and up to the turrets, and
down to the vaults, till all this beautiful, beautiful old castello
was known to me like my own room."

While Dolores talked in this strain she grew more and more
enthusiastic, and made use of a multiplicity of graceful gestures to
help out her meaning. And her eyes glowed bright and her expressive
features showed wonderful feeling, while her motions and her looks
were full of eloquence. It was a bright and joyous past that opened
to her memory, and the thought of it could not be entertained without
emotion. By that emotion she was now all carried away; and as Katie
watched her glowing face and her dark gleaming eyes and all her
eloquent gestures, she thought that she had never seen any one half
so beautiful. But Katie was dying with curiosity to find out how far
the knowledge of Dolores extended, and so at last, taking her cue
from Dolores's own words, she said:

"Dark and lonely ways! What dark and lonely ways, dear Dolores? That
sounds as though there are secret passages through this old castle.
Oh, I do so love a place with vaults and secret passages! And are
there any here, dear? and have you been in them ever?"

Like lightning the glance of Dolores swept over Katie's face; it was
a sudden, swift glance, and one full of subtle questioning and
caution. Katie saw it all, and perceived too, at once, that whatever
Dolores might know, she would not tell it in that fashion in answer
to a point-blank question. As for Dolores, her swift glance passed,
and she went on with hardly any change in her tone:

"Oh yes; the dark and lonely ways, far, far below--in the vaults and
through the wide, wide walls. For they run everywhere, so that in the
ancient times of wars the warriors could pass from tower to tower."

Katie saw that Dolores was on her guard and was evading her question,
from which she concluded that the little Spanish maid knew all about
the secret passage-way to Harry's room. The visitor to him must have
been Dolores, and no other. But why? This she could not answer. She
determined, however, upon two things--first, to keep her own eyes
open and watch; and secondly, to tell Harry all about it the next
time she saw him.

CHAPTER XX.

IN WHICH "HIS MAJESTY" EXHIBITS THE EMOTIONS OF A ROYAL BOSOM, AND
MRS. RUSSELL IS DAZZLED BY A BRILLIANT PROSPECT.

On the following morning there was great excitement in Mrs. Russell's
room. This was caused by one of the female attendants,