Don Melchior understood the sarcasm hidden under these words. He bowed stiffly, and withdrew with a growl.
"And when does the Baron de Meriadec arrive don Andrés continued.
"Well, sir, you confuse me; but as I must confess everything, I believe that he will arrive tomorrow morning."
"About my own age, sir. But I must inform you that he speaks Spanish very badly, and hardly understands it."
"He will find persons here to whom he can talk French: but you were right to warn me; if not, we might have been taken unawares. I will give orders to prepare rooms for him this very night."
"Pardon me, sir, but I should be truly sorry to cause you the slightest derangement."
"Oh! Do not trouble yourself about that. There is no lack of room, thank goodness; and we shall easily manage to put him in comfortable quarters."
"That is not what I mean. I know your splendid hospitality, but I think it would be better to place the baron near me, for my servants could wait on him, and my apartments are large."
"Not at all: on the contrary, I have more rooms than I want: he will take one: in this way we shall be able to talk together at our ease, whenever we please: as we have not seen each other for two years, we shall have plenty to talk about."
"I am in your house, sir, and hence cannot press anything: I only make a request."
"Since that is the case, Count, it shall be done according to your wish: this evening with your permission, everything shall be put in order."
Ludovic hereupon took leave of don Andrés, and retired to his apartments; but almost immediately after him came peons loaded with furniture, who in a few minutes converted his drawing room into a comfortable bedroom. The count, so soon as he was alone with his valet, informed him of all it was necessary for him to know, so that he might play his part in such a way as not to make a blunder, since he had been at the meeting and seen Dominique. At about nine o'clock on the next morning, the count was informed that a rider, dressed in the European fashion and followed by an _arriero_, driving two mules loaded with trunks and portemanteaux was approaching the hacienda. Ludovic had no doubt that it was Dominique, and hence hurried to the hacienda gate. Don Andrés was already there to do the honour to the stranger.