led by your own daughter!" said Rollo,
briefly, growing nettled at the parvenu grandee's seeming indifference.

"_My daughter!_" cried Munoz, losing in a moment his bright complexion,
and becoming of a slaty pallor, "my daughter, that mad imp of hell--who
thrice has tried to assassinate me!"

And as he spoke, he let the gun fall upon the floor at his feet. Then he
rallied a little.

"Who has told you this lie?" he exclaimed, with a kind of indignation.

"A man who does not make mistakes--or tell lies--Sergeant Cardono!" said
Rollo. "He has both seen and spoken to her! She has sworn to attack the
palace to-night."

"Then I am as good as dead already. I must go directly to my wife!"
answered Munoz.

But Rollo stepped before him.

"Not without carrying an armful of these to where they will be of use,"
he said, pointing to the guns. And the Duke of Rianzares, without any
further demur, did his will. Rollo in turn took as many as he could
carry, and the Sergeant brought up the rear carrying a wooden box of
cartridges, which had evidently been packed ready for transportation.

They returned to the large lighted room, where Mortimer, Etienne, and El
Sarria had been left on guard. Concha and the waiting-maid seconded
their efforts by bringing store of pistols and ammunition.

On their way they passed through a hall, which by day seemed to be
lighted only from the roof. Rollo bade them deposit the arms there, and
bring the other candles and lamps to that place.

"Every moment that a light is to be seen at an outside window adds to
our danger," he said, and Concha ran at his bidding.

Before she had time to return, however, the Queen-Regent came in with
her usual dignity, the three serving-men following her. Rollo saw at
once that nothing was to be expected of Eugenio, whose ancient and
tottering limbs could hardly support the weight of his body. But there
was more hope of the two others. They proved to be stout young fellows
from the neighbourhood, and professed the utmost eagerness for a bout
with the gipsies. From their youth they had been accustomed to the use
of firearms--it is to be feared without due licence--in the royal
hunting preserves of Penalara and the Guadarrama.

But this made no difference to Rollo, who instantly set about equipping
them with the necessary arms, and inquiring minutely about the
fastenings of the lower doors and windows. These it appeared were
strong. The doors themselves were covere