her--"do
you know how I tried to see you? I was up at four, and from that
until ten I paced the streets in all directions, hoping to get a
glimpse of you. Did you know that I was looking for you? Then at last
I saw you with that beast of a tailor, and I was in despair."

"What! could you not join their party? I wondered why you did not
come to speak to--to me," said Dolores, "and I felt hurt--because I
thought I might never see you again."

"Dolores," said Ashby, taking her hand in both of his, and drawing
nearer to her, "I swear that at that time I'd have given my right arm
to speak to you. But that devil of a tailor is my bitter enemy; and
you saw the quarrel we had in the railway station at Madrid."

"Then you did not purposely--avoid me?" said Dolores, in a faltering
voice.

"Oh, Dolores!" said Ashby, in a reproachful tone. He tried to draw
her nearer, but Dolores would not allow it.

"I thought that I should like to say good-bye, and it seemed sad to
have you appear to avoid me."

"By heavens, Dolores!" cried Ashby, "I had made up my mind to leave
the train and follow you to Pampeluna."

Dolores sighed.

"You could not have left your English maiden," said she.

"I could--I would!" cried Ashby. "By heavens, I would! She is nothing
to me--nothing better than a kitten. The moment you came, I
understood all my feeling for her. It was nothing. Beside you, she
sinks into utter insignificance. You, Dolores, are everything to me.
I tell you, you are infinitely dearer to me than that--"

"Hush, senor," said Dolores; "I will not--I will--will--will not
listen to one single, single word of this."

"But, oh, dearest, sweetest Dolores, will you not let me tell you how
I love you?" said Ashby, drawing her closer to him.

Dolores shrank away.

"Oh no--no, no!" she said. "I will not listen--never--never--never!"

"I tell you, Dolores," continued Ashby, "since I have seen you I have
discovered that all the world and everything in it isn't worth a
straw to me unless I have you. I swear to you that when you left me
at Burgos all the light of life went out, and all the joy and
sweetness of life left me. I'd rather stand here in this prison with
you than be a king outside without you. And I'm glad that these
devils of Carlists have captured us."

As Ashby spoke these words in a low, fervid, excited whisper, he held
Dolores tight in his arms, pressed to his quick-throbbing heart; nor
could she draw away from him, in