of Carmona, dark as a Moor in contrast with her young
fairness.

I dared not break upon her unexpectedly, after my experience of yesterday,
so I turned away, and entering a chapel interested myself in a tomb which
is the cherished jewel of the cathedral.

How long I could have kept my patience under provocation I can't tell; but
my strength of mind had not been tested for five minutes when I heard the
voice of my adopted sister Pilarcita. She and the excellent Cherub were
claiming acquaintance with the Duke.

They were close to the chapel in which I stood. Half turning I saw the
group, which consisted of six persons. Dick was not among them, and I
wondered whether he were absent by design or accident.

Now the Duchess and the Cherub were talking together. Now the O'Donnel's
were being introduced to Lady Vale-Avon and Monica. The two girls began
chatting together. Dear Pilar, what a jewel of a sister she was!

"Do you remember Cristobal?" I heard her suddenly ask Carmona, in a voice
raised to such clear distinctness that I guessed she had seen a uniform
behind the iron-work of the half-open chapel door. "You saw my brother, I
think, when he was a little boy. He's stationed here now; we've been
visiting him."

I took this as my cue, and turning from the sleeping figure of Bishop
Alonso de Cartagena, I walked out of the chapel to join my adopted family.

"Why, here's Cristobal now!" exclaimed Pilar.

Then, in a flash, she had me introduced to all, leaving Monica till the
last, so that the girl might have time to get her breath after the first
shock of surprise.

Whether it was that yesterday had given her a lesson in self-control, or
whether Pilar had contrived to whisper some word concerning her brother, I
could not tell; but if Monica changed colour I could not see it, perhaps
because a darkening of the sky outside had begun to deepen the rich dusk
of the cathedral.

For her own sake I scarcely dared look at her; and my silence must have
passed with the others for the shyness of a young soldier among strangers.
But I did look at Carmona, feeling his eyes upon me, and met a stare as
searching as Roentgen rays.

His face is not one easy to read; but for once the windows of his mind
were wide open. If he had recognized me, and guessed the trick which had
been played on him he would have worn a very different expression; but he
was bewildered, uneasy, as he had been yesterday when he saw Monica lean
forward, blu