e must sail, probably the next day, for the southward.

The attack on the castle had been spoken of, but not a word had been
said of the child having been carried off.

Hitherto Hilda had been unable to talk to the Spanish captain alone;
fortunately, at length, Sir Marcus left the room; Ronald was sitting
playing on the ground near them.

"He is truly a noble child, though his complexion shows more of his
northern than his southern blood," observed the captain.

"That child!--oh, you are mistaken!" exclaimed Hilda, "Have you not
heard that my own Hernan was carried off?" And she told him all that
had occurred.

"The atrocious scoundrel!" exclaimed Pedro Alvarez; "I feared it would
be so, and for your sake, lady, and for that of my late brave captain, I
will pursue them round the world, and recover the boy."

Hilda looked at him with an expression of the deepest gratitude:--

"I was certain that you had come either to bring me notice of my lost
one, or that you would aid me in discovering him," she exclaimed, taking
his hand. "I trust to you, Captain Alvarez, and I am sure that you will
not deceive me."

The captain assured her that he would be faithful to his promise, and
explained all he knew of the plot which had been formed to carry off her
son, to prevent him from inheriting his title and property.

"But cannot we punish the treacherous marquis and kinsman?" she
exclaimed. "Cannot we compel him to tell us where my child has been
carried to? Has the law no power in your country?"

"None, lady, in this matter," answered Pedro. "I myself am an outlaw; I
can never return as a free man to Spain. I have been guilty of a crime
so heinous in the eyes of the law, that should the officers of my own
ship discover it, they would be compelled to carry me there in chains.
My dread, therefore, is lest we should fall in with any Spanish ship,
from which they may learn what has occurred." He then briefly told her
how he had killed the officer of the Inquisition who had tried to
apprehend him.

"But the priest, Father Mendez; surely he can aid us?" said Hilda.

"Unless you can show him that by his aiding you he can advance the
object for which alone he lives, he will stir neither hand nor foot in
the cause," answered the Spanish captain. "Besides, I am certain that
he believes the child still safe in the castle."

"Then, Captain Alvarez, I must place all my hope on you," exclaimed
Hilda.

"Place it on the jus