An air of languor, and the marks of recent suffering, fully excused what he called his laziness.  They did something more for him by exciting Lady Mabel’s sympathy, putting her at ease, and inducing her to exert herself to entertain him; and during their conversation L’Isle was quietly on the watch for each indication of character his fascinating companion might betray.

Presently she rested her elbow on a thick quarto on the table beside her.  L’Isle then observed that it was a Portuguese and English dictionary, and saw a volume of Count Ericeira’s works beside it.

“I see, Lady Mabel, that you do not mean to remain ignorant of the language of the people you have come among.”

“I wish not to remain ignorant.  But between my own dullness and the want of a master, I make wonderfully slow progress.  It is very provoking, particularly to a woman, to be in the midst of a people whom she can neither talk to nor understand.”

“It is certainly better,” said L’Isle, “to learn to fight before we go into battle, and to speak a people’s language before we throw ourselves among them.”

“Very true.  But I have been thrown very unexpectedly among these Portuguese.  I came out merely to visit my father, you know.  That is, he sent for me, not having seen me for years.  That must account,” said she, laughing, “for my joining the brigade.  I am not even a volunteer among you; nor shall I subject myself to the articles of war.”

“You are a traveler, then, and not a soldier,” said L’Isle.

“I am a daughter,” she answered, “and in that character I come.  But, beside the pleasure of being with my father, an opportunity to see outlandish places and people was no small inducement.  I have my full share of curiosity and love of adventure; I want, too, to know the people I am among; and that is impossible, without speaking their language.”

“But I think you are misdirecting your efforts, and wasting your time,” said L’Isle.  “The Spanish will be of more permanent value, and almost equally useful here on the frontier.  The one is a language widely spread and a noble one.  The other, though exceedingly well adapted to conversation, has but a narrow range, and may one day be merged in the superior tongue.  The literature of the Spanish, too, is the richer, though both are poor enough.”

“I am glad to hear you say that; for I have already made some little progress in Spanish.  I have read a few books, and moulded my tongue to the utterance of a long list of conversational phrases.  I would now gladly exchange my French for Spanish or Portuguese.  What a pity it is, that the languages of different countries are not, like their coins, exchangeable one for another.”

“Unfortunately,” said L’Isle, laughing, “that exchange is a slow process; and exact equivalents are seldom found.”

“It is too provoking,” continued Lady Mabel, “after having been at so much pains to learn French, not to be at liberty to go to France, to show the natives how well I can speak their tongue.  True, I have access to their books, which are, perhaps, better than themselves.”