t and countess and my young
master from the mob at Barcelona, as I have often told you."

This explained the mystery. The servants saluted Jack with profound
respect, for all were deeply attached to the count and countess, and had
often thrilled with fury and excitement over the majordomo's relation of
that terrible scene at Barcelona.

Jack in a few words explained to the troopers the reason of the change
in their position. The dragoons put up their swords, and were soon on
the best terms with the retainers in the great kitchen, while Jack and
the countess chatted over the events which had happened since they last
parted.

"I shall always tremble when I think of today," the countess said. "What
a feeling mine would have been all my life had our preserver been killed
by my servants! I should never have recovered it. It is true it
would have been an accident, and yet the possibility should have been
foreseen. The count knew you were with the Earl of Peterborough, and the
whole English army should have been sacred in his eyes for your sake;
but I suppose he never thought of it any more than I did. Of course
every one knows that we belong to Philip's party. It was for that, that
the mob at Barcelona would have killed us; but my husband does not talk
much, and when he left Barcelona no objection was raised. He did not
intend to take part in the war, and he little thought at that time that
an enemy would ever come so far from Barcelona; but yesterday, when a
message came that a small party of the enemy had entered the valley, and
that the peasants had prepared an ambuscade for them on their return,
and that they hoped that the count their master would himself come
and lead them to annihilate the heretics, the simple man agreed, never
thinking that you might be among them. What will his feelings be when,
he learns it!"

Late in the afternoon the count arrived. One of the servants who had
been on the lookout informed the countess of his approach.

"I will go myself to meet him," she said. "Do you stay here, senor,
where you can hear."

The count rode up at full speed, and as the door opened ran hastily in.

"What has happened, Nina?" he exclaimed anxiously. "I have had a great
fright. We have been following a small party of the enemy who escaped
us from Estrella, and just now a woman returning from work in the fields
told us she had seen five strange soldiers ride up here and enter."

"They are here," the countess ans