nger.

But was this the reason of Concha's smile in the darkness? Or was it
because she thought?--"He is indeed the prince of youths, and can lay
his orders on whom he will, binding and loosing like Peter with the
Keys. But there is that in the heart of a woman which even he cannot
bind, for all his good opinion of himself!"

Yet stranger than all, she thought none the worse of Master Rollo for
his confidence and heady self-conceit. And what is more, she let him go
from her without a murmur, though she knew that her heart of hearts was
his. And that above all carrying off of queens and honours military,
more than many towns captured and battles won, she wished to hear from
Rollo Blair's lips that his heart also was her own--her very own. Many
men had told her that same thing in these very words, and she had only
laughed back at them with a flash of brilliant teeth, a pair of the
blackest Andalusian eyes shining meantime with contemptuous mirth.

But now, it seemed that if she did not hear Rollo say this thing, she
would die--which shows the difference there may be between words which
we desire to hear spoken and those that others wish to speak to us.

Yet in spite of all, or because of it, she let him go without a word or
a murmur, because of the hope of morning that was in her heart.

CHAPTER XXXIV

OUR ROLLO TO THE RESCUE

And this was the manner of his going. He sought the Sergeant upon his
balcony, outside which climbed and writhed a great old vine-stem as
thick as a man's leg. He was for taking Killiecrankie by his side,
against the Sergeant's advice.

"Killiecrankie and I," he urged, with the buckle in his hand, "have been
in many frays together, and I have never known him fail me yet."

"A sword like a weaver's beam is monstrously unhandy dangling between
the legs!" replied the Sergeant, "and that you will find before you are
at the foot of yonder vine-stock. Take a pair of pistols and a good
Albacete leech. That is my advice. I think I heard El Sarria say that
you had some skill of knife-play in the Andalusian manner."

"So, so," returned Rollo, modestly. "I should not like to face you--your
left hand to my right. But with most other men I might make bold to hold
my own."

"Good!" said the Sergeant; "now listen. Let yourself down, hand-grip by
hand-grip, clipping the vine-stem as best you may with your knees to
make the less noise. You will be wholly hidden by the outer leaves. Move
slowly,