"Oh, oh, my dear cousin, I fancy if I were disposed to make trial of this noble devotion, I should expose myself to shame and you would refuse me point blank."
"Now we have it," the young man thought and added aloud, "it is my most sincere desire to please you in everything, cousin. I pledge you my word as a gentleman, and no matter what you may ask of me, I will obey you."
"I am much inclined to take you at your word, don Ludovic," she said, leaning down to him with a delicious smile.
"Do so, cousin, and you will see from my promptitude in obeying you, that I am the most devoted of your slaves."
The young lady remained pensive for a moment, then putting back on its rosewood perch the parrot with which she had been playing up till now, she leaped from her hammock, and seated herself a short distance from the count.
"Cousin," she said to him, "I have a service to ask of you."
"Of me? At length I shall be of some use to you."
"This service," she continued, "is not of great importance in itself."
"But I fear, lest it may cause you great annoyance."
"What matter, cousin, the annoyance I may experience, if I can be of service to you."
"Cousin, I thank you, this is the affair: I must take a rather long ride today, for reasons you will soon appreciate. I cannot and will not be accompanied by any of the inhabitants of the hacienda, whether masters or servants. Still, as the roads are not, at this moment, perfectly secure, and I dare not venture to traverse them alone, I want with me, in order to protect and defend me if necessary, a peon whose presence at my side could not give rise to any malevolent suppositions. I have thought of you as my companion on this expedition. Do you consent, cousin?"
"With delight: I would merely remark that I am a stranger to this country, and might lose my way on roads I am unacquainted with."
"Do not trouble yourself about that, cousin, I am a native of the country, and have no fear about losing my way for fifty leagues round."
"If that is the case, cousin, all is for the best: I thank you for the honour you deign to do me, and place myself completely at your disposal."
"It is for me to thank you, cousin, for your extreme kindness; the horses are saddled, the Mexican garb becomes you admirably, go and put on your spurs, warn your valet that he will have to accompany you, and fetch your weapons: that is an important point, for you never know what may happen, and come back in ten minutes, when I shall be ready for you."