ours, one of the 95th, is among the heroes of the siege. We all try to do our duty; few of us get the chance, like my friend Lumsden, of doing so much more than our mere duty; and by my soul, if we do get the chance, I only hope we'll make as good a use of it."

Jack, who had spent a most uncomfortable half-hour, was greatly relieved when the ladies withdrew. But his troubles were not over, for Captain O'Hare, resuming the brogue which had disappeared during his late outburst, said with a chuckle:

"By Vanus and all the Graces, 'tis a lucky thing for you, you young scamp, that Peter O'Hare is not fifteen years younger. 'Tis meself would have tried a fall wid ye—ay, and come in at a canter. Indeed an' I'm not sure 'tis too late even now. She was mighty civil to me at dinner, indeed she was."

The worthy captain laughed heartily, and turned to make himself agreeable, in halting French, to a colonel of Portuguese artillery.

"Hang it, Lumsden," said Pomeroy, "I call it a crying shame, that merely because a man happens to patter a little Spanish he should not only be shoved over the heads of better men than himself, but cut out more presentable ones with the jolliest girl I've seen this end of the Bay."

Jack smiled and held his peace.

"I say, you fellows," said Shirley, "give me a rhyme for Saragossa, someone. I've just knocked off a little gem of a thing—'Lines to J——a A——z', but hang me if I can tag the last of 'em."

"A good job too!" said Smith. "The whole company seems to be moonstruck. 'Pon my word, I believe I'm the only one of you that can keep his head."

"Ah," said the Grampus with a capacious sigh, "'tisn't the head, it's the heart!" There was a general laugh at his lugubrious accent; whereupon, with a sudden return to everyday life, he cried: "And I'll bet you, Harry George Wakelyn Smith, you're one of the first to find it out."

Smith snorted scornfully. He little imagined that long before the war was over he would himself meet the lovely Spanish damsel in distress who was to become Lady Smith of Aliwal and give her name to a certain little town, the Saragossa of South Africa.

Jack, who had taken his comrades' good-humoured banter with unfailing cheerfulness, now slipped away to join the ladies in the sala. When he entered the room, he noticed at once a deeper flush than usual on Juanita's cheeks, and felt that something was amiss. It was some little time before he could escape the renewed attentions of the circle. Then, seating himself beside Juanita, he said anxiously:

"Is anything wrong, Juanita?"

"Wrong! No, of course not. Why should anything be wrong?"

She turned her head away, and tapped her hand impatiently with her fan. Jack, noting the flush on her cheek, felt uneasily that her manner belied her words.

"I don't know," he said. "I was afraid there was something. I wanted to tell you, Juanita, that—that—well, things have changed, you know. There is to be another campaign; I shall have to march with the regiment. There's no help for it. I can't go back to England—not yet."

"I knew; I was told it—by somebody else."

There was that in her tone which made Jack wish that he had told her earlier of what his unexpected meeting with his old comrades must inevitably involve. He had shrunk from the explanation—he did not quite know why.

After a moment's silence she added slowly: "I am sorry for Mr. Dugdale; he will have a lonely journey, I fear, and he's so very fond of company."

"Lonely! But you get on very well together."

"Oh yes! I like Mr. Dugdale very much, but you see—I shall not be there. I have made up my mind, quite decided, not to go after all. England is a cold, foggy, horrid country, and I'm sure I shouldn't like the English. I ought never to have come so far." She rose from her seat. "I will go back to the dear Sisters at Cariñena."

As she moved towards the balcony at the far end of the room, Jack caught the sparkle of tears in her eyes. He felt that he must be in fault; how or why he could not tell, and he was too much perturbed at Juanita's distress to think the matter out. He merely followed her. When they reached the balcony they stood for a few moments silent in the twilight, looking with unseeing eyes at the dim plaza below. There was a murmur of voices from the dusk, at first vague and indistinct, the words gradually stealing upon their consciousness with clearer and clearer meaning.

"There he was, poor little beggar, crying his eyes out. 'Ogbourne,' says I, 'what's amiss with Pepito?' 'Oh!' says he, 'crying for the moon. He wants to go with the Spanish señorita and stay with Mr. Lumsden at the same time; which ain't possible.' 'Well,' says I, 'I ain't so sure o' that. They do say he rescued her from old Boney himself and from a rascally Don too—yes, and they say she's main fond of him, which is only natural—considering.'"

Even in the dusk Jack, stealing a look at Juanita, saw that she had flushed hotly. As she half-turned to re-enter the room, he imprisoned the little hand that lay on the balustrade. She did not draw it away.

"But," continued the insistent voice, "what I want to know is, when's it to be?—that's what I want to know."

Glossary of Spanish Words

adelante, forward! come in! adios, adieu. afrancesado, a Spaniard who had accepted the French domination. agua, water. alcalde, mayor, chief magistrate. alguazil, constable, guard. amigo, friend. arriero, muleteer, carrier. ay de mí, alas! woe is me! azucarillo, a confection of paste, sugar, and rose-water. bergantin, brig. bien, well. bueno, good: buenos dias, good-morning; buenas noches, good-night; buenas tardes, good-afternoon. caballero, rider, gentleman, cavalier. calle, street. caramba, an exclamation. casa, house. cebolla, onion. cerro, hill. choriso, spiced sausage. cigarillo, a small cigar, whiff. con, with. contessa, countess. contrabandista, smuggler. copa, cup, goblet. coso, wide thoroughfare. cuchillo, knife. cura, parish priest, parson. dia, day: buenos dias, good-morning. Dios, God: Vaya usted con Dios (lit. go with God), good-bye. don, a title, equivalent to esquire. doña, a title, equivalent to madam. el, la*, the. España, Spain. fonda, inn. garbanzo, a species of bean. gaspacho, a compound of vegetables and condiments. gitano, gipsy. gracias, thanks. guerrillero, an irregular warrior, member of a guerrilla band. hidalgo, nobleman. hombre, man, a common mode of address to inferiors. javaneja, an old-fashioned dance. junta, council. manaña, to-morrow. Maragato, one of a race of mingled Gothic and Moorish blood, inhabiting a district in N. W. Spain. *maravedi, the smallest Spanish coin. marchesa, marchioness. mareamiento, sea-sickness. mi, mio, mia, my. muchas, many. noche, night: buenas noches, good-night. nuestra, our. padre, father. pan, bread. patio, courtyard, characteristic of the better Spanish houses. patron, landlord. peseta, silver coin worth about tenpence. plaza, square, open space: Plaza Mayor, great square. par, by. porta, gate. posada, tavern, inn. puchero, a sort of hot-pot. qué hay de nuevo? what news? querida, darling. quien, who: quien vive? who goes there? regidor, alderman. sala, hall, drawing-room. san, santo, santa, saint. señor, sir, a title used in addressing equals or superiors. señora, madam, lady. señorita, miss, young lady. sí, yes. silencio, hush! silence! tarde, afternoon. tia, aunt. tio, uncle. tirador, sharpshooter. usted, you. valiente, brave, valiant. vamos, come along! vaya, go: vaya usted con Dios (lit. go with God), good-bye. venta, small wayside inn. verdaderamente, verily, indeed. viva, hurrah! long live! vive: quien vive? who goes there?