To begin with, the daughter of a Spanish
grandee is always kept in a very strong cage closely guarded, and
it needs a very large golden key to open it. Now, as you are aware,
gold is a very scarce commodity with me. Then, after getting her
out, a lavish expenditure would be needed for our flight. We should
have to make our way to the sea coast, to do all sorts of things
to throw dust into the eyes of our pursuers, and to get a passage
to some place beyond the domains of Philip, which means either to
France, England, or the Netherlands. Beyond all this will be the
question of future subsistence until, if ever, the marquis makes up
his mind to forgive his daughter and take her to his heart again,
a contingency, in my opinion, likely to be extremely remote."
"And what does the Lady Inez say to it all?" Geoffrey asked.
"The Lady Inez has had small opportunity of saying anything on the
subject, Geoffrey. Here in Spain there are mighty few opportunities
for courtship. With us at home these matters are easy enough, and
there is no lack of opportunity for pleading your suit and winning
a girl's heart if it is to be won; but here in Spain matters are
altogether different, and an unmarried girl is looked after as
sharply as if she was certain to get into some mischief or other
the instant she had an opportunity. She is never suffered to be
for a moment alone with a man; out of doors or in she has always a
duenna by her side; and as to a private chat, the thing is simply
impossible.
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