ike an ancient palace, we were
swamped by the laughing crowd which had formed into a trotting procession
behind us.

Just as the marble whiteness of the _patio_ cooled our eyes, down the
stairs came those with whom my thoughts had raced ahead; the Duchess of
Carmona; Monica and her mother; behind them the Duke.

Monica grew rose-red at sight of us. Her elders, not in the Duke's
confidence concerning the Gloria's disabilities, appeared as little
surprised as pleased; but Carmona's various and visible emotions included
extreme astonishment. I looked at him, my cap off for the ladies, smiling
and nonchalant as if nothing had happened since our last meeting; and
despite the self-control inherited from Oriental ancestors, for an instant
he tried in vain to hide mingled rage and bewilderment. Possibly he might
have fancied that we had come by train, had not Ropes been starting the
car at that moment, _en route_ for some resting-place masquerading as a
garage; and the "choof, choof" of my Gloria came in through the open doors
like a defiant laugh.

Then he must have wondered how, by all that was demoniac, we had contrived
to track him to Toledo!

"This is quite a surprise, Senor Duque!" said I, as we met in the _patio_
at the foot of the stairs.

"Ye--es," he answered, tugging at his moustache, and wishing us and our car
on some uninhabited planet.

"And a great pleasure!"

"Um--er--of course," he mumbled; and I dared not meet Monica's laughing
eyes, lest our lips should laugh as well.

They went to lunch; but we were not many moments behind, and Pilar,
murmuring in my ear, "Cats may look at a king, whether the king likes or
not," gaily selected a table next to the others. She then kept up a stream
of talk with Monica, exchanging impressions of Madrid. "Didn't you love
the shops?" she asked. "And shall you buy Toledo things to-day; scarf-pins
and hatpins and paper-knives; or did you buy too many yesterday?"

"I think I bought _just enough_," said Monica, with a quick smile. "But I
shall get more here. We're going to a metal work-shop, after the
cathedral."

But this was sheer audacity, and was punished as I feared it would be.

Not wishing to pursue with too conspicuous violence, lest we defeat our
object, we let Carmona's party leave the dining-room before us. A quarter
of an hour later we followed, going out into the strange grey streets,
haunted by men and women who have made history. Dick (armed with a book by