well acquainted with the arrangements of the house, and you may
depend that I shall be seen by no one whom I wish to avoid."

Mariano turned into the shrubbery, and Luis, with rapid but silent
step, advanced towards the villa, favoured in his clandestine approach
by the darkness of the night and the trees of the thickly-planted
garden.

The house was a square edifice, without balconies, and the windows
that were lighted up were those of the first floor. On the side on
which Luis first approached the building, the windows were closed,
but, upon moving noiselessly round to the front, he perceived one
which the fineness of the weather, still mild and genial although at
the end of September, had induced the occupants of the room to leave
open. The sound of laughter and merriment issued from it; but this was
presently hushed, and two voices, accompanied by guitars, began to
sing a lively _seguidilla_, of which, at the end of each piquant
couplet, the listeners testified their approbation by a hum of
mirthful applause. Before the song was over, Luis had sought and found
a means of observing what was passing within doors. Grasping the lower
branch of a tree which grew within a few feet of the corner of the
house, he swung himself up amongst the foliage. A large bough extended
horizontally below the open window, and by climbing along this, he was
enabled to look completely into the apartment; whilst, owing to the
thickness of the leafage and the dark colour of his dress, there was
scarcely a possibility of his being discovered.

The room was occupied by about twenty persons, the majority of whom
were visitors, inhabitants of Tudela or of neighbouring
country-houses. With four or five exceptions, the party consisted of
men, for the most part elderly or middle-aged. One of the ladies and a
young officer of the royal guard were the singers, and their
performance seemed partially to interrupt the conversation of a group
of the seniors who were seated round a card-table at the further end
of the apartment. The cards, however, if they had been used at all,
had long been thrown aside, and replaced by a discussion carried on in
low tones, and with an earnestness of countenance and gesture, which
gave to those engaged in it the appearance rather of conspirators than
of friends met together for the enjoyment of each other's society. The
ladies, and a few of the younger men, did not appear disposed to let
the gravity of their elders in