came to you, and all that sort
of thing, but that was mere empty talk. The whole point is, as I said
in the first place, that he is prepared, in effect, to surrender you to
El Diablo Cojuelo as the price of his own freedom and safety."

"I cannot--I will not--believe it," said Myra firmly, rising to her
feet. "Not until I hear Tony say himself that he is prepared to
renounce me will I believe it. Let me see him."

"As you will," said Don Carlos, rising and putting on his disguise. "I
will take you to him. Let me remind you, however, of your promise not
to reveal the fact that Don Carlos and El Diablo Cojuelo are one and
the same. I hold you to both of your promises--and I have a priest
waiting to marry us. Come!"

CHAPTER XVI

He led the way through rocky, winding passages to the great cave, in
which his motley band were enjoying their evening meal with much loud
talk and laughter. At sight of the cloaked and hooded figure of their
master and his fair captive there was a sudden hush, however, and
practically all the men sprang to their feet at once.

"Mendoza, the keys of the prisoner's cell, please," said Don Carlos.
"The senorita wishes to speak to the Englishman."

An elderly man with some keys on a chain attached to his belt hurried
forward at once, and unlocked a massive door giving access to a small
apartment that looked as if it had been hewn out of the solid rock. It
was unfurnished save for a straw mattress with a brown blanket for
covering, and a rough wooden bench, on which, when the door was flung
open, Antony Standish was seated dejectedly with his head between his
hands.

He sprang up with a sharp intake of breath, looking pale, startled and
dishevelled, at sight of Myra and the hooded figure he assumed to be El
Diablo Cojuelo.

"Hullo! What's the idea now?" he asked quickly. "Why have you brought
Miss Rostrevor here?"

"The senorita wishes to assure herself that what she has been told by
Don Carlos de Ruiz is correct," explained El Diablo Cojuelo, in his
disguised and muffled voice. "I, also, wish to hear you say that you
are prepared to accept your freedom and go back with Don Carlos to his
castle, leaving the senorita with me, resigning her to me as your
ransom."

Myra found herself strangely calm, felt as if she had run through the
whole gamut of emotions and exhausted them all.

"Tony, is it true you told Don Carlos that you were willing to go and
leave me here at the