"I have been nearly nine months in the country, during most of which I
have been on the staff, and have had to communicate with peasants and
others, and for the past two months I have spoken nothing else; necessity
is a good teacher. Besides which, Lieutenant Herrara has been good enough
to take great pains in correcting my mistakes and teaching me the proper
idioms; another six months of this work and I have no doubt I shall be
able to pass as a native."
After marching fifteen miles the column halted, Terence feeling assured
that the French would not push out their scouting parties more than three
or four miles from Villa Nova. They halted at the edge of a forest, and a
party under one of the officers was at once despatched to a village two
miles away, and returned in an hour with a drove of pigs that had been
bought there, and a cart laden with bread and wine. Fires had already been
lighted, and after seeing that the rations were divided among the various
companies, Terence went to the tent. Herrara was chatting with his
friends, and Mary O'Connor came out at once and joined him.
"That is right, Mary; we will take a stroll in the wood and have a talk
together. Now tell me how you have got on. I had expected to find you
quite thin and almost starving."
"No, I have had plenty of bread to eat," she laughed; "the sisters kept me
well supplied.
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