ion of a favour for
a favour in return, that favour would be given. There was hope that the
thing might be arranged; and once Pilar came within speaking distance of
Monica, nothing short of sudden death could prevent her from telling the
girl the truth, vowing by all the saints that she had been deceived for
the one purpose of separating her from me. If Monica could be made to
believe that, she would have courage to be true in spite of all; and then
it would be for me to save her from keeping the engagement into which she
had been tricked.

As for my going to Carmona's house and trying to see Monica, such a plan
appeared useless, as I should certainly not be allowed to come near her.
Therefore I must wait with such patience as I could, and let my friends
help me in the subtle ways favoured in Spain.

Now, Palm Sunday had dawned crystal clear; but Pilar had explained that
nobody occupied the boxes and chairs to see the procession of palms in the
morning; that, though it was pretty to see, it was not one of the great
sights; and, as one must be waiting early outside the cathedral, it was
unlikely that anyone from Carmona's house would be there. Still there was
the chance, and I could not afford to miss it; so the O'Donnels offered to
go with me into Seville, Dick, of course, being of the party.

Consequently, every one at the Cortijo was astir by six; and before seven
Dick and I were in the _patio_, just in time to greet Pilar utterly
fascinating in a mantilla.

She was dressed as a Spanish woman of the upper class should be dressed on
Palm Sunday; and though the tight-fitting, rich black brocade silk which
she wore would, in any other country, have seemed a costume not for young
girlhood but for middle age, it suited her wonderfully. Her clear-skinned,
heart-shaped face, with its great soft eyes and red lips, was beautiful in
the cloudy frame of black lace; and her piled hair, of so dark a brown as
to appear black, except when the sunlight burnished threads of gold in its
masses, looked ruddy as the leaves of a copper-beech gleaming through the
figured lace.

"By Jove!" exclaimed Dick, jumping to his feet when he saw her. No more
than that; but Pilar was woman enough to understand the value of the
compliment; and she smiled, patting the flounce of her mantilla into still
more graceful folds on her breast.

"You think me nice like this?" she asked. "I'm proud of my mantilla, you
know. It came to me from my great-gra