e
Mother Superior of the Convent of the Holy Innocents. Do not attempt to
penetrate the secret. I assure you it will be quite useless. And pray do
not suppose that only you can adventure forth on perilous quests!"

"I assure you," began Rollo, eagerly, "that I suppose no such thing. At
the moment when you came up I was wishing with all my heart that the
responsibility of the present undertaking had been laid on any other
shoulders than mine!"

Yet in spite of his modesty, certain it is that from that moment Rollo
rode no longer with his head hanging down like a willow blown by the
wind. The reins lay no more lax and abandoned on his horse's neck. On
the contrary, he sat erect and looked abroad with the air of a
commander, and his hand rested oftener on the hilt of Killiecrankie,
with the air of pride which Concha privately thought most becoming.

"And in what case left you my wife and babe?" suddenly demanded El
Sarria, riding up, and inquiring somewhat imperiously of the new
recruit concerning the matter which touched him most nearly.

"The Senora Dolores is safe with the good sisters, and as in former
times I was known to have been her companion, it was judged safest that
I should not longer be seen in the neighbourhood. Likewise I was charged
with the tidings that Luis Fernandez with a company of Cristino
Migueletes has been seen riding southward to cut you off from Madrid,
whither it is supposed you are bound!"

Rollo turned quickly upon her with some anger in his eye.

"Why did you not tell me that at first?" he said.

Concha smiled a subtle smile and turned her eyes upon the ground.

"If you will remember, I had other matters to communicate to your
Excellency," she said meekly--almost too meekly, Rollo thought. "This
matter of Luis Fernandez slipped my memory, till it was my good fortune
to be reminded of it by Don Ramon!"

And all the while the long lean Sergeant Cardono, his elbows glued to
his sides, sat his horse as if spiked to the saddle, and chuckled with
quiet glee at the scene.

"He will do yet," he muttered; "'twas ever thus that my father told me
of the Gran' Lor' before Salamanca. Be he as stiff as a ramrod and as
frigid as his own North Pole, the little one will thaw him--bend
him--make a fool of him for his soul's good. She is not an Andaluse of
the gipsy blood for nothing! He will make him a soldier yet, this young
man, by the especial grace of San Vicente de Paul, only I do not think
th