You never seem to know where you are, or when you have come
to an end. I hear that Madame Cousino talks of extending the park
still further, right up into the mountains, which seems almost a pity,
as it is already too big to be kept in really perfect order, even with
a hundred and twenty men employed upon it. Everything is completely
surrounded and overgrown with flowers. Even the fields are separated
by hedges of sweet-smelling double pink roses, and these hedges are
larger than many a 'bull-finch' in the old country.
After a delightful gallop of about two hours, we returned to the
farmhouse, where we found a fresh pair of horses waiting for us in the
break, and drove back to Santiago by moonlight.
It was eight o'clock when we reached the hotel, and as the
table-d'hote dinner only lasts from five till half-past seven, I
asked for a private dinner in our own room or in the general
dining-room, for our own party and two guests in addition. But the
landlord said he was not at all sure about giving us dinner; he must
see what there was in the kitchen first. We then declared we would go
and dine at a cafe, and in less than half an hour managed to get an
excellent little dinner at the Cafe Santiago, though even Mr. Long,
who ordered it for us, could not induce them to give us native wine.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250