nian manner by holding the vessel well out and pouring a narrow
stream in a graceful arch into his mouth. But for this he must wait. A
captive quail on the balcony said _check-check_, and rattled on the bars
of his cage to indicate that his water was finished, and that if
somebody did not attend to him speedily he would die.

As Rollo went down the little slope, past the corner of the garden where
Ramon had spoken first with La Giralda, it seemed to him that over the
broiling roofs of the mill-house he caught the glimmer of something cool
and white. He halted his horse and stood momentarily up in his stirrups,
whereupon the glimmer upon the roof seemed to change suddenly to red and
then as swiftly vanished.

Certainly there was something wrong. Rollo hurried on, giving the three
knocks which had been agreed upon at the closed outer door of the house.
It was opened by La Giralda.

"Who is signalling from the roof?" he asked hurriedly.

The old gipsy stared at him, and then glanced apprehensively at his
face. It had grown white with sudden anxiety.

"A touch of sun--you are not accustomed--you are not of the country to
ride about at this time of day. No one has been signalling. Don Ramon is
with his wife, waiting for you; and, as I think, not finding the time
long. I will bring you a drink of wine and water with a _tisane_ in it,
very judicious in cases of sun-touch!"

The latter was much in the line of the young man's desires, yet being
still unsatisfied, he could not help saying, "But, La Giralda, I saw the
thing plainly, a signal, first of white and then of red, waved from the
roof, as it seemed, over the mill-wheel."

La Giralda shook her head.

"Eyes," she said, "only eyes and the touch of the sun. But tell me,
what of Concha, and how you sped with the Lady Superior?"

But Rollo was not to be appeased till he had summoned El Sarria, and
with him examined the strong-room where the prisoners were kept; as
before, Don Luis sat listlessly by the table, his brow upon his hand. He
did not look up or speak when they entered. But his brother moaned on
about his wounded head, and complained that La Tia had drunk all the
water. This being replenished, Don Tomas wandered off into muttered
confidences concerning his early travels, how he had made love to the
Alcalde's daughter of Granada, how he had fought with a _contrabandista_
at Ronda fair--with other things too intimate to be here set down, ever
returning, however