its doors that night of Holy Thursday; not
a _concierge_ had done more than nod and wake out of a broken dream, for
there had been an excited coming and going through all the dark hours.

At six o'clock Dick and I were at the _fonda_, inquiring for Colonel
O'Donnel and his daughter. They had come in at two, and were now asleep,
it seemed; but had left a note for the senores. In this note we were
assured that the friendly verger of last night's adventure would be
lurking in the neighbourhood of Carmona's house as early as six o'clock,
and should we want him we would know where he was to be found.

We took bedrooms, bathed, dressed again, and after hot coffee and rolls
decided that is was time to go on guard. To be sure, it was absurdly
early; but by this time the Duke's household might be astir, and we must
not risk letting Monica be carried away before we had had a chance to
practise the gentle art of housebreaking.

The clocks of Seville were spasmodically telling the hour of seven when we
entered the narrow and dusky lane of the Calle de las Duenas. So fast
asleep were the shuttered windows that our mission seemed a fool's errand;
but as we came in sight of the Duke's closed door the Cherub's messenger
loomed out of the shadows.

Unshaven and haggard, his eyes glittered like black beads in the daylight;
and he greeted us excitedly. "Senores," he began, "I was going to look for
you at the hotel. A thing has happened. The Senor Colonel told me I must
watch the house of His Grace the Duke, and let you know when you came if
anyone had been out or in. Who would think of people starting upon a
journey before the day is awake? But so it is. The Duke, whom I have seen
in other years, has gone away in an automobile with his honourable mother
and two other ladies."

"You are sure it was he?" I asked, completely taken aback.

"Sure, my senorito. The car was a large grey car. And"--his face grew sly
as a squirrel's--"I can tell you where it is going, if you would like to
know."

"I want to know all you can tell," I said.

"Well, the grey car arrived a little before half-past six, I should think.
In it there was only the young man who drives, dressed in leather. 'What
is going to happen?' I asked myself. It seemed better to wait and see than
run to the hotel to say, 'there's an automobile at the door for the Duke,'
and perhaps find it gone, no one could tell where, when I got back. But I
do not sleep on my feet. There are