I speak it quite well enough for ordinary purposes, but not well enough to pass as a native.

I travelled with a muleteer, who did all the talking that was necessary.

I have been a month on the journey, which has greatly improved my Spanish.

I knew little of it when I started, but I should not have got on so quickly had I not been thoroughly up in Portuguese; which, of course, helped me immensely." The midshipman now came up and requested Terence to follow him to the captain's cabin.

The captain smiled as he entered.
"It is well that Mr.Bromhead vouched for you, Captain O'Connor; for I certainly should have had difficulty in bringing myself to believe that you were a British officer.