ly.

"Here?" repeated Don Inocencio, with a look of ill-humor.

"Here," answered the lady. "I don't know of any house where he would be
more secure."

"He can let himself down easily from the window of my room," said
Jacinto.

"Well, if it is necessary----"

"Maria Remedios," said Dona Perfecta, "if they take that man, all is
lost."

"I am a fool and a simpleton," answered the canon's niece, laying her
hand on her breast and stifling the sigh that was doubtless about to
escape from it; "but they shall not take him."

Dona Perfecta went out quickly, and shortly afterward the Centaur was
making himself comfortable in the arm-chair in which Don Inocencio was
accustomed to sit when he was writing his sermons.

We do not know how it reached the ears of Brigadier Batalla, but certain
it is that this active soldier had had notice that the Orbajosans had
changed their intentions; and on the morning of this day he had ordered
the arrest of those whom in our rich insurrectional language we are
accustomed to call marked. The great Caballuco escaped by a miracle,
taking refuge in the house of the Troyas, but not thinking himself safe
there he descended, as we have seen, to the holy and unsuspected mansion
of the good canon.

At night the soldiers, established at various points of the town, kept
a strict watch on all who came in and went out, but Ramos succeeded in
making his escape, cheating or perhaps without cheating the vigilance of
the military. This filled the measure of the rage of the Orbajosans,
and numbers of people were conspiring in the hamlets near Villahorrenda;
meeting at night to disperse in the morning and prepare in this way
the arduous business of the insurrection. Ramos scoured the surrounding
country, collecting men and arms; and as the flying columns followed
the Aceros into the district of Villajuan de Nahara, our chivalrous hero
made great progress in a very short time.

At night he ventured boldly into Orbajosa, employing stratagems and
perhaps bribery. His popularity and the protection which he received in
the town served him, to a certain extent, as a safeguard; and it would
not be rash to affirm that the soldiers did not manifest toward
this daring leader of the insurrection the same rigor as toward the
insignificant men of the place. In Spain, and especially in time of war,
which is here always demoralizing, these unworthy considerations toward
the great are often seen, while the little are