in, alone
forever, without a hope in life.

Anyway, reasonable pretexts to wait were not lacking. He had to settle
with men of affairs, he had to sell the house and realize, for his
flight, all the money that he could obtain. He had also to wait for the
answer of Uncle Ignacio, to whom he had announced his emigration and at
whose house he expected to find an asylum.

Thus the days went by, and soon the hasty spring was to ferment. Already
the yellow primrose and the blue gentian, in advance here by several
weeks, were in bloom in the woods and along the paths, in the last suns
of January--

CHAPTER XI.

They are this time in the cider mill of the hamlet of Gastelugain, near
the frontier, waiting for the moment to go out with boxes of jewelry and
weapons.

And it is Itchoua who is talking:

"If she hesitates--and she will not hesitate, be sure of it--but if she
hesitates, well! we will kidnap her.--Let me arrange this, my plan is
all made. It will be in the evening, you understand?--We will bring her
anywhere and imprison her in a room with you.--If it turns out badly--if
I am forced to quit the country after having done this thing to please
you; then, you will have to give me more money than the amount agreed
upon, you understand?--Enough, at least, to let me seek for my bread in
Spain--"

"In Spain!--What? What are you going to do, Itchoua? I hope you have not
in your head the idea to do things that are too grave."

"Oh, do not be afraid, my friend. I have no desire to assassinate
anybody."

"Well! You talk of running away--"

"I said this as I would have said anything else, you know. For some
time, business has been bad. And then, suppose the thing turns out badly
and the police make an inquiry. Well, I would prefer to go, that is
sure.--For whenever these men of justice put their noses into anything,
they seek for things that happened long ago, and the inquiry never
ends--"

In his eyes, suddenly expressive, appeared crime and fear. And Ramuntcho
looked with an increase of anxiety at this man, who was believed to be
solidly established in the country with lands in the sunlight, and who
accepted so easily the idea of running away. What sort of a bandit is he
then, to be so much afraid of justice?--And what could be these things
that happened long ago?--After a silence between them, Ramuntcho said in
a lower voice, with extreme distrust:

"Imprison her--you say this seriously, Itchoua?--And where i