es clouded over. "Poor Manuela!" he was heard to
say to himself.

"I followed her for a while," said Manvers, "and saw you catch her up,
and stop her. Then I went away; and then that rascal struck me in the
back. Now do you suppose that Don Luis means to serve Manuela the same
way?"

Gil Perez did not blink any more. "I think 'e wisha that," he said;
"but I think 'e won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I tell Manuela what I see at the _corrida_. She was there
too. She know it already. Bless you, she don't care."

"But I care," said Manvers sharply. "I've got her on my conscience. I
don't intend her to suffer on my account."

"That," said Gil Perez, "is what she wanta do." He looked piercingly
at his master. "You know, sir, I ask 'er for your 'andkerchief."

"Well?" Manvers raised his eyebrows.

"I tell you whata she do. She look allaways in the dark. Nobody
there. Then she open 'er gown--so!" and Gil held apart the bosom of
his shirt. "I see it in there." There were tears in Gil's eyes.
"Poor Manuela!" he murmured, as if that helped him. "I make 'er give
it me. No good she keepa that in there."

"Where is it?" he was asked. He tried to be his jaunty self, but
failed.

"Not 'ere, sir. I 'ave it--I senda to the wash." Manvers looked
keenly at him, but said nothing. He had a suspicion that Gil Perez was
telling a lie.

"You had better get her out of Madrid," he said, after a while. "There
may be trouble. Let her go and hide herself somewhere until this has
blown over. Give me my pocket-book." He took a couple of bills out
and handed them to Gil. "There's a hundred for her. Get her into some
safe place--and the sooner the better. We'll see her through this
business somehow."

Gil Perez--very unlike himself--suddenly snatched at his hand and
kissed it. Then he sprang to his feet again and tried to look as if he
had never done such a thing. He went to the door and put his head out,
listening. "Doctor coming," he said. "All righta leave you with 'im."

"Of course it's all right," said Manvers. But Gil shook his head.

"Don Luis make me sick," he said. "No use 'e come 'ere."

"You mean that he might have another shot at me?"

Gil nodded; very wide-eyed and serious he was. "'E try. I know 'im
too much." Manvers shut his eyes.

"I expect he'll have the decency to wait till I'm about again. Anyhow,
I'll risk it. What you have to do is to get Manuela away."

"Yessir," said Gi