s with himself whether it is worth while shaving. Then with his
usual deliberation he undid a leathern strap from his waist and with
great consideration but equal effectiveness he buckled the girl's hands
firmly behind her back. Then with a sash of silk he proceeded to do the
like office with her feet.

Just as he was tying the final knots, the girl made one supreme effort.
She actually succeeded in twisting her body out of the arms of El
Sarria, and flung herself headlong in the direction of Munoz and the
Queen, spitting like a cat. But the Sergeant's extemporised shackles did
their work, and the poor tortured creature would have fallen on her face
upon the cold flags of the stone floor but that El Sarria caught her in
his arms, and lifting her gently up, proceeded to convey her to another
apartment where she might more safely be taken care of.

In order to do this, however, he had to pass close by the Queen-Regent
and her consort. It happened that the latter, who till that moment had
been wholly occupied by his cares for the recovery of his mistress, had
scarcely glanced either at the motionless heap staining the floor with
blood or at the wild thing scrambling and biting savagely in the arms of
El Sarria.

But the girl's struggles were now over for that time. Her fit of
demoniacal fury had apparently completely exhausted her. Her head lay
back pale and white, the livid lips drawn so as to show the teeth in a
ghastly smile, and her whole body drooped, relaxed and flaccid, over her
captor's arm.

The Queen-Regent was just able once more to stand upon her feet when El
Sarria passed with his burden. The eyes of Munoz fell upon the girl's
pale distorted features. He started back and almost dropped the Queen in
his horror.

"Whence came this she-devil?" he cried, "What is she doing here? Let her
be locked in a dungeon. Eugene will show you where. She will cut all our
throats else!"

"Has this child not the honour to be daughter to his Excellency the Duke
of Rianzares?" inquired the Sergeant, grimly.

"She is a maniac, I tell you! I put her in a madhouse and she escaped!
She hath sworn my death!" cried Munoz, his supercilious calm for once
quite broken up.

"And what is this that she hath done?" he cried, holding up his hands as
his eyes fell on the body of the nurse Susana. In another moment,
however, he had partially recovered himself.

"My beloved lady," he said, turning to his wife, "this is certainly no
pla