"And are they in any state of preservation?"
"Almost as they were left by their owners; buildings of vast extent and elaborate workmanship. The work which has lately come out on this subject, is crowded with drawings, which give a perfect idea of these remains."
"I should like to see that book;" said Margaret.
"I shall have great pleasure in showing it to you. I have just been reading it," said Mr. Haveloc.
"And these Mexicans were then as civilized a people as the Etruscans?"
"More luxurious; but perhaps less artistical. There is a great deal of elegance in the Etruscan decorations."
"That is true. What a number of new things I have to learn. I did not know that any traces of those cities remained; and I believed there was a great deal of fiction in the accounts of the Spaniards."
"So did Robertson. He had been assured that there were no ruins in that part of the world; and the accounts of the Spanish invaders were too magnificent to be believed without some confirmation."
"An American named Stevens, who had displayed a great deal of enterprise and research. A singular occupation for one of that nation, for it was not a very likely means of earning dollars."
"Oh! there is a little prejudice in that remark, Mr. Haveloc," said Margaret. "Perhaps _all_ Americans do not love money better than anything in the world."
"I will attend to all the good advice you give me;" said Mr. Haveloc, smiling, "you warn me, in the present instance, not to indulge in national prejudices."
"Ah! you may well stare at finding me alone," said Mr. Casement; "the young ones--philandering in the green-house yonder."
"Oh! I forgot Mr. Casement," said Margaret, blushing.
"So did I, utterly," returned Mr. Haveloc, as he led Margaret back to the drawing-room.
Now Margaret's emotion had arisen from the idea which suddenly occurred to her, that Miss Gage might withdraw her friendship from her, on account of her rejection of Hubert Gage. But she found that she had greatly undervalued the calm and judicious mind of Elizabeth in attributing to her an injustice, which, however natural, no dispassionate person could consider reasonable.
She called on Margaret the next day, and the first words she spoke were, to assure her that she was not come to plead her brother's cause; but to insist that what had passed, should prove no interruption to their friendship. Most gladly did Margaret, with many tears, give her this promise.