At last Nicaragua, even Nicaragua, got too hot for him.
There was Don Pomponio di Vergara y Puyarola, Nicaraguan Minister of
Finance; one might come to terms with a man of that kind. It was
arranged between them that His Excellency, who had a large family and
many poor dependents, should take over Mr. Parker's landed interests;
being a native of the place he might succeed in squeezing a little
something out of them. In exchange for this concession an unobtrusive
Government job was specially created for Mr. Parker. He was appointed
Financial Commissioner for South-Eastern Europe, to reside at Nepenthe
or wherever else he pleased--unpaid; the exalted social status conferred
by such a post being deemed ample compensation. His sole duty consisted
of submitting a short annual report, a pure formality, to his
Government.
He departed, but not alone. With him went his familiar spirit, his
guardian angel, his lady, his step-sister--a dusky dame of barn-like
proportions. Arrived at Nepenthe they rented a small villa, rather out
of the way, which they called the Residency.
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