The Man and His Kingdom by E. Phillips Oppenheim

Notwithstanding Lucia's silence and apparent abstraction, her mother found several encouraging symptoms in her demeanour towards Dene during tea-time and the half-hour which followed. She seldom addressed him, or answered any of his remarks save in monosyllables, but more than once the Senora had found her watching and listening to him with a newly awakened interest in her manner. Dene's behaviour, too, was in a sense satisfactory. He showed no signs of moving for some time after the tea equipage had been removed, and he asked twice after Eugène Rimarez, who had not put in an appearance all day. When at last he rose, the President felt that he could without any suspicion of over-cordiality invite him to remain to dinner.

"You are not going on to Beau Desir to-night, Senor Dene?" he inquired.