am doing what must be well-pleasing
to the church, and you assuredly shall receive the reward you demand."

"His conscience!--I wonder of what that is composed," muttered the
priest, and then added aloud, "You have not yet decided with regard to
the paper I put into your hands, Don Anibal."

"Well, do as you propose," answered the marquis. "I hope that you have
not been too hard on me, though."

The priest gave a searching glance at the marquis, and without speaking,
left the room. Don Anibal's countenance did not wear a particularly
pleasant expression as his eyes followed the priest.

"I'll be even with you," he muttered, as he ground his teeth and shook
his clenched fist towards the door at which the priest had retired.
"What! Does he think I am fool enough to pay him the enormous sum he
demands? He has given me the key to the means of settling the matter in
a cheaper way than that. I must, however, in the meantime, keep my
plans secret as the grave, or he will manage to counteract them."

At the end of the time Father Mendez had fixed, he returned, and was
highly pleased with the ready acquiescence with which the marquis agreed
to his proposals. He then, with a conscience at rest, hastened on to
his convent to report his arrival, and to give an account of his
proceedings. The marquis waited till he had assured himself that he had
without doubt left the neighbourhood, and then set out for Cadiz. He
had a mansion in that city where he took up his abode. He had been in
his youth at sea, and had still a number of seafaring acquaintance.
They were not all of them amongst the most respectable orders of
society; perhaps they were the better suited to carry out the object he
had in view. He was a cunning man if not a wise one, and knew that he
was more likely to succeed by doing things deliberately than in a hurry.
He began to frequent places where he was likely to fall in with his old
nautical associates, and when he met them he seemed to take great
interest in their welfare, and made many inquiries as to their late
adventures and mode of life.

War had just broken out between England and France, and all the other
nations of Europe were in consequence arming, both afloat and on shore,
not knowing when they might be drawn into the vortex of strife.

In all the ports of Spain, and at Cadiz especially, not only at the
royal, but at the mercantile dockyards, vessels were being fitted out
and armed ready to ta