ain
the presence of the weapons; no uncommon thing--rather the rule--for
carriage travellers to take such with them, even going but outside the
suburbs of the city. For good reason, there being footpads and robbers
everywhere. And the cloaks for protection against the night air!

In this way they groped about, as drowning people clutch at sticks and
straws, still without being able to get rid of their apprehensions.
Even should Don Ignacio agree to the deception they thought of--he
would, no doubt, when made aware of their danger--it was questionable
whether it would serve them. For there was a file too--a small matter,
but a most conspicuous link in the chain of circumstantial evidence
against them. They in the carriage would have been using it, before
being taken--if they should be taken. Finally, the worst of all, the
relations known to exist between themselves and two of the men
attempting escape.

A miserable time it was for them during the remainder of that afternoon
and evening; a struggle amid doubts, fears, and conjectures. Nor did
Don Ignacio's return home in any way relieve them. They were not yet
prepared to surrender up their secret even to him. The time had not
come for that. As the hours passed, things began to look better, and
the suspense easier to bear. No report from the pursuers, which there
would or should have been, were the pursued taken.

Something better still, at length. Jose back home with the carriage and
horses, and nothing besides--no weapons nor spare wraps! All gone off,
the tell-tale file along with them.

Pepita brought this intelligence in to the ladies, who longed to have a
private interview with the _cochero_. But he had first to deliver his
to Don Ignacio, who had sallied out into the stables to receive it.

A strange tale it was, imparted to an angry listener, who, while
listening, looked upon his costly harness, patched and mended with
ropes, where it had been cut. His fine _frisones_ too, abused, possibly
injured for good, the ear of one of them well-nigh severed from the
head! Slow to wrath though he was, this was enough to make him
wrathful, without the further knowledge of his other losses, about which
Jose took care _not_ to enlighten him.

At a later hour the circumspect _cochero_ told his tale to other ears in
terms somewhat different, and with incidents. His master, summoned to
the Palace, gave the opportunity so much desired by his young mistress
an